this Colony, it is enacted, that all negro or other slaves, conspiring to rebel or make insurrection, shall suffer death, and be excluded all benefit of clergy;—­we think it proper to declare, that all slaves who have been or shall be seduced, by his Lordship’s Proclamation, or other arts, to desert their masters’ service, and take up arms against the inhabitants of this Colony, shall be liable to such punishment as shall hereafter be directed by the General Convention.  And to the end that all such who have taken this unlawful and wicked step may return in safety to their duty, and escape the punishment due to their crimes, we hereby promise pardon to them, they surrendering themselves to Colonel William Woodford or any other commander of our troops, and not appearing in arms after the publication hereof.  And we do further earnestly recommend it to all humane and benevolent persons in this Colony to explain and make known this our offer of mercy to those unfortunate people."[540]

Gen. Washington was not long in observing the effects of the Dunmore proclamation.  He began to fully realize the condition of affairs at the South, and on Dec. 15 wrote Joseph Reed as follows:—­

“If the Virginians are wise, that arch-traitor to the rights of humanity, Lord Dunmore, should be instantly crushed, if it takes the force of the whole army to do it; otherwise, like a snow-ball in rolling, his army will get size, some through fear, some through promises, and some through inclination, joining his standard but that which renders the measure indispensably necessary is the negroes; for, if he gets formidable, numbers of them will be tempted to join who will be afraid to do it without."[541]

The slaves themselves were not incapable of perceiving the cunning of Lord Dunmore.  England had forced slavery upon the colonists against their protest, had given instructions to the royal governors concerning the increase of the traffic, and therefore could not be more their friends than the colonists.  The number that went over to the enemy grew smaller all the while, and finally the British were totally discouraged in this regard.  Lord Dunmore was unwilling to acknowledge the real cause of his failure to secure black recruits, and so he charged it to the fever.

     “LORD DUNMORE TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

     [No. 1] “SHIP ‘DUNMORE,’ IN ELIZABETH RIVER, VIRGINIA,
                                        30th March, 1776

* * * * *

“Your Lordship will observe by my letter, No. 34, that I have been endeavouring to raise two regiments here—­one of white people, the other of black.  The former goes on very slowly, but the latter very well, and would have been in great forwardness, had not a fever crept in amongst them, which earned off a great many very fine fellows.”

     [No. 3] “SHIP ‘DUNMORE,’ IN GWIN’S ISLAND HARBOUR,
                                        VIRGINIA, June 26, 1776.