“The Governour, hearing of this, marched out with three hundred and fifty soldiers, Tories and slaves, to Kemp’s Landing, and after setting up his standard, and issuing his proclamation, declaring all persons Rebels who took up arms for the country, and inviting all slaves, servants, and apprentices to come to him and receive arms, he proceeded to intercept Hutchings and his party, upon whom he came by surprise, but received, it seems, so warm a fire, that the ragamuffins gave way.  They were, however, rallied on discovering that two companies of our militia gave way; and left Hutchings and Dr. Reid with a volunteer company, who maintained their ground bravely till they were overcome by numbers, and took shelter in a swamp.  The slaves were sent in pursuit of them; and one of Col.  Hutchings’s own, with another, found him.  On their approach, he discharged his pistol at his slave, but missed him; and was taken by them, after receiving a wound in his face with a sword.  The number taken or killed, on either side, is not ascertained.  It is said the Governour went to Dr. Reid’s shop, and, after taking the medicines and dressings necessary for his wounded men, broke all the others to pieces.  Letters mention that slaves flock to him in abundance; but I hope it is magnified."[538]

But the dark stream of Negroes that had set in toward the English troops, where they were promised the privilege of bearing arms and their freedom, could not easily be stayed.  The proclamation of Dunmore received the criticism of the press, and the Negroes were appealed to and urged to stand by their “true friends.”  A Williamsburg paper, printed on the 23d of November, 1775, contained the following well-written plea:—­

     “CAUTION TO THE NEGROES.

“The second class of people for whose sake a few remarks upon this proclamation seem necessary is the Negroes.  They have been flattered with their freedom, if they be able to bear arms, and will speedily join Lord Dunmore’s troops.  To none, then, is freedom promised, but to such as are able to do Lord Dunmore service.  The aged, the infirm, the women and children, are still to remain the property of their masters,—­of masters who will be provoked to severity, should part of their slaves desert them.  Lord Dunmore’s declaration, therefore, is a cruel declaration to the Negroes.  He does not pretend to make it out of any tenderness to them, but solely upon his own account; and, should it meet with success, it leaves by far the greater number at the mercy of an enraged and injured people.  But should there be any amongst the Negroes weak enough to believe that Lord Dunmore intends to do them a kindness, and wicked enough to provoke the fury of the Americans against their defenceless fathers and mothers, their wives, their women and children, let them only consider the difficulty of effecting their escape, and what they must expect to suffer if they fall into the hands