The Confessions of Nat Turner: The Leader of the Late Insurrections in Southampton, Va. As Fully and Voluntarily Made to Thomas R. Gray, in the Prison Where He Was Confined, and Acknowledged by Him to be Such when Read Before the Court of Southampton; With the Certificate, Under Seal of the Court Convened at Jerusalem, Nov. 5, 1831, For His Trial. Also, an Authentic Account of the Whole Insurrection.Turner, Nat
History
The Confessions of Nat Turner: The Leader of the Late Insurrections in Southampton, Va. As Fully and Voluntarily Made to Thomas R. Gray, in the Prison Where He Was Confined, and Acknowledged by Him to be Such when Read Before the Court of Southampton; With the Certificate, Under Seal of the Court Convened at Jerusalem, Nov. 5, 1831, For His Trial. Also, an Authentic Account of the Whole Insurrection.
I know not
how long I might have led this life, if accident had not betrayed me, a
dog in the neighborhood passing by my hiding place one night while I was
out, was attracted by some meat I had in my cave, and crawled in and
stole it, and was coming out just as I returned. A few nights after, two
negroes having started to go hunting with the same dog, and passed that
way, the dog came again to the place, and having just gone out to walk
about, discovered me and barked, on which thinking myself discovered, I
spoke to them to beg concealment. On making myself known they fled from
me. Knowing then they would betray me, I immediately left my hiding
place, and was pursued almost incessantly until I was taken a fortnight
afterwards by Mr. Benjamin Phipps, in a little hole I had dug out with
my sword, for the purpose of concealment, under the top of a fallen
tree. On Mr. Phipps' discovering the place of my concealment, he cocked
his gun and aimed at me. I requested him not to shoot and I would give
up, upon which he demanded my sword. I delivered it to him, and he
brought me to prison. During the time I was pursued, I had many hair
breadth escapes, which your time will not permit you to relate. I am
here loaded with chains, and willing to suffer the fate that awaits me.
I here proceeded to make some inquiries of him, after assuring him of
the certain death that awaited him, and that concealment would only
bring destruction on the innocent as well as guilty, of his own color,
if he knew of any extensive or concerted plan. His answer was, I do not.
When I questioned him as to the insurrection in North Carolina happening
about the same time, he denied any knowledge of it; and when I looked
him in the face as though I would search his inmost thoughts, he
replied, "I see sir, you doubt my word; but can you not think the same
ideas, and strange appearances about this time in the heaven's might
prompt others, as well as myself, to this undertaking." I now had much
conversation with and asked him many questions, having forborne to do so
previously, except in the cases noted in parenthesis; but during his
statement, I had, unnoticed by him, taken notes as to some particular
circumstances, and having the advantage of his statement before me in
writing, on the evening of the third day that I had been with him, I
began a cross examination, and found his statement corroborated by every
circumstance coming within my own knowledge or the confessions of others
whom had been either killed or executed, and whom he had not seen nor
had any knowledge since 22d of August last, he expressed himself fully
satisfied as to the impracticability of his attempt. It has been said he
was ignorant and cowardly, and that his object was to murder and rob for
the purpose of obtaining money to make his escape. It is notorious, that
he was never known to have a dollar in his life; to swear an oath, or
drink a drop of spirits. As to his ignorance, he certainly never had the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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