The Confessions of Nat Turner (1831) is the first-person account given by the rebel slave leader Nat Turner (l. 1800-1831) to the attorney T. R. Gray (l. c. 1800-1843) following Nat Turner's Rebellion in Virginia (also known as the Southampton Insurrection) of 1831 after Turner had been caught and imprisoned and was awaiting trial.
The Confessions is understood as an authentic transcript of Turner's words as spoken to Gray from his jail cell, but shortly after its publication in November 1831, it was challenged as being more Gray's work than Turner's (a claim still circulating today). Scholar Stephen B. Oates writes:
The Richmond Enquirer praised Gray for producing a graphic and revealing document but chastised him for its style. "The language is far superior to what Nat Turner could have employed. Portions of it are even eloquently and classically expressed." This attributed to "the Bandit a character for intelligence which he does not deserve and ought not to have received." But in most other respects, the Enquirer found the Confessions "faithful and true…" (145)
The claim that the Confessions was fabricated by Gray is untenable as it is based on the racist assumption that a Black slave in 1831 USA could not possibly have spoken so eloquently. Gray no doubt edited the piece and, most likely, changed some words, but the Confessions is regarded as overall authentic by most scholars.
The Insurrection & T. R. Gray
Between 21 and 23 August 1831, Nat Turner – an educated slave and lay preacher – mounted the deadliest slave revolt in US history, killing 55-65 White citizens of Southampton County, Virginia, before the rebellion was put down by local militia. In the aftermath, at least 120 Free Blacks and slaves in Southampton were killed in retaliation (that number is considered low for the overall casualties), and more were brutalized and killed in other slave-holding states.
Turner evaded capture until 30 October, when he was found by a farmer, Benjamin Phipps, and taken to jail at Jerusalem, the county seat. While imprisoned, he was visited by T. R. Gray – an attorney from a slave-holding family – who wanted to produce a work explaining the motivation behind Turner's Rebellion and assuring the citizens of Southampton County (and elsewhere) that this was an isolated event conceived and put into action by a single man, not a widespread conspiracy of insurrection.
Gray had been a planter, like his father, but the family had fallen on hard times and were in debt. Although there is no record of his ever attending law school, he took up the practice to help himself and his family financially. T. R. Gray is sometimes cited as Turner's lawyer, but he was not. Turner's case was assigned to the defense attorney James Strange French, who, for whatever reason, passed on it. Turner's lawyer, according to court records, was William C. Parker. Why Gray decided to interview Turner, aside from his stated intention, is unknown.
Most likely, Gray saw Turner's confession as a way to make a significant amount of money quickly. The only document on the rebellion in wide circulation in 1831 was Samuel Warner's Authentic and Impartial Narrative of the Tragical Scene Which Was Witnessed in Southampton County, published before Turner was apprehended and cobbled together from newspaper reports, which only provided a narrative of the events. Gray's intention was to present the story from the point of view of the rebellion's leader.
If Gray's primary motivation was to publish a bestseller, he succeeded. The work was sold for 25 cents a copy, and, as Oates writes:
That November, a Baltimore printer brought out Gray's Confessions of Nat Turner, which sold well enough to merit a second printing in 1832. All told, the Confessions sold about forty thousand copies.
(144)
The American writer William Styron (l. 1925-2006) repeated Gray's success with his 1967 novel The Confessions of Nat Turner, a commercial and critical success, which also won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1968. In 2016, actor and director Nate Parker brought out the film The Birth of a Nation, a dramatization of Turner's Rebellion, which was also a success and, like Styron's novel, is evidence that Turner's story still resonates with audiences today as it did in 1831.
Text
The following excerpt is taken from The Confessions of Nat Turner, Electronic Edition, as given on the site Documenting the American South. In the following passages, Turner gives his reasons for the insurrection as well as details about his life. This excerpt ends just before he launches his rebellion. The full text of the Confessions is found in the bibliography below and the External Links section.
SIR, –You have asked me to give a history of the motives which induced me to undertake the late insurrection, as you call it–To do so I must go back to the days of my infancy, and even before I was born. I was thirty-one years of age the 2d of October last, and born the property of Benj. Turner, of this county. In my childhood a circumstance occurred which made an indelible impression on my mind, and laid the groundwork of that enthusiasm, which has terminated so fatally to many, both white and black, and for which I am about to atone at the gallows.
