villages　in　all　the　upper　troubled　country；　and　afar　into　the　sunset　woods
  where　the　pioneer's　cabin　had　not　yet　been　builded。　He　acted　with　vigor。
  The　Indians　could　not　stand　against　his　horsemen　and　concerted　measures；
  and　back　they　fell　before　the　white　men；　westward　again；　or；　if　they　stayed
  in　the　ever　dwindling　villages；　they　gave　hostages　and　oaths　of　peace。
  Quiet　seemed　to　descend　once　more　upon　the　border。
  But；　if　the　frontier　seemed　peaceful；　Virginia　behind　the　border　was　a
  bubbling　cauldron。　Bacon　had　now　become　a　hero　of　the　people；　a　Siegfried
  capable　of　slaying　the　dragon。　Nor　were　Lawrence　and　Drummond　idle；　nor
  others　of　their　way　of　thinking。　The　Indian　troubles　might　soon　be　settled；
  but　why　not　go　further；　marching　against　other　troubles；　more　subtle　and
  long…continuing；　and　threatening　all　the　future？
  In　the　midst　of　this　speculation　and　promise　of　change；　the　Governor；
  feeling　the　storm；　dissolved　the　Assembly；　proclaimed　Bacon　and　his
  adherents　rebels　and　traitors；　and　made　a　desperate　attempt　to　raise　an
  army　for　use　against　the　new…fangledness　of　the　time。　This　last　he　could
  not　do。　Private　interest　led　many　planters　to　side　with　him；　and　there　was
  a　fair　amount　of　passionate　conviction　matching　his　own；　that　his　Majesty
  the　King　and　the　forces　of　law　and　order　were　being　withstood；　and　without
  just　cause。　But　the　mass　of　the　people　cried　out　to　his　speeches；　〃Bacon！
  Bacon！〃　As　the　popular　leader　had　been　warned　from　Jamestown　by　news　of
  personal　danger；　so　in　his　turn　Berkeley　seems　to　have　believed　that　his
  own　liberty　was　threatened。　With　suddenness　he　departed　the　place；　boarded
  a　sloop；　and　was　〃wafted　over　Chesapeake　Bay　thirty　miles　to　Accomac。〃。　The
  news　of　the　Governor's　flight；　producing　both　alarm　in　one　party　and
  enthusiasm　in　the　other；　tended　to　precipitate　the　crisis。　Though　the
  Indian　trouble　might　by　now　be　called　adjusted；　Bacon；　far　up　the　York；　did
  not　disband　his　men。　He　turned　and　with　them　marched　down　country；　not　to
  Jamestown；　but　to　a　hamlet　called　Middle　Plantation；　where　later　was　to
  grow　the　town　of　Williamsburg。　Here　he　camped；　and　here　took　counsel　with
  Lawrence　and　Drummond　and　others；　and　here　addressed；　with　a　curious；　lofty
  eloquence；　the　throng　that　began　to　gather。　Hence；　too；　he　issued　a
  〃Declaration；〃　recounting　the　misdeeds　of　those　lately　in　power；　protesting
  against　the　terms　rebel　and　traitor　as　applied　to　himself　and　his
  followers；　who　are　only　in　arms　to　protect　his　Majesty's　demesne　and
  subjects；　and　calling　on　those　who　are　well　disposed　to　reform　to　join　him
  at　Middle　Plantation；　there　to　consider　the　state　of　the　country　which　had
  been　brought　into　a　bad　way　by　〃Sir　William's　doting　and　irregular　actings。〃
  Upon　his　proclamation　many　did　come　to　Middle　Plantation；　great　planters
  and　small；　men　just　freed　from　indentured　service；　holders　of　no　land　and
  little　land　and　much　land；　men　of　all　grades　of　weight　and　consideration
  and　all　degrees　of　revolutionary　will；　from　Drummond…with　a　reported
  speech；　〃I　am　in　overshoes；　I　will　be　in　overboots！〃　and　a　wife　Sarah　who
