USA > Virginia > Historical collections of Virginia : containing a collection of the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, &c. relating to its history and antiquities ; together with geographical and statistical descriptions ; to which is appended, an historical and descriptive sketch of the District of Columbia. > Part 73
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SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY.
to look as formidable as possible. The instrument they danced to was an Indian drum, that is, a large gourd with a skin braced tight over the mouth of it. The dancers all sang to the music, keeping exact time with their feet, while their heads and arms were screwed into a thousand menacing postures. Upon this occasion the ladies had arrayed themselves in all their finery. They were wrapped in their red and blue match coats, thrown so negligently about them that their mahogany skins appeared in several parts, like the Lacedemonian dainsels of old. Their hair was braided with white and blue peak, and hung gracefully in a large roll upon their shoulders.
This peak consists of small cylinders cut out of a conch-shell, drilled through, and strung like beads. It serves them both for money and jewels, the blue being of much greater value than the white, for the same reason that Ethiopian mistresses in France are dearer than French, because they are more scarce. The women wear necklaces and bracelets of these precious materials, when they have a mind to appear lovely. Though their complexions be a little sad-colored, yet their shapes are very straight and well- proportioned. Their faces are seldom handsome, yet they have an air of innocence and bashfulness, that, with a little less dirt, would not fail to make them desirable. Such charms might have had their full effect upon men who had been so long deprived of female conversation, but that the whole winter's soil was so crusted on the skins of those dark angels, that it required a very strong appetite to approach them. The bear's oil, with which they anoint their persons all over, makes their skins soft, and at the same time protects them from every species of vermin that use to be troublesome to other uncleanly people.
The little work that is done among the Indians is done by the poor women, while the men are quite idle, or at most employed only in the gentlemanly diversions of hunting and fishing. In this, as well as in their wars, they use nothing but fire-arms, which they purchase of the English for skins. Bows and arrows are grown into disuse, except only amongst their boys. Nor is it ill policy, but on the contrary very prudent, thus to furnish the Indians with fire-arms, because it makes them depend entirely upon the Eng- lish, not only for their trade, but even for their subsistence. Besides, they were really able to do more mischief while they made use of arrows, of which they would let silently fly several in a minute with wonderful dexterity ; whereas now they hardly ever discharge their firelocks more than once, which they insidiously do from behind a tree, and then retire as nimbly as the Dutch horse used to do now and then formerly in Flanders. We put the Indians to no expense, but only of a little corn for our horses, for which in gratitude we cheered their hearts with what rum we had left, which they love better than they do their wives and children. Though these Indians dwell among the English, and see in what plenty a little industry enables them to live, yet they choose to continue in their stupid idleness, and to suffer all the inconveniences of dirt, cold, and want, rather than to disturb their heads with care, or defile their hands with labor.
The whole number of people belonging to the Nottoway Town, if you include women and children, amount to about two hundred. These are the only Indians of ang conse- quence now remaining within the limits of Virginia. The rest are either removed, or dwindled to a very inconsiderable number, either by destroying one another, or else by the smallpox and other diseases. Though nothing has been so fatal to them as their ungovernable passion for rum, with which, I am sorry to say it, they have been but too liberally supplied by the English that live near them.
In August, 1831, a body of 60 or 70 slaves arose upon the white inhabitants of this county, and massacred 55 men, women, and children. The subjoined account of this event, known as the "Southampton Insurrection," was published at the time :
The leader of this insurrection and massacre was a slave by the name of Nat Turner, about thirty-one years of age, born the slave of Mr. Benjamin Turner, of Southampton county. From a child, Nat appears to have been the victim of superstition and fanati- cism. He stimulated his comrades to join him in the massacre, by declaring to them that he had been commissioned by Jesus Christ, and that he was acting under inspired direction in what he was going to accomplish.
