He had witnessed the separation of parents from children, and was made aware, by too many proofs, that the slave could expect no justice from the hands of the slave-owner.

The name of this man was Nat Turner.

He was a preacher amongst the negroes, distinguished for his eloquence, respected by the whites, loved and venerated by the negroes.
On the discovery of the plan for the outbreak, Turner fled to the swamps, followed by those who had joined in the insurrection.
Here the revolted negroes numbered some hundreds, and for a time bade defiance to their oppressors.

The Dismal Swamps cover many thousand acres of wild land, and a dense forest, with wild animals and insects such as are unknown in any other part of Virginia.

Here runaway negroes usually seek a hiding-place, and some have been known to reside here for years.