  snapped　a　stick　in　two　with　the　cry；　〃I　care　no　more　for　the　power　of
  England　than　for　this　broken　straw！〃to　those　who　would　be　revolutionary
  as　long　as；　and　only　when；　it　seemed　safe　to　be　so。
  How　much　of　revolution；　despite　that　speech　about　his　Majesty's　demesne　and
  subjects；　was　in　Bacon's　mind；　or　in　Richard　Lawrence's　mind　and　William
  Drummond's　mind；　or　in　the　mind　of　their　staunchest　supporters；　may　hardly
  now　be　resolved。　Perhaps　as　much　as　was　in　the　mind　of　Patrick　Henry；
  Thomas　Jefferson；　and　George　Mason　a　century　later。
  The　Governor　was　in　Accomac；　breathing　fire　and　slaughter；　though　as　yet
  without　brand　or　sword　with　which　to　put　his　ardent　desires　into　execution。
  But　he　and　the　constituted　order　were　not　without　friends　and　supporters。
  He　had；　as　his　opponents　saw；　a　umber　of　〃wicked　and　pernicious
  counsellors；　aides　and　assistants　against　the　commonalty　in　these　our　cruel
  commotions。〃　Moreoverand　a　great　moreover　is　that！it　was　everywhere
  bruited　that　he　had　sent　to　England；　to　the　King；　〃for　two　thousand　Red
  Coates。〃　Perhaps　the　Kingperhaps　England…will　take　his　view；　and；　not
  consulting　the　good　of　Virginia；　send　the　Red　Coats！　What　then？
  Bacon；　as　a　measure　of　opposition；　proposed　〃a　test　or　ecognition；〃　to　be
  signed　by　those　here　at　Middle　Plantation　who　earnestly　do　wish　the　good　of
  Virginia。　It　was　a　bold　test！　Not　only　should　they　covenant　to　give　no　aid
  to　the　whilom　Governor　against　this　new　general　and　army；　but　if　ships
  should　bring　the　Red　Coats　they　were　to　withstand　them。　There　is　little
  wonder　that　〃this　bugbear　did　marvellously　startle〃　that　body　of　Virginia
  horsemen；　those　progressive　gentlemen　planters；　and　others。　Yet　in　the　end；
  after　violent　contentions；　the　assembly　at　Middle　Plantation　drew　up　and
  signed　a　remarkable　paper；　the　〃Oath　at　Middle　Plantation。〃　Historically；
  it　is　linked　on　the　one　hand　with　that　〃thrusting　out　of　his　government〃　of
  Sir　John　Harvey　in　Charles　I's　time；　and　on　the　other　with　Virginian
  proceedings　a　hundred　years　later　under　the　third　George。　If　his　Majesty
  had　been；　as　it　was　rumored；　wrongly　informed　that　Virginia　was　in
  rebellion；　if；　acting　upon　that　misinformation；　he　sent　troops　against　his
  loyal　Virginians…who　were　armed　only　against　an　evil　Governor　and
  intolerable　woes　then　these　same　good　loyalists　would　〃oppose　and　suppress
  all　forces　whatsoever　of　that　nature；　until　such　time　as　the　King　be　fully
  informed　of　the　state　of　the　case。〃　What　was　to　happen　if　the　King；　being
  informed；　still　supported　Berkeley　and　sent　other　Red　Coats　was　not　taken
  into　consideration。
  This　paper；　being　drawn；　was　the　more　quickly　signed　because　there　arrived；
  in　the　midst　of　the　debate；　a　fresh　Indian　alarm。　Attack　threatened　a　fort
  upon　the　York…whence　the　Governor　had　seen　fit　to　remove　arms　and
  ammunition！　The　news　came　most　opportunely　for　Bacon。　〃There　were　no　more
  discourses。〃　The　major　portion　of　the　large　assemblage　signed。
  The　old　Government　in　Virginia　was　thus　denied。　But　it　was　held　that
