Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-08-29
THE NAT TURNER INsURREC-
TION.

gis, the killing Of the Hodge family and
the burning at the stake OF two of the
murderers, recalls portion of the his
tory of this State which has almost pass
ed from the minds of those of the present
day. and the several histories of Vir-
ginia do not speak of it in any way.
John Browns raid, and it was bad
enough, was nothing as compared to
what is known as the "Nat Turner ln-
surrection" an insurection born in
the brain of a negro by the name of Nat
Turner and which bid fair at one time
to almost exterminate the white popula-
ton of the vicinity Of Southampton.
A correspondent of the Richmond
Times-Dispatch in writing from this city
says:
Capt. James Webster, chiefof Alexan-
dra police, and who has held his posi-
tion since 1866, gives this interesting
story of the insurrection
at was back in 1880, and was only
a boy in my teens, but recall distinct
ly almost everything connected with the
bloody work of Nat Turner and his fol-
lowers. He had planned his insurrec-
ton on a great deal larger scale than Gid
the Before Day Club of my sister State
of Georgia negroes. Turner belonged to a
wealthy planter of southern Virginia,
whose children had taught him to spell
and read, which proved very unfortu-
nate thing, for he got to reading aboll-
ton papers and pamphlets and the old
nick in him just turned loose. Turner
set about organizing the negroes, deter
mining to free them even if it was neces-
sary to kill the white people in order to
do so. After several weeks OF secret
work and communicating his plans to the
negroes on the plantations throughout
that section OF Virginia, a big picnic or
barbecue of the slaves was announced.
Slave owners suspected nothing and will
ingly gave permission to their negroes
to take part in the picnic. As had been
secretly agreed upon the negroes went
to the appointed place armed with guns,
pistols, knives, daggers, shoe avis, black
jacks and every kind Of fighting imple-
ment known, many of which they had
stolen from their masters, for most of the
negroes were what was known as house
bows and stablemen and could easily get
hold of these things The crowd num-
bered about 250 and there being no
white persons present Nat Turner made
a speech and told them just what he
wanted them to do and must do if they
wanted to be freemen. He said that
they must go and kill the whites, and
not to spare on account OF age or sex.
The deluded negroes were thoroughly
worked up and at given signal by
Turner they marched off in squads and
within a few hours time sixty whites
had been murdered at their homes. AT
one place an infant had been left alive
and negro named Hawkins went back
in the house and SPLITS head open with
q hatchet.
''Some of the whites managed to es-
cape and gave the alarm and after
time the whites armed themselves and
met the negroes in an old field, where
after few rounds from the guns Of the
whites the negroes scattered and fled,
leaving clothing, shoes, silverware, and
other articles which they had taken from
the houses after killing the inmates, and
in some cases setting fire to the build
ings. As soon as possible the State
militia was called out, but too late to do
much good as most of the negroes had
escaped. Nat Turner was the first to
take to his heels and took refuge in a
large cave, where he remained for sew
era months, being cared for by negroes
who knew his hiding place. A reward
of S., 600 was offered for him and one
day hunter found him and covering
him with his gun marched him into
town.
Turner was sentenced to hang, and
on the day of his execution the slave
holders brought in their slaves and made
them witness the scene. This hanging
was a good lesson for them and things
quieted down in hurry, but the hor'
rible wholesale numbering by the Nat
Turrs followers caused Virginia and the
District of Columbia to enact laws max
ing it crime for negroes to assemble
for any purpose. Three negroes caught
talking together and unable to give
satisfactory account of themselves were
to be punished by death.
"These were bad times and the people
knew that nothing save herioc treatment
would prevent another insurrection.
They did not propose to any chances
after the numbering of sixty men, women
and children. Negroes were not even
permitted to attend church, and a law
was passed prohibiting the freeing of
slaves unless the negroes left the State.
These laws we're rigidly enforced for a
number of years, and for years before
the civil war the possession of slaves
gave a great deal more trouble than they
we're really worth, for people from the
North who came hereto this State-to
teach school put bad ideas into negroes
heads. In many cases such people
were made to leave the State. There
was trouble enough without any ouside
interference. John Browns raid in
1859 made our people even the more
disgusted with their negro property ana
they were sold just as rapidly as possible
vi course, in great many cases there were