Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-01-23
Nat Turner's Insurrecti0n.


'sRISING" TO GRIEF.
A correspondent of the Alexandria
| Gazette, writing over signature of "Chas-
seur," gives the following account of
Nat Turner's insurrection, which will
be read with interst by our readers:
Close to this place, from which I am
writing, lies Southampton county, the
scene Of Nat Turner's insurrection. Near
the county seat, in the little village of
Jerusalem, lived;:in 1882, a Mr.. Turner, q
well-to-do farmer, and owner of this
arch spirit of the conspiracy.
Nat Turner, named after his master,
was common field hand, but man of
great will and some natural ability. He
had thought himself the alphabet, and
had learned to spell cut the easy verses
of the Bible. He soon became preach
er, and then religious fanatic, whose
influence among the ignorant, super
stitious negroes became potent and pow
erful. Believing himself the chosen in
strument of God to liberate his brethren
from bondage, and fully possessed Of
this idea, he conceived in his half-craz-
ed, erratic brain the most daring and
devilish plot on record.
1t was this: On the last of the month
the slaves were to rise at midnight and
kill every white person in their reach,
sparing neither age, sex, rank or condi-
ton. Every detail was arranged accu-
rately, and such was the ascendency Of
Nat Turner over his followers that not
one betrayed him out of the large num-
Der drawn into bis plan. How many
this amounted to has never been known,
but the ramifcation of the plot extended
into several counties. The fateful time
drew near. The negroes held their night
meetings under guise of religious revi-
walls and completed the arrangements
for the massacre. The fearful arm was
raised. and the blow about to fall on the
unsuspecting victims. The time, as was
mentioned above, was the last Sunday
particular month had five Sundays, in
stead of four, which Nat in his dense
ignorance providentially took to be the
case, but which was known to be other
wise by house servants, and others bet
ter informed than he. And so, unsus-
pected by themselves, there was mis-
understanding with regard to time,
which in Gods mercy served to weaken
the force of the blow about to fall.
On the fourth Sunday, therefore, at
night, Nat Turner. with small gang
commenced his bloody work. His mas
ter's family all fell first victims to the
holocaust, and from thence|the murder
ers proceeded to adjoining plantations,
Staying as they went. In every case the
fearful suddenness of the crime aided its
success; it was In the hour when slum-
Der and quiet deepest, when 'sleep that
knits up the raveied sleeve of care,n was
pressed on weary eyelids, when none /.
save the sick and wretched walked
then it was the fiends piled their fiend-
ish task.-Stealthily making their way
to bedsides with the axe and hatchet-
for the gang feared to use firearms they
fell as unswervingly where the rushing
food would dye the golden locks of child
hood as where the whitened locks Ofage
graced the resting head. None were
spared neither the old nor the babe on
the breast; neither the maiden in the
flush of youth, nor strong manhood with
athletic frames and corded muscles, all
relaxed and defenseless in deep uncon-
cious sleep.
At last came the blessed day, and
while the dawn showed the terrible
wark done in darkness, it yet brought
he ven sent relief. The people had be-
borne as it were on the1pinious of the
wind, startled them t0sa sense offear-
full perial. Each, sunknowing the eX-
tent of threatened danger, prepared to
defend his home.
A little after sunrise Nat Turner and
his party went to the house of Mr..
Blount, and entering the gates were fir
ed upon by the inmates. Two were
killed, and this, the first check they had
received, slight as it was, ended the in
surrection. Nat found himself desert
ed by his friends, and, like them, sought
the swamp and woods for concealment.
He was tracked to a cave, where for
some time he made lair, and arrested,
hanging following in due form and as
matter of course, certainly in most right
eous retribution, unless we are driven to
the conclusion that such mild fate was
too good for him.
In this section, where stayed day
or two, old women talk long hours in
the night of Mats rising, and tell in
bIoodcurdling tones how they watched
the long nights through, listening fear
fully for strange footstep, and shud-
dering at chance noise.