The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-15

hhchoiatS s0IHVldI al ltiHAOII III bV
lBy Charles Minor blackboard, end,
MIDI
Negro slavery was introduced into
Virginia In 1890, only thirteen years
after the first settlement of the col
ony. In that year some Dutch trad
ers brought n few negroes to James
town. and. as the amount of labor
that the colonists had To do in clear
ing the land and otherwise making
1t habitable for civilized man. was
far beyond the strength of the scanty
i whitk population, the slaves filled
an urgent need. As the settled area
advanced westward from the coast.
masters and servants" az they were
almost universally called in Virginia.
moved forward together. and lived
together in peace, harmony and az
lection.
The loyalty of the colored' servants
during the French and indian War,
~" Revolution and the War of 1912,
10 enough to attest the friendly rela-
..on Adjusting between the races.
Side by side the white man and the
black man fought the Wild Indians,
,,le wild beasts and the wild country,
and built homes together in the VIII
derness, and there was a feeling of
mutual regard and respect between
tleH1 tnaS Dpuflu tnPfu CLOSELY TO-
gether To this feeling. was due the
fidelity of the coIored population dur
ing the Civil War, and to 1t was due,
in no small measure the suppression
of Nat Turner's Rebellion"
There were but two instances OF
any serious uprising among the col
ored population of Virginia during the
long interval between 1890 and the
Emancipation procla nation, and this
fact shows the cordial relations THAI
existed between the two classes. OF
these one was led by a negro named
Gabriel Prosser, and occurred In Au-
gust, 1850. It began near Richmond
where a cousiderab BILE body of negroes
was organized for an attack on the
city. Sc secretly Vas the plot ar
ranged that the city was utterly un-
suspicious of any danger. and would
have fallen an easy prey.
4 A sudden and violent fall of rain
however. made creek that lay be-
tween the raiders and the city ,mpas-
sible. and a young negro man who
was deeply attached to his master.
swan across the swollen stream at the
risk OF his own life, and gave the
al.rm The raid was broken up. ana
it, leaders pushed but In 1881, a
much more serious outbreak oe~
Cured. which, from the name of its
leader. was termed Nat Turner's Re-
bellion."
i In August 1914. the British had
landed at Hampton, and had COM
mitted many atrocities or the people
along the shores of Hampton Roads,
among which were several attempts
to stir the colored servants to rise
and murder the whites, These at
tempts failed but so deep was the
impression made by the outrages COM
mitted and attempted, that when Nat
7 rners band began its march. the
alarm spread that The British are
coming"
Nat Turner was born on the prop
erty of Benja min Turner. IA well-to do
farmer of Southampton County. on
October 2. 1900. Southampton was
ore of the original "shires" into which
the plantation of Virginia" had been
divided in 1894 and extended from
James River to the North Carolina
line. The first name given it was
an Indian one. and was so unpro-
nounceahle that in 1887 it was
changed to Isle of Wight. The pop
/ ulation increased so greatly that in
tT4S the county was divided, and the
portion living west of the Biackwater
/ River was named Southampton,
name that IL still retains. The county
but now known as CORTLAND. The
people of Southampton. though not
SO wealthy OF those of some other
counties. were a sturdy well educated
stock. and from it sprang the Viz
ginian statesman, James Y. Mason;
he distinguished Confederate general.
William Malone. and General George
Fl. Thomas of the Federal Army.
who ranks with Lee and Jackson
xA{s ex Frs
geniuses. A school for boys. con-
Quoted by Mr.. Nathaniel Francis, Mr..
Levi Walters Academy for Young La
dies and the Drewrysviile Female
Academy were in the county and took
hish rank among the American schools
of the early part OF the last century,
! and so it can be seen that. though
/ the county was almost entirely agri-
cultural. it's people were cultured
and educated.
! Imbued With Superstition.
! Mats mother was a direct tmporta-
ton from Africa, and was SO imbued
/ with strange superstlt!ons that she
had TO be tied into her bed 10 pre-
vent her from killing her child. His
father was one generation removed
from Africa. but he was wild and
ram off while Nat vas little boy,
! and was never found. Mats master
died while Nat was Cniu. ana MS
mistress married Joseph Travis from
which event Nat was often called Nat
! Travis, as it was customary for ser
1 wants to bear the names OF their
masters He was unusually precocsous
+ and soon learned to read.
/ He was a playmate of the white
children, according to the universal
custom in Virginia. and he read their
books, becoming a man OF consider
| able Information. He. with the other
servants on the farm, received relig-
ious instruction from his mistress. but
he was IA paranoiac with delusion
of grandeur. and when he grew up
/ ne became an intensely fanattcai Bap-
fist preacher. He thoroughly believed
I that he was intended for some great
/ purpose, and In his confession, made
| In jaii after his raid. he told how
( this idea had been encouraged by
| his parents. He said;
Believed Himself Inspired.
i Being at play with other children
when three or four years old, | was
I telling tffrr1- Some thing which my
mother overhearing. said happened
/ before was born. / stuck to my