Trial of Davy (slave of Levi Waller)

September 3, 1831 –  Executed

At a Court of Oyer and Terminer summoned and held for the County of Southampton on the 3rd day of September 1831 for the trial of Hark a negro man the slave property of Joseph Travis’s Est. Moses a boy the property of Joseph Travis’s Est. Davy the property of Levi Waller & Nathan the property of Jacob Williams charged with insurrection.

Present: Carr Bowers, William B. Goodwyne, Robert Goodwyne, James Trezevant, and Ores A. Browne, Gent.

The Court being thus constituted Meriwether B. Broadnax Attorney prosecuting for the Commonwealth filed an information against the said Hark, Moses, Davy and Nelson.

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Davy a negro man slave the property of Levi Waller was then set to the bar in custody of the jailor of the County and the said prisoner being arraigned of the premises pleaded not guilty to the Information and

Levi Waller being sworn as a witness says that on Monday the 22d of August 1831 a band of negroes came to his house, killed all his family but that Davy the prisoner was not at the house, he came up while negroes were there—dressed himself clean—drank with them—rode his master’s horse off in good spirits—was called brother Clements by one of the company—left there in great glee.

Jarell W. Judkins being sworn as a witness says that Davy was caught on Thursday night after the insurrection broke out—and on Friday morning made the following voluntary confession viz:  That he went with the negroes from his masters—is at present where the families of Jacob Williams & William Williams’s were murdered—was also at Mrs. Vaughans where the family was murdered got drunk there—Says that Capt Nat in passing a house where some very poor people lived said he would not kill them because they thought no better of themselves than they did of the negroes.

Jacob a slave being sworn and charged says he saw the prisoner at Wm. Williams’s—and the prisoner was fully heard by William D. Boyle his counsel.

The Court after hearing the testimony and from all the circumstances of the case are unanimously of opinion that the prisoner is guilty in manner and form as in the information against him is set forth and it being demanded of him if anything for himself he had or knew to say why the Court should not proceed to pronounce judgment against him according to law and nothing be offered or alleged in delay of judgment it is considered by the Court that the prisoner be taken hence to the jail from/which/ he was taken to be safely confined until Friday the ninth day of September instant between the hours of ten o’clock in the forenoon and two o’clock in the afternoon he is to be taken by the Sheriff of the County to the usual place of execution and there be hanged by the neck until he be dead. And the Court values the said slave Davy to the sum of three hundred dollars.