the Richmond _Whig_, who was then on duty in the militia, and protested
manfully against these outrages. "Some of these scenes," he adds, "are
hardly inferior in barbarity to the atrocities of the insurgents."

These were the masters' stories. If even these conceded so much, it would
be interesting to hear what the slaves had to report. I am indebted to my
honored friend, Lydia Maria Child, for some vivid recollections of this
terrible period, as noted down from the lips of an old colored woman,
once well known in New York, Charity Bowery. "At the time of the old
Prophet Nat," she said, "the colored folks was afraid to pray loud; for
the whites threatened to punish 'em dreadfully, if the least noise was
heard. The patrols was low drunken whites; and in Nat's time, if they
heard any of the colored folks praying, or singing a hymn, they would
fall upon 'em and abuse 'em, and sometimes kill 'em, afore master or
missis could get to 'em. The brightest and best was killed in Nat's time.
The whites always suspect such ones. They killed a great many at a place
called Duplon. They killed Antonio, a slave of Mr. J. Stanley, whom they
shot; then they pointed their guns at him, and told him to confess about
the insurrection. He told 'em he didn't know any thing about any
insurrection. They shot several balls through him, quartered him, and put
his head on a pole at the fork of the road leading to the court." (This
is no exaggeration, if the Virginia newspapers may be taken as evidence.)
"It was there but a short time. He had no trial. They never do. In Nat's
time, the patrols would tie up the free colored people, flog 'em, and try
to make 'em lie against one another, and often killed them before anybody
could interfere. Mr. James Cole, high sheriff, said, if any of the
patrols came on his plantation, he would lose his life in defence of his
people. One day he heard a patroller boasting how many niggers he had
killed. Mr. Cole said, 'If you don't pack up, as quick as God Almighty
will let you, and get out of this town, and never be seen in it again,