What "They Say" about Bacon's Rebellion

In recent discussion of Bacon's Rebellion, one controversial issue has been whether Bacon was a real hero, or just a warmongering lawbreaker. On the one hand, some believe that Bacon was overly cruel and brutal towards innocent Natives Americans. On page seventy-eight of his article, "Whether They be Friends or Foes," Puglisi maintains that "Bacon's extra-legal army, bent on revenge, attacked the peaceful Indian village, located in the Dragon Swamp, although it was well known to the whole country that the Queen of Pamunkey and her People had never at any time betrayed or injured the English." In making this comment, Puglisi is illustrating the inhumanity of Bacon and his actions. Puglisi goes on to say "The natives, including their leader, fled. Bacon an his forces followed, killing and taking them prisoners, and looking for... Plunder." Puglisi realized that Bacon had a bit of unreasonable animosity toward Native Americans. Howard Zinn agrees on page thirty-seven of his book, "A Young People's History of the United States", when he writes about Bacon: "he probably cared more about fighting Indians than about helping the poor."