The Story of Bacon's RebellionStanard, Mary Newton
History
The Story of Bacon's Rebellion
Stanard, Mary Newton
Bacon's Rebellion, 1676; Virginia -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
During this dramatic interview, Bacon, his dark eyes burning, his black
locks tossing, strode back and forth betwixt his two lines of
men-at-arms, resting his left hand upon his hip, and flinging his right
from his hat to his sword-hilt, and back again, while the Burgesses
looked on breathless from the second-story windows of the State House.
At length the baffled Governor wheeled about and, with haughty mien,
walked toward his private apartment at the other end of the State House,
the gentlemen of the Council still close following him, while Bacon, in
turn, surrounded by his body-guard, followed them, continuing to
gesticulate in the wild fashion that has been described.
Finding Sir William deaf to every appeal, the determined young leader
swore another great oath, and exclaiming, "I'll kill Governor, Council,
Assembly and all, and then I'll sheathe my sword in my own heart's
blood!" he turned to his guard and ordered them to "Make ready, and
present!"
In a flash the loaded muskets of the "fusileers" pointed with steady aim
and true toward the white faces in the State House windows, while from
the throats of the little army below arose a chorus of "We _will_ have
it! We _will_ have it!" meaning the promised commission.
A quick-witted Burgess waved his handkerchief from the window, shouting,
as he did so, "You _shall_ have it! You _shall_ have it!" and the day
was saved. The tiny flag of truce worked a magic spell. The soldiers
withdrew their guns, uncocked the matchlocks, and quietly followed Bacon
back to the main body of his men. One witness says that Bacon's men also
shouted a chorus of, "No levies! No levies!"
After a long and heated argument with Council and Burgesses (though not
until the next day) Governor Berkeley grudgingly drew up a commission
and sent it out. Bacon, who was bent upon making the most of his
hard-won position, was not content with it, however, and scorning to
accept it, dictated one to his own mind and required the Governor to
sign it, as well as thirty blank ones for officers to serve under him,
to be filled with such names as he himself should see fit. Afterward,
finding need of still more officers, he sent to Berkeley for another
supply of blank commissions, but the beaten old man, deserted, for the
time, by his resources and his nerve, sent back the answer that he had
signed enough already, and bade General Bacon sign the rest for himself.
One more paper, however, the old man was made to sign--a letter to King
Charles explaining and excusing Bacon's course, and an act of indemnity
for Bacon and his followers.
Most of the commissions Bacon filled with the regular officers of the
militia, as the "most fit to bear commands," and likely to be the "most
satisfactory to both Governor and people."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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