he letter written to
Congress, and its approval of his course in re-enlisting free negroes.
Meanwhile the British were actively engaged in recruiting and organizing
negroes into their army and navy.

In November, 1775, Lord Dunmore visited Norfolk, Virginia,[3] and, as
Governor, finding his authority as such not regarded by the whites,
issued a proclamation offering freedom to the slaves who would join the
British army. A full description of the State of affairs at that time,
is thus given by an English historian:

"In letters which had been laid before the English
Parliament, and published to the whole world, he (Lord
Dunmore) had represented the planters as ambitious, selfish
men, pursuing their own interest and advancement at the
expense of their poorer countrymen, and as being ready to
make every sacrifice of honesty and principle, and he had
said more privately, that, since they were so anxious for
liberty,--for more freedom than was consistent with the free
institutions of the Mother Country and the charter of the
Colony,--that since they were so eager to abolish a fanciful
slavery in a dependence on Great Britain, he would try how
they liked abolition of real slavery, by setting free all
their negroes and indentured servants, who were, in fact,
little better than _white_ slaves. This to the Virginians
was like passing a rasp over a gangrened place; it was
probing a wound that was incurable, or one which had not yet
been healed. Later in the year, when the battle of Bunker's
Hill had been fought, when our forts on Lake Champlain had
been taken from us, and when Montgomery and Arnold were
pressing on our possessions in Canada, Lord Dunmore carried
his threat into execution. Having established his
headquarters at Norfolk, he proclaimed freedom to all the
slaves who would repair to his standard and bear arms for
the King. The summons was readily obeyed by the most of the
negroes who had the means of escape to him. He, at the same
time, issued a proclamation, declaring martial law
throughout the colony of Virginia; and he collected a number
of armed vessels, which cut off the coasting trade, made
many prizes, and greatly distressed an important part of
that Province. If he could have opened a road to slaves in
the interior of the Province, his measures would hav