Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-01-20
His Mistaken Zeal I'm Behalf of the
Enslaved Blacks.

EnsIaved 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
fury, lived Joseph Travis. owner of
plantation and a number of slaves.
Among Mr.. Travis slaves was 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 s'Nat Turner" At
an early age he conceived the idea that
he was destined to be the great liberator
of his race from slavery. DisGking 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, land
the sun was darkened.s The thunder
rolied in the heavens and blood flowed in
streams" He began to hold midnight
meetings in the woods, to prepare them
for a bloody instruction. He told them
that an eclipse of the sun, which oc
CURED in February of that year (1s3I,
was a sign unto them to rise and Stay
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 even 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 fed. She
was pursued, overtal1en 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 We're 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 sc
yards. When they were that near he
gave the order to ''fireand 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 4
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 a 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 a large field, just to
| the northeast of the old country town
of Jerusalem, 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.
\