Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 182?-183?, 1831-10-14
From the Richmond Compiler, oct s.
THE BANDITTI

| L LIZ Dan ~ l. T.
We have Just had the pleasure of see-
ing an Intelligent gentleman from South
ampton, who is fully acquainted with
the horrible scenes, which have tran
spired in that county. AS a neighbor
he saw most ofthe persons who survived
the loss of their families and as a magis-
trate, he heard most of the evidence
which was exhibited on the trials.
Thirteen of the convicts have been
eXecuted-there are four others, whose
sentence has not been put in execution,
One of these is woman belonging to
the unfortunate Mr.. Barrow. Her mas
ter was brave man-having fired at the
banditti as they approached, without
wounding either, but grazing the hat of
one ofthem, he rushed into his house for
his other gun; but the blood hounds
were at his heels. and seized him in the
presence of his young and interesting
wife, the elder sister of the beautiful
! Miss Vaughn. With the utmost pre-
sence of mind, he besought his wife to
make her escape-she rushed into the
yard. where she was seized by one Of
her own women, the wife of the bandit
Austin; another of her females interfer-
ed and tore the arms OF her companion
asunder, released her mistress, accom-
panied her on her flight to the house of
the aged Mr.. Harris, and remained
with her in concealment i'll a wood, a.
long with Mr.. Harris and the rest ofhis
family. After, the banditti had been to
l3arrow'si werera nsacking Harris house,
breaking open the desk, from which
they stole $500 in cash, and Ii or S 1900
in bends; and forcing themselves into
his cellar from which they took barrel
of Black Jack, apple brandy The
ringleader Nat, for lear his party should
become too much intoxicated to carry OH
their murderous career, broke in the
head of the barrel.
Our informant left Southampton on
Friday morning. The account of Mats
apprehension near SmithfeId, as related
in the \ oriolk Herald, is not true. He
is disposed to believe the account from
Botetourt of Mats crossing the noun
tains. Nat has been long time fana-
tic as well as impostor. One of the
transports Andrew now in the Peni-
Tertiary, condemned in Southampton,
says that he knew Nat well; and that
he had the impiety to declare himself in
lerior to Jesus Christ alone! Nat and
white man oflow character, with whom
he was formerly very intimate, baptised
each other in a mill pond some years ago.
4 n hol 10 ,.l, al
Church--but has attempted TO pass him
self off as an inspired prophet The ac-
count lately given in an Alexandria
paper OF his having been the slave of
Mr.. Beverly, Of his working in the Ma
Wy Yard at Gosport, and the description
of his person, are not correct. He once
belonged to Capt. Moor, whose wi
dow married Mr.. Travis, the first VIC
tim of these bloody cut.throats. His
wife belonged to neighbor Mr.. Reese,
and it was i'll her possession, that this
fellows papers were found; comprehend
ing something like map, with figures
inscribed on The margin. Our infor-
mant does not believe 1t possible for him
to have remained concealed in the
marsh in Southampton, which has been
traverSed to and lro-nor to have escap.
ed into the Dismal Swamp, about 40
miles distant, through country well pa
trolled-nor to have made of by water.
He doubts whether he has ever visited
Richmond at all or whether he has
gone even to Petersburg as a preacher.
The banditti, when they were engag-
ed upon ;heir bloody expedition, carri-
ed destruction to every white person
they found in their houses-whether the
hoary head, the lovely virgin, or the
sleeping infant of the cradle. They
spared none. They were separated by
their ring leader into small squads which
visited different houses-and this is one
of the reasons Of their doing SO much
murder in SO short a time. OF the 80
whites, that were killed, there was a
great proportion of women and chill
dren. This arose from the circumstance
Of their visiting the houses Of three wi
dows where no white man lived, or of
going 70 several houses, where the mas
ter was either from home orin the woods.
It is not wonderful that the people
should have been reused by such unex-
pected barbarties TO some excuses, in
the moment of their exasperation.-l
Some of this atrocious bsnditti, after