On occasion, I ran across a story I thought you might enjoy. Warning: very violent.
Nat was a precocious
child. He so impressed those around him by his knowledge of things that
happened before he was born, that many predicted he would be a prophet. Nat was
taught to read by his parents. He was greatly influenced by his grandmother,
who was very religious. He was taught that he was very unique, and that he had
a great destiny. “My father and mother strengthened me……..saying, in my
presence, I was intended for some great purpose.” Restless, inquisitive, and
observant, Nat learned to read quickly, and was admitted to religious services
in his master’s household. As a child, his ability to read impressed the slaves
around him, so that if they planned any roguery, it was left for young Nat to
plan it out. He was their leader, greatly looked up to.
Nat strengthened
his leadership over the slaves, as he grew into manhood, “by the austerity of
my life and manners, which became the subject of remark by white and
black-----Having soon discovered to be great, I must appear so, and therefore
studiously avoided mixing in society, and wrapped myself in mystery, devoting
my time to fasting and prayer.” Nat became convinced, through these activities,
“That I was ordained for some great purpose in the hands of the Almighty.”
Several things confirmed this. Upon reaching manhood, he recalled vividly that
both Whites and Blacks during childhood had often said, “that I had too much
sense to be raised, and if I was, I would never be of any use to anybody as a
slave.” Apparently Nat’s discontent with slavery was inspired by his father,
who had managed to escape.
When Nat was
placed under a new overseer, he too ran away, and remained in the woods for
thirty days. The slaves around him were dismayed at his voluntary return, saying
that “if I had his sense I would not
serve any master in the world.” Shortly afterward, Nat had a vision where he
saw “white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle, and the sun was
darkened----thunder rolled across the heavens, and blood flowed in streams----and
I heard a voice saying, ‘Such is your
luck, such you are called to see. And let it come rough or smooth, you must
surely bear it.’” Meditating on this and other revelations, seeking religious
perfection, Nat had decided in 1828 that
he was destined to wreak the vengeance of the Lord on the planters. Choosing
four trusted lieutenants, Nat communicated his desire for rebellion to them. It
was finally decided to strike on July 4, 1831. But Nat had an anxiety attack,
and the date was postponed.
On August 20th,
along with two new conspirators, Will and Jack, they barbecued a pig and drank
a bottle of brandy. Nat queried Will, who told him, “my life is worth no more
than others, and my liberty as dear to me.” “Will you attain that liberty?” “I
will, or lose my life.”
Now confident of
his men, Nat decided to strike first at the home of his master, Joseph Travis,
who “was to me a kind master, and placed the utmost confidence in me. In fact,
I have no cause to complain of his treatment of me.”
Nat entered the
house of his sleeping master, then opened the door for the other rebels. Armed
with a dull light sword, Nat failed in his first attempt to kill his master,
who was then dispatched by Will. Hoping to gather a huge black army from the
surrounding plantations before the alarm could be raised, it was decided by the
conspirators that until they had taken sufficient arms from the whites,
“neither age nor sex was to be spared.” This was adhered to.
Moving silently
through the night, Nat led his army, leaving a trail of ransacked plantations,
decapitated bodies, and battered heads across Southampton. At the Whitehead
plantation, Nat caught Margaret Whitehead, and “after repeated blows with a
sword, I killed her with a blow on the head with a fence rail.” By midmorning
the little band had grown to forty men, some of them mounted. Determined to “carry terror and devastation”
throughout the county, Nat led his army against plantations and prevented the
escape of the whites. Many white
families had now been massacred and the rebels had increased to sixty men. Nat
turned his army toward the little town of Jerusalem. By this time, however, the
alarm had been spread, and the rebels were confronted by eighteen armed white
men.
Nat and his men
immediately charged the small band of white men and chased them over a hill,
where they were joined by a very large number of whites. Nat’s men panicked and
ran. But Nat did not give up the struggle. Determined to raise additional
forces, he was prevented in doing this
by the militia. Nat was sure his men would make it back to their old
neighborhood, and raise more men. This did not happen. After hiding for two
weeks, he was captured by a white man. Nat was lodged in jail and executed.
More than forty blacks were killed in the aftermath. Feeling no remorse for the
fifty five whites killed, Nat calmly contemplated his execution. A white lawyer
gave the best characterization of Nat when he wrote:
He is a complete fanatic, or plays his part most admirably.
……….The calm, deliberate composure with which he spoke of
his late deeds and intentions, the expression of his fiend like face…..when
excited by enthusiasm, still bearing the stain of blood of helpless innocence
about him; clothed in rags and covered with chains; yet daring to raise his
manacled hands to Heaven, with a spirit soaring above the attributes of man; I
looked on him, and my blood curdled in my veins.
The black rebels
“curdled” the blood of many Southern whites. Nat became the “bogey man” for
young whites, “worry some property” for many a master, and a hero in the
quarters. Many a white master now slept behind tightly locked doors, gun under
the pillow. Does his slave quarters hold another Nat Turner?
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