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

confirm IL Others who We're called
in were greatly astonished. knowing
that these things happened. and they
said in my hearing that i surely
would be prophet, AS the Lord had
showed me things that happened be-
fore my birth. Ny father and mother
strengthened me in this, my first im-
preston. by saying In my presence
that Il was intended for some great
purpose, whictl they had always
thought from certain marks on nay
head and breast"
He treasured up all these sayings
in his mind and awaited a sign from
Heaven. In February, 1881. there
was an eclipse of the sun, and this
he regarded as n sign. He gathered
four firm believers In him, and told
them that three years previously, on
May u. 1898. he had heard a voice
from Heaven telling him that the SER
pent had been loosed, and that Christ
had laid down the yoke that He had
borne for the sins of mankind which
he was tn take mp and to fight against
the serpent, as the time was drawing
near when the first would be last,
and the last would be first. The band
then awaited another sign from Heav-
en- before beginning their operations.
This came In the form of a peculiar
appearance of the sun which rose
on the morning of August u. 1881. in
mass of changing coiors. The fol-
lowing Sunday. August 81, was fixed
by the conspirators for the execution
Of their plot.
Il was customary for the servants
to do only the necessary household
work on Saturdays and Sunday. and
no master ever required any field
work to he done on sunday. That
day was spent in church attendance.
and in the afternoon it WAS the al
most inyariable habit Of the white
ladies 10 hold sunday Schools for the
coiored children and such of the adults
as cared to attend. On Saturday. Au-
gust 90. 1881. Nat and his four fol-
lowers, Henry Porter. Hank Travis,
Nelson Williams and Sam Francis
arranged for feast in the woods for
the next DAY. They collected a large
quantity of food from the neighbour
ing farms. and on Saturday night
a body of some eighty eolored men
assem- BLEED.
Nat himself did not appear until
he next afternoon. Nnen all of the
g~ng had eaten 10 repletion, when
he arrived in stately and impressive
manner. Soon afterwards "A gigantic
negro named VIII joined the assem-
bly,. He was almost naked and was
armed with a broadaxc. AT first
Nat was afraid To allow him TO be-
come member, but he afterwards
proved one of the most ruthless and
fearless OF the outlaws.
While Their Victims Slept.
The raid was begun at ten o'clock
on Sunday night. Time was allowed
for the unsuspecting farmers and their
f3 Will iaE oil ArSt
house attacked was that OF Nat
master. Joseph Travis. Knowing that
an attack ON the door would grouse
the sleeping inmates. Nat got ladder.
by watch he climbed into an upper
window, and having gained access to
the building he removed all the guns
and ammunition before opening the
door to his followers. In the room
in which Mr.. and Mrs. Travis were
sleeping was cradel. and In the
cradel was . baby that Nat had often
fondled and held in his lap, The baby
walked up and looked into the face
of It's old nurse, holding out his arms
to be taken
Nat killed the parents. and deter
mined to spare the child. but when
he got into the yard he remembered
his resolve to spare neither sex nor
age Saying "Nits make lice" he
sent VIII and Henry Porter back TO
the house, and VIII took the baby
up by it's feet and dashed its brains
out against the fireplace.
Liquor Proves Undoing.
At THAT time nearly every farmer
had an orchard. and, as the means
OF transportation We're poor. the
greatest part of the apples were con-
verted into cider and much OF the
cider was distilled into apple brandy.
After killing the Francis family, the
marauders hetook themselves to the
cider press and still house. and began
the course OF debauchery that was
TO prove their undoing. They deCkef
themselves out in Ghicken feather and
, wrapped themselves IA red robes made
from the Innings OF the old fashioned
gigs or two-wheeled carts that were
the common vehicles OF the day. Some
Of them made red robes by dipping
sheets in ne blood Of their victims,
and SO arrayed. they spread death
and destruction through the county.
BY curious reyersion to the prac-
tises OF the pirates of the Spanish
Main, they mixed gunpowder with the
brandy Ia make them more ferocious.
and one farmer Captain John Bar
row. nav.ns made an unusually stub
born resistance to the attack on his
house. they drank his blood after kill
ing them. This was truly an uncom
mon form OF compliment. but il was
one the sincerity of which seems un-
questionable.
to- ] thomas Saved Himself.
For the next few days the gang
moved through the county numbering
men. women and children in their
course. A tradition. the truth OF
which is At least doubtful. says thai
v.en they approached the house of
Mr.. Thomas. the whole family He'd
IN the woods. George. the future
General. was boy of ifteen and
forgotten in the panic, but he hid
himself in the cellar. On coming to
the house with its open doors and
windows. Nat thought il was utterly
deserted and VAS not worth wasting
time on, and SO he and his band
passed on their course and in this
way the life of General Thomas was
saved. ;.
The band attacked the Girls. School
kept by Mr.. Levi Waller. and killed
between eleven and fifteen persons.
most OF them being the schoolgirls.
I'..eir route was roughly In the shape
of a figure eight. They had no definite
aim. though Nat wished to capture
Jerusalem where he claimed that an
ample supply of arms and ammunition