Year: 1859

elected him from the place, and without
moments. warning. That he was still
sucing her for his rights by marriage; and
that the Supreme Court had given decree
in his favor; and that he would soon be i'm
possession of his slaves again; and that
when he again got full control of them lie
would, at favorable moment, arm them
and between four and FIVE hundred more
and make start in the night time from
Memphis; that he had friends in Cincin-
natl who had promised to have one of the
largest and swittest steamers on the river
sent to tie up and wait for them at the
mouth of Hatchic river, under the prctcncc
of undergoing repairs That he had all
his arrangements complete, and whenever
he SAID the word could take from 500 to
1000 at trip, and land them safely at Ca
lro, IN the swamps of Indiana, where they
would at once be free, found Mr.. p. a
very bold schemcr, and a man of good ad-
dress and winning manners, and the very
man for our purposes and as it is known
he is Shareholder himself, no one would,
for moment, suspect him for being con.
ccrncd with our cause. | showed him our
/ constitution for the Provisional Govern
mcnt, with which he was much pleased,
and L advised him not to make the STAN
pede OF slaves he expected to make, but to
keep them at work, secretly preparing each
other, and ds many others as they could
get to join them, for our October strike
llc said he would do so, and that he could
guarantee 1000 armed slaves, who would
be ready to spring together at moments
call, and that as soon as operations were
commenced with them, that other slaves
would flock to them by thousands wherever
they went, through all parts of the State.
lie is very severe on Doctor in his neigh
bborhood, who has been appointed by the
Court as receiver of his property, and [ am
afraid his anger toward that man will cause
him to be guilty of some rash act, which
will expose his plan of operations. i told
him he hadn't ought to give too loose reins
to his passion, but curb it until the proper
time He says that this. Doctor was the
adviser of his wife, and had himself ap-
pointed receiver so as to frustrate all his
plans, but that lie would disappoint him
| yet; and that, once lie had him in his
power, .hc would not spare him one drop of
blood in existence. He said that this Doc
tor had dishonored his marriage bed bit
that he did not care for, as he cared noth-
ing for hiswife, as she was Southern fool;
that the position her property gave him,
and the power to effect his end, vas all he
! Sskcd for; but that Doctor had iterfercd
With hlmin other ways, for which he would
Yet have his hearts blood | warned him
to be not so blood-thirsty, and in all he
did, not to spill blood, unless in sclfdcfcnce
or in fighting for freedom lie said that
though in North Carolina he had from
child hated slavery, and that, in spending
number of years at the North, he had
learned to appreciate the philautbropic mo-
tivcs of our friends. and that he had pledged
himself to work ia. ,hfully to that end ever
since llc.said he had great influence over
most of the slaves in his part of Tennessee;
and that he had often met them on the
roads and bye-places and had long talks
with them, and that he always found them
ripe for the catisc. Mr.. p. then returned
to the hotel with me, and in tho evening
introduced inc TO several merchants and
others in Memphis, who arc with us heart
and hand. s


From my interview with Mr. Palmer,
/ Judge him, to be shrewd ulan, and through
his position and infuence well calculated
to become one of our principal leaders IN
the South. lie seems to thoroughly pn-
derstand the II. r. business [ would
scarcely expect to find in southern city,
situated as Memphis is, in the midst of a
cotton growing country, so large avnunbcr
of whites ready to aid us, and strike when
necessary for our cause. Hci}
Mr. Palmer says you must write to him
every week, and keep him posted as to our
plans, and he yill act in concert with us in
everything you may direct.


| ID think he is brave and conscientious
man, and you need not fear him. He has
no doubt been severely abused where he
lives, and his wrongs have made him des
pcrate. | have been through large por.
tion Of Arkansas, and have found that we
have but,feW friends among tho whites in
that State, as most of them are blood
thirsty Shareholders; but the slaves are all
willing and ready, and SO far outnumbef
I the whites that a bold stroke of one day
VII overthrow the, whole State. Il leave
Memphis to morrow, by way of Clarksvillc,
for Mammoth Cave, where / wish to be for
a number of days before anything comes off
! there. VIM. Horner has just arrived here
from New Orleans, on his way to join you
at Harper's Ferry. Nothing could have
happened better for nc. guess / must
bein streak of good luck. feared to
write particulars to you by mail for the
dangers of intereeption. But as William
is here ! write to youin full and trust it to
his care. ii ..e,7ol,.,f ..itla1


He swcars 70 mo that he will deliver it