The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-09-14
From The Richmond Wig Of Sept. 5.
SLAVE INSURREGTION.

SBAh l. lNSCRhLS AOA''
We have little to say of the Southampton Tag \
dy, beyond what is already known The origin
# the conspiracy its prime agents It's extent ana
lterior direction are matters OF conjecture. Ihe
universal opinion in that part OF the country, Is Nat
Nat, slave, preacher and pretended Prop1et,
was the first coutryer, the actaal ieader, anu sne
most remorseless of the exeCCtoners. ACCORDING
TO the evidence of a negro boy whom they carried I
along to hold their horses, Nat commenced ne {
scene of murder at the first house (Iravis 8 with
his own hand. Having called upon Two Others to
make good theic valiant boastngs SO oiteh repeat
ed, of what they would do, aud these snrihAhg
from the requisition, Nat proceeded to despatch
one of the family with his own hand. Anim1ed
by the example and exhortations OF their leaeer,
having taste for blood, and convinced that tiey
had now gone too far to recede his followers as
missed their qualms ard became as icrocous as
their leader wished them To follow the bloody
dogs from the capture of Travis house. before cay,
to their dispersion at Parker's, confirmed earlyln
the afternoon where they had traTersed near twm-
ty miles, murdered IS whites, and approacIed
within or miles of the village OF Jerusalem, ee
immediate object of their moVement-to oescroe
the scene at each house, the circumstances oil pc
murders the hair breadth escapes OF the rev wlo
were lucky enough to escape-woula prove as III
teresting heart rendIng. Many oil inc uet~hs
have reached us but not in authentic shape as
to Justify their publication nor have we the time
or space. Let few suffice. or the events at "
Blunt's we had a narrative from the gallant oio
gentleman himself, and his son, lad about 10. as
tinguiShed for his galantry and moaesty' Inc
Doctor had received information OF the insurrec-
ton and that his house would be attacked, short
time before the attack made. Crippled with
the govt and indisposed to fly, he resolved to de-
fend his house. His force was his son, overseer,
and three other white men. Luckily there were
six guns and plenty of powder and shot in the
house. These were hardly loaded, his force post
ed, and the instructions given, when the negroes
from Is to so strong, rode up about day-break-
The Doctors orders were that each man should be
particular in his aim and should fire one at time;
he himself reserved one gun, resolved the house
was forced to sell his life dearly as he could
The remaining five fired in succession upon then
assailants at the distance of fifteen or twenty
steps. The blacks upon the first hre, retreated,
| leaving one killed 1--WE beeve) and one wounded
| IA fellow called Hark,) and were pursued by the
| Doctors negroes with shouts and execratons. Had
the shot been larger, more execution would doubt
| less have been DONE
Mrs Vaughans was among the last houses at
tackled. venerable negro woman, described the
scene which she had witnessed with great empha-
sis. 1t was near noon, and her mistress had been
making some preparations in the porch for dinner,
when happening to look towards the road, she des-
cried DUST and wondered what it could mean.
| In second, the negroes mounted and armed, rush
cd into view, and making exclamation indica-
tive of her horror and agony, Mrs. Vaughan ran in
to the house. The negroes dismounted and ran
around the house, pointing their guns at the doors
and windows Mrs. Vaughan appeared at win
dow, and begged for her life, inviting them TO take
every thing she had. The prayer was answered by
one of them firing at her, which was instantly fol-
lowed by another and fatal shot. In the mean
time Miss Vaughan, who up stairs, and unap-
prised of the terrible advent until she heard the
noise of the attack rushed down and begging for
life, was shot as she few steps from the door.
A son of Mrs. Vaughan, about Is, was at the still
house. when hearing gun, and con occurring, it is
supposed that his brother had come from Jerusa-
lem approached the house and was shot as he
got the fence 1t is difficult for the imagina-
ZION conceive situation SO truly ana nonloiy
awful, as that in which these unfortunate ladies
was placed. Alone, unprotected, and unconscious
of danger to find themselves without moments
notice for escape defence, in tho power OF
band Of rufans, from whom instant death was the
least they could expect In a most lively and pic
turesque manner, did the old negress describe the
horrors of the scene the blacks riding upwith i'm
precautions the looks Of her mistress, white as a
sheet her prayers for her life, and the actions of
the scoundres envroning the house and pointing
their guns at the doors and windows ready to Ere
| as occasion offered. When the work was done,
| they called for drink, and food, and becoming nice,
damned the brandy as vile stuff
The scene at Vaughans may suffice to give an
idea of what was done at the other houses.
bloodier and more accursed tragedy was never act
| ed even by the agency of the tomahawk and scalp
ing knife. Interesting details will no doubt be
J evolved in the progress of the trials, and made
! known to the public.
| II is with pain we speak Of another feature fthe
| Southampton Rebellion for we have been most I'M
willing to have Sympathes for the sufferers d.
minished or affected by their misconduct. We al
lude to the slaughter of many blacks without trial,
and under circumstances OF great 5arbarty. How
many have thus been put to death generally by de-
capitaton or shOoting) reports vary; probably,
! howe ve- some five and twenty, and from that to
! forty possibly yet larger number. To the great
J honor of General Expos, he used every precauton
! in his power, and we hope and believe with sue
cess to put a stop to the disgraceful procedure.
We met with an individual of intelligence, who
stated that he himself had killed. between 10 and
Is. He justified himself on the ground of the bar
! bartics committed on the whites; and that he
thought himself right is certain from the fact of his
having narrowly escaped losing his life in an
( attempt to save a negro woman whom he thought
innocent. but who was shot by the multitude in
despite of his exertions. We (the Richmond Troop
witnessed with surpriZe, the sanguinary temper of
the population, who evinced strong disposition to
inhict immediate DEATH upon every prisoner Not
having witnessed the horrors committed by the
blacks or seen the unburied and dlslgured remains
of their wives and children, unprepared to
understand their feelings, and could not at first ad
NIT Of that extenuation, which closer obserVa- |
ton Of the atrocities Of the insurgents suggested
The numbers engaged IN the insurrecton are
varousy reported. 9'hey probably did not ex-
coed forty or fifty, and 1uctuatlng from de-
sertons and recruits. About fifty are in
Southampton Jail, some of them upon suspicion
only.
At the date Of Capt. Harrison's departure from
Jerusalem, General Nat had not been taken On
that merning, however, bred, another ;nsurgent
chief, was brought prisoner TO Jerusalem, having
surrendered himself to his master in the apprehen-
sion no doubt, Of starving in the swamps, or being
shot by the numerous parties Of local militia, who
were in pursuit. Nat had not been certainly heard
of since the skirmish in Parkers cornfeld, which
was in fact, the termination of the insurrccton;
the negroes after that dispensing themselves, and
making no farther attempt He is represented as
a shrewd fellow, reads, writes and breaches and
by various articles had acquired great influence
over the minds of the wretched beings whom he d
has led into destruction. 1t is supposed that he
induced them to believe that there were only
ated. the blacks might take possession Various of
his tricks to acquire and preserve influence have
been mentioned, but they are not worth repeating I
If there was any Interior purpose he probably alone
knows Il. For our own part, we still believe thero
was none and if he be the intelligent man repre
'ented. we are incapable of conceiving the orgn. h
nents BY which he persuaded his own mind of the |