The weekly Anglo-African. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1859-1861, 1860-01-07
A BLACK JOHN BROWN.

had been SEEN by their masters rluInS OUT
of his stable yard This was sufficient to
create alarm. On their return, the then
absconding blacks were tried by court of
three planters. Though no direct evidence
was adduced, yet enough was elected to
induce the belief that there had been an
extensive combination formed for dreadful
purposes The Governor of Virginia of
fered the sum of $4,000, and the gentle
men of the city of Richmond, $4,000
more, as reward to any one who would
give information of the head of the pro-
ject, but no one was tempted to betray the
secret
A few days after the $4,000 reward
was offered, little African boy came into
grocery store, in Richmond, and asked
for quart of rum. The grocer asked
him for whom he wanted it. He said, for
his uncle Gabriel. That African, when
twenty-one years of age, had asked his
master how much he would take for him.
His master replied:
Gabriel, no money would buy YOU
"But," said Gabriel, "should l buy my
self"
"In that case," said the master, 1
would take $500 for you"
"Then | am ready to pay" said Ga
briel.
CHAD / thought so,' said the master, II
would not have made the offer-but, as /
have said it, / will not draw back"
Gabriel was manumitted He then COM
menced the learning of the French Ian
guage, and in a short time learned read
ing, writing and arithmetic. All people
who knew him esteemed him highly. He
was twenty-five years of age when the re-
ward was offered. Such was the man who
sent his nephew for a jug of rum, which
cost him his life. The grocer asked the boy
where his uncle Gabriel was He replied,
in the Sally Ann, vessel at the dock, Just
ready to sail for St. Domingo The grocer
told the boy to wait little for his return
Notice was given to an officer, and Gabriel
was apprehended, and then put upon his
trial. He thought some one had been
tempted by the great reward to betray him,
and he confessed the whole.
He said their plan was to fire the city at
the end opposite the arsenal Men were
appointed to ring the fire bells, and while
the citizens were drawn off to extinguish
the fire they intended to seize the arsenal,
rush into the city and slaughter all indis-
criminately, except few young ladies,
who were selected to be the wives of some
of the leaders. All these measures Ga
briel avowed as his own device. He said
that his earliest thoughts were occupied by
these plans-that he had traded and in
creased his stock to $500 at the age of
twenty-one-that he had made himself ac-
quainted with learning, with this sole OBJ
ject; that he had travelled expressly through
the Southern States by night, riding down
many horses, in preparing the Africans for
his measures; and that he had formed, in
caves and remote places, depots Of arms
He also told the court that had God not
interfered by great rain, that SO swelled
stream in tie neighborhood of Richmond,
that his assembled band could not pass,
they would not, at that day, be sitting as
his judges.
"But," said the court, Gabriel, we all
esteem you. You have not been thought
cruel How could you devise a scheme of
such almost indiscriminate bloodshed2'
Gabriel cody replied, at is not that l
delight in the shedding of the blood of men.
But there is no other way of procuring our
freedom I love my nation. We have
as good right to be free from oppression
as you had to be free from the tyranny of
the King of England know my fate.
You will take my life. offer it willingly,
as martyr to liberty. My example will
raise up Gabriel, who will, Washington
like, lead on the Africans to freedom"
Gabriel was executed, dying without a
murmur, cool, collected, in the faith that
his death would not be in vain. These in
cidents are embodied in song called
"Gabriel's Defeat and set to tune of
the same name, made also by colored
man. The writer of this has heard the
tune in Virginia, where it was favorite
air in the dances of the white people; and
it need not be added that the song was,
and perhaps still is, popular among the col
ored population of the South. Philadel-
phia Press