  government　there　must　be；　and　that　the　people　of　Virginia　through
  representatives　must　arrange　for　it。　Writs　of　election；　made　as　usual　in
  the　King's　name；　and　signed　by　Bacon　and　by　those　members　of　the　Council
  who　were　of　the　revolt；　went　forth　to　all　counties。　The　Assembly　thus
  provided　was　to　meet　at　Jamestown　in　September。
  So　much　business　done；　off　rode　Bacon　and　his　men　to　put　down　this　latest
  rising　of　the　Indians。　Not　only　these　but　red　men　in　a　new　quarter；　tribes
  south　of　the　James；　kept　them　employed　for　weeks　to　come。　Nor　were　they
  unmindful　of　that　proud　old　man；　Sir　William　Berkeley；　over　on　the　Eastern
  Shore；　a　well…peopled　region　where　traveling　by　boat　and　by　sandy　road　was
  sufficiently　easy。　Bacon；　Lawrence；　and　Drummond　finally　decided　to　take
  Sir　William　captive　and　to　bring　him　back　to　Jamestown。　For　this　purpose
  they　dispatched　a　ship　across　the　Bay；　with　two　hundred　and　fifty　men；
  under　the　command　of　Giles　Bland；　〃a　man　of　courage　and　haughty　bearing；〃
  and　〃no　great　admirer　of　Sir　William's　goodness。〃　The　ship　proceeded　to　the
  Accomac　shore；　anchored　in　some　bight；　and　sent　ashore　men　to　treat　with
  the　Governor。　But　the　Governor　turned　the　tables　on　them。　He　made　himself
  captor；　instead　of　being　made　captive。　Bland　and　his　lieutenants　were
  taken；　whereupon　their　following　surrendered　into　Berkeley's　hands。　Bland's
  second　in　command　was　hanged；　Bland　himself　was　held　in　irons。
  Now　Berkeley's　star　was　climbing。　In　Accomac　he　gathered　so　many　that；　with
  those　who　had　fled　with　him　and　later　recruits　who　crossed　the　Bay；　he　had
  perhaps　a　thousand　men。　He　stowed　these　upon　the　ship　of　the　ill…fated
  Bland　and　upon　a　number　of　sloops。　With　seventeen　sail　in　all；　the　old
  Governor　set　his　face　west　and　south　towards　the　mouth　of　the　James。
  In　that　river；　on　the　7th　of　September；　1676；　there　appeared　this　fleet　of
  the　King's　Governor；　set　on　retaking　Virginia。　Jamestown　had　notice。　The
  Bacon　faction　held　the　place　with　perhaps　eight　hundred　men；　Colonel
  Hansford　at　their　head。　Summoned　by　Berkeley　to　surrender；　Hansford
  refused；　but　that　same　night；　by　advice　of　Lawrence　and　Drummond；　evacuated
  the　place；　drawing　his　force　off　toward　the　York。　The　next　day；　emptied　of
  all　but　a　few　citizens；　Jamestown　received　the　old　Governor　and　his　army。
  The　tidings　found　Bacon　on　the　upper　York。　Acting　with　his　accustomed
  energy；　he　sent　out；　far　and　wide；　ringing　appeals　to　the　country　to　rouse
  itself；　for　men　to　join　him　and　march　to　the　defeat　of　the　old　tyrant。
  Numbers　did　come　in。　He　moved　with　〃marvelous　celerity。〃　When　he　had；　for
  the　time　and　place；　a　large　force　of　rebels；　he　marched；　by　stream　and
  plantation；　tobaccofield　and　forest；　forge　and　mill；　through　the　early
  autumn　country　to　Jamestown。　Civil　war　was　on。
  Across　the　narrow　neck　of　the　Jamestown　penin　sula　had　been　thrown　a　sort
  of　fortification　with　ditch；　earthwork；　and　palisade。　Before　this　Bacon　now
  sounded　trumpets。　No　answer　coming；　but　the　mouths　of　cannon　appearing　at
  intervals　above　the　breastwork；　the　〃rebel〃　general　halted；　enc