e been
very fatal to the planters. In order to stop the alarming
desertion of the negroes, and to arrest his Lordship in his
career, the provincial Assembly detached against him a
strong force of more than a thousand men, who arrived in the
neighborhood of Norfolk in the month of December. Having
made a circuit, they came to a village called Great Bridge,
where the river Elizabeth was traversed by a bridge; but
before their arrival the bridge had been made impassable,
and some works, defended chiefly by negroes, had been thrown
up."

During the same month Edmund Pendleton wrote to Richard Henry Lee that
many slaves had flocked to the British standard:

"The Governor, * * * * marched out with three hundred and
fifty soldiers, Tories and _slaves_, to Kemp's Landing; and
after setting up his standard, and issuing his proclamation,
declaring all persons rebels who took up arms for the
country, and inviting all slaves, servants and apprentices
to come to him and receive arms, he proceeded to intercept
Hutchings and his party, upon whom he came by surprise, but
received, it seems, so warm a fire, that the ragmuffins ran
away. They were, however, rallied on discovering that two
companies of our militia gave away; and left Hutchings and
Dr. Reid with a volunteer company, who maintained their
ground bravely till they were overcome by numbers, and took
shelter in a swamp. The slaves were sent in pursuit of them;
and one of Col. Hutching's, with another, found him. On
their approach, he discharged his pistol at his slave, but
missed him; and he was taken by them, after receiving a
wound in the face with a sword. The number taken or killed
on either side is not ascertained. It is said the Governor
went to Dr. Reid's shop, and after taking the medicines and
dressing necessary for his wounded men, broke all the others
to pieces. Letters mention that slaves flock to him in
abundance: but I hope it is magnified."

Five months after he issued the proclamation, Lord Dunmore thus writes,
concerning his success:

[No. 1]

"_Lord Dunmore to the Secretary of State._
{SHIP 'DUNMORE,' IN ELIZABETH RIVER, VA.,
{ 30th March, 1776.

"Your Lordship will observe by my letter, No. 34, that I
have been