Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1874-12-03
Established December 18th. 1850, !

e. / y
wait ten seconds we will boil
shoot!'"
That brought them. They
moved away slowly and sullen,
ly, and Mes-rode behind them
Dir. Camp detailing, two men t
help the assistant to his, quar-
tiers, and setting he rest to work
again.
There had never been a lock
up on the plantation, and fol
want OF a better place We had
| to secure the men in one of the
gin houses. They made no ex-
cuses to spalliate their conduct,
and would not move except as
they feared a shot. The gin
house was stout building, and
unprepared as the slaves Were,
they had no hope of escape.
When the planter learned
what had occurred, and how de-
fiant the new men were, he was
much troubled. He did not
want it to go out that he had
fiogged any of his hands, and
to keep them locked up would
only be keeping them from
work, when there was pressing
need of their services. Still, it
was a dangerous example to set
before the other slaves, and the
trio must understand that they
had got to obey the plantation
rules.
Bring them in here and let
me talk to them,' he added, and
we could not argue him out of
the idea. He had the respect
of all his slaves, and he thought
that the trio of rebels would
sooner heed words coming from
him.
We left our guns on the We
randa and went to the clubhouse
and brought out the men,
Three more ugly-looking dev-
lis [ never saw, and / was GER
tain there would be trouble.
They followed us along to
the house, being told that the
master wanted to sec them. AS
we went through the door, the
slaves, who were close behind,
uttered a wild yell, ran down a.
long tho yeranda TO the guns,
snatched them up, and were o.
yer the railing and off for the
swamps before we realized the
situation. There were but two
guns, and the third armed him
self with a club as ne ran. A
bout thirty rods from the house
they halted, consulted for an
instant, and then wheeled and
came running back.
The overseer had gone in to
inform the master Of what had
occurred, and as / saw the slaves
coming back, probably mean
ing to attack us, L rSa in and
gave my information. g !
ahccp them off with your rel
volver for twos or three min
.utes!" shouted Camp, and as l |
ran out he was lifting the sick |
nan up to carry him into an
other room, while the wife was
terribly frightened.
AS I gained the yeranda, the
slaves were not three rods dis
tant. One of them drew up
his gun, took swift aim, or rath-
er no aim at.all, and the charge
of buckshot few past me through
the window. / heard a cry of
pain, loud scream, a curse, and
/ opened a return fire. The ne,
groes charged right at me to
gain the steps, and the one
whose gun was discharged was
killed on the bottom step. The
overseer came ont at-this mo-
ment and began firing, and du-
ring the smoke and excitement
of the next moment ] hardly
realized what happened. The
two slaves had disappeared I
when the smoke lifted. running
down TO one of the negro cab
ing and fastening themselves in.
The charge fred at me had
struck Alexander in the back,
producing instant death, and
his wife had tainted away over
the corpse. This the overseer
told me as he ran up and down,
the old hands and blow
ing the horn for all to assemble,
8 The two rebels kept up a
loud singing and shouting, as
if defying US. In q few min
utes the hands we're assembled,
and then some were dispatched
to neighhoring Plantations for
help, and others armed them
selves the best they could and
surrounded the hopse.np
There were two womer. in the
house besides sfrs. Alexander.
CT z E,gs...s,1a a. harroo.,, 81 Il