The Rising Son; or, the Antecedents and Advancement of the Colored RaceBrown, William Wells
History
The Rising Son; or, the Antecedents and Advancement of the Colored Race
Brown, William Wells
African Americans -- Biography; African Americans -- History; Black race; Slavery -- United States
“I ordered them to mount and march instantly; this was about nine or
ten o’clock, Monday morning. I proceeded to Mr. Levi Waller’s, two
or three miles distant. I took my station in the rear, and as it was
my object to carry terror and devastation wherever we went, I placed
fifteen or twenty of the best mounted and most to be relied on in
front, who generally approached the houses as fast as their horses
could run. This was for two purposes; to prevent their escape, and
strike terror to the inhabitants. On this account I never got to
the houses, after leaving Mrs. Whitehead’s, until the murders were
committed, except in one case. I sometimes got in sight in time to see
the work of death completed, view the mangled bodies as they lay, in
silent satisfaction, and immediately start in quest of other victims.
Having murdered Mrs. Waller and ten children, we started for Mr.
William Williams’s. We killed him and two little boys that were there:
while engaged in this, Mrs. Williams fled, and got some distance from
the house; but she was pursued, overtaken, and compelled to get up
behind one of the company, who brought her back, and after showing her
the mangled body of her lifeless husband, she was told to get down and
lie by his side, where she was shot dead.
“I then started for Mr. Jacob Williams’s, where the family were
murdered. Here we found a young man named Drury, who had come on
business with Mr. Williams; he was pursued, overtaken, and shot. Mrs.
Vaughan’s was the next place we visited; and after murdering the family
here, I determined on starting for Jerusalem. Our number amounted now
to fifty or sixty, all mounted and armed with guns, axes, swords, and
clubs. On reaching Mr. James W. Parker’s gate, immediately on the road
leading to Jerusalem, and about three miles distant, it was proposed to
me to call there; but I objected, as I knew he was gone to Jerusalem,
and my object was to reach there as soon as possible; but some of the
men having relations at Mr. Parker’s, it was agreed that they might
call and get his people.
“I remained at the gate on the road, with seven or eight, the others
going across the field to the house, about half a mile off. After
waiting some time for them, I became impatient, and started to the
house for them, and on our return we were met by a party of white men,
who had pursued our blood-stained track, and who had fired on those
at the gate, and dispersed them, which I knew nothing of, not having
been at that time rejoined by any of them. Immediately on discovering
the whites, I ordered my men to halt and form, as they appeared to be
alarmed. The white men, eighteen in number, approached us within about
one hundred yards, when one of them fired, and I discovered about half
of them retreating. I then ordered my men to fire and rush on them;
the few remaining stood their ground until we approached within fifty
yards, when they fired and retreated.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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