In the confession which he voluntarily made to Mr. Grey, while in prison, he sugs : " That in his childhood a circumstance occurred which isade an indelible impression on his mind, and laid the groundwork of the enthusiasm which terminated so fatally to manv, Being at play with other children, when three or four years old, I told them
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SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY.
something, which my mother overhearing, said it happened before I was born. I stuck to my story, however, and related some things which went, in her opinion, to confirm it ; others being called on were greatly astonished, knowing these things had happened, and caused them to say in my hearing, I surely would be a prophet, as the Lord had showed me things which happened before my birth." His parents strengthened him in this be- lief, and said in his presence, that he was intended for some great purpose, which they had always thought from certain marks on his head and breast. Nat, as he grew up, was fully. persuaded he was destined to accomplish some great purpose ; his powers of mind appeared much superior to his fellow slaves; they looked up to him as a person guided by divine inspiration, which belief he ever inculcated by his austerity of life and manners.
After a variety of revelations from the spiritual world, Nat says, in his confession, that, " On the 12th of May, 1828, I heard a loud noise in the heavens, and the Spirit instantly appeared to me, and said the serpent was loosened, and Christ had laid down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men ; and that I should take it on and fight against the serpent, for the time was fast approaching when the first should be last and the last should be first-and by signs in the heavens that it would make known to me when I should commence the great work-and until the first sign appeared, I should conceal it from the knowledge of men. And on the appearance of the sign, (the eclipse of the sun last February, 1831,) I should arise and prepare myself, and slay my enemies with their own weapons. And immediately on the sign appearing in the heavens, the seal was removed from my lips, and I communicated the great work laid out for me to do, to four, in whom I had the greatest confidence, (Henry, Hark, Nelson, and Sam.) It was intended by us to have begun the work of death on the 4th July Jast. Many were the plans formed and rejected by us ; and it affected my mind to such a degree, that I fell sick, and the time passed without our coming to any determination how to commence-still forming new schemes and rejecting them, when the sign appeared again, which determined me not to wait longer."
Nat commenced the massacre by the murder of his master and family .. He says : "Since the commencement of 1830, I had been living with Mr. Joseph Travis, who was to me a kind master, and placed the greatest confidence in me. In fact, I had no cause to complain of his treatment to me. On Saturday evening, the 20th of August, it was agreed between Henry, Hark, and myself, to prepare a dinner the next day for the men we expected, and then to concert a plan, as we had not yet determined on any. Hark, on the following morning, brought a pig, and Henry, brandy ; and being joined by Sam, Nelson, Will, and Jack, they prepared in the woods a dinner, where, about three o'clock, I joined them. I saluted them on coming up, and asked Will how came he there ; he answered, his life was worth no more than others, and his liberty as dear to him. I asked him if he thought to obtain it ? He said he would, or lose his life. This was enough to put him in full confidence. Jack, I knew, was only a tool in the hands of Hark. It was quickly agreed we should commence at home, (Mr. J. Travis ,) on that night ; and, until we had armed and equipped ourselves, and gathered sufficient force, neither age nor sex was to be spared, (which was invariably adhered to.) We remained at the feast until about two hours in the night, when we went to the house and found Austin ; they all went to the eider press and drank, except myself. On returning to the bouse, Hark went to the door with an axe for the purpose of breaking it open, as we knew we were strong enough to murder the family, if they were awakened by the noise ; but reflecting that it might create an aların in the neighborhood, we determined to enter the house secretly, and murder them while sleeping. Hark got a ladder and set it against the chimney, on which I ascended, and hoisting a window, entered and came down stairs, unbarred the door, and removed the guns from their places It was then observed that I must spill the first blood. On which, armed with a hatchet, and accom- panied by Will, I entered my master's chamber ; it being dark, I could not give a death blow ; the hatchet glanced from his head, he sprang from the bed and called his wife ; it was his last word. Will laid him dead with a blow of his axe, and Mrs. 'Travis shared the same fate as she lay in bed. The murder of this family, five in number, was the work of a moment, not one of them awoke ; there was a little infant sleeping in a cradie, that was forgotten until we had left the house and gene some dis- tance, when Henry and Will returned and killed it ; we got bere four guns that would shoot, and several old rauskets, with a pound or two of powder. We remained some time at the barn, where we paraded ; I formed them in a line as soldiers, and after car rying them through all the manœuvres I was master of, marched them off to Mr. Sak .. thiei Francis', about six hundred yards distant."
