Authentic and Impartial Narrative of the Tragical Scene Which Was Witnessed in Southampton County (Virginia) On Monday The 22nd, of August Last

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A first edition of Samuel Warner's "Authentic and Impartial Narrative of the Tragical Scene Which Was Witnessed in Southampton County (Virginia) On Monday The 22nd, of August Last," an account of the rebellion of enslaved persons led by Nat Turner. The saddle-stitched pamphlet has plain blue paper wrappings. The interior consists of thirty-eight pages of text. The first interior page has a fold out plate of a woodcut depicting two panels with four numbered scenes of the violence titled: [Horrid Massacre In Virginia]. Shown are a mother with children (1), the murder of Turner's owner Joseph Travis (2), a man identified as "Mr. Barrow" fighting back agains the attack (3), and, in the bottom panel, an army unit in pursuit of the enslaved rebels (4). Page fifteen (15) has a table of the names of the enslaved men, the dates of their executions, and the names of their owners. There are tears and stains throughout.

Explore Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture ↗