Transcribing a letter from 4th-Great-Grandfather Horton Howard in Nov 1831, and find he was a man with complex and universal compassions. One letter, written on travells through VA & SC etc, includes the following, which seemed contradictory to his antislavery/abolitionist stance “they are determined to remove to one of the Free Western States as soon as they can sell and get away – the Fright and Terror that the Whites generally in these states have been indescribably shocking and terrible – some few in delicate health have be frightened to death – time and paper would fail me to attempt a description of a small portion of their frenzied actions and the moments of their Terror!!! It seems somewhat abated, but the impressions on their minds and the consciousness of their danger seems to rest heavily on many and many are moving or preparing to move”
This was just after the Nat Turner slave rebellion. Although the Aug 21 rebellion was over in 2 days, Nat Turner was not captured for 2 months, and was executed on Nov 5 – only 10 days before the postmark on this letter.