It is here necessary to relate this circumstance–trifling as it may seem, it was the commencement of that belief which has grown with time, and even now, sir, in this dungeon, helpless and forsaken as I am, I cannot divest myself of. Being at play with other children, when three or four years old, I was telling them something, which my mother overhearing, said it had happened before I was I born–I stuck to my story, however, and related somethings which went, in her opinion, to confirm it–others being called on were greatly astonished, knowing that these things had happened, and caused them to say in my hearing, I surely would be a prophet, as the Lord had shewn me things that had happened before my birth. And my father and mother strengthened me in this my first impression, saying in my presence, I was intended for some great purpose, which they had always thought from certain marks on my head and breast…
My grandmother, who was very religious, and to whom I was much attached –my master, who belonged to the church, and other religious persons who visited the house, and whom I often saw at prayers, noticing the singularity of my manners, I suppose, and my uncommon intelligence for a child, remarked I had too much sense to be raised, and if I was, I would never be of any service to any one as a slave.
To a mind like mine, restless, inquisitive, and observant of everything that was passing, it is easy to suppose that religion was the subject to which it would be directed, and although this subject principally occupied my thoughts–there was nothing that I saw or heard of to which my attention was not directed–The manner in which I learned to read and write, not only had great influence on my own mind, as I acquired it with the most perfect ease, so much so, that I have no recollection whatever of learning the alphabet–but to the astonishment of the family, one day, when a book was shewn me to keep me from crying, I began spelling the names of different objects–this was a source of wonder to all in the neighborhood, particularly the blacks–and this learning was constantly improved at all opportunities.
When I got large enough to go to work, while employed, I was reflecting on many things that would present themselves to my imagination, and whenever an opportunity occurred of looking at a book, when the school children were getting their lessons, I would find many things that the fertility of my own imagination had depicted to me before; all my time, not devoted to my master's service, was spent either in prayer, or in making experiments in casting different things in moulds made of earth, in attempting to make paper, gunpowder, and many other experiments, that although I could not perfect, yet convinced me of its practicability if I had the means.
I was not addicted to stealing in my youth, nor have ever been–Yet such was the confidence of the negroes in the neighborhood, even at this early period of my life, in my superior judgment, that they would often carry me with them when they were going on any roguery, to plan for them. Growing up among them, with this confidence in my superior judgment, and when this, in their opinions, was perfected by Divine inspiration, from the circumstances already alluded to in my infancy, and which belief was ever afterwards zealously inculcated by the austerity of my life and manners, which became the subject of remark by white and black.
Having soon discovered to be great, I must appear so, and therefore studiously avoided mixing in society, and wrapped myself in mystery, devoting my time to fasting and prayer–By this time, having arrived to man's estate, and hearing the scriptures commented on at meetings, I was struck with that particular passage which says : "Seek ye the kingdom of Heaven and all things shall be added unto you." I reflected much on this passage and prayed daily for light on this subject–As I was praying one day at my plough, the spirit spoke to me, saying "Seek ye the kingdom of Heaven and all things shall be added unto you.
Question–what do you mean by the Spirit?
Ans. The Spirit that spoke to the prophets in former days.
And I was greatly astonished, and for two years prayed continually, whenever my duty would permit–and then again, I had the same revelation, which fully confirmed me in the impression that I was ordained for some great purpose in the hands of the Almighty. Several years rolled round, in which many events occurred to strengthen me in this my belief.
At this time, I reverted in my mind to the remarks made of me in my childhood, and the things that had been shewn me–and as it had been said of me in my childhood by those by whom I had been taught to pray, both white and black, and in whom I had the greatest confidence, that I had too much sense to be raised, and if I was, I would never be of any use to any one as a slave. Now finding I had arrived to man's estate, and was a slave, and these revelations being made known to me, I began to direct my attention to this great object, to fulfil the purpose for which, by this time, I felt assured I was intended.
