Insurgent. But hark! the roaring of the enemy's ordnance bursts upon his ear; and now he sees the flag at the admiral's mast-head torn into ribbons by a shower of balls; now the mast itself goes by the board, now another flag and another, and behold! his whole fleet are driving in confusion and terror before the fire of his enemy, while not a single gun is fired in return. The screams of the wounded and dying sailors, the crash of the falling masts, the loud shouts of triumph and derision which rung from the enemy's fort, intermingled with the clangour of trumpets and the thunder of their avenging artillery, rose more wild and terrific upon the ear of the Governor, till mad with despair and exhausted with sorrow, he sunk upon a couch beside him in a state of insensibility. He recovered after a short interval, but it was only to witness his fleet in the wildest confusion with every cable cut and every sail in tatters, taking a more secure position so far from the shore as to be out of reach of the enemy's cannon, and to deprive him of its service. The Insurgent General had been severely injured on the day of the fight by the discharges from the fleet, and his first care after his troops were rested, was to mount his heaviest cannon in such a position as to rake their whole line and take ample vengeance for the loss of his followThe result of his attack was as we have men

ers.

tioned.

Governor Berkeley's situation had now become desperate; his enemy's forces were increasing while his own were diminishing hourly; his position, he well knew, was untenable and unable to withstand

a spirited attack; his fleet was rendered useless and even his best officers were dispirited and unwilling to make further resistance. But the soul of the aged Cavalier scorned to compromise or retreat; he thought upon the fate of the unfortunate Charles who had perished by the hands of his rebellious subjects, and thought it more honourable to die in that manner than relax one portion of his prerogative, and formed the gloomy resolution to maintain the town or perish beneath its walls.

As soon as the Governor's last resolution was publicly announced, instead of exciting a similar feeling of desperation in the minds of his followers, it created the liveliest astonishment and terror.Their gross comprehensions could not understand the motives which could impel a man in his proper senses to part with his life for the public benefit, or sacrifice it to the mere shadow of violated feelings; and as such conduct was in downright opposition to the common usage among men, and a total opposition to established ideas of consistency, they concluded that the Governor was mad, and it was their best policy to preserve their own lives and interests, in defiance of his resolution. Their behaviour soon announced their determination to the Governor, and from threats and hints, the spirit of opposition broke out into downright mutiny. The whole army, one by one, dropped off from his cause; some deserted to the Insurgent flag, others retired to the fleet, and the balance escaped into the plantations. But twenty out of the whole consented to remain with the old Cavalier, and these few strongly remonstra

ted with him upon his determination, and urged him to save himself and them for future fortune by a desertion of the fort. The Governor at length became convinced of the justice of their demands, and saw that all opportunity of fighting with advantage, or dying with honor, was lost. He despatched instructions to the different commanders of the fleet, to haul in their vessels closer to the island, under cover of darkness, and to have all their boats ready to repair to shore at a concerted signal. Accordingly, at midnight, the Governor and his small army were conveyed from the scene of his disasters to the fleet, which dropt silently down the stream, and at a sufficient distance from the batteries cast anchor, to observe the enemy's motions.

The Insurgent Chief, in the mean time, had been making the most active preparations to carry the town by assault. His army had been supplied with the most choice levies which the colonies could afford; it had become perfectly invigorated by a rest of several days, and upon a certain morning every thing was to be in readiness to storm the town.Accordingly, the troops were marshaled in columns for attack, the banner was displayed at their head, the gun was fired, and with their chief in front, they rushed down the descent which led to the enemy's outworks. They still continued to advance with unabated ardour, even when they had drawn so near to the entrenchments as to see the enemy's cannon through the port holes. They scaled the walls, and to their great astonishment, not a foe was to be seen. They marched in silent surprise

through the empty streets and deserted houses; a death-like silence, like that belonging to the city of tombs, was all they encountered. Every thing that was valuable, save the artillery, had been taken off. The magazines and stores, together with the different offices of government, were all stripped of their contents. The Insurgent General now saw his error in not having stormed the works at the first onset; he saw the enemy's vessels lying at anchor out of the reach of his guns, and apparently waiting till his army should have dispersed, to recover possession of the place. More than a week had been wasted for the possession of a place without inhabitants, defences or wealth; and which could at any time be surprised by the smallest naval force. It was incapable of defence against any regular attack. His followers were likewise volunteers, and bound by no tie to defend the place as a fort. To the General, such a victory was little better than a defeat, as the possession of the place was entirely useless.

Under these circumstances, Bacon embraced a resolution, completely in accordance with his impetuous and decisive character. He determined to leave no place as a shelter for his enemies, which could not be retained by himself, and under the effect of this resolution, gave orders to his troops to fire the town. There were many persons in his army, who were owners of valuable property in the devoted place, and among the rest were Lawrence and Drummond, two of his ablest captains. It would have been scarcely conjectured but that this order

would have met the opposition of these men.

But

so fierce was the flame of rebellion that burnt within their bosoms, that they at once, without a murmur, applied the firebrand to their buildings, and in a short space of time, the church, the state-house, and all the buildings in the town, public and private, presented one grand conflagration.

The massive volumes of smoke, and the red glare of the burning buildings, which flashed upon the surface of the waters, soon caught the eyes of the Governor and his party, and announced the dauntless spirit, and desperate resolution of the Insurgents. The old Governor shed one bitter tear as he viewed the sudden destruction of his hitherto peaceful dwelling; and as nothing farther was to be hoped for in this quarter, he gave orders for weighing anchor, and proceeded on his way to a melancholy exile in Accomac and Nansemond.

The Insurgent General having thus suppressed all opposition to his authority, and having placed the affairs of the Colonial Government in a proper and peaceful train, dismissed for the present the greater body of his troops, having previously appointed Middle Plantation as the seat of Government, and the proper place for his forces to rendezvous in times of emergency. Having bid them an affectionate farewell, the Insurgent Chief dismissed his gallant followers to the endearments of their kindred and delights of home, and mounting his charger, was in a few short hours transported to the caresses and smiles of his beloved Clara.