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
Another party of the Governor's troops which, under command of Maj.
Lawrence Smith, had taken possession of Mr. Pate's house, where the
Rebel died, was besieged by the Baconians, under Ingram. Although Major
Smith was said to have been "a gentleman that in his time had hewed out
many a knotty piece of work," and so the better knew how to handle such
rugged fellows as the Baconians were famed to be, "he only saved
himself by leaving his men in the lurch."
The whole party tamely surrendered to Ingram, who dismissed them all to
their homes, unharmed.
In spite of these little victories, however, the Rebellion was doomed.
Only a few days after his raid upon Pate's house, Ingram decided to give
up the struggle, and made terms with Captain Grantham, of Governor
Berkeley's following.
The Governor's own home, "Green Spring," which Bacon had left in charge
of about a hundred men and boys, under command of Captain Drew, now
stood ready to throw open its doors once more to its master.
It was said that the "main service that was done for the reducing the
rebels to their obedience, was done by the seamen and commanders of
ships then riding in the rivers." In the lower part of Surry County,
upon the banks of James River, stands an ancient brick mansion, still
known as "Bacon's Castle," which tradition says was fortified by the
Rebel. This relic of the famous rebellion is mentioned in the records
as "Allen's Brick House," where Bacon had a guard under Major Rookins.
The place was captured by a force from the Governor's ship _Young
Prince_, Robert Morris, commander. Major Rookins, being "taken in open
rebellion," was one of those afterward sentenced to death by court
martial, at "Green Spring," but was so happy as to die in prison and
thus, like Major Cheesman, cheat the gallows.
Drummond and Lawrence alone remained inflexible, in command of a brick
house in New Kent County, on the opposite side of the river from where
Grantham and the Governor's forces were quartered. Seeing that they
could not long hold out against such odds, but determined not to
surrender to Berkeley, or to become his prisoners, they at length fled
from their stronghold.
Poor Mr. Drummond was overtaken by some of the Governor's soldiers in
Chickahominy Swamp, half starved. He had been from the very beginning
one of the staunchest adherents of Bacon and the people's party. A
friend had advised him to be cautious in his opposition to the
Governor, but the only answer he deigned to make was, "I am in over
shoes, I will be in over boots."
And he was as good as his word. When he was brought under arrest, before
Berkeley, Sir William greeted him with a low bow, saying, in mock
hospitality:
"Mr. Drummond, you are very welcome. I am more glad to see you than any
man in Virginia. Mr. Drummond, you shall be hanged in half an hour."
The sturdy Scotchman replied, with perfect equanimity, and like show of
courtesy:
"What your Honor pleases."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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