Page "Bacon's Rebellion" Paragraph 10

After passage of these laws, Bacon arrived with 500 followers in Jamestown to demand a commission to lead militia against the Indians.

The governor, however, refused to yield to the pressure.

When Bacon had his men take aim at Berkeley, he responded by " bearing his breast " to Bacon and told Bacon to shoot him himself.

Seeing that the Governor would not be moved, Bacon then had his men take aim at the assembled burgesses, who quickly granted Bacon his commission.

Bacon had earlier been promised a commission before he retired to his estate if he could only be on " good " behavior for two weeks.

While Bacon was at Jamestown with his small army, eight colonists were killed on the frontier in Henrico County ( where he marched from ) due to a lack of manpower on the frontier.