At length, the neceffary bills having paffed the affembly, and the advanced feafon requiring their attendance in their feveral countries, the council and Burgeffes jointly intreated the Governor's prefence, to give his affent to them and finish the feffion. They obferved, that though the bufinefs had been greatly impeded by his abfence from the feat of government, and they had fubmitted to the inconvenience of repeatedly fending their members twelve miles to attend his Excellency on board a fhip of war, they could not but think it highly improper, and too great a departure from the conftitutional and accustomed mode of tranfacing their bufinefs, to prefent the bills to him at any other place than the capital.

Lord Dunmore in his anfwer was fomewhat rough. He infifted upon his right of calling them to any place in the colony, where the exigence of affairs might render their attendance neceffary. He further observed, that as he had not been made acquainted with the whole proceedings of the Affembly, he knew of no bills of importance, which, if he were inclined to rifque bis perfon again among the people, they had to prefent to him, nor whether they were fuch as he could affent to if they had.

To obviate thefe objections, though it was an unprecedented aft, the Affembly fent the bills, as well as other papers which were afterwards demanded, on board the Fowey, for his infpection. The most interefting of those bills, feemingly to all parties, was that for the payment of the forces, who had lately, under his Lordship's command, fuffered confiderably, at

the fame time that they had done effential fervice to their country, by their bravery and fuccefs in the late Indian war. This bill was objected to by the Governor, for its impofing a tax upon the importation of flaves, and for fome informality in refpect to the emiffion of paper money. The other bills were approved of.

This produced the final addrefs from the Houfe of Burgeffes, in which they intreated his Excellency, that he would meet them the enfuing day at Williamsburg, to pass the bills that were ready; expreffed their hopes, that he could not ftill entertain any groundless fears of perfonal danger; but declared, that if it was poffible he remained under fo ftrange an influence, they pledged their honours, and every thing facred, for his fecurity. If nothing could prevail, they requested that he would grant a commiffion for paffing fuch bills as he approved.

Lord Dunmore perfifted in the objections he had made to the bill; faid that the well-grounded caufe he had for believing his perfon not fafe at Williamsburgh, had increafed daily. That he therefore could not meet them, as they requefted, at the capital; but that he would be ready to receive the Houfe on the following Monday, at his prefent refidence, for the purpofe of giving his affent to fuch acts as he fhould approve of.

This anfwer put an end to all public correfpondence and bufinefs between the Governor and colony. The transferring the Legislative Council and Houfe of Reprefentatives of a great country on board a man of war, was evidently not to be expected. Their danger in fuch a fitua

a fituation, if on other accounts it were poffible they could put themfelves into it, was no lefs than Lord Dunmore's could be on land. It may, however, be fuppofed, that the Governor's conduct was operated upon by caufes, or influenced by motives, with which we are unacquainted.

Upon receiving the forgoing anfwer, the Burgeffes paffed refolutions, in which they declared, that the message requiring them to attend the Governor on board a fhip of war, was a high breach of their rights and privileges. That the unreasonable delays thrown into their proceedings, and the evafive answers to their fincere and decent addreffes, gave them reafon to fear that a dangerous attack was meditated against the unhappy people of that colony, and it was therefore their opinion, that they fhould prepare for the prefervation of their property, aud their ineftimable rights and liberties. And then, ftrongly profeffing loyalty to the King, and amity to the mother country, they broke up their feffion.

Thus, unhappily, was an end put, for the prefent, to the English government in the colony of Virginia. A convention July 18th. of delegates was foon appointed to fupply the place of the affembly, who having an unlimited confidence repofed in them by the people, became accordingly poffeffed of an unlimited power in all public affairs. Thefe immediately took in hand the railing and embodying of an armed force, as well as the providing means for its fupport, and purfued every other measure which could tend to place the colony in a strong state of de

fence. Whilft they were pursuing thefe dangerous fteps, they publifhed a declaration in justification of their conduct, tracing the meafures that led to the prefent unhappy ftate of public affairs, fetting forth the caufe of their meeting, and fhewing the neceffity of immediately putting the country in a pofture of defence, for the protection of their lives, liberties, and properties. They concluded, as the affembly had done, with the ftrongest profeffions of faith and loyalty, and declared, that as, on the one hand, they were deter mined at the peril of the extremest hazards, to maintain their just rights and privileges, fo on the other, it was their fixed and unal. terable refolution, to disband fuch forces as were raifed for the defence of the colony, whenever their dangers were removed, and America reflored to its former ftate of tranquillity and happiness.

