The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-08-28
WIPED OUT THE WHITES.
TRUE STORY OF THE NAT TURNER
lNSURRECTlON.
Related from His Own Confession Con-
tanned in an Old Phanplet Form--Where
the Murder Took Place.

tanned in an Old Phamplet Form--"h here
the Murder Took Place.
From an old lady living in South
hampton County, Virginia, the scene
of the awful Nat Turner negro insur-
rection of August, 1881, a copy OF the
confession made by Turner has been
tobtained. This insurrection was the
most horrible OF its kind in the history
of the country. Fifty-tive whites, half
of them children. and many babes,
were hacked to pieces with axes, while
they slept, by the murderous negroes,
who went from farmhouse to farm
house on their mission of death.
Turner was religious fanatic. re
was an intelligent negro, and although
slave, dabbled in scientific expert
ments. He imagined that he had fre-
quent communications with God and
translated one of the myths OF his
mind as meaning that he should band
the negroes together and kill the
whites. The ignorance of the farm
hands gave him great power over
them, and although they feared lilm,
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, Nir-
glnia, shortly before the execution OF
the murderer Only eighteen negroes
out of sixty odd who participated IN
the murders were punished, and some
of these escaped the gaIlows. Ihls Is
the confession:
Since the commencement OF lS3O L
had been living with Mr.. Joseph Ira.
Wis, who Was to me kind master, and
placed the greatest confidence in me;
in fact, had no cause to complain OF
his treatment to me. On Saturday
evening, the 20th of August, 1t was
agreed between Henry, Hark and my
self to prepare dinner the next day
for the men we expected, and then to
concert plan, as we had not yet de-
termined on any. Hark, on the fol,
lowing morning, brought a pig, and
Henry brandy, and being joined by
Sam Nelson, VIII AMI Jack, they pre-
pared in the woods dinner where,
about 3 o'clock l joined them.
Il saluted them on coming up, and
asked Will how he came there, he an
swered his life was worth no more
than others, and his liberty as dear to
him. I asked him if he thought to OBJ
tain it: He said he would or lose his
life. This was enough to put him in
full confidence. Jack, I knew, was
only a tool in the hands Of Hark. 1t
was quickly agreed we should com
nence at home (Mr. ]. Travis'S on
that night, and until we had EARNED
and equipped ourselves, and gathered
sufficient force, neither age cor sex
was to be spared. We remained at
the, feast until about two hours IN the
night, when we went tc the house and
found Austin; they all went to the
cider press and drank. except myself,
''On returning t5 the house Hark
went to the door with an axe, for the
purpose of breaking it open, as we
knew we were strong enough to mur,
der the family if they were awakened
bv the noise; out rejecting that 1t
might create an alarm in the neigh
borhood, we determined to enter the
house secretly, and murder them
whilst asleep. Hark got ladder and
set it against the chimney, on which
ascended, and hosting a window,
entered and came downstairs, unbar-
red the door, and removed the guns
from their places. It was then OBJ
served that I must spill The first blood.
On which, armed with hatchet and
accompanied by Will, I entered my
masters chamber. It being dark, l
could not give death blow; the
hatchet glanced from his head. He
sprang from his bed and called his
wife. It was his last word; Will lald
him dead with blow of his axe, and
Mrs. Travis shared the same fate, as
she lay in bed. The murder Of this
family, FIVE in number, was the work
of moment; not one of them awoke.
There was little infant sleeping In a
cradle that was forgotten until we had
left the house and had gone some dist
ance, when Henry and Will returned
and killed it. We got here four guns
that would shoot, and several old
muskets, with pound or two OF pow
der.
I'VE remained some time at the
barn where we paraded; l formed
them in line as soldiers, and after
carrying them through all the ma
nmuvres | was master of, l marched
them off to Mr.. Salathul Franciss,
about six numbered yards distant:
Sam and Will went to the door and
knocked
''Mr. Francis asked who was there.
Sam replied it was him, and he had a
letter for him, on which he got up and
came to the door; they Immediately
seized him, and, dragging him out a
little from the door, he was dispatched
by repeated blows on the head; there
was no other white person in the fam
lily.
1--WE started from there to Mrs.
Reese's maintaining the most perfect
silence on the march, where, finding
the door unlocked, we entered and
murdered Mrs. Reese in her bed while
sleeping; her son awoke, but 1t was
only to sleep the sleep of death; he
had only time tC say, Who IS that:
and he was no more. From Mrs.
Reese's we went to Mrs. Turner's
mile distant. which we reached about
sunrise, on Monday morning. Henry,
Austin and Sam went to the still,
where finding Mr.. Peoples, Austin
shot him, and the rest of US went to
the house; as we approached. the fam
lily discovered us, and shut the door:
Vain hope! Will, with one stroke of
his axe, opened it, and we entered and
found Mrs. Turner and Mrs. New
some in the middle of a room, almost
frightened to death. Will immediate
| ly killed Mrs. Turner with one blow
OF his axe. l took Mrs. Newsome by
the hand, and with the sword | had
when was apprehended struck her
several blows over the head, but not