4
  Mrs. Caswell Worrell and child 2
  Mrs. Rebacca Vaughan, Ann Eliza Vaughan, and son Arthur 3
  Mrs. Jacob Williams and three children and Edwin Drewry 5
          
                                                     __
          
                                                     55 ]

As the men neared the home of James Parker, it was suggested that they call there; but Turner objected, as this man had already gone to Jerusalem and he himself wished to reach the county seat as soon as possible.  However, he and some of the men remained at the gate while others went to the house half a mile away.  This exploit proved to be the turning-point of the events of the day.  Uneasy at the delay of those who went to the house, Turner went thither also.  On his return he was met by a company of white men who had fired on those Negroes left at the gate and dispersed them.  On discovering these men, Turner ordered his own men to halt and form, as now they were beginning to be alarmed.  The white men, eighteen in number, approached and fired, but were forced to retreat.  Reenforcements for them from Jerusalem were already at hand, however, and now the great pursuit of the Negro insurrectionists began.

Hark’s horse was shot under him and five or six of the men were wounded.  Turner’s force was largely dispersed, but on Monday night he stopped at the home of Major Ridley, and his company again increased to forty.  He tried to sleep a little, but a sentinel gave the alarm; all were soon up and the number was again reduced to twenty.  Final resistance was offered at the home of Dr. Blunt, but here still more of the men were put to flight and were never again seen by Turner.

A little later, however, the leader found two of his men named Jacob and Nat.  These he sent with word to Henry, Hark, Nelson, and Sam to meet him at the place where on Sunday they had taken dinner together.  With what thoughts Nat Turner returned alone to this place on Tuesday evening can only be imagined.  Throughout the night he remained, but no one joined him and he presumed that his followers had all either been taken or had deserted him.  Nor did any one come on Wednesday, or on Thursday.  On Thursday night, having supplied himself with provisions from the Travis home, he scratched a hole under a pile of fence-rails, and here he remained for six weeks, leaving only at night to get water.  All the while of course he had no means of learning of the fate of his companions or of anything else.  Meanwhile not only the vicinity but the whole South was being wrought up to an hysterical state of mind.  A reward of $500 for the capture of the man was offered by the Governor, and other rewards were also offered.  On September 30 a false account of his capture appeared in the newspapers; on October 7 another; on October 8 still another.  By this time Turner had begun to move about a little at night, not speaking to any