associate named Allen and the wagoner who conveyed the
baggage, to the Mississippi. The men were hand-cuffed and
chained together, in the usual manner for driving these poor
wretches, while the women and children were suffered to
proceed without incumbrance. It appears that, by means of a
file the negroes unobserved had succeeded in separating the
irons which bound their hands, in such a way as to be able
to throw them off at any moment. About 8 o'clock in the
morning, while proceeding on the state road leading from
Greenup to Vanceburg, two of them dropped their shackles and
commenced a fight, when the wagoner (Petit) rushed in with
his whip to compel them to desist. At this moment, every
negro was found to be perfectly at liberty; and one of them
seizing a club, gave Petit a violent blow on the head and
laid him dead at his feet; and Allen, who came to his
assistance, met a similar fate from the contents of a pistol
fired by another of the gang. Gordon was then attacked,
seized and held by one of the negroes, whilst another fired
twice at him with a pistol, the ball of which each time
grazed his head, but not proving effectual, he was beaten
with clubs, and left for dead They then commenced pillaging
the wagon and with an axe split open the trunk of Gordon and
rifled it of the money, about $2,490. Sixteen of the negroes
then took to the woods; Gordon, in the mean time, not being
materially injured was enabled, by the assistance of one of
the women, to mount his horse and flee; pursued, however, by
one of the gang on another horse, with a drawn pistol;
fortunately he escaped with his life, barely arriving at a
plantation, as the negro came in sight; who then turned
about and retreated.