New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-05-08
SHF TURNER AND GABRIEL INSVRREC-
TONS
rrou our 80 OoIro ,pOndent

m "A "
INV iponortapce which has occurred among the SoUin'
,eSroes This s perhaps, the general beheI OF persons
at dSanoe-and of many IN the South too-ioI Fei!
seam 10 have any knowledge Of the one Whlch
turner's by about thirty years. and when, pu' m 80
hnarkable Proyidental interpretation, would nave -
tfouowea nv oonscouenees tenfOld moro SHOCKING.
Stunning you would like to have the historical run - 80
matter and for other reasons, 1t has Appeared ~
la brief sketch Of that affair would DC Do'n '''l
Interesting to the general reader ,,o,nitv Of
Tn the Summer Of 1901, In the imme'ate 49,. ..o
.,hond occurred what is known as Gaorlels insuIe0
.,on Cahrel belonged to a gentleman nameu frossoi
VIA lived in Richmond, but who owned "pouV'
three mes the city on the B nSe 70 this place
;tenne 10 remain all night. He was surprised 70 Ind b
large number of negroes collected IN me SaIu enect
ram,ses whose cOuntenancos wore threatening ,pc0e'
He was evdently1not expected. lie was quySlay "P
Rfoac@ee Sbo warned bm of his danger aud besought
him to fy for life without moments delay futtIs
Richmond gave the first of the projected outbrea
The bells immediately rung ana inc f o his house
fearful thunder storm was mpendng T MN n PuSI has
Sen desorbed by the old Inhabitants as being aeeompa
Mad by thunder and lightning such as none OF them nad
ever ss ssens su in fact terrific The large capital
building was provided with number Of Lightning IC9s s
most fantastic manper ever and anon covering the %nce
a syea1 sSsS's sS S5 Nth fear What With
henson Of murder by crowd OF frantic Slaves ana me
thanderbolt was night Of horrors such as has not
been experienced by any community once N Sen11y
NJ WA in reference to those terrible trials that Jo a
olph made the remark several years aterTau III COn
gre that the Virginia mother deTer o necS h tg infant
moro closely to her bosom 49,. ooa t,o c;t, Mr.
rossers Gotta ge stood lust beyond small stream called
"The Brook" and before the negroes had TIME 10 or
mnssSabe. and indeed to deluge the whole country
The next morning the officers of the law on
o tSo Gabriel however euded pursuit for
several weeks. After Wandering in ca Ues,
aIroapf on
RiverSSith view OF getting out OF the Stae Du. Mas
by s and abon forty others were
brought to trial greater number Of whom were con-
VT1s s D s1d Of the was to fire the city
sacre the and children and make eaptyeS 81 Inc nc
doing pursued what was practically the more meteal
Gabriel represented 70 have oeen a Hy
Of the negro He met his fate with frmneSs. "A
IN which eaei was the chief character were founded
on incidents connected with this instruction 1hey were
years ana some Of them are probably not YET obsolete
Nat Turner'S nsurreetOn took place in the year ISL
Nat was preacher and fanatic: he proessed 70 nave
communication with heaven, and was from the fath IN
ais mission with which he inspired ms lUO"Ss ' bdy
conceived and executed 60 lar as any rcasohape
SO9 Is Sopede one that both Gsbe and
Turner'S rebelOns should have been accompanied ~ e4
ence however that in the the plans OF the IN
snreen frustrated by the elements While NH IN tes
favorable omen, and the harbnger OF success A. 49,.
period still vivid though not an eyewitness 10 any VI
the horrible atroctest may be interesting 10 Inrnsh
fhe County Of Southampton near the village OF Jeru;
salem was the scene OF turner's 5 & Hs s p H
decided how to into execution OF nc had not
omen Happened Which Inspired both him and them with
fresh courage 1t was on Saturday near te close Oh
pearance Ofthe attracted the attention OF all the
simple n0l than the wise Though not cloud was
fled by the peculiar state Of the atmosphere that the
venenee And in gazing thousands Of fitting fantastic
shapes and streams OF light were ooserye9 rouu S
surrounding with magic influence And as the sun
Observation-Disclosures; Il assumed bloodred appearance
and numerOus1arge spots were visible on the SURFACE
sHs 9ssG sss IL as Ss the attention scientific
in various parts Of the country several OF whom at
Prof Hallowei Of Alexandria subjected the rays Grgh
20 numerous experiments such as decGnpOsing them ~
newspapers but nothing Of the kind had ever Desi
nation %ss Accepted 11e as being at al SATISFACTORY may
therefore, be regarded remaining to the present day a.
The next day. being Sunday, Turner preached to his
congregation He labored with those whose assistance
ne sought to enlist and having made up his gang thoy
were engaged in preparing for active operations during
desperate fSray an hour or two before dsy on ISRa
Tsrnon On their line of march OF whatever sex age,
tins carried out almost TO the letter Some few,
houses were being sacked by hiding themselves in secret
csss a 0g S% roS e bsEe 10 house with sSe CO.
lerty, that no intelligence OF their advance preceded
Them But as their hands became more ana more sIeePId
blood theyabandOned themselves TO eating and drink
ing from the arders and cellars OF their ylctms ana coon
became completely debauehed that their march was
easily arrested by the time the was an hour hgh
though not until they had exterminated number OF
families, and destroyed about &c lives.
though 1t did exceed 80 But such were their
Inurderous that though but handful In all and
nadmen at that the whole country, far and near was
itnessed before or since TIE investment Of etei6nrs
Two or three years ago by Federal army Of 5000 or
the enemy in the dark, and might be lurking
In every household IN the other the operations were
Quoted In open day. Far from the scene Of action strong
men were afraid TO absent themselves moment from
at their breasts knOWm to seek the woods for pro-
lection at the midnight hour in come leaving their
children behind them Armed men riding along the pub
lie highways in broad day time afraid OF being
Laid by an assassin concealed behind every bush Aud
this state OF trepdation continued for several weeks
Patrols organized every neighborhOOd who Wis
tied nightly every negro cabin within their precincts TO
thing AXE disorder That good deal Of rgoT was SOME
times exercised during their rounds cannot be gasayed
excitement nothing else could be expected
And yeti has never been definitely ascertaned that
There was good reason, however to believe that the
movement was known far beyond the limits OF South
thenegroes of all the adjoining counties TO the distance OF
400 miles or and that they had knowledge of the
outbreak before the whites obtained 1t through the usual
channels Of information. It Is among the character
iscs OF these people that they have system of ele
with each other between distant points in incredibly
short time But they are great lhght walkers, travel
time and break and this may account for mystic
~. Itean only be matter Of speculation, however,
their private matters are kept with the most profound
secrecy
As soon tho massacre was discovered messengers
dispatched to the Governor OF tho State imploring
him to send troops to the assistance Of the people Several
companies o. infantry and cavalry were immediately
carnage and behold the horrible spectacle their rage was
uDc0ntr0lable The poor negroes who had no hand in