The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1831-12-14
CONFESSIONS OF NAT TURNER.

Il CONFESSIONS OF NAT TURNER.
) Mr.. I. r. Gray's pamphlet of The Con-
LESSONS OF Nat Turner, the leader Of the
late lnsurrection in Southampton" has been
published at Baltimore. 1t makes % pages
Il processes to give, from the bandits own
iips, the circumstances which formed him /,
leader and a fanatic. 1t sketches the com
mencement, progress, and termination, of an
insufreetIon, the bare recital ofwbich 10 axes
the blood run cold. The description the
butchery oc the whites is terrific We can-
not make coplous extracts from it, bee ause
1t is put under copy right. But we may
be permitted, without infringing on the au-
thor'S privilege, to copy the following nci
dents:
"And by signs in the heavens that it wo uld
make known to me when should CONNER &C
the great work-and until the first sign, p
peared, should conceal il from the know l.
edge of men. And on the appearance of
the sign, 1.-THE eclipse of the sun last Febrt i
ary.) ! should arise and prepare myself, an, |
Stay my enemies with their own weapons .
And Immediately on the sign appearing il !
the heavens, the seal was removed from nv
lips, communicated the great work laid
out for me to do, to four in whom had the
greatest confidence, Henry, Hank, Nelson,
and SAM 1t was intended by us to have
begun the work Of death on the 4th of July
last Many were the plans formed and re-
Jected by US, and il affected my mind TO such
a degree, that fell sick, and the time pass
ed without our coming to anydetermination
how to commence. Still forming new schemes
and rejecting them, when the sign appeared
again, which determined me not 20 wait
longer,Ith strange appearance of the sunD
i iark got u ladder and set it against the
chimney, on which assembled and hosting
window, entered and came down stairs,
unbaIred the door, and removed the guns
from their places. 1t was then observed
that must spill the first blood. On which,
armed with a Ratchet, and accompanied by
Will, entered my masters chamber: be-
ing dark, could not give death-blow
the Ratchet glanced from his head, he sprang
from the bed and called his wife it was his
last word. Will laid him dead, with blow
, of his axe, and Mrs. Travis shared the same
fate as she lay in bed. The murder of this
family, FIVE in number, was the work of
moment, not one of them awoke; there was
little infant sleeping in a cradle, that was
forgotten, until we had left the house and
gone some distance, when Henry and Will
returned and killed it; we got here, four
guns that would shoot and several old mus
kets with pound or two of powder" \ =
"From Mr.. Reese's we went to Mrs.
Turner's mile distant, which we reached
about sunrise, on Monday morning. Henry,
Austin, and Sam, went to the still, where,
| finding Mr. PEBBLES, Austin shot him, and
, the rest of Us went to the house as we APP
preached, the family discovered us, and
, shut the door. Vain hope Will, with one
, stroke Of his axe, opened ii, and we enter
ed and found Mrs. Turner and Mrs. New
some in the middle of room, almost fright
ened to death. VIII Immediately killed
Mrs. Turner, with one blow of his axe.
took Mrs. Newsome by the hand, and with
the sword had when was apprehended,
struck her several blows over the head, but
not being able to kill her, as the sword was
dull. Will turning round and discover ng
it, despatched her also. A general des-
truction of property and search for mtriey
and ammunition, always succeeded the
MURDERS"
"All the family were already murd, red,
but Mrs. Whitehead and her daughter Mar
, garet. AS came round to the door saw
Will pulling Mrs. Whitehead out Of the
house, and at the step he nearly sew cred
her head from her body with his broad axe
: Miss Margaret, when discovered her, had
!, concealed herself in the corner, formt,d by
the projection of the cellar-cap from the
house on MY approach she fed, but was
soon overtaken, and, after repeated blows
with the sword, killed her by blow on
; the head, with fence-rail."
What wretches This monster VIII.
, furnishes deeds that would suit the pencil of
Salvador Rosa.
One confession of Nat Turner is inpor-
tant:
He was asked " if he knew of any exten-
sive or concerned plan?" His answer was,
-" 1 do not" When questioned him Us to
, the instruction in North Carolina happen
ing about the same time, he denied any
, knowledge of it ; and when | looked him in
, the face, as though l would search his in
, most thoughts, he replied, 81 see, sir, you
doubt my word but car you not think the
r same ideas, and strange appearances about
this time In the heavens might prompt 9TH
i, ers, as well us myself, to this undertaking?'
PALESTINE. The hills still stand round
about Jerusalem as they stood in the days
of David and Solomon. The dew falls on
Hermon, the cedars grow on Libanus, and
e Kishcn, that ancient river draws its streams
> from Tabor, as in times o: old. The sea
q of Galilee still presents the same natural
= Accompaniment, the fig tree springs up by
the wayside, the sycamore spreads its
: branches, and the vines and olives still
5 climb the sides of the mountains The
lesoation which covered the cities of the
n Plain is not less striking at the present hour
q than when Moses with an inspired pen re-
i corded the judgment of God the swellings
n of Jordan are not less regular in their rise
> than when the Hebrews first approa ched
$ its banks; and he who goes down from Je-
S rusalem to Jerico still incuis the greatest
), hazard of falling among thieves. There is.
a in fact, in the scenery and manners of Pal
u estine, perpetuity that accords well with
y the everlasting import of its historical req
= ords, and which enable us to identify With
the utmost readiness the local imagery of
every great transaction.
Edinburgh Cabinet Library, No. 4.
: MINERAL RICHES. DR.. Gerard Troost
Y delivered an address on the 18th ult, 10 the
n Legislature of Tennessee, showing the adj
n vantage of an accurate geological surv ey of
: that State, which appears to abound in r i any
' valuable minerals and fossils. DR.. TrDost
says that the mountainous districts of Ten
nessee, abound in various articles, W hich
, nonst some dnv form tho .aolth IS III g, ..,,