The weekly Anglo-African. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1859-1861, 1859-12-31

lett 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 muskets, with pound or two
of powder We remained for some time
at the barn, where we paraded; formed
them in line as soldiers, and after carry
ing them through all the maneuvres was
master of, marched them off to Mr. Salathul
Francis, about six hundred yards distant.
Sam and Will went to the door and
knocked. Mr. Francis asked who was there,
Sam replied it was him, and he had letter
for him, on which he got up and came to
the door; they Immediately seized him and
dragging him out a little from the door, he
was dispatched by repeated blows on the
head; there was no other white person in
the family. We started from there for
Mrs. Reese's, maintaining the most perfect
silence on our march, where, finding the
door unlocked, we entered and murdered
Mrs. Reese in her bed while sleep ping, her
son awoke, but only to sleep the sleep of
death, he had onl y time to say, "who is that +,
and he was no more. From Mrs 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 approached, the family
discovered us, and shut the door. Vain
hopei VIII, with one stroke of his axe,
opened it and we entered, and found Mrs.
Turner and Mrs. Newsome in the middle
of room, almost frightened to death.
Will Immediately killed Mrs. Turner, with
one blow of his axe. took Mrs. Newsome
by the hand, and with the sword l had
when l was apprehended, struck her sew
eral blows over the head but not being able
to kill her, as the sword was dull; Will
turning round and discovering it, dispatched
her also. A general destruction of property
and search for money and ammunition, al
ways succeeded the murders. By this time
my company amounted to fifteen, nine men
mounted who started for Mrs. Whitehead's
(the other six were to go through by-way
to Mr.. Bryant's, and reoin us at Mrs. White
head's) as weapproached the house, wedis-
covered Mr.. Richard Whitehead standing
in the cotton patch, near the lane fence; we
called him over into the lane, and Will, the
|
tai axe to send him to an untimely grave
AS we pushed on to the house, discovered
some one run round the garden, anG think
ing it was some of the white family, Ipur-
sued them, but finding it was servant
girl belonging to the house, | returned to
commence the work of death, but they
whom left had not beeu idle; all the fam
lily were already murdered, but Mrs. White
head and her daughter Margaret. AS l
came round to the door saw VIII pulling
Mrs. Whitehead out of the house, and at
the step he nearly severed her head from
her body, with his broad-axe Miss Mar
garet, when l discovered her had concealed
herself in the corner formed by the projec-
ton of the cellar cap from the house; on
my approach she fed, but was soon over
taken, and after repeated blows with a
sword, killed her by blow on the head,
with fence rail. By this time the six
who had gone by Mr.. .Bryant's reioined us
and informed me they had done the work
of death assigned them. We again divided
part going to Mr.. Richard Porters' and
from thence to Nathaniel Francis, the others
to Mr.. Howell Harris, and Mr.. L. Doyles
On my reaching Mr.. Porter's, he had es-
capped with his family. I understood there
that the alarm had already spread, and l
Immediately returned to bring up those
sent to Mr.. Doyles, and Mr.. Howell Harris
the party l left, going on to Mr.. Francis
having told them would join them in that
neighborhood. / met these sent to Mr.
Doyles and Mr.. Harris returning, having
met Mr.. Doyle ON the road and killed him,
and learning from some who joined them,
that Mr.. Harris was from home, / immedi-
ately pursued the course taken by the party
gone on before; but knowing that they
would complete the work of death and pill
age at Mr.. Francis, before / could get there,
| went to Mr.. Peter Edwards, expecting
to find them there, but they had been here
also. / then went to Mr.. John t. Barrow's !;
they had been here and murdered him. /
pursued on their track to Capt. hewitt Har-
ris', found the greater part mounted, and
ready to start; the men now amounting to
about forty, shouted and hurrahed as / rode
up, some were in theyard, loading their guns
others drinking. I hey said, Captain Har-
ris and his family had escaped, the property
in the house they destroyed, robbing him
of money and other valuables. / ordered
them to mount and march instantly; this
was about nine or ten o'clock, Monday
morning. / proceeded to Mr.. Levi Walters,
two or three miles distant. l took my stat
| ion in the rear, and as it was my object to
carry terror and devastation wherever we
went, l placed fifteen or twenty of the best
mounted and most to be relied ON, in 'front.'
who generally approached the houses as
fast as their horses could run; this was for
two purposes, to prevent their escape and
strike terror to the inhabitant5-on this ac-
count l never got to the houses, after leav-
ing Mrs. Whitehead's, until the murders
were committed, except in one case. Isome-
times got in sight in time to see the work
of death completed, viewed the mangled
bodies as they lay in silent satisfaction, and
Immediately started in quest of other vict-
inns. Having murdered Mrs Waller and
ten children, we started for Mr.. William
Notwithstanding killed him and two little