The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-01-11
GABRIEL'S REBELLION.
CONCLUSION or THE STORY OF
HIS FAMOUS REVOLT.


The ars, news Of Gabrie's capture was
really from letter TO the Governor, written
from Norfolk on the 25th Of September by
Mr.. Richard +. Lee, in the following words;
.On Tuesday last Gabriel arrived here, aud
was soon after apprehended; negro on
board the vessel informed John More, an
apprentice boy, who immediately informed
two OF the cOnstables OF this Borough, ana
who left this place yesterday charged win
the delivery Of Gabriel at Richmond with
latter from Colonel Newton on the subject
have taken the liberty Of giving this
abatement from conviction that the inform
srs are entitled 10 some part OF The reward.
men A. submitted 90 your judgement, 10
ON the 9th of september, Colonel New
ton xayor of Norfolk, gave the fOilowint
,ostrnctiors 10 the two officers referred 10 d.
his letter 10 the Governor. II on are 10 PiV-
coed with the negro Gabriel ACCORDING u
the warrant herewith; but Ia the hrsi IN
stance, as he promises confession 20 tn
Govern0r. Nsu Will first carry nm 10 Ms TX
cclIencv and let him not be disturbed ON to'
. many inquisitiye persons, as II may ne tnc
means of preventing discoveries. heep DIM
asouiet "a possible that he may rehect Oh
his situation and confess fully. BE cAul'hs
10 let IL be known that you nave hl,'' OF
hoard. and be a. speedy AZ possible IN ueIl'-
ering him AT Richmond ,.,.,,
Iinon his arrival at Richmond danr 81
.ca,ried at once To tue Governor, who
,mmediatsly called meeting OF the Coun-
al and Informed them that he hsd Deeh
hrouyht 10 his hou - the day before about .
o,clock in the afternoon, "a great crown VI
blacks 10 well as whites gathering aIouuu
him" and that he had ordered O<P'""t
Giles. who was present. ITO iprm guar
of fifteen 10 twenty persons 10 ne cOleV.su
from the citizens he c0ud collect on nv
ground and take him under It's care 70 tht
penitsntiary. and continue to guard HIN
there with that number Of men IN seps-
rate cell ill further orders, holding no con
versation with him on any subject or per
hitting any otbOr person 10 30 so.' III nav
ing been said that the prisoner Woulu max
a confession. "Messrs. NcRae, tOushee,
and Wood" were appointed by the Governor
In Council 10 receive sue confession. bul
they reporting to that body he would make
,.no confession worth repeating II wac
advised that the extra guard over Gapfiei
he dismissed, and the keeper of the feni-
Tertiary was ordered 10 secure him IN som'
safe cell by himself a sentinel to be kep'
constantly over him, and that no commu-
nication was to be held with him except D.!
order from the Governor.
NAHkifI > lAlAbs
The trial of the noted prisoner who had
oflate caused so much trouble aud anxiety
throughtout the State was not long defer
rod we find that on Monday The 9th day
OF October, 1900, at a court Of oyer ana
Terminer held for the county Of Henrco
was brought 10 the bar; and after a pro
fracted examination Of witnesses OF MS
own race. slaves and his quOudim irlehds
and co-conspiraters, and others ne wa
condemned 10 be executed on the following
day the eth of October. lie was, however.
re1rieyed until the following Friday. The
following magistrates composed the COurl
of Uenrico county at this time: i. Young
husband. George Williamson, Richard
Adams. Hez. Hundley, Benjamin Goode,
Miles seden, Bowler Cooke. DANIEL j.
HyltOn, Gents.
In the meantime every effort was made u
extract from him a confession. but without
success. he seeming TO have "made up hls
mind TO die without saying mu h about the
conspiracy.- Up 10 riday, 10th OctOb r.
the town had been heavily guarded; bul
ouiet and order having been restored altrl
the execution Of Gabriel, DIR. McClurg, tht
Mayor, was ordered to dismiss all IN.
troops on duty, except small body TO acl
at the penitentiary, the magazine, ana IN,
CanitoI This was followed by general
disbanding Of troops over the State, except
AT the Point Of Fork. in FluyAnna county
where were kept valuable public stores
FREE NEGROES.
Tins ended the most extensive and well
organized revolt OF the negroes against me
whites that ever occurred, either IN H-
gixia or any other of the slave-holdln
States. Ii was not altogether C." inca
TIE slaves. In some 4 the counties near
Richmond, aud in all the large towns "tie
a good many free negroes. Ddiius the li'
yestigations afterwards mnde. ~ became
known that many Of these had been 1ctNc
in advising and instigating the slaves. But
the evidence against Them not being SUM-
cient TO call for decided action they Mrf
let alsne. except that their privileges Wcr
abridged and new restrictions lhio"i
around them. II IL a rem irkablt TACT that
In the great conspiracy not while person
was injured, althOug such eiaborate lfel''
rstions had been made Tor the deslrucuOi
OF the race.
ference with the plans Of In insurgents
by the phenomenal fall OF rain within lew
hours of their proposed meeting. by thI'
most happy and unexpected event they
were prevented from coming together I'D y
number sufficiently strong To Warrant a.
attack. Their leaders we're therefore oDilheu
TO defer action until the nlshi ioiio"i =
being Sandsv. 3lst of August. In the
meantime the purposes of the c0nspiratof
had been sufficiently known to arou The
whites while the overlooking Hood OF Tue
Brook creek had deprived the former Oh th'
hope Of Selling Richmond. an event upon
which they had constructed all their hVpt'
OF final success.
NOTABLE FACT.
Itisafact worth observing, also, that moi
an act of violence was committed against
the negroes during the excitement eonse'
ouent upon the discovery Of tue pot lhs
Whites. as masters. overseers, and batrols
had every temptation to- 20 beyond Inc
bounds of prudence in this respect. Ailtl
they had become convinced that their slave
had really banded together Tor their de
structiOn, they might have ielt thenlselNe'
warranted in Ie,orii 1g To prompt and sever
measures for the preservation Oh tueiI laill
lies and prOpeTt,. Instead OF TINS tae!
coolIy and automatically resorted 10 pro
css.es of law i'm executing its mandates
uDon the guilty. More than TINS, numbers
az n groes who were tried, convicted, ant
condemned TO execution were pafdontt
upon the petitiOns of the very people they
had designed TO Kill. Their conduct va
we'll understood. They had been led on %,
the persuasions OF others, ana deluueI pN
nrouises and hopes which could never nave
been realized. The Nirginan master WAS
not disposed TO cruelty; although his slave
had lust planned his destruction. lie de'
sired 40 bloody holocaust TO satisfy IN.
vengeance against his weak aud deludeo
dependents.
0ut OF the number engaged in the rebel
lion. and those tried for participation IN II,
only about thirty were executed, cAiel
among whom Were the leaders. some were
pardoned on condition that lhr! WeIe " %
transported and sold into slavery Ia TIE
West Indies and far South In such cases
"a well as whenever a criminal was execu'
ted, the owner was reimbursed bl ihe
state. IL 10 carious % notice IN the
yaIue set upon the greater part OF these was
rarely more than about four hundred dol
lars apiece. An exception to this was IN the
cases OF the two slaves who communicated
the first Intelligence Of GabriePs designs u
AIR. Mosby Shepard. These negroes were
afterwards purchased aud liberated 10y the
state FOR their faithful conduct. Oae OF
them, Tom. was the property OF Mrs. shep-
ard who was a widow, and whose sons were
frequently absent from home, leaving her
aud young unmarried daughter aud the