The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-03-25
CRIMES OF NAT TURNER.
His Mistaken Zeal in Behalf of tn
Enslayed Blacks.

Enslaved Blacks.
| Old Southampton, Va, the county OF
good bacon and old apple brandy" has
also been the scene of some remarkable
| men.
Down in the southwestern section of
this county. in the early part of the CEN
tury, lived Joseph Travis, owner of a
plantation and number of slaves.
Among Mr.. Travis slaves was a man
of remarkable character and appear
ance. He was born in the year 1901,
the property of Benjamin Turner, and
being named in infancy Nathaniel"
went by the name of NAT Turner" At
an early age he conceived the idea that
he was destined to be the great liberator
of his race from slavery. Dis!iking the
overseer whom Mr.. Travis employed he
ran away and stayed weeks in the
woods. Later he returned, telling the
negroes that he had lived without food
and that vision had appeared unto
him. II saw white spirits and black
spirits engaged in battle" said he, "and
the sun was darkened. The thunder
rolled in the heavens and blood flowed in
streams" He began to hold midnight
meetings in the woods, to prepare them
for bloody insurrection. He told them
that an eclipse of the sun, which &C.
Cured in February of that year Qs3D.
was a sign unto them to rise and slay
those who held them in bondage.
Stealthily, in the dark hours of the
night, when the family was all asleep,
these desperate men crept into the
house, entered their masters chamber,
and with Ratchet slew him. his wife
and little children, not wen spar
ing the infant in the cradle.
Stealthily, in the direction of Jeru-
salem, the county seat, they went, from
house to house, numbering men, women
and children in their beds. In one case,
while they were killing the man and
boys of family, the woman fled. She
was pursued, overtaken and compelled
to get up behind one of the company,
who took her back. Then, after show
ing her the mangled body of her hus-
band, She was told to lie down by his
side, when she was at once murdered.
The alarm spread about nine or ten
o'clock Monday morning. The whites
fed from their houses to the woods and
made their way to Jerusalem. The men,
meantime, were arranging for defense,
with hearts waxing faint at the "lurid
blaze of instruction" that had, when
so unlooked-for broken forth. AS soon
as the whites could collect, vigorous
measures were taken. The advance
guards of the whites and the insurgents
came up with each other about two
miles from Jerusalem.
Immediately on discovering the
whites, Nat Turner ordered his men to
halt and wait until they were within so
yards. When they were that near he
gave the order to fire and rush on them.
The whites returned the fire. The main
body of the whites quickly came up
just in time to save their friends.
AS soon as the negroes found that the
whites were armed and able to defend
Misunderstanding them wherever
met-they deserted and dispersed in
every direction. Nat found himself left
with only two or three aides and soon
gave up all hope.
He went back to Mr.. Travis. supplied
himself with provisions, and went to a
small cave in the woods which he had
used before at the time he ran away
from the overseer. There he remained
concealed in the woods, but was at last
discovered by gentleman out hunting
whose dog was attracted to the cave by
the smell of meat. He was at once cap.
tured and taken to prison.
In the center Of large field, just to
the northeast of the old country town
ofJerusalem, a tree was used for the gal.
lows, and he atoned with life-if atone
ment in that way can be made for such
awful deeds.-Godey's Magazine.