She remarked, her suspicions were first awakened by noticing in her house-servants a disposition to be insolent and disobedient; occasionally they would use insulting and contemptuous language in her hearing respecting her, and their general deportment towards her was very unusual, and very different from such as she had been accustomed to receive from them before; and that she was satisfied something mysterious was going on, from seeing her girls often in secret conversation when they ought to have been engaged at their business. She forthwith determined to scrutinize their conduct more closely, and, if possible, to ascertain the subject of their conversation; and in a few days she heard the girls in conversation, and, among other similar remarks, she heard one of them say, "she wished to God it was all over and done with; that she was tired of waiting on the white folks, and wanted to be her own mistress the balance of her days, and clean up her own house." Soon after, she again heard the same girl engaged in secret conversation with a negro man belonging to a neighbour. From the low tone in which the conversation was carried on, she was unable to hear it all, but gleaned the following remarks: The girl remarked, "Is it not a pity to kill such * * * *?" The man replied "that it was, but it must be done, and that it would be doing a great favour, as it would go to heaven, and escape the troubles of this world."

The lady communicated to her son in the evening what she had heard that morning, who told the girl she had been overheard in conversation that morning, and that she must tell it. She, thinking all of it was overheard, without hesitation or punishment, confessed what it was. She related the same in substance, but more fully; and the above remark of the girl in full was, "Is it not a pity to kill such a pretty little creature as this?" having reference to a child she then held in her arms. And, in addition to the above, she said that the negro man had informed her that there was to be a rising of the black people soon, and that they intended killing all the whites. And, in conclusion, the lady remarked, that from these hints she had given publicity to the report.

To make assurance doubly sure, and to try and see if something more specific could not be obtained, the girls were examined by the gentlemen, and their state

ments corresponded in every particular with the above communication of the lady. The report of the gentlemen of course was, that they had good reason to believe that an insurrection of the negroes was contemplated by them, and warned their fellow-citizens to be on their guard, and requested them to organize patrols, a matter which had been entirely neglected heretofore, and to appoint committees of vigilance throughout the county.

This report awakened the people in a measure from their lethargy. Meetings were held in different parts of the county for the purpose of taking into consideration the state of affairs.

On the 27th of June, at a large and respectable meeting of the citizens, held at Livingston, Colonel H. D. Runnels in the chair, resolutions were adopted, appointing patrols and committees of investigation, who were requested to report the result of their inquiries and discoveries at an adjourned meeting, to be held at Livingston on the 30th June.

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On the 30th June, pursuant to adjournment, the citizens again met at Livingston; Dr. M. D. Mitchell was called to the chair, when Mr. William P. Johnson, a planter near Livingston, made a report of his investigation on his own plantation. He informed the meeting that he had instructed his driver, a negro man, in whom he had confidence, to examine all the negroes on his place, and see if they knew any thing of the conspiracy. He said, in compliance with his request, the driver had examined all the negroes on his place, and had learned from an old negro, who was in the habit of hauling water from Livingston, that there was to be (using his own language) a rising of the blacks soon, but did not know when; that he had learned it from a negro man belonging to Ruel Blake, who lived in Livingston." The driver, he said, asked him for powder and shot, pretending to him he wanted it to shoot the white people when the rising should take place: he, the old negro man, told him he had none, but that he would get him some; that Blake's boy, Peter, told him he intended to break open the store of Wm. M. Ryce, and steal some kegs of powder: afterward ascertained that Blake's boy had assisted in unloading wagons at the store, and that he had asked what was in the kegs when he was carrying them in.

Mr. Johnson had the old negro brought to town and put into the hands of the committee of investigation for Livingston, whom he instructed to use him as they might deem proper. The negro man was asked to confess what he had told the driver of Mr. Johnson the evening previous. He denied positively ever having any conversation with the driver; and the committee, finding they could get nothing out of him by persuasion, ordered him to be whipped until he would tell what the conversation was, they not being informed of its nature.