Knowing the influence I had obtained over the minds of my fellow servants, (not by the means of conjuring and such like tricks–for to them I always spoke of such things with contempt) but by the communion of the Spirit whose revelations I often communicated to them, and they believed and said my wisdom came from God. I now began to prepare them for my purpose, by telling them something was about to happen that would terminate in fulfilling the great promise that had been made to me.
About this time, I was placed under an overseer, from whom I ran away and, after remaining in the woods thirty days, I returned to the astonishment of the negroes on the plantation, who thought I had made my escape to some other part of the country, as my father had done before. But the reason of my return was, that the Spirit appeared to me and said I had my wishes directed to the things of this world, and not to the kingdom of Heaven, and that I should return to the service of my earthly master–"For he who knoweth his Master's will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes, and thus, have I chastened you."
And the negroes found fault, and murmured against me, saying that if they had my sense, they would not serve any master in the world. And about this time, I had a vision–and I saw white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle, and the sun was darkened–the thunder rolled in the Heavens, and blood flowed in streams–and I heard a voice saying, "Such is your luck, such you are called to see, and let it come rough or smooth, you must surely bear it."
I now withdrew myself as much as my situation would permit, from the intercourse of my fellow servants, for the avowed purpose of serving the Spirit more fully–and it appeared to me and reminded me of the things it had already shown me, and that it would then reveal to me the knowledge of the elements, the revolution of the planets, the operation of tides, and changes of the seasons. After this revelation in the year 1825, and the knowledge of the elements being made known to me, I sought more than ever to obtain true holiness before the great day of judgment should appear, and then I began to receive the true knowledge of faith.
And from the first steps of righteousness until the last, was I made perfect; and the Holy Ghost was with me, and said, "Behold me as I stand in the Heavens"–and I looked and saw the forms of men in different attitudes–and there were lights in the sky to which the children of darkness gave other names than what they really were–for they were the lights of the Saviour's hands, stretched forth from east to west, even as they were extended on the cross on Calvary for the redemption of sinners.
And I wondered greatly at these miracles, and prayed to be informed of a certainty of the meaning thereof–and shortly afterwards, while laboring in the field, I discovered drops of blood on the corn as though it were dew from heaven– and I communicated it to many, both white and black, in the neighborhood–and I then found on the leaves in the woods hieroglyphic characters, and numbers, with the forms of men in different attitudes, portrayed in blood, and representing the figures I had seen before in the heavens.
And now the Holy Ghost had revealed itself to me, and made plain the miracles it had shown me–For as the blood of Christ had been shed on this earth, and had ascended to heaven for the salvation of sinners, and was now returning to earth again in the form of dew–and as the leaves on the trees bore the impression of the figures I had seen in the heavens, it was plain to me that the Saviour was about to lay down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and the great day of judgment was at hand.
About this time I told these things to a white man, (Etheldred T. Brantley) on whom it had a wonderful effect–and he ceased from his wickedness, and was attacked immediately with a cutaneous eruption, and blood oozed from the pores of his skin, and after praying and fasting nine days, he was healed, and the Spirit appeared to me again, and said, as the Saviour had been baptized so should we be also–and when the white people would not let us be baptized by the church, we went down into the water together, in the sight of many who reviled us, and were baptized by the Spirit.
After this, I rejoiced greatly, and gave thanks to God. And on the 12th of May, 1828, I heard a loud noise in the heavens, and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was loosened, and Christ had laid down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and that I should take it on and fight against the Serpent, for the time was fast approaching when the first should be last and the last should be first.
Ques. Do you not find yourself mistaken now?
Ans. Was not Christ crucified?
And by signs in the heavens that it would make known to me when I should commence the great work–and until the first sign appeared, I should conceal it from the knowledge of men–And on the appearance of the sign, (the eclipse of the sun last February) I should arise and prepare myself and slay my enemies with their own weapons.
And immediately on the sign appearing in the heavens, the seal was removed from my lips, and I communicated the great work laid out for me to do, to four in whom I had the greatest confidence, (Henry, Hark, Nelson, and Sam)–It was intended by us to have begun the work of death on the 4th July last–Many were the plans formed and rejected by us, and it affected my mind to such a degree, that I fell sick, and the time passed without our coming to any determination how to commence–Still forming new schemes and rejecting them, when the sign appeared again, which determined me not to wait longer.
