Bacon's Rebellion

of the county of Henrico chosen a Burgess, as was also Crews
for the Same county.

      The assembly being mett Bacon comes down in a sloope to
James Towne. But the People being very Fond of him, would
not trust his person without a Guard, fearing some violence
should be offered him by the Governour for what hee had al-
ready acted against his will, and Soe sent Forty armed men
along in the Sloope with Bacon, coming somewhat neerer to
Towne than Swanns Point dropt anchor and sent (as tis said)
on Shore to the Governour to know if he might in safety come
on shore, and sett as a Member etc. What answer was re-
turn’d we have not heard, onely what the Governor caused to
be given him from the great guns that fired at the Sloope from
the Towne Fort, soe that having gott his Sloope out of Gun-
shott, he lay higher up the River, and in the night tyme with a
party of his men ventured on shore, and having had some
conference (at Laurances house) with Laurance and Drum-
ond came off again undiscovered. Several Propositions were
made and some boats sent off to apprehend him but could
effect nothing. Bacon endeavours to make his Escape up the
River. In this Juncture Capt. Thomas Gardner¹ Master
of the Ship Adam and Eve being at Towne, having an order
from the Governor to pursue and seize him, imediately got on
Board his ship, and as Bacon returned up the River comanded
his Sloope in by Firing at him from on Board, and soe tooke
him and all his men Prisoners and brought them away to the
Governor at Towne.

      Bacon being delivered up Prisoner to the Governor² by
Capt. Gardner, the Governor lifting up his hands and eyes
said in the hearing of many people, “Now I behold the greatest

    ¹ Captain Thomas Gardner played an important part in upholding Berkeley’s
authority, as the continuation of the narrative shows. The action of the assem-
bly in fining him £70 for seizing Bacon, and so violating the privilege of a burgess,
and for causing the loss of Bacon’s sloop, “which perished on shore by the neglect
of others,” and in throwing him into jail where he remained until Berkeley re-
turned from Accomac, was not approved by the Privy Council. The latter body
not only authorized the Admiralty to pay Gardner’s claim of £567 for freight,
wages, and victuals, and a bonus of £50 as a reward for his services, but also
recommended him for employment in the naval service on the first suitable oc-
casion. (Acts of the Privy Council, Colonial, I., §§ 1183, 1186, 1258, 1286.)

      ²Bacon was delivered to the governor on June 8.