April 25, 2010
“AMERICA. Jamaica, May 8. The Rebellion amongst the Negroes has been of bad Consequence to the whole Island. Their plot was deep and cruel. Their Design was to rise at Kingston and Spanish Town, in one Night; to have set Fire to these Towns in several Places at once, and to murder every Body in them. At the same Time they were to have risen in St. Mary’s and Sixteen-Mile-Walk; but the Negroes in St. Mary’s began too soon: They commenced with murdering all the white People upon one Estate; upon which the Overseer’s Boy got his Master’s Horse, and rode Express to the Governor, to tell him of it, for which he is to receive his Freedom. They afterwards seized what Arms and Ammunition were to be found, and went to a small Fort at Port Maria, where there was only one white Man and a Negro; they killed the white Man, and took away three Barrels of Powder, and marched to another Estate, where the Overseer was apprised of their Intentions. There were five white Men, which he armed, shut the Doors, and armed some of his own Negroes. He defended the House for an hour and a half, and the Rebels were going away; upon which he opened the Door, and wanted to bring them to their Duty, by speaking to them, which whilst he was doing, one of his own Negroes shot him in the back, the rest rushed in and killed all the white People, except one, whom they mangled in a most shocking manner, cutting off his Nose, and leaving him for dead; but he still languishes, and wishes for Death. They cut off the Overseer’s Head, put his Blood in a Calabath, mixed gunpowder with it, and eat their Plantains dipp’d in it, as they did by every white Man they killed: In short, their savage Barbarity can scarcely be parallelled.
Upon the first Notice of it to the Governor, he sounded the Trumpet, and proclaimed Martial Law; upon which all Business ceased, and every Man was a Soldier. The Regulars marched from Spanish Town, and the Troop of Militia, and those with the Force they had got together at St. Mary’s, obliged the Rebels to act upon the Defensive, and after two skirmishes, they had an Engagement with the wild Negroes, who brought in 17 pair of Rebels Ears, for which they received 17 Doubloons directly: That broke their Strength, some came in, many cut their Throats, and now they reckon about 60, who are all hemmed up in a Cave, from whence they cannot escape. Their chief Man is not yet taken. I believe
“there are about 25 of them made Prisoners, who are severally carried to Spanish Town, Kingston, and the places where they committed their Barbaries. I was last Saturday at Spanish Town, before which time, one who had not been in the Rebellion, actually was burnt alive for having sworn to cut his Master’s and Mistress’s Heads off, and to make Punch Bowls of them. On Saturday I heard the Trials of four more, who were found guilty of being concerned in the Murder of the white People: Two were burnt alive the same Afternoon; two were hanged, their bodies burnt, and their Heads stuck on poles. On Monday last, two were tried at Kingston for the same Offence, and found guilty. Their Sentence was to be gibbetted alive 20 Feet high. The rest will be punished according to their demerits.
Another Account from the same Person, dated May 21, 1760, says, ‘The Sentence against the Rebel Negroes, was put in Execution. One of them lived nine days, wanting six hours, without a drop of Water, hanging in an excessive hot place, though they complained of the cold in the night. The first of the Rebels, named Tackey, is since shot in the Wood, and his head stuck upon a pole; and within this half hour, we have an account of the Negroes having left three Estates at Manchioneal, and gone to the Woods; but hope it will not be so bad as is reported.’”
Cork Evening Post, 11 August 1760.
Posted in British West Indies, Jamaica, law enforcement, slave uprising, slavery, West Indies |
