Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-10-28

been greatly exaggerated, but it was hardly
within the power of rumOr itself to eXaggerate
their atrocities whole families father, mother,
daughters, sons, sucking babes and school
children, were butchered by them, thrown into
heaps, and left to be deyoured by hogs and
dogs, or to purify on the spot. AT Mr.. Levi
Walters, his wife and ten school children were
murdered-he himself was absent, but ap-
preaching while the dreadful scene was enact
ing, was pursued and escaped with difficulty
into a marsh. How or with whom the inSur-
rection originated is not certainly known. The
prevalent belief is, that on Sunday the 18th
ult., at Barnes church, near the Cross Keys,
the negroes, who were observed to be disor-
derby, took offence at something, and that the
plan was conceived and matured in the course
Of the week At Mr.. Walters, one child es-
capped from the ruthless fangs of these mon
Sters by concealing herself in the e-place,
and another was found alive who was badly
wounded and left for dead by them. He has
accompanied his letter with list of the killed,
amounting to sixty-two, but it is not yet ascer.
tanned to be correct He thinks that the in
surgents never exceeded sixty, and that twelve
well armed and resolute men were competent
to have queled them at any time.
Gen. EppeS, who is in command of the
troops, reports under date of the 28ut., that
all the insurgents except Nat Turner the lead
er, had either been taken or killed. On the
18th Gen. BrOadnaX reports to the Governor
that all was quiet and free from visible marau-
ders; he thinks that all have been killed or taken
except four or five. He states that Nat, the
ring-leader, who calls himself general, and
pretends to be a Baptist preacher, declares to
his comrades that he is commissioned by Jesus
Christ, and proceeds under his inspired direc-
tions-that the late singular appearance of the
sun was the sign for him-he is not taken, and
the account of his being killed at the affair of
the bridge is not correct. The General thinks
chat there has existed no general concert
to among, the slayes-circumstanceS impossible
have been feigned demonstrate the entire igno-
rance on the subject of all the slaves in the
counties around Southampton, among whom
he has never known more perfect quiet to
prevail" He believes "that any time twenty
resolutc men could have put them down"
He compliments, in terms of strong appro-
baton, "the admirable conduct and spirit of
the militia, who have everywhere turned out
with the utmost promptitude, and given the
most unquestionable evidence of their ability
instantly and effectually to pnt down every
such attempt. The families who had sought
safety by flight had generally returned to their
homes.
1t was believed in North Carolina that the
instruction commenced with and was arranged
by four negro preachers, who had been permit
ted to hold their meetings by day and by night,
and who used these opportunities to poison the
minds of the slaves. Of these prise preach
ers, the principle was Nat Turner, who claim
ed to be commissioned by Jesus Christ. Tur-
ner escaped the general slaughter made by the
troops, and eluded their vigilance for couple
of months but he was finally caught in a cave
in the vicinity of the place where he and his
followers had perpetracd their barbarities, and
was, without much ceremony, tried, convicted,
and hanged. His arrest took place on the
Both day of October 1881, and his execution
a few days afterwards. Thus ended the negro
instruction OF 1881.