The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-19

Besides these, private letter adds the families of
Mr. Barrow and Mr. Henry Bryant-numbers not men
toned.
Muskets, pistols, swords and ammunition have heen
forwarded to Suffolk to-day, by Com Warrington, at the
request OF our civil authorities and number Of cit
have ACQUIRED formed themselves as troop of
cavalry and set off to assist their fellow citizens South
amptop trust the next news you will hear will be that
all is quiet again.
Further statements confirmed the general truth of the
foregoing narrative and represented that three hundred
negroes well mounted and armed and headed by one or
two white men, constituted the whole of the nsurgent
force Other accounts exaggerated their numbers to six
or eight hundred, and represented the militia force Of
three hundred men as rereatng before the blacks who
were armed with shot guns, muskets, scyhes and
Prompt and efficient measures were Immediately taken
by the Governor Of the State to suppress the instruction
Infantry, cavalry and artillery were despatched in all
haste from Richmond and Norfolk The authorities Of
North Carolina also supplied troops, and the federal
troops stationed at Norfolk Fortress Monroe and other
points placed at the service Of the Slate The re-
suit Of these prompt and decisive was that all
the negroes engaged in the movement were with a few
exceptions, killed captured within few days II was
thought that some of them had made their retreat
into the Dismal Swamp, and soon afterwards
rumor prevailed that that locality was the
rendezvous for several hundred runaway slaves
Fortunately these rumors proved unftunded.
The movement completely suppressed, though
not until from fifty to sixty Whites principally women
and children, had been barbarousy slaughtered and un
til full vengeance had been taken their hesh murder
ers From the published accounts Of the affair, we ex.
tract the following from which it would appear that the
numbers Of the blacks greatly exaggerated but that
their atrocities not
On the night Of the 23d ult the SOUTHAMPTON militia had
three skImishes with gang Of from forty fifty ne
groes the later retreatng each time In account It'll
stated that one Of the militia Of the name of Pope was
killed in another that the whites sustained no loss what
ever The negroes made three attempts to the bridge
at Belfeld but repused each time by party Of mi
tia who were stationed the opposite side with piece
q fuiiery Aparty Of four mlitiamen, who had been
sent 10 reconnotre the blacks up with party of
about twenty Of them, and after sharp engagement sue
oeeded in killing three four and taking several prison
cTs when the remainder fed. The great object of the
negroes after the rayDg Of the militia appeared to be TO
reach the Dismal swamp, but such the vigilance Of
'ae mat nearly every one was either shot down
cSPlufeo: Many oil the blacks well mounted and
armed WIN bird and other guns, and axes Tho roads
were rewcd with the carcasses Of the negroes killed and
up 70 the 25h ut neither these nor the corpses Of the
unfortunate whites had been buried arrangements were
however, making for their in,erment,
4Le oiheient Accounts are conflicting as 10 the number
o. negroes Killed, and, indeed under the ccu stances in
WHICH ey have BEEN written, it is not to be wondered
that they should be 80.
We gather from letters published in the Richmond Wnig
Of the z9th utiIno the following statements le,,er
from the senior editor Of that paper who on the SPOT
states that the number OF the insurreconary negroes had
been greatly exaggerated but that hardly within
tN"ea VI NseH " eahRRcTdte tucr otrOC1teS,
whole families, father mother, daughter sons sucking
babes and school Children were butchered by them.
thrown into heaps and left to be devoured by hogs and
dogs or to putrefy the spot Al Dr. Levi Walters his
We ana ten school children murdered-he himself
was absent but approaching while the dreadful scene was
ae,hS, was pursued and escaped with difficulty into
marsh How, with whom the instruction originated
b., certainly known The prevalent belief IL that on
nunaay the lSh n at Barnes' church. near the Cross
ney ,he negroes who observed TO be disordery
vos ounce a. something, and that the plan was conceived
enc cba N ane course Of the week AT Mr. Walters
ca escaped from the ruthless fangs Of these mon
es oy conseahfg herself in the arc place and another
oonh alive who was badly wounded and crt for dead
oy mem lie has accompanied his letter with list of
,no kcd amounting to sixty two but ia mo- yet ascer
exceeded sixty and that twelve well armed ma roso,ta
ncn Were competent 10 have quced them at any time
Gen Eppts, who y IN command Of the troops reporta
under date Of the 18th u thai all the insurgents excen