and guard-house opposite St. Michael’s Church, and detach a sufficient number to cut off all white citizens who should appear at the alarm-posts.  A second body of negroes, from the country and the Neck, headed by Ned Bennett, was to assemble on the Neck and seize the arsenal there.  A third was to meet at Governor Bennett’s Mills, under command of Rolla, and, after putting the Governor and Intendant to death, to march through the city, or be posted at Cannon’s Bridge, thus preventing the inhabitants of Cannonsborough from entering the city.  A fourth, partly from the country and partly from the neighboring localities in the city, was to rendezvous on Gadsden’s Wharf and attack the upper guard-house.  A fifth, composed of country and Neck negroes, was to assemble at Bulkley’s Farm, two miles and a half from the city, seize the upper powder-magazine and then march down; and a sixth was to assemble at Denmark Vesey’s and obey his orders.  A seventh detachment, under Gullah Jack, was to assemble in Boundary Street, at the head of King Street, to capture the arms of the Neck company of militia, and to take an additional supply from Mr. Duquercron’s shop.  The naval stores on Mey’s Wharf were also to be attacked.  Meanwhile a horse-company, consisting of many draymen, hostlers, and butcher-boys, was to meet at Lightwood’s Alley and then scour the streets to prevent the whites from assembling.  Every white man coming out of his own door was to be killed, and, if necessary, the city was to be fired in several places,—­slow-match for this purpose having been purloined from the public arsenal and placed in an accessible position.

Beyond this, the plan of action was either unformed or undiscovered; some slight reliance seems to have been placed on English aid,—­more on assistance from St. Domingo; at any rate, all the ships in the harbor were to be seized, and in these, if the worst came to the worst, those most deeply inculpated could set sail, bearing with them, perhaps, the spoils of shops and of banks.  It seems to be admitted by the official narrative, that, they might have been able, at that season of the year, and with the aid of the fortifications on the Neck and around the harbor, to retain possession of the city for some time.

So unsuspicious were the authorities, so unprepared the citizens, so open to attack lay the city, that nothing seemed necessary to the success of the insurgents except organization and arms.  Indeed, the plan of organization easily covered a supply of arms.  By their own contributions they had secured enough to strike the first blow,—­a few hundred pikes and daggers, together with swords and guns for the leaders.  But they had carefully marked every place in the city where weapons were to be obtained.  On King-Street Road, beyond the municipal limits, in a common wooden shop, were left unguarded the arms of the Neck company of militia, to the number of several hundred stand; and these were to be secured by Bacchus