Whether Lord Dunmore expected that any extraordinary advantages might be derived from an infurrection of the flaves, or that he imagined there was a much greater number of peopie in the colony, who were fatisfied with the prefent fyftem of government, than really was the cafe, (a miftake, and an unfortunate one, which like an epidemical distemper, feems to have fpread through all our official departments in America) upon whatever grounds he proceeded, he determined, though he relinquished his government, not to abandon his hopes, nor entirely to lofe fight of the country which he had governed. He accordingly, being joined by thofe friends of government, who had rendered themfelves too obnoxious to the

people

people to continue with fafety in the country, as well as by a number of runaway negroes, and fupported by the frigates of war which were upon the ftation, endeavoured to establish fuch a marine force, as would enable him, by means of the noble rivers, which render the most valuable parts of that rich country acceffible by water, to be always at hand, and ready to profit of any favourable occafion that offered. Upon this, or fome fimilar fyftem, he by degrees equipped and armed a number of veffels of different kinds and fizes, in one of which he constantly refided, never fetting his foot on fhore but in a hoftile manner; the force thus put together, was, however, calculated only for depredation, and never became equal to any effential fervice. The former, indeed, was in part a matter of receffity, for as the people on fhore would not fupply thofe on board with provifions or neceffaries, they muft either farve, or provide them by force. The Virginians pretend, that while the depredations were confined to thofe neceffary objects, the respect which they bore to the rank and office of their governor, prevented his meeting with any refiftance; but their nature was foon changed into open and avowed hoftility. Obnoxious perfons, they faid, were feized and carried on board the fhips; plantations ravaged and destroyed; the negroes carried off; houfes burnt, and at length lives loft on both fides. In one of thefe expeditions, his Lordship deftroyed a number of iron cannon, and carried off fome others, which he fuppofed were provided for the purpoles of rebellion, though the Virginians affert they were fhip guns. Thefe

proceedings occafioned the fending of fome detachments of the newraifed forces to protect the coafts, and from thence enfued, a small, mifchievous, predatory war, incapable of affording honour or benefit, and in which, at length, every drop of water, and every neceffary, was purchased at the price or the rifque of blood.

During this ftate of hoftility, he procured a few foldiers from different parts, with Oct. 25th. whofe afliftance, an attempt was made to burn a porttown, in an important fituation, called Hampton. It feems the inhabitants had fome previous fufpicion of the defign, for they had funk boats in the entrance of the harbour, and thrown fuch other obftacles in the way, as rendered the approach of the fhips, and confequently a landing, impracticable on the day on which the attack was commenced. The fhips cut a paffage through the boats in the night, and began to cannonade the town furiously in the morning; but at this critical period they were relieved from their apprehenfions and danger, by the arrival of a detachment of rifle and minute men from Williamsburg, who had marched all night to their affistance. Thefe, joined with the inhabitants, attacked the hips fo vigorously with their fmall arms, that they were obliged precipitately to quit their itation, with the lois of fome men, and of a tender which was taken.

In confequence of Nov. 7th.

this repulfe, a proclamation was iffu d by the Governor, dated on board the hip William, off Norfolk, declaring, that as the civil law was at prefent infufficient

to

to prevent and punish treafon and traitors, martial law fhould take place, and be executed throughout the colony; and requiring all perfons capable of bearing arms to repair to his Majesty's ftandard, or to be considered as traitors. He alfo declared all indented fervants, negroes, and others, appertaining to rebels, who were able and willing to bear arms, and who joined his Majesty's forces, to be free.

