tice of his Life and Writings--His
Widow.

ON the 29th day of January, 1677, a fleet arrived within the capes, from
England, under command of Admiral Sir John Berry, or Barry, with a
regiment of soldiers commanded by Colonel Herbert Jeffreys and Colonel
Morrison. Sir William Berkley held an interview with them at Kiquotan,
on board of the Bristol; and these three were associated in a commission
to investigate the causes of the late commotions and to restore order.
They were instructed to offer a reward of three hundred pounds to any
one who should arrest Bacon, who was to be taken by "all ways of force,
or design." And the other colonies were commanded by the king not to aid
or conceal him; and it was ordered, in case of his capture, that he
should be brought to trial here; or, if his popularity should render it
expedient, be sent to England for trial and punishment. They were
authorized to pardon all who would duly take the oath of obedience, and
give security for their good behavior. Freedom was to be offered to
servants and slaves who would aid in suppressing the revolt.[319:A]
The same measure had been before adopted by the Long Parliament, and
was resorted to a century afterwards by Governor Dunmore. It is
the phenomenon of historical pre-existence. The general court and
the assembly having now met, several more of Bacon's adherents
were convicted by a civil tribunal held at Greenspring, and put to
death--most of them men of competent fortune and respectable character.
Among them was Giles Bland, whose friends in England, it was reported,
had procured his pardon to be sent over with the fleet; but if so, it
availed him nothing. It was indeed whispered that he was executed under
private orders brought from England, the Duke of York having declared,
with an oath, that "Bacon and Bland shall die." Bland was convicted
March eighth, and executed on the fifteenth, at Bacon's Trench, near
Jamestown, with another prisoner, Robert Jones. Three others were put to
death on another day at the same place. Anthony Arnold was hung on the
fifteenth of March, in chains, at West Point. Two others suffered
capitally on the same day, but at what place does not appear, probably
in their own counties.[320:A]

In the month of April, Secretary Ludwell wrote to Coventry, the English
secretary of state, "that the grounds of this rebellion have not
proceeded from any real fault in the government, but rather from the
lewd disposition