Norfolk and the adjacent country, where many of the people were well affected to government. He was accordingly joined by fome hundreds, both of blacks and whites, and many others who did not choose to take an active part publicly abjured the Congrefs with all its acts, and all conventions and committees whatever. Lord Dunmore probably now expected that the facility and good difpofition which he experienced here would have been fo general as to have enabled him to have raised a confiderable body of armed troops, and probably without any foreign affiftance, to have had the glory of reducing one part of the province by the means of the other. This pleafing expedition was interrupted by intelligence that a party of the rebels were marching towards them with all expedition. To fruftrate their defign, and to protect the well-affected, he took poffeffion of a poft called the Great Bridge, which lay at some distance from Norfolk, which was a pafs of great confequence, being the only way that they could approach to the town. Here he conftru&ted a fort on the Norfolk fide of the bridge which he furnished well with artillery, and rendered as defenfible as the time would admit, Notwithstanding the loyalty of the people in this quarter which included two fmall counties, it does not appear that his force was at all confiderable, either as to number or quality; he had 200 regulars including the grenadiers of the 14th regiment, and a body called the Norfolk volunteers; the reft were a motley figure of blacks and whites, The colonists under the command of Colonel Woodford fortified themselves alfo within lefs than cannon fhot of his Lordship's forces; they had a narrow caufe: way in the front which behoved to be paffed to come

at their works, fo that both parties appeared pretty well secured from furprize. In this state they continued quiet and peaceable for fome days, until at length his lordship formed a defign of furprifing them in their entrenchments. This was undertaken before day-light by Captain Fordyce, who at the head of his grenadiers, amounting to about fixty, led on the attack. They boldly paffed the causeway, and marched up to the entrenchments with fixed bayonets, and with a coolness and intrepidity which excited both the astonishment and praife of their enemies;for they were not only expofed nakedly to the fire in front, but enfiladed by another part of the works. The brave captain, with feveral of his men fell, the Lieutenant with others were taken, and all who remained of the grenadier company, whether prifcners or not, were wounded.

The fire of the artillery from the fort enabled our troops to retire without purfuit, as well as to carry off many of the dead and wounded. It was reported that the flaves did more injury to the King's party than they did to their enemies, which fhews how little they were to be trufted in any enterprize of confequence. It has been faid that our people were led into this unfortunate affair through the defigned falfe intelligence of a deferter, who was inftructed for the purpofe; whatever there was in this, it was a great pity that fuch uncommon bravery should have been wafted to no purpofe. The conquerors interred Captain Fordyce with all the honours of war, and with the respect that was due to his merit, as well as to the gallantry which fignalized his last moments. The English prifoners were treated with

great

great kindness: but the Americans who had joined the King's ftandard were treated with rigour.

The King's forces retired from the poft at the Great Bridge the enfuing night without any other lofs than fome pieces of cannon, and fome trifling ftores which they left behind; and as all hopes in this enterprize were now at an end, Lord Dunmore thought fit to abandon the town and neighbourhood of Norfolk, and retired again with his people aboard the ships, which were confiderably increased in number by those which they had found in that port. Many of the friends of government, who were called tories by the other party, thought it prudent with their families to feek the fame fhelter, whither they alfo carried the most portable and valuable of their effects. Thus his Lordship formed a confiderable fleet with respect to the number of veffels and tonnage, and these were alfo crowded with people; but the fhips were without force, and continued months without hands to navigate them. The rebels took poffeffion of Norfolk, and the fleet removed to a greater diftance. While these things were carrying on, a fcheme had been in agitation for raising a confiderable force at the back of the colonies, particularly at Virginia and in the Carolinas, where it was known there were many well affected to the King's government, it was hoped that some of the Indian nations might be induced to become parties in this defign; and that thus united, they not only would make fuch a diverfion as would greatly alarm and diftrefs the rebels, but that they would penetrate fo far towards the coaft as to form a communication with Lord Dunmore. This fhews how earnest the partizans were in purfuing a favourite scheme, at the expence of honour, truth, justice,

and

1

and mercy. This defign was framed by one Connelly, a native of Pennfylvania, an active, enterprizing man, who appears to have been well calculated for any enterprize where villany and intrigue were neceffary. Lord Dunmore approved of his project, who by this time was ready to grafp at every fhadow of an opportunity to gratify his revenge against the Virginians. Connelly having obtained his Lordship's approbation, began and carried on a negotiation with the Ohio Indians, and his friends among the back fettlers upon the fubjects. Having, as he imagined, fucceeded according to his wishes, he returned to Lord Dunmore, who fent him with the neceffary credentials to Boston, where he received a commiffion from General Gage to act as Colonel-commandant, with affurances of affiftance and fupport, at the time and in the manner appointed. Promifes of this fort were easily made, but often when the fulfilment was required difficulties arofe which rendered them totally abortive. It was intended according to this scheme, that the garrifons which Great Britain had at Detroit, and fome other parts of the remote back fettlements, with their artillery and ammunition, fhould be fubfervient to this defign, and the adventurer expected to draw fome affiftance, at least of volunteers and officers, from the nearest parts of Canada. He himself was to grant all commiffions to the officers, and to have the fupreme command of the new forces in all things, and as foon as they were in condition he was to penetrate through Virginia to meet Lord Dunmore at a certain time in the month of April, in the neighbourhood of Alexandria, upon the river of Pontowmac, who was to bring fuch a naval force, and other affiftance as was judged neceffary for the pur

pofe.

pofe. It was alfo a part, and no inconfiderable one of this fcheme, provided it had but fucceeded, to have cut off the communication between the northern and the fouthern colonies.

So far had matters fucceeded in idea, and the fcheme had fomething of a favourable appearance in it; but then it was not put in execution, and the practical part of it remained yet to be tried. Connelly with his imagination full of new schemes, set out on his expedition, but on his road through Maryland to the fcene of action, and when he was fo far advanced, that the worst feemed nearly over, the vigilance or fufpicious temper of one of the committees fruftrated all his hopes. He was taken up upon fufpicion with one of his affociates who travelled along with him; his papers betrayed every thing.

Among these was the general scheme of the defign; a letter from Lord Dunmore to one of the Indian Chiefs, with fuch other authentic teftimonies as left nothing to be doubted. The papers were published by the congrefs, and the undertaker fent to prifon.As it does not appear that the loyalifts were very lenient to thofe that differed from them in political opinions during the fhort time of their fuperiority in the county of Norfolk and the adjoining parts, fo now upon the turn and change of affairs, the obtaining a plaufible fhew of juftice, under the colour of retaliation, afforded fuch a favourable opportunity for the practice of feverity and the gratification of private pique and natural malignity on the other fide, as it was never known to be neglected by any party in fimilar circumftances. For though many had taken fhelter aboard the fhips, a much greater number remained behind, fome of them being willing to run a little

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