midnight
Though one of the gentry , who had it in his power to become a favorite , the manifest tyranny of Governor Berkeley so shocked his sense of right and justice , that he was ready to condemn the whole system of government . When the report came to him that the Indians were about to renew their outrages on the upper waters of the James River , Bacon flew into a rage and , tossing his arms about in a wild gesticulation , as was his manner , declared : `` If they kill any of my people , d -- n my blood , I will make war on them , with or without authority , commission or no commission . '' The hour was not long in coming when his resolution was put to the test . In May , 1676 , two days before Robert was awakened from his midnight slumbers by Drummond , the Indians had attacked his estate at the Falls , killed his overseer and one of his servants , and were going to carry fire and hatchet through the frontier . The wild news flew from house to house . The planters and frontiersmen sprang to arms and began to form a combination against these dangerous enemies . Governor Berkeley had refused to commission any one as commander of the forces , and the colonists were without a head .