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SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY.
They proceeded in this manner from house to house, murdering all the whites they could find, their force augmenting as they proceeded, till they amounted to fifty or sixty in number, all mounted, armed with guns, axes, swords, and clubs. They then started for Jerusalem, and proceeded a few miles, when they were met by a party of white men who fired upon them, and forced them to retreat. " On my way back, (says Nat,) I called at M'rs. Thomas's, Mrs. Spencer's, and several other places ; the white families having fled, we found no more victims to gratify our thirst for blood. We stopped at Major Ridley's quarter for the night, and being joined by four of his muen, with the re- cruits made since my defeat, we mustered now about forty strong.
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" After placing out sentinels, I lay down to sleep, but was quickly roused by a great racket ; starting up, I found some mounted, and others in great confusion. One of the sentinels having given the alarm that we were about to be attacked. I ordered some to ride round and reconnoitre ; and on their return the others being more alarmed, not knowing who they were, fled in different ways, so that I was reduced to about twenty again ; with this I determined to attempt to recruit, and proceeded on to rally in the neighbor- hood I had left. Dr. Blunt's was the nearest house, which we reached just before day ; on riding up the yard, Hark fired a gun. We expected Dr. Blunt and his family were at Major Ridley's, as I knew there was a company of men there ; the gun was fired to ascertain if any of the family were at home ; we were immediately fired upon and re- treated, leaving several of my men. I do not know what became of them, as I never . saw them afterwards. Pursuing our course back, and coming in sight of Capt. Harris's, where we had been the day before, we discovered a party of white men at the house, on which all deserted me but two, (Jacob and Nat.) We concealed ourselves in the woods unti near night, when I sent them in search of Henry, Sam, Nelson, and Hark ; and directed them to rally all they could, at the place we had had our dinner the Sun- day before, where they would find me; and i accordingly returned there as soon as it was dark, and remained until Wednesday evening, when, discovering white men riding around the place, as though they were looking for some one, and, none of my men joiu- ing me, I concluded Jacob and Nat had been taken, and compelled to betray me. On this I gave up all hope for the present, and on Thursday night, after having supplied myself with provisions from Mr. Travis', I scratched a hole under a pile of fence-rails in a field, where I concealed myself for six weeks, never leaving my hiding-place but for a few minutes in the dead of the night to get water, which was very near ; thinking by this time I could venture out, I began to go about in the night, and evesdrop the houses in the neighborhood ; pursuing this course for about a fortnight, and gathering little or no intelligence, afraid of speaking to any human being, and returning every morning to my cave before the dawn of day. 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 saine 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."
Nat was executed according to his sentence, at Jerusalem, Nov. 11th, 1831. The following is a list of the persons murdered in the insurrection, on the 21st and 22d of August, 1831 ;
Joseph Travis and wife and three children, Mrs. Elizabeth Turner, Hartwell Prebles. Sarah Newsome, Mrs. P. Reese and son William, Trajan Doyle, Henry Bryant and wife and child, and wife's mother ; Mrs. Catherine Whitehead, son R.chard, four daugh- ters and grand-child ; Salathiel Francis, Nathaniel Francis' overseer and two children. John T. Barrow, George Vaughan, M.s. Levi Waller and ten children, William Wil- lama, wife and two boys ; Mrs. Caswell Worrel and child, Mrs. Rebecca Vaughan, Ana Elizabeth Vaughan and son Arthur, Mrs. John K. Williams and child, Mrs. Jacob Williams and three children, and Edward Drury-amounting to fifty-Sve-
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474
SPOTTSYLVANIA COUNTY.
SPOTTSYLVANIA.
