Re: Rumored insurrection near Hampton, early 1813
I've finally been able to check my _Twice Condemned _ notes concerning Mr.
Weiss's query. I have a reasonably good match to the description he mentions.
It's an insurrection scare, March 1813, related to a British ship.
Auditor's Item 153, box 3, Library of Virginia, verifies the sentence of
transportation. Each man was valued at $400.
Notes concerning the trials are in Virginia Executive Papers, Letters Received,
box 185, at March 31, 1813--Library of Virginia.
Below are my aged notes on the trials. I've supplied these notes partly to
respond to Mr. Weiss, but also because the incident makes a good case study of
an insurrection scare.
March 31, 1813, James City County Court of Oyer and Terminer trials of
Anthony Tapsey [or Tapsy], and Kit, owned by Lucy Ludwell Paradise of
Williamsburg. Witness William Jennings testified that on March 23rd, 3
a.m., he was on a ship at Burwells Ferry, James City County. He was
roused by a dog barking and by the ship's "centinel," who told
officers that a boat was coming alongside. The boat's passengers were
hailed and asked if they wanted to come on board. The men in the boat
asked if it was an English ship and the mate said it was. They came on
board. When witness discovered they were not British enemies, he went
below. The next day witness learned by questioning the accused that
they were pleased we were English, "the mate having deceived them in
telling them so." We asked them who their master was. Mrs. Lucy
Paradise. We asked them if they would fight the Americans and they
said yes. We brought them two swords or cutlasses to find out whether
any of them had serious intentions to hurt anyone: "they ground [the
swords] very sharp and declared their overseer was the first they
intended to kill and all Americans they could catch . . . [and] if
they could get on shore and be joined by the British they would engage
to get from one to two thousand other negroes to join them, in killing
the Americans."
"The petition of sundry persons, Inhabitants of the city of
Williamsburg, and of the Counties of James City and York, on behalf of
Kit, Anthony, and Tasey." The signatories included a committing
magistrate and four sitting court members. Total signatories: 98,
including William Waller, Wilson Miles Cary, and Littleton Tazewell.
They complained that the men were convicted on the basis of one man's
testimony. We know nothing about him because he is not a resident.
Those who heard the trial thought the witness was biased against the
slaves. We think the offenders were "completely entrap[p]ed by the
witnesses and others on board the vessel; who from their ignorance of
words perhaps, and by leading questions which were put to them, were
induced to say, what they never designed to execute; and what is more
than probable, they would never have thought of; had the subject, not
been first mentioned to them." They might have been trying to ensure
good treatment of them aboard the ship. Some of them had been runaways
for several months before "from some disagreement between themselves
and their overseer," and that in order to get out of the weather and
their situation had boarded what they thought was a British vessel to
escape from the U.S. "and so gain their liberty." Please at least
transport them if that protects the public safety. We especially
petition that Tapsey be transported: he is young and according to his
overseer is "well disposed" and probably was led along by the others.
A certificate is attached to the trial record to indicate that Lucy Ludwell
Paradise, the three accused men's owner, had been committed to the Williamsburg
Hospital, January 1812, as being of unsound mind. William McCandlish was the
estate manager.
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