Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-12
A THRILLING STORY.
Gilbert WOotten Describes The Massacre
at Jamestown In 1858.
BUTCHERY OF WHITE MEN.
Negroes Try 20 Hold Possession of tho
Island-A Little Boys
Pathetic End.

rlal)-The romance and tragedies OF
Jamestown have been written and re-
arittcn. and. notwithstanding the efforts
" historical iconoclasts In REPUTATION OF
hat most romantic chapter in its his
,ory-,he love arair OF the redoubtable
raptaln John Smith with the beautiful
lnAan Princess PocahoBtas-it has passed
INTO history. Fortunately for the chill
drcn. Il has gone into the text books Of
The schools. making pleasant pages. and
Is thus easily impressed upon the youth
rli Imagination.
our hardy and adventurous ancestors
witnessed in their eventful times no
more revolving and blood-thirsty crime
b. the untut0red savagcs OF James city
county than that / am about to relate.
ms which was committed on jamestown
Island. in 1858, but which. on account OF
,he disturbed and dsjointed condition
II tho country at that time. was but
barely described IN the public prints OF
she day.
THE STORY OF 4 GREAT CRIME.
Now. for the first time, the Dispatch
PRINTS the story In narrative form from
the lips 81 the only living witness ami
survivor Of the bloody affair-a narrative
confirmed by an aged physician, now
living near the scene. ana who was ac-
uualnted with and was IN the company
Il the victims The day before the masfa
slcrc. ana who. but for proyidentlal err
tlmstdncCs. would have been IN the ex-
I lit!0n 10 Jam stown on the fateful day
IN the words Of Gilbert WOottcn. an
u'i colorei man. formerly the slave OF
Major william Allen, OF Ciaremont, Va,
lrl who stil lives upon the once mag
u.Hccut estate OF his former master, the
Dispatch presents his narrative OF the
dreadful scenes through which he passed:
Yes. sir: my name is Gilbert Wootten
I used 20 belong 10 Major William Allen;
was one OF his head men. my business
r,Hg principally boating. l used always
& take the gentlemen and there were
many Of them visiting here) on their
cgcklug. fishing. and hunting excursions.
These gentlemen came from Richmond
AID from all other parts OF the United
States and from Canada l will tell
to- readers Of the Dispatch all / know
about that thing IL took place in 1863
81 'Cathcring-corn time IL was after
General Magruier evacuated Yorktown
nll had Tctrcated 70 Williamsburg You
know after that q great many slaves
% their old marsters and settled in
jamestown living In the few remaining
lI.'..7t0 At4lAN htAA AlbN lFfU bAI lffi ApNI
ly ne Yankees or our folks. After Cen
,ral Magruder rctreated | moved Major
Aliens stock from jamestown over the
river % Swans Point. just opposite
Afterwards, for security. | drove them
t. Petersburg and then 10 Richmond for
greater safety from raiding Yankees
Major Allen had also been in command
9; jamestown Island. where he had buried
uultr the ruins Of an old magazine n
80
THE TRIP AFTER THE TOOLS.
Mr.. Schriver. an uncle Of Major Aliens
wife, who was an English woman. want
q me to 20 over with him from Clare
mont 20 jamestown to get these tools
J had refused him several times. krpiw-
iag the desperate character Of the men
Who had been slaves OF the Major with
myself and who lived upon the island.
] hai prosentment that trouble would
Z How. the thought of going over there
haunted me like a nightmare. At last
Nr. Schriver prevailed on me 10 20 with
I'm. I dreaded II though. Mr. Schriyer
also got Mr. Algernon Graves. the biggest
lawyer In the county. and a fine man, 10
50 with US. Mr. Graves also brought
long with him his little boy. whose name
J DO not remember. bat he appeared to !
D. about 10 or II years of age-a pretty, |
little boy. ON a Friday morning | pro- /
missed Mr.. Graves 10 30 with him. The /
Monday following We left old Claremont !
wharf and went TO Mr.. Gravcss. but he |
Was away hunting, they said. We looked |
fIr him and found him about II o'clock. |
Mt Schriver went home and got his din |
r.r We then went again t. the odd |
dock at jamestown, on the creek. Soon
lgrr we arrived there Lawyer Graves /
t.V some ducks about one hundred yards F.
2 the shore. Mr. Graves then shot at |
t.-m. right against the old church /
v-..ule. Then he came ashore. l forgot |
.I say that Lit,leton Hurt. a c0lorod man. !
i.., belonging 10 Mr.. Allen, went along |
y.th gs.
THE BOAT AT JAMESTOWN.
All hands got out Of the boat except me. |
knowing the dreadful character Of the |
I.n on the island, all OF whom belonged |
{. Master Allen. l was afraid 20 get out. !
NJ S.hrivcr, the little boy, and Little |
TN Hunt. went down to jamestown |
W.arf where it is now. and they passed |
r'-tt by the old brick house, out ! kept |
Iy scat ia the boat. After they had |
l..u ont while. l became tired and |
ct 80 aud walksd on the wharf After !
SaI!- ] walked upon the bank, and !
Faw seven negro men-Mr. Aliens men |
coming up % the magazine They were |
armed with muskets, but they were not |
t.I.-rs or in the government service. |
G..y haI simply squatted upon the island |
I-l had 10 right there. They did not |
g.. me. and / went back to the boat, |
&c 600. and rOwed OF well into the |
stream. Then / said TO myself that 1t !
V.a't DO u leave our party Then l |
went back and landed the boat on the |
luA. The negroes came down to the |
rytr. standing on the bank just above !
NE. Every one Of them knew me just |
a. wc,l as could be, as they belonged TO |
III Allen.
They said: "What are you doing down |
ftr-. anyway: for what purpose did you |
b.ue Schr.Ver and Graves here"
told them "we came down here TO |
Ct the spades and the shovels." After |
,2 hanging some words with one another. |
they further remarked: You were down |
here last week to take US off the |
island We believe you are following |
the rebels 10 see what you can do with |
Us"
! quickly replied: 1--WE came for no
sch purpose"
Then two Of them Goblin White and |
J.m Diggs) got on the boat.
CAPTURE OF THE BOAT.
The men on the snore then said TO one |
mother: Are you going 20 leave them |
win Gilbert? The first thing you know |
N'tt'+A ~ IA MUM AA' ia ~ Ntsb iNtiN sAt+N
carry the boat off. Anyway, take Nor
bin out Of the boat and send joe" Mr. |
Allen bought Joe from Mr.. William Par
tlLs al Surry Courthouse. Joe went OF |
a.i the crowd went on down to the |
wharf where they met Mr.. Schriver.
Gr. Graves. and the little boy.
These gentlemen were made TO sur
s,lier their N fguns, and both parties
came down whore we were. The crowd
then moved Off with Mr. ShriVer aGi
Lswyer Graves IN front Of them. They
ordered me 10 take the boat to the
bridge crossing the creek between James
town and Neck Of Land" (the latter Is
iae name Of farm. but did not do II:
but Joe rowed and 1 sat in the head OF
the boat.
~ the bridge we all met, Joe and l
-, out and went on the bank, thence TO
iae house on the Meek OF Land" They
went 10 a negro man. who, they said, was
thr captain. and who belonged 20 Mr..
Coke and was named Winsy Powers.
Winsy came out. and the FIRST thing he
ElI hat