The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-07-21
Cwritten for The Hera1dl

From an old lady living in soutb-
ampton county, Va, the scene of the
awful Nat Turner instruction of Aue-
usr' 1881, a copy of the confession
made by Turner has been obtained
This instruction was the most horri-
bic Of its kind in the history of the
country, Fifty-five whites. half of
them children, and many babes. were
hacked to pieces with axes while thew
slept, by the murderous negroes. who
went from farmhouse to farmhoue on
their mission of death.
turner was religious fanatic who
was an intelligent negro. and althoueh
a slave, dabbled in scientific experi-
ments. He imagined that he had fire.
quent communications with God and
translated one Of these myths of his
mind as meaning that he should band
the negroes together and kill the
whites The ignorance of the farm
negroes gave him great power over
them, and although they feared him
they did as he ordered.
The confession. which tells the story
of the awful midnight murders. was
made by Turner to Mr. T. r. GRAY.
Of Jerusalem, Southampton county
Va, shortly before the execution of
the murderer. Only eighteen negroes
out Of sixty odd VINO participated in
the murders were punished, and some
of these escaped the gallows. This is
the confession:
Since the commencement of 1880 1
mao been living with Mr.. Joseph Ira
Wis. who was to me a kind master.
and placed the greatest confidence in
20 me; in fact, / had no cause to com
plain Of his treatment to me. On Sat
urday evening, the 2eth Of August,
it was agreed between Henry. Hank
and myself, to prepare a dinner the
next day for the men we expected
and then to concert plan, as we had
not yet determined on any. Hark.
on the following morning, brought a
pig. and Henry brandy. and being
Joined by Sam, Nelson. VIII and Jack,
they prepared in the woods a dinner.
where, about 3 o'clock. I Joined them.
Thc First Murder.
Il saluted them on coming up, and
asked Will how he came there: he
answered his life was worth no more
than others. and his liberty as dear to
him I asked him if he thought to
obtain it? He said he would or lose
his life. This was enough to put him
in full confidence. Jack, I knew. was 1
only a tool in the hands of Hark Z
It was quickly agreed that we should /
commence at home CMr J. TravisD I
on that night, and until we had armed (
and equipped ourselves. and gathered !
was to be spared. We remained at the +
feast until about two hours in the /
night. when we went to the house /
and found Austin; they all went to /
The cider press and drank, except my
ION returning to the house, Hark
went to the door with an Ak, for the
purpose of breaking it open, as we
knew we were strong enough to muir
der the family if they were awakened
nv the noise; but, rejecting that it
Night create an alarm in uhe neigh
tlo,=l1ood we determined to enter the
horse secretly, and murder them
whilst sleeping. Hark got a ladder
md set it against the chimney, on
which I assembled, and, hosting win
dow entered and came downstairs,
-, he ,.red the door and removed the
Ems from their places. It was then
eoteerved that / must spill the first
Hood On which, armed with
ratchet and accompanied by VIII. |
entered my masters chamber. 1t be
;ns- dark. I could not give a death
, ~ Abe hatchet glanced firm his
,Seo5 He sprang from his bed and
caI1ed his wife. 1t was his last word;
vii Iaid him dead with a blow of his
sxa and Mrs Travis shared the same
fate as he laid in bed. The murder OF
this family, five IN NUMBER was the
rro,.lx of a moment; not one of them
= Ike There was a little infant that |
1r' : sleeping in a cradle, that was for
,otte,1 until we had left the house and
55one some distance, when Henry and {
SSv5lI returned and killed il. We got I
here four guns that would shoot, and T
several old muskets, with a ""und or I
two of powder. i
1--WE remained some time at the I
bern where we paraded; I formed \
Ihem in a line as soldiers, and after i
"a IRVING them through all the man (
,euvres / was master Of, marched t
lhcn 10 Mr.. Sslatnul Francis, about /
;oS Yards distant. Sam and Will went c