Excerpt from the Norfolk Herald

The following article from the Norfolk Herald illustrates the reaction of the white population to Nat Turner’s capture and confessions. It clearly illustrates that the inhabitants of Virginia thought of Turner as a wild fanatic whose insurrection was reckless and unorganized. However, in Turner’s confessions he claimed to have been planning the rebellion for several years since his first communication with God’s spirit. 

He is said to be very free in his confessions, which, however, are no further important than as shewing that he was instigated by the wildest superstition and fanaticism, and was not connected with any organized plan of conspiracy beyond the circle of the few ignorant wretches whom he had seduced by his artifices to join him. He still pretends that he is a prophet, and relates a number of revelations which he says he has had, from which he was induced to believe that he could succeed in conquoring the county of Southampton! (what miserable ignorance!) as the white people did in the revolution.