SPOTTSYLVANIA was formed in 1720, from Essex, King William, and King and Queen, and named from Alexander Spotswood, then governor of Virginia. It is 23 miles long, and 17 wide. It is drained by head branches of the North Anna and Mattapony, and the Rappahannock forms its northern boundary. The soil on the · streams is fine ; but on the ridges, the land. originally thin, has much deteriorated by the wretched system of agriculture intro- duced by the first settlers, and long persisted in by their descend- ants. Gold has been found in the county, and at present it is ob- tained in considerable quantities. Pop. in 1840, whites 6,787, slaves 7,590 ; total, 15,161. There are several small places in the county, though none of much note, except the city of Fredericks- burg. The C. H. is situated about the centre of the county, on the river Po.
The subjoined historical sketch of Spottsylvania, was published in the year 1836 :
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The earliest authentic information we have of that portion of our state now called Spottsylvania, is found in an act passed " at a grand assemblie held at James cittie," be- tween the 20th September, 1674, and the 17th March, 1675, in which war is declared against the Indians; and among other provisions for carrying it on, it is ordered that "one hundred and eleven men out of Gloucester county be garrisoned at one ' ffort,' or place of defence, at or neare the ffalls of Rapahanack River, of which ffort Major Law- rence Smith to be captain or chiefe commander ;" and that this "ffort" be furnished with " ffour hundred and eighty pounds of powder, ffourteen hundred and forty-three pounds of shott." This "ffort" was built in 1676, as appears by the preamble of a sub- sequent act.
In the year 1679, Major Lawrence Smith, upon his own suggestion, was empowered, provided he would settle or seate downe at or neare said fort, by the last day of March, 1681, and have in readiness upon all occasions on beat of drum, fifty able men, well armed, with sufficient ammunitions, &c., and two hundred men more within the space of a mile along the river, and a quarter of a mile back from the river, prepared always to march twenty miles in any direction from the fort; or should they be obliged to go more than such distance, to be paid for their time thus employed at the rate of other " souldiers ;" " to execute martiall discipline" among the said fifty " souldiers and others so put in anins," both in times of war and peace ; and said Smith, with two others of said privileged place, to hear and determine all causes, civil and criminal, that may arise within said limits, as a county court might do, and to make by-laws for the same. These military settlers were privileged from arrest for any debts save those due to the king, and those contracted among themselves-and were free from taxes and levies save those laid within their own limits.
The exact situation of this fort caunot now be determined with absolute certainty : but as it is known that there was once a military post at Germanna, some ruins of which are still occasionally turned up by the plough, it is probable that this is the spot selected by Col. Smith for his colony.
The earliest notice we have of Spottsylvania county, as such, is found in 7th Geo. I. 1:20, passed at Williamsburg, of which the preamble declares, by way of inducement, " that the frontiers towards the high mountains are exposed to danger from the Indians, and the late settlements of the French to the westward of the said mountains. There- fore it is enacted, that Spotsylvania county bounds upon Snow crech up to the mill. thence by a sw. line to the North Anna, thence up the said river as far as cone vient, and thence by a line to be' run over the high mountains to the river on the sw. side thereos, so as to include the northern passage through the said mountains, thence down the said river until it comes against the head of Rappahannock, thence by a line to the head of Rappahannock River and down that river to the mouth of Snow creek, which tract of
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SPOTTSYLVANIA COUNTY.
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lands from the 1st of May, 1721, shall become a county by the name of Spottsylvania county."
The act goes on to direct that " fifteen hundred pounds, current money of Virginia, shall be paid by the treasurer to the governor, for these uses, to wit: £500 to be ex- pended in a church, court-house, prison, pillory, and stocks, in said county ; £1,000 to be laid out in arms, ammunition, &c., of which each ' Christian tytheable' is to have ' one firelock, musket, one socket, bayonet fixed thereto, one cartouch-box, eight pounds bullet, and two pounds powder.'" "The inhabitants were made free of public levies for ten years, and the whole county made one parish, by the name of St. George.
