156 Records Illustrating the History of Maryland

P. R. O.

Colonial
Papers.

where appeared, and whenever any Messenger was sent to
the place where it was said the Indians were come, there
the Inhabitants would tell them they heard they were landed
at such a place, but after long search from place to place and
noe sign of any Indians, the people were pretty well pacified,
and Coll. Jowles himself wrote a Remonstrance (the Copy
whereof is here enclosed) which he signed; as did several
others who had the Examination of this matter, the which was
published in order to quiet the People, who in a few days
seemed to be freed from their apprehensions. From this time
until the 16^th of July foll^g the Country was all quiet and no
appearance of any Enemy to disturb them Indians or else.
On the said 16^th of July a Messenger came to me at Matapany
in the night time to acquaint me that John Coode was raising
men up Potowmack, whereupon I informed the Councill thereof,
who immediately dispatched a person to know the truth, but
the said person was taken by Coode as a spy and by him
kept, so the Council had no notice until two dayes of anything,
when they were assured that Coode had raised men up Po-
towmack and that some were come to him out of Charles
County, who were all marching down toward S^t Maryes, and
in their way were joined with Maj^r Cambell and his men
Coll. Digges having notice thereof got together about an hun-
dred men and went into the State House of S^t Maryes, which
Cood and his party came to attack, and which Coll. Digges
(his men not being willing to fight) was forced to surrender,
wherein were the records of the whole Province, which Cood
and his party seized. In this while Maj^r Sewall and myself
went up Puttuxent River to raise men to oppose said Cood
and his party, where wee found most of the Officers ready to
come in to us, but their men were possessed with the belief
that Cood rose only to preserve the Country from the Indians
and Papists and to proclaim the King and Queen and would
do them noe harm, and therefore would not stir to run them-
selves into danger, soe that all the men wee could get
amounted not to one hundred and sixty, but by this time
Cood's party were encreased to seven hundred. The Council
seeing how the people were led away by false reports and
shams, in order to quiet them and give them all imaginable
assurance they were clear and innocent of inviteing the Indians
down as was laid to their charge offered to make Coll. Jowles
(who was the cheif of their party next to Cood) Gen^ll of all
the Forces in the Province, and sent such an offer to him, who
returned a very civil answer that having communicated what
he wrote to his own men he had with him, they were extremely
satisfied therewith, and gave us hopes he would come down
to us, but to the contrary he went and joyned Cood at S^t
Maryes, to whom and to all, then in Armes there, the Council