The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-05-17

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:. tFor the Disp patch 1ssss1 pos ssSsss.
Eabrtel,s InsusreCt TON. ,,a ~
RouxsnIDds 90, May. 4, fs7t., !
eesEl read In the Richmond Dispatch few
DAYS since an account Of GabrteHs ins1Ir-
Erection, given on the authority OF DR.. Dove,
the oldest inhabitant. which does mot agree
heard from my father about fit. He told
me that d negro woman, anxious to
preserve the life Of her young master,
Informed him late in the evening of
certain day In August, In the year
1900, that the negroes would certainly
rise; that night and put to death an Che
white people,. She advised him TO make
bis escape; before 1t should be too late. He
imne1 1tateiy mounted his horse, rode to
Richmond, aTi gave the alarm. The mil
litia were, at once called out and stationed
ats three points In the city-the Capitol, the
arniory, aud the, penitentiaty. A company
OF light -hOrsemen were directed to patrol
the principal roads leading into the city.
My father belonged to the Richmond Blues,
and were stationed at the penitentiary.
as soon as the night set in q dreadful
storm arose. The rain fellin torrents, vivid
flashes of lightning blazed through the sky,
and awful peals Of thunder shook she solid
foundations of the earth. It. was night OF
terror and alarm. The clements continued
in fearful commotion through all the hours
of darkness. Such heavy rain soon flooded
all the streams in the country The spring
branches became impossible rivers, SO that
the negroes conld not get from one fplanta-
tion to another. To meet together, there
fore, at Mr. Prosser's pIantatI Ion,2 their ap-
pointed place of rendezvous. became impos,
sible. Had itnot been for this providential
Interference with their plans, there would
have been formidable Iinsurrection. The
leaders OF .it-Gabriel, Solomon, and an.
other brother, whose name / had forgotten
|;gentIy organizing, their. forces all the sum-
mer, and nrepaIing arms for them. One Of
them was blacksmith, one other carpen.
| ter, and they had secretly manufactured d
great many on.keaded pixies with which
to commence their enterprise ,inp the
darkness sgof night, Their plan was
to march at = once on Richmond,
to turn loose the convicts in the penitentia-
ry, and seize upon the armory.r They
would then have been able to supply them.
solves with swords and musketS, The bet
ter to carryon their schemes Of murder and
Edebauchery. The horrors of that night In
Richmond cannot easily be described. My
father stood at his post with q loaded gun
upon his shoulder, in the, midst of the
storm of thunder and lightning, uncertain
what might be, the fate, of his family,
some of the members of which he had left
In an extremely critical and dangerous con-
dM6n, :, The. severity, of the storm pre-
vented the troop Of cavalry from advancing
tar beyond the limits OF the city. If they
hadsgone ever 80 Ear they would have met
with no enemy The negroes could not
assemble together, and the insurrection
proved failure.! Some of; the ihofsemen,
however, it is said, in the darkness Of the
night mistook stumps by the way-side for
negro men, and retreated in great dismay.
In the morning, as soon as the storm
ceased, troops secured the country, but the
leaders OF the insurreetiop, ~ coming
alarmed, had fled. All who were even sus.
taken up and brought to the city. They
were tried in very summary manner, and
speedily executed. AS many as five, some
times seven, were hung on the same gall
lows every day. The volunteer companies
escorted them to the place of execution,
and stood as guard around the gallows on
which they were hung. ! have often heard
nv father speak of the horror and disgust
with which he beheld the dreadful spec
tacle. He was man Of very humane and
tender feelings, and could fnotn look upon
criminals without the. most painful emo
tions. Solomon managed. = to get on
la vessel. in James river, and got
captured and brought back. He and his
brothers, Gabriel and Peter, were hung on
the same gallows. But three Of the insur-
gents were hung on that day. None of the
meaner sort were considered worthy of
hanging on the same gallows with the ring
leaders Of the insurrection. - u =.
heard so much of GabriePs insurrec-
ton in the days Of my childhood that the
dread Of similar occurrence was one of the
torments of my existence. l never went
into the country and spent there a solitary
night without being apprehensive lest ere
the morning the negroes might rise and put
to death all their masters.
It is a singular thing to me that an old
negro man by the name of Titus, banjo
player, used to be allowed, like another
Homer, to 60 about the streets of Rich
mond singing for the amusement of tho
crowd the exploits Of ''Gineral Gabriel"
often heard him myself, and remember his
banjo well. It was the best music to which
had then ever listened. He wore pecu-
liar dress. He had cooked hat, military
coat, and his banjo was gaily decorated
with ribbons. What became of him I
knownot, but according to my recollection
the chorus of his song always ended with
8. Gineral Gabriel."3 He was a deyotee' of
Bacchus, as well as disciple OF. the muses..
Peace to the ashes of old Titus. He was a
great man in his day, and his banjo always
attracted crowd. JOHN s. WATT.
How PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTS JUSTICE IAN
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