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Primary source: Ben Woolfolk, testimony at trial of Prosser's Gabriel, 1800.
Caption: Ben, alias Ben Woolfolk, was an accomplice of Gabriel Prosser, an American slave who planned a major slave uprising in the United States on August 30, 1800. The following is an excerpt from Ben's confession, which led to his pardon.
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. . . Mr. Prosser's Gabriel wished to bring on the business as soon as possible. Gilbert said the summer was almost over, and he wished them to enter upon the business before the weather got too cold. Gabriel proposed that the subject should be referred to his brother Martin to decide upon. Martin said there was this expression in the Bible, delays breed danger; at this time, he said, the country was at peace, the soldiers were discharged, and the arms all put away; there was no patroling in the country, and that before he would any longer bear what he had borne, he would turn out and first with his stick. Gilbert said he was ready with his pistol, but it was in need of repair; he gave it to Gabriel, who was to put it in order for him. I then spoke to the company and informed them I wished to have something to say. I told them that I had heard in the days of old, when the Israelites were in service to King Pharaoh, they were taken from him by the power of God, and were carried away by Moses. God had blessed him with an angel to go with him, but that I could see nothing of that kind in these days. Martin said in reply: I read in my Bible where God says if we will worship Him we should have peace in all our land; five of you shall conquer an hundred, and a hundred a thousand of our enemies. After this they went on consultation upon the time they should execute the plan . . . .
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Ben Woolfolk, "Confessions of Ben alias Ben Woolfolk" (16 September 1800), from Calendar of Virginia State Papers, reprint, Blacks in Bondage: Letters of American Slaves, ed. Robert S. Starobin (New York: New Viewpoints, 1974), 128–30.
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