This measure of emancipating the negroes, excited lefs furprife, and probably had lefs effect in exciting the defired infurrection, from its being fo long threatened and apprehended, than if it had been more immediate and unexpected. It was, however, received with the greatest horror in all the colonies, and has been feverely condemned elsewhere, as tending to loofen the bands of fociety, to defroy domeftic fecurity, and encourage the moft barbarous of mankind, to the commiffion of the most horrible crimes, and the moft inhuman cruelties; that it was confounding the innocent with the guilty, and expofing thofe who were the best friends to government, to the fame lofs of property, danger, and deftruction, with the most incorrigible rebels. It was faid to establish a precedent of a most dangerous nature in the new world, by giving a legal fanction to the arraying and embodying of African negroes, to appear in arms against white men, and to encounter them upon an equal footing in the field: for however founded diftinctions with refpect to colour may appear, when examined by the tefts of nature, reaton, or philofophy, while things continue in their prefent flate, while commerce, luxury, and ava

rice, render flavery a principal object in the political fyftem of every Eoropean power that poffeffes dominion in America, the idea of a pre-eminence muit always be cherished, and confidered as a neceffary policy. This measure is perhaps liable to be charged with another political fault, which has attended too many others that have been lately adopted with respect to America, viz. that of violent irritation, without affording any adequate benefit.

The proclamation, however, with Lord Dunmore's prefence, and the encouragement of the fmall marine force he had with him, produced, for the prefent, fome effect in the town of Norfolk, and the adjoining country, where many of the people were well affected to go vernment. He was accordingly joined by fome hundreds both of blacks and whites, and many others, who did not chufe to take an active part, publicly abjured the Congrefs, with all its acts, and all conventions and committees, whatever. It is probable that Lord Dunmore now hoped, that the facility and good difpofition which he experienced here, would have been fo general, as to enable him to raise a confiderable armed force, and thus, perhaps, without any foreign affitance, to have the glory of reducing one part of the province by the means of the other.

This pleafing hope was interrupted by intelligence, that a party of the rebels were marching towards them with great expedition.. To obftru&t their defigns, and protect the well-affected, he took poffeffion of a poft called the GreatBridge, which lay at some miles diftance from Norfolk, and was a

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pafs of great confequence, being the only way by which they could approach to that town. Here he conftructed a fort on the Norfolk fide of the bridge, which he furnished well with artillery, and rendered as defenfible as the time would admit. Notwithstanding the loyalty of the people in this quar ter, which included two fmall counties, it does not appear that his force was at all confiderable, either as to number or quality; he had indeed about 200 regulars, including the grenadiers of the 14th regiment, and a body called the Norfolk volunteers; the reft were a motley mixture of blacks and whites. The enemy, under the command of a Colonel Woodford, fortified themfelves alfo, within less than cannon fhot of our people; they had a narrow caufeway in their front, which muft be paffed to come at their works, fo that both parties feemed pretty well fecured from furprize.

In this ftate they continued quiet on both fides for fome days, until at length a defign was formed, of furprizing the rebels in their enDec. 9th. trenchments. This was undertaken before daylight. Capt. Fordyce, at the head of his grenadiers, amounting to about fixty, led the attack. They boldly paffed the cauleway, and marched up to the entrenchments with fixed bayonets, and with a coolness and intrepidity, which firft excited the aftonishment, and afterwards the praile of their enemies; for they were not only expofed naked to the fire in front, but enfiladed by another part of the works. The brave Captain, with feveral of his men, fell; the Lieutenant, with others, were taken,

and all the furvivors of the grenadier company, whether prifoners or not, were wounded.

The fire of the artillery from the fort, enabled our people to retire without purfuit, as well as to carry off many of their dead and wounded. It will excite no great furprize, that the flaves in this engagement, did more prejudice to our own people, than to the enemy. It has been faid, that we were led into this unfortunate affair, through the defigned falfe intelligence of a pretended deferter, who was tutored for the purpose: however that may be, it was grievous, that fuch uncommon bravery should be fquandered to no purpose. Capt. Fordyce was interred with every military honour by the victors, who fhewed due refpect to his former merit, as well as to the gal. lantry which fignalized his laft moments. The English prifoners were treated with great kindness; the Americans who had joined the king's ftandard, with equal rigour.

The King's forces retired from the poft at the Great-Bridge the enfuing night, without any other lofs than a few pieces of cannon, and fome trifling ftores which they left behind; and as all hopes in this quarter were now at an end. Lord Dunmore thought it neceffary to abandon the town and neighbourhood of Norfolk, and retired again with his people on board the hips, which were confiderably increafed in number, by thofe which they found in that porr. Many of the well-affected, (or Tories, which was the appellation now given to them throughout America) thought it prudent, with their families, to feek the fame afylum, whither they alfo carried

the