1. Nathaniel Bradford of Accomack County, Virginia - Lower ...

Governor Berkeley Nathaniel Bacon
Upon his arrival in Northampton County, Berkeley was put up by John Custis at his estate Arlington, which
became the headquarters of the Governor and his retinue. Berkeley made Custis major general of the
King’s forces and promised to exempt both counties on the eastern shore from all taxes for 21 years should
they remain faithful to him and assist him in subduing the rebellion. Immediately the two counties were put
on a war footing and preparations were made for an invasion. The militia of both counties was mustered in
order to augment the regular forces, and men were requisitioned to supply these forces and also to maintain
a watch on the shores for any sign of an attempted attack on Bacon’s part. Meanwhile, on the other shore
many who had before been undecided went over to Bacon after learning of the Governor’s flight. Bacon
himself issued a “Declaration of the People” which accused Berkeley of corruption, favoritism and
protecting the Indians for profit and he also required men to swear loyalty to his cause in any way they
could, either as fighting men, as suppliers, or simply as passive supporters. Bacon then dispatched Lt.
General Bland with a single ship and a force of 250 men to capture Berkeley or induce the men of the
eastern shore to surrender him. Bland picked up three more vessels along the way and with this force
reached Old Plantation Creek in Northampton and there anchored. At this point, a Captain Laramore,
whose ship was one of those that had been forcibly requisitioned by Bland, sent word to Berkeley that he
would betray Bland if given assistance. When Bland’s lieutenant came to give Berkeley his demands, the
Governor appeared to agree to everything, but secretly was plotting to do to Bland what Bland would do to
him. One of the Governor’s men, Colonel Phillip Ludwell, packed a boat with armed men and rode out to
Bland’s fleet as if to parlay. Ludwell was able to immediately take him prisoner and disarm the entire
fleet’s crew.
The invasion force assembled by Berkeley with the aid of Custis and others, and which included many
freeholders of Accomack and Northampton Counties, set sail for Jamestown and reached it
on 7 September 1676. Bacon was away on the York river at the time, so the governor’s
forces succeeded in capturing the town; but after a rapid march Bacon arrived with a
besieging force and set about reducing the city. At length, Bacon’s men were able to
bombard Jamestown into submission. Berkeley was again forced to flee to the eastern shore
and Bacon now issued an appeal to the people of Accomack, which mixed lofty appeals to
the justice of his cause with attacks on the Governor, and matched pleas for the eastern
shoremen to abandon Berkeley with threats of what might happen to them if they didn’t.
However the residents of Accomack may have felt about this appeal, it was shortly
afterwards superseded by events. On 26 October 1676, the rebellion was dealt a fatal blow
by the death of its leader Bacon from disease. As soon as he heard the news, Berkeley
dispatched Robert Beverly with a force of men to capture the other leaders of the rebellion. This
accomplished, Berkeley joined Beverly and succeeded in putting out the vestiges of revolt throughout the
colony. In January 1677 a ship with an English regiment arrived from England and gave a commission to
Berkeley to try the rebels, and the court was composed of several eastern shoremen, including Lt. Col. John
West, Col. Southy Littleton, and Capt. Daniel Jenifer. In all, twenty-three men were hanged for their part in
the revolt, and large amounts of property seized from rebels without trial. Berkeley was widely believed
then and ever since to have over-reacted in a spirit of revenge. As Charles II himself was said to have
remarked: “That old fool has hanged more men in that naked country than I have done here for the murder
of my father.” Berkeley was relieved of the governorship and returned to England where he died shortly
thereafter.
Page 42 of 74 Copyright 2008 Adam M. Bradford