Litchfield enquirer., 1831-09-15

Doctor had received information of the insur- 1 rectiOn, and that his house would be attacked, a short time before the attack was made.-l Crippled with the gOut, and indspOsed to fly, lt he resOlV ed to defend his house. His force was his son, Overseer, and three other white men. Luckily there were six guns, and plen- ty of powder and shot in the house. These were barely loaded, his force posted, and the instructions given, when the negroes, from 15 to 80 strong, rode up about day-break. The Doctors orders were that each man should be particular in his aim, and fire one at a time he himself reserved one gun, resolved if the | house was forced, to sell his life as dearly as ! he could. The remaining five fired in success l sion upon their assailants, at the distance of fifteen or twenty steps. The blacks upon the | fifth fire, retreated, leaving one killed i've be- 1 lieve) and one wounded, and were pursued by the Doctors negroes with shouts and execra- 1 tiOns. Had the shot been larger, more exc cution would doubtless have been done.
 Mrs. Vaughan's was among the last hOus- cs attacked. A venerable negro woman. de- scribed the scene which she had witnessed with great emphasis. It was near noon, and her mistress had been making some prepara ton in the porch for dinner, when happening to look towards the road, she deserted dust, l and wondered what it could mean. In se-
 cond, the negroes mounted and armed, rush ! ed into view, and making an exclamation in-
 dicative of her horror and agony, Mrs. V. l ran into the house. The negroes dismounted
 and ran around the house, pointing their guns
 at the doors and windows. Mrs. Vaughan
 appeared at a window, and begged for her life,
 inviting them to take every thing she had.-
 The prayer was answered by one of them fir- ing at her, which was instantly followed by
 another, and fatal shot. In the mean time, N.,su
 prised of the terrible advent until she heard
 the noise of the attack, rushed down and
 begging for life, was shot as she ran few steps from the door. A son of Mrs. Vaughan,
 about IS, was at the still house, when hearing
 a gun, and conjecturing, it is supposed, that
 his brother had come from Jerusalem, ap-
 preached the house, and was shot as he got
 over the fence. It is difficult for the imagina-
 ton to conceive situation SO truly and hor-
 ribly awful, as that in which these unfortunate
 ladies was placed. Alone. unprotected, and
 uncOnscIous of danger, to ind themselves without moments notice for escape or de- , fence, in the power of a band ofruffians, from which instant death was the least they could , expect In most lively and picturesque manner, did the negress describe the horrors , of the scene; the blacks riding up with i'm ] precautions, !he looks of her mistress, white as sheet, her prayers for her life, and the action . of the scoundrels environing the house and . pointing their guns at the doors and windows, . ready to fire as occasion offered. When the . work was done, they called for drink and s food, and becoming nice, damned the brandy 8 as vile stuff.
 c The scene at Vaughan's may suffice to give . an idea of what was done at the other hOus- 8 es. A bloodier and more accursed tragedy y was never acted, even by the agency of the fNSNN 0hnVV, lNsv, 1rnsF T0Hn details will no doubt be evolved in the pro grass. nf ihn trials and made known to the 1t IS with pain we speak ot another GeaIur, -> or the Southampton Rebellion for we have 5 been most unwilling to have our sympathie: for the sufferers, diminished or affected by , their misconduct. We aude to the slaush. ter of many blacks. without trial, and undc, circumstances of great barbarity. How ma.
 ny have thus been put to death (generally by
 uecap'tat'on or shooting) reports vary prob
 ao'y' however, some fve-and twenty and from
 that to forty; possibly yet larger number.
 10 'he great honor of General Eppes, he us-
 ca every precaution in his power, and we
 nope and believe with success, to put stop
 to the dsgraceful procedure. We met with
 an individual ofinteIligence, who stated that
 he himself had killed between 10 and 15.-
 He justified himself on tho ground of the bar
 Darites committed on the whites; and that
 ne thought himself right, is certain from the
 iact ot ms having narrowly escaped losing his
 own life in an attempt to save negro woman
 whom he thought innocent, but who was shot
 by the multitude in despite of his exertions,
 We !the Richmond Troop witnessed with
 surprise, the sanguinary temper of the ponu.
 iat'on' who evinced a strong disposition to in.
 hlct immediate death. upon every prisoner
 Not having witnessed the horrors committed l ny the blacks, or seen the unburied and disfg- 1 ured remains Oftheir wives and children. ,ve
 were unprepared to understand their feelings. ana could not at first admit of that cxtenua
 t!on' which closer observation ofthe atroci. lies fthe insurgents suggested. Now. how. ever, we individually, feel compelled to off.r an apology for the people of Southampton. while we deeply deplore that human nature urged them to such extremties. Let the Tact not be doubted by those whom it most concerns that another such insurrection will oe the signal for the extrpaton of tha whole black population in the quarter of the State | where it occurs.
 The numbers engaged in the insurrection are var'ously reported. They probably did | not exceed forty o' fifty, and were fluctualing
 rom assertions, and new recruits. About my are 'n Southampton jail, some of them npon suspicion only. We trust and belle ve tnat the intelligent magistracy ofthat county, ""n nave the fismness to oppose the popular passion, should it be disposed to involve the nnnAA