Bacon's Rebellion

continued undisturb’d, onely some ignorant People grumbl’d
at the 60 lb. of Tob. p. pole,¹ that necessary Tax, raised at
two paym’ts to take off the Patents granted to the Lord Arling-
ton and Lord Culpepper and the Earl of St. Albans and Lord
Berkly etc.

      But about the beginning of January, 1675 – 6, a Party of
those abused Susquahanocks in Revenge of the Maryland
businesse came suddainly down upon the weak Plantations at
the head of Rappahanock and Potomaque and killed at one
time 36 persons and then immediately (as their Custome is)
ran off into the woods.

      Noe sooner was this Intelligence brought to the Governour
but he immediately called a court and ordered a competent
force of horse and foot to pursue the Murderers under the
Comand of Sir Henry Chicheley and some other Gentlemen
of the County of Rappahanock, giving them full Power by
Comission to make Peace or Warr. But the men being ready
to march out upon this Service the Governor on a suddaine
recalls this comission, Causes the men to be disbanded, and
without any effectual course being taken for present Preserva-
tion, referrs all to the next assembly; in the meantime leaving
the Poore Inhabitants under continual and deadly feares and
terrors of their Lives.

      In soe much that in the upper Parts of the Parish of Cit-
ternborne² in Rappahanock w’ch consisted of 71 Plantations,
on the 24th of Jan., 1675 – 6, by the 10th of Febr following was
reduced to eleven what with those that ran away into the
heart of the country, and such as stay’d and were cut off
by the Enemy.

      The assembly mett to consult for the Safety and defence of
the Country ag’t the Incursions and destructions of the In-
dians, dayly Comitted upon the Inhabitants of Virginia, there

        ¹ A poll-tax was the chief form of direct taxation in the colony. By the
poorer class of the population it was deemed unjust, as bearing more heavily on
them than on the rich landowners. The tax here referred to was levied to meet
the expenses of the agents sent to England in 1675. The patents alluded to are
that of 1669, granting the Northern Neck, or region between the Potomac and
the Rappahannock, to the Earl of St. Albans, John Lord Berkeley, and others, and
that of 1672, granting all Virginia for thirty-one years to Lords Arlington and
Culpeper.

      ² Sittingbourne.