After receiving a most severe chastisement, he came out and confessed all he knew respecting the contemplated insurrection, and confirmed in every particular the statement of the driver, but could not tell what particular day was fixed upon for the insurrection. He said Blake's Peter told him he would let him know in a few days. Johnson's negro implicated no white men, but said a negro man belonging to Capt. Thomas Hudnold was engaged in the conspiracy.*

Blake's boy was forthwith taken into custody and put under examination, but refused to confess any thing

* This negro was implicated by Johnson's negro man. The citizens attempted to take him, but he, suspecting something was not right, moved off when the gentlemen entered the field where he was at work. He was run by track-dogs some two hours without being taken, making his escape by taking to water. He remained in the woods until the excitement had partially subsided. By the laudable exertions of his master, he was decoyed into Livingston, where he was taken. He was reputed a desperate and daring vil. lain, and had been a terror to the neighbourhood for some years. There was evidence sufficient obtained, during the examination of the other criminals, against him, to satisfy the committee he was guilty, and it was agreed upon, when he should be taken, to hang him. However, nothing was said about the determination of the committee. In the meantime the committee of safety had adjourned when he was taken. The citizens seemed determined he should be hanged, and consequently organized a committee, composed of some of the members of the first committee and other freeholders, who condemned him to be hanged; and, in pursuance of the sentence, he was executed in Livingston. Under the gallows he acknowledged his guilt, and said that R. Blake told him of the insurrection in the first of the spring, when Blake and he were in a swamp getting out gin-timber. He said it alarmed him when Blake told him of it, which Blake noticed, and told him to say nothing about it, and he would give him $5, which he did; at last he consented to join in the conspiracy; Blake told him he must kill his master first, which he promised to do. Blake told him he was to be one of the captains of the negroes, &c.

respecting the conspiracy-having been informed, previous to his examination, that a conspiracy of the negroes to rebel against their masters was on foot, and that they wished to know if he had any knowledge of it. He was severely whipped by order of the committee, but refused to confess any thing--alleging, all the time, that if they wanted to know what his master had told him, they might whip on until they killed him; that he had promised him that he never would divulge it. After obtaining all they could from the two old negroes, the committee had them remanded into custody for further examination.

These developments being circulated through the country, seemed to convince the people that a conspiracy was on foot, which had the effect of creating considerable alarm, from not knowing when it would be attempted.

It was the general impression at this time that it would be attempted on the night of the 4th of July, being a day always given to them as a holyday, when they are permitted to assemble together from the different plantations, and enjoy themselves in uninterrupted feasting and festivity.

The boy who was overheard in conversation at Beatie's Bluff having run off, and the negro man of Mr. Johnson having implicated no white men as accom plices, the general impression was, that the conspiracy was confined to the negroes of a few plantations, and principally within the knowledge of negro preachers (generally considered to be the greatest scoundrels among negroes), who were supposed to be the originators of it, as has been the case in all negro conspiracies heretofore detected in the slave-holding states. Of course there could be but little system or concert in their plans.

It was agreed upon, by common consent of the citizens assembled in the various meetings, that when the ringleaders in the conspiracy should be detected, to make examples of them immediately by hanging, which would strike terror among the rest, and by that means crush all hopes of their freedom.

The citizens in the neighbourhood of Beatie's Bluff were not idle. During the investigations at Livingston, to which they were mainly indebted for the detec

tion of the conspirators, and the discovery of their sanguinary and diabolical designs, they had, by their indefatigable exertions, succeeded in detecting the negro ringleaders, from whom they obtained confessions of their plans, and of some of their white accomplices. After two days of patient and scrutinizing examination of the negroes implicated at Beatie's Bluff, their guilt was fully established, not only by their own confessions, but by other facts and circumstances, which could not leave a doubt on the mind. Each negro was examined separate and apart from the rest, neither knowing that another was suspected or in custody; each acknowledging his own guilt, and implicating all the others; every one implicating the same white men, and the whole of their statements coinciding precisely with each other.

After ascertaining so fully the guilt of these negroes, and the time for the consummation of the design being at hand, the situation of the country being such as to render consummation so easy, the whole community, and the owners of the negroes in particular, demanded the immediate execution of the guilty, and they were accordingly hung on the 2d of July. In order that the facts relative to the proceedings at Beatie's Bluff may be fully understood, and inasmuch as a full knowledge of them will go to explain and justify the course pursued by the committee at Livingston, which was subsequently organized, it is deemed necessary here to insert at large a statement procured from a gentleman near Beatie's Bluff, who was cognizant of the whole transaction.

Mr. Mabry's Letter.

MR. SHACKELFORD :—

DEAR SIR, I now attempt to comply with your request, in giving you what information came to my knowledge during the late investigations had before the citizens in the vicinity of Beatie's Bluff, in regard to the late contemplated insurrection in Madison county. I had been absent from the county until the Sunday before the 4th of July; when I arrived at home, I learned that there was some apprehension that