laces where guards were stationed. The stores
were closed, the slaves kept indoors, and, save for the arrival and
departure of mounted orderlies, not a sound could be heard. Even the
negroes themselves, in their kitchens and outbuildings, were overawed,
and hardly spoke above a whisper.

The Methodist ministers came forward and enrolled themselves in the
militia, but they were not called upon to perform any duty. The Rev.
John Smith, however, took no notice of the proclamation, although he
admitted having seen it. On the evening of the revolt he went for a walk
with his wife, and on his return found that the manager's house was
being attacked by a mob of slaves. He succeeded by expostulation in
preventing their doing much injury, and even rescued the manager from
their hands, but instead of sending notice of the rising to the
neighbouring estates he went quietly home. As far as he knew no one had
been warned of the revolt, and he was certainly remiss in his duty when
he did nothing whatever. When, on the following day, he was visited by a
militia officer, and ordered to enrol himself in accordance with the
Governor's proclamation, he refused on the ground of his exemption,
although he knew that all exemptions had been cancelled.

As usual the rebels had no proper leaders, and for some reason or
other--the missionaries ascribed it to religious teaching--they did not
burn the houses or destroy the crops. One or two whites who resisted
were wounded, one at least fatally, but here again the insurgents were
forbearing. Fortunately they were soon suppressed, and this no doubt
prevented such atrocities as had been committed elsewhere. What with the
soldiers, the militia, and crews of vessels in the river, the force
brought against them was overwhelming. Only one attempt was made to
fight, but the first volley of the troops sent the rioters scattering
into a cotton field. In about two days the insurrection was over, and
then came the hunt for fugitives, who as usual took to the swamp at the
back of the estates. A large body of Indians was employed, and in the
end most of them were captured, some to be hanged at once and others
after sentence by court-martial.

Mr. Smith's behaviour was considered as something more than
suspicious--he was believed to have had knowledge of the plot, and
charged with an intention to side with the negroes if he saw any
prospect of their success. On his refusal to take part in the defence of
the