From the following clause of the same act, it is presumed that this new county had been cut off from Essex, King and Queen, and King William ; for the act declares that " until the governor shall settle a court in Spottsylvania," the justices of these counties "shall take power over them by their warrants, and the clerks of said courts by their process returnable to their said courts, in the same manner as before the said county was constituted," g.c.
In tire year 1730 an act was passed directing that the Burgesses for this county should be allowed for four days journey in passing to Williamsburg, and the same returning. In the same year, St. George's parish was divided by a line running from the mouth of Rappahannock to the Pamunkey ; the upper portion to be called St. Mark's parish ; the. lower part to retain the name of St. George's parish. Four years after this the county was thus divided : St. George's parish to be still called Spottsylvania ; and St. Mark's parish to be called Orange, and all settlers beyond the " Sherrando" river to be exempt for three years from the " paiment" of public and parish dues.
The governor fixed the seat of justice at Germanna, where the first court sat on the Ist day of August, 1722, when Augustine Smith, Richard Booker, John Taliaferro, Wm. Hansford, Richard Johnson, and Win. Biedsoc, were sworn as justices, John Waller as clerk, and Win. Bledsoe as sheriff; this place being found " inconvenient to the people," it was directed by law that from and after the Ist of August, 1732. the court should be held at Fredericksburg, which law was repealed seventeen years afterwards, because it was " derogatory to his majesty's prerogative to take from the governor or commander- in-chief of this colony his power and authority of removing or adjourning the courts ; ' and because " it might be inconvenient in a case of' smallpox or other contagious dis. temper."
In 1769 the county, which had theretofore been one parish, was thus divided : all that part lying between the rivers Rappahannock and Po retained the name of St. George's parish-the rest of the county was erected into a new parish called Berkeley. In 1778 an act was passed authorizing the justices to build a court-house at some point near the centre of the county, to which the court should be removed, provided a majority of the justices should concur in deeming it advisable. It appears that the justices determined to avail themselves of this privilege, for an act of 1780, passed, as is therein stated. in consequence of a representation that the conrt-house in Fredericksburg was " unfit to hold courts in," authorizes the county court to be held at the house of John Holladay, " until the new court-house now building in the said county shall be completed."
The first regular stage coaches that passed through this county were established by Nathaniel Twining, by virtue of an exclusive privilege granted him in 1784, for the termu of three years, to be paid at the rate of five pence per mile by each passenger.
In the foregoing sketch mention is made of the ancient town of Germanna, founded by Governor Spotswood, and the original seat of justice for the county. There was a massacre of the inhabitants of this town shortly after its establishment, "perpetrated by the Indians, and sternly revenged by the whites -- an event now learned only from the weakest and most feeble of all iraditions."> Hugh Jones, in his "Present Condition of Virginia," published about 1724. thus describes Germanna :
Beyond Col. Spotswood's furnace, above the Falls of Rappahannock River, within view
This quotation is from a cotemunication by W. G. Minor, to the late Gov. Gilmer, and published in the southern Literacy Messenger for February, 1841, entitled, " Colonia! History of Virginia -- a plea for its preservation." If is an able article, eviacing wod research, and vividly depicting the imperfections of the annals of Virginia.
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SPOTTSYLVANIA COUNTY.
of the vast mountains, he has founded a town called Germanna, from some Germans sent over by Queen Anne, who are now removed up further. Here he has servants, and workmen of most handicraft trades ; and he is building a church, court house, and dwelling-house for himself; and with his servants and negroes, he has cleared planta- tions about it, proposing great encouragement for people to come and settle in that, un- inhabited part of the world, lately divided into a county.
Beyond this is seated the colony of Germans of Palatines, with allowance of good quantity of rich land, who thrive very well and live happily, and entertain generously These are encouraged to make wines; which by the experience (particularly) of the late Robert Beverly, who wrote the History of Virginia, was done easily, and in large quantities in those parts; not only from the cultivation of the wild grapes, which grow plentifully and naturally in all the lands thereabouts, and in the other parts of the coun- try ; but also from the Spanish, French, Italian, and German wines.
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