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After his capture and arrest on
October 30, 1831, Nat Turner was imprisoned in the Southampton County Jail,
where he was interviewed by Thomas R. Gray, a Southern physician. Out of
that interview came his "Confession." Convinced that "the great day of judgment was at hand," and that he "should commence the great work," Turner took the eclipse of the sun to mean that "I should arise and prepare myself, and slay my enemies with their own weapons." Gray described Turner as being extremely intelligent but a fanatic. He went on to say: "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 stains of the blood of helpless innocence about him; clothed with 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 Confessions of Nat Turner
I was thirty-one years of age the second of October last, and born the
property of Benjamin Turner, of this county. In my childhood a circumstance
occurred which made an indelible impression on my mind, and laid the groundwork
of that enthusiasm which has terminated so fatally to many, both white and
black, and for which I am about to atone at the gallows. It is here necessary to
relate this circumstance. Trifling as it may seem, it was the commencement of
that belief which has grown with time; and even now, sir, in his dungeon,
helpless and forsaken as I am, I cannot divest myself of. Being at play with
other children, when three or four years old, I was telling them something,
which my mother, overhearing, said it had 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 that these
things had happened, and caused them to say, in my hearing, I surely would be a
prophet, as the Lord had shown me things that had happened before my birth. And
my mother and grandmother strengthened me in this my first impression, saying,
in my presence, I was intended for some great purpose, which they had always
thought from certain marks on my head and breast. . . .
My grandmother, who was very religious, and to whom I was much attached-my
master, who belonged to the church, and other religious persons who visited the
house, and whom I often saw at prayers, noticing the singularity of my manners,
I suppose, and my uncommon intelligence for a child, remarked I had too much
sense to be raised, and, if I was, I would never be of any service to any one as
a slave. To a mind like mine, restless, inquisitive, and observant of everything
that was passing, it is easy to suppose that religion was the subject to which
it would be directed; and, although this subject principally occupied my
thoughts, there was nothing that I saw or heard of to which my attention was not
directed. The manner in which I learned to read and write, not only had great
influence on my own mind, as I acquired it with the most perfect ease,-so much
so, that I have no recollection whatever of learning the alphabet; but, to the
astonishment of the family, one day, when a book was shown me, to keep me from
crying, I began spelling the names of different objects. This was a source of
wonder I to all in the neighborhood, particularly the blacks-and this learning
was constantly improved at all opportunities. When I got large enough to go to
work, while employed I was reflecting on many things that would present
themselves to my imagination; and whenever an opportunity occurred of looking at
a book, when the school-children were getting their lessons, I would find many
things that the fertility of my own imagination had depicted to me before. All
my time, not devoted to my master's service, was spent either in prayer, or in
making experiments in casting different things in moulds made of earth, in
attempting to make paper, gunpowder, and many other experiments, that, although
I could not perfect, yet convinced me of its practicability if I had the means.
I was not addicted to stealing in my youth, nor have ever been; yet such was the
confidence of the Negroes in the neighborhood, even at this early period of my
life, in my superior judgment, that they would often carry me with them when
they were going on any roguery, to plan for them. Growing up among them with
this confidence in my superior judgment, anti when this, in their opinions, was
perfected by Divine inspiration, from the circumstances already alluded to in my
infancy, and which belief was ever afterwards zealously inculcated 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.
By this time, having arrived to man's estate, and hearing the Scriptures
commented on at meetings, I was struck with that particular passage which says,
"Seek ye the kingdom of heaven, and all things shall be added unto you." I
reflected much on this passage, and prayed daily for light on this subject. As I
was praying one day at my plough, the Spirit spoke to me, saying, "Seek ye the
kingdom of heaven, and all things shall be added unto you.,'
Question
"What do you mean by the Spirit?"
Answer
"The Spirit that spoke to the prophets in former days, and I was greatly
astonished, and for two years prayed continually, whenever my duty would permit;
and then again I had the same revelation, which fully confirmed me in the
impression that I was ordained for some great purpose in the hands of the
Almighty. Several years rolled round, in which many events occurred to
strengthen me in this my belief. At this time I reverted in my mind to the
remarks made of me in my childhood, and the things that had been shown me; and
as it had been said of me in my childhood, by those by whom I had been taught to
pray, both white and black, and in whom I had the greatest confidence, that I
had too much sense to be raised, and if I was I would never be of any use to any
one as a slave; now, finding I had arrived to man's estate, and was a slave, and
these revelations being made known to me, I began to direct my attention to this
great object, to fulfill the purpose for which, by this time, I felt assured I
was intended. Knowing the influence I had obtained over the minds of my
fellow-servants (not by the means of conjuring and such like tricks-for to them
I always spoke of such things with contempt), but by the communion of the
Spirit, whose revelations I often communicated to them, and they believed and
said my wisdom came from God, -- I now began to prepare them for my purpose, by
telling them something was about to happen that would terminate in fulfilling
the great promise that had been made to me.
