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REDUCTION OF VIRGINIA. 209
lation and the expansion of her resources. And yet, so well were the people
secured by their charter, that, amid all the calamities which harassed the
surrounding colonies, Maryland grew apace in the stillness of her forest
homes, until the miserable feuds of her own children plunged her into shame
and sorrow.
To crown Lord Baltimore's trials at this period, came letters from Governor Stone, apprising him of the reports in circulation in Maryland, the
growing disaffection of a portion of the people, and the spirit of aggression
manifested by Virginia. To this he replied, August 20th, 1651, mildly
rebuking the contumacy of the people of Anne Arundel, and advising the
passage of a law for the punishment of persons convicted of spreading false
reports, " tending to the disturbance of the minds of the people and of the
public peace."
Two days after the signing of this letter, August 22d, Charles, as his
ill-fated father had done just nine years before at Nottingham, raised his
standard at Worcester, where he had arrived at the head of sixteen thousand
men, principally Scotch; and within a fortnight, Cromwell, pressing upon
him with a superior force, overwhelmed and scattered his army, extinguished
the last hopes of the royalists, and compelled their master, in mean disguises,
and with extreme risks, to fly from the kingdom. On the ninth day after'the
battle, " my lord general," soon to become " my lord protector," attended by
an obsequious delegation from parliament, entered London amid the shouts
of an admiring multitude. A fortnight after Cromwell's triumphant entry
into London (September 26th, 1651), the fleet destined for the reduction of
Virginia was ready for departure. The military force consisted of seven
hundred and fifty men, embarked on board the ship John, and the Guinea
frigate, the former commanded by Captain Eobert Dennis, the latter by
Captain Edmund Curtis. There were also on board one hundred and fifty
Scotch prisoners, taken in the recent battle of Worcester, and sent over to be
sold as servants. The chief command of the expedition was given to Captain
Dennis, and with him were named as commissioners, Captain Thomas Stagge,
then in England, and Eichard Bennett and Captain William Claiborne,
residents of Virginia.1
The instructions given to the commissioners " for the reducing of Virginia
and the inhabitants thereof," were dated Whitehall, 22d September, 1651,
and authorized any two or more of them, upon their arrival with the fleet in
Virginia, to use their best endeavors " to reduce all the plantations within
the Chesapeake bay to their due obedience to the parliament of the commonwealth of England." Ample authorities accompanied this general instruction
to render it effectual. They were empowered to offer pardon to all voluntarily
submitting, and to use force to reduce the unwilling: and they were even
authorized to give freedom to the servants of rebellious masters, upon condition of entering as soldiers into the service of the commonwealth. Upon
1 Streeter's Maryland, p. 59. Hazard's Collections, i., p. 556.
14
| Title | History of Maryland - 1 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000234 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | REDUCTION OF VIRGINIA. 209 lation and the expansion of her resources. And yet, so well were the people secured by their charter, that, amid all the calamities which harassed the surrounding colonies, Maryland grew apace in the stillness of her forest homes, until the miserable feuds of her own children plunged her into shame and sorrow. To crown Lord Baltimore's trials at this period, came letters from Governor Stone, apprising him of the reports in circulation in Maryland, the growing disaffection of a portion of the people, and the spirit of aggression manifested by Virginia. To this he replied, August 20th, 1651, mildly rebuking the contumacy of the people of Anne Arundel, and advising the passage of a law for the punishment of persons convicted of spreading false reports, " tending to the disturbance of the minds of the people and of the public peace." Two days after the signing of this letter, August 22d, Charles, as his ill-fated father had done just nine years before at Nottingham, raised his standard at Worcester, where he had arrived at the head of sixteen thousand men, principally Scotch; and within a fortnight, Cromwell, pressing upon him with a superior force, overwhelmed and scattered his army, extinguished the last hopes of the royalists, and compelled their master, in mean disguises, and with extreme risks, to fly from the kingdom. On the ninth day after'the battle, " my lord general," soon to become " my lord protector," attended by an obsequious delegation from parliament, entered London amid the shouts of an admiring multitude. A fortnight after Cromwell's triumphant entry into London (September 26th, 1651), the fleet destined for the reduction of Virginia was ready for departure. The military force consisted of seven hundred and fifty men, embarked on board the ship John, and the Guinea frigate, the former commanded by Captain Eobert Dennis, the latter by Captain Edmund Curtis. There were also on board one hundred and fifty Scotch prisoners, taken in the recent battle of Worcester, and sent over to be sold as servants. The chief command of the expedition was given to Captain Dennis, and with him were named as commissioners, Captain Thomas Stagge, then in England, and Eichard Bennett and Captain William Claiborne, residents of Virginia.1 The instructions given to the commissioners " for the reducing of Virginia and the inhabitants thereof," were dated Whitehall, 22d September, 1651, and authorized any two or more of them, upon their arrival with the fleet in Virginia, to use their best endeavors " to reduce all the plantations within the Chesapeake bay to their due obedience to the parliament of the commonwealth of England." Ample authorities accompanied this general instruction to render it effectual. They were empowered to offer pardon to all voluntarily submitting, and to use force to reduce the unwilling: and they were even authorized to give freedom to the servants of rebellious masters, upon condition of entering as soldiers into the service of the commonwealth. Upon 1 Streeter's Maryland, p. 59. Hazard's Collections, i., p. 556. 14 |
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