Early in September, 1800, as a certain Mr. Moseley Sheppard, of Henrico
County in Virginia, was one day sitting in his counting-room, two negroes
knocked at the door, and were let in. They shut the door themselves, and
began to unfold an insurrectionary plot, which was subsequently repeated
by one of them, named Ben Woodfolk or Woolfolk, in presence of the court,
on the 15th of the same month.

He stated, that about the first of the preceding June, he had been asked
by a negro named Colonel George whether he would like to be made a Mason.
He refused; but George ultimately prevailed on him to have an interview
with a certain leading man among the blacks, named Gabriel. Arrived at
the place of meeting, he found many persons assembled, to whom a
preliminary oath was administered, that they would keep secret all which
they might hear. The leaders then began, to the dismay of this witness,
to allude to a plan of insurrection, which, as they stated, was already
far advanced toward maturity. Presently a man named Martin, Gabriel's
brother, proposed religious services, caused the company to be duly
seated, and began an impassioned exposition of Scripture, bearing upon
the perilous theme. The Israelites were glowingly portrayed as a type of
successful resistance to tyranny; and it was argued, that now, as then,
God would stretch forth his arm to save, and would strengthen a hundred
to overthrow a thousand. Thus passed, the witness stated, this
preparatory meeting. At a subsequent gathering the affair was brought to
a point; and the only difficult question was, whether to rise in
rebellion upon a certain Saturday, or upon the Sunday following. Gabriel
said that Saturday was the day already fixed, and that it must not be
altered; but George was for changing it to Sunday, as being more
convenient for the country negroes, who could travel on that day without
suspicion. Gabriel, however, said decisively that they had enough to