About this time I was placed under an overseer, from whom I ran away, and after
remaining in the woods thirty days, I returned, to the astonishment of the
Negroes on the plantation, who thought I had made my escape to some other part
of the country, as my father had done before. But the reason of my return was,
that the Spirit appeared to me and said I had my wishes directed to the things
of this world, and not to the kingdom of heaven, and that I should return to the
service of my earthly master- "For he who knoweth his Master's will, and doeth
it not, shall be beaten with many stripes, and thus have I chastened you." And
the Negroes found fault, and murmured against me, saying that if they had my
sense they would not serve any master in the world. And about this time I had a
vision-
and I saw white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle, and the sun was
darkened-the thunder rolled in 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."
I now withdrew myself as much as my situation would permit from the intercourse
of my fellow-servants, for the avowed purpose of serving the Spirit more fully;
and it appeared to me, and reminded me of the things it had already shown me,
and that it would then reveal to me the knowledge of the elements, the
revolution of the planets, the operation of tides, and changes of the seasons.
After this revelation in the year 1825, and the knowledge of the elements being
made known to me, I sought more than ever to obtain true holiness before the
great day of judgment should appear, and then I began to receive the true
knowledge of faith. And from the first steps of righteousness until the last,
was I made perfect; and the Holy Ghost was with me, and said, "Behold me as I
stand in the heavens." And I looked and saw the forms of men in different
attitudes; and there were lights in the sky, to which the children of darkness
gave other names what they really were; for they were the lights of the Savior's
hands, stretched forth from east to west, even as they were extended on the
cross on Calvary for the redemption of sinners. And I wondered greatly at these.
miracles, and prayed to be informed of a certainty of the meaning thereof; and
shortly afterwards, while laboring in the field, I discovered drops of blood on
the corn, as though it were dew from heaven; and I communicated it to many, both
white and black, in the neighborhood-and I then found on the leaves in the woods
hieroglyphic characters and numbers, with the forces of men in different
attitudes, portrayed in blood, and representing the figures I had seen before in
the heavens. And now the Holy Ghost had revealed itself to me, and made plain
the miracles it had shown me; for as the blood of Christ had been shed on this
earth, and had ascended to heaven for the salvation of sinners, and was now
returning to earth again in the form of dew, -- and as the leaves on the trees
bore the impression of the figures I had seen in the heavens, -- it was plain to
me that the Savior was. about to lay down the yoke he had borne for the sins of
men, and the great day of judgment was at hand.
About this time I told these things to a white man (Etheldred T. Brantley), on
whom it had a wonderful effect; and he ceased from his wickedness, and was
attacked immediately with a cutaneous eruption, and blood oozed from the pores
of his skin, and after praying and fasting nine days he was healed. And the
Spirit appeared to me again, and said, as the Savior had been baptized, so
should we be also; and when the white people would not let us be baptized by the
church, we went down into the water together, in the sight of many who reviled
us, and were baptized by the Spirit. After this I rejoiced greatly, and gave
thanks to God. And 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 home 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.
Question
"Do you not find yourself mistaken now?
Answer
"Was not Christ crucified?" 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 ), 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 of July last. 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.
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.
Question:
Why were you so backward in joining them?
Answer:
The same reason that had caused me not to mix with them years before, 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.
. . .
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 armed
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; viewed the mangled bodies as they lay, in silent satisfaction,
and immediately started in quest of other victims. Having murdered Mrs.
Waller and ten children, we started for Mr. Wm. Williams, -- having 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 lay by his side, where she was shot dead.
The white men pursued and fired on us several times. Hark had his horse
shot under him, and I caught another for him as it was running by me; five or
six of my men were wounded, but none left on the field. Finding myself
defeated here, I instantly determined to go through a private way, and
cross the Nottoway River at the Cypress Bridge, three miles below Jerusalem, and
attack that place in the rear, as I expected they would look for me on the other
road, and I had a great desire to get there to procure arms and ammunition.
After going a short distance in this private way, accompanied by about twenty
men, I overtook two or three, who told me the others were dispersed in every
direction. 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 eavesdrop the houses in the
neighborhood - pursuing this course for about a forth night, 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 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.
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.
The Confessions of Nat Turner, the
leader of the late insurrection, in South Hampton (county), by Thomas R.
Gray, VA...Baltimore, 1831
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