Southampton-Nansemond County Virginia USGenWeb Archives News.....Sword, 1956 

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"Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Vol. 51, No. 44, Thurs., Aug. 16, 1956, 
   Section 1, p. 1 

Nat Turner's sword located in Franklin; now seek his musket 

  Nat Turner's sword he used in his insurrection has been located.  (It wasn't 
lost in the first place). 

  Junius W. Pulley of Courtland and chairman of the Walter Cecil Rawls Library 
and Museum Board of Trustees, had requested the Tidewater News help him locate 
the sword so it could be displayed in the museum. 

  Hugh L. Westbrook of Franklin informed Mr. Pulley that he had the sword and 
that he would be glad to loan it to the museum for display purposes.  Mr. 
Westbrook says he obtained his sword from his grandfather, James D. Westbrook, 
who was in the group who captured Turner, after the slave had killed his 
master's small daughter and many others.  Turner had stolen the sword from his 
master, a man named Colonel Travis, who had carried it during the war of 1812. 

  Turner also had a musket that he used, and Mr. Pulley would like to locate 
this old firearm for the museum.  Mr. Pulley thinks this musket was, at one 
time, in the hands of the late Frank Alfred [sic; Alford] of Suffolk and 
probably one of Mr. Alfred's descendants have the gun now. 

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Additional information: 

The Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} has this sword, which is 
   claimed to be Nat TURNER's.  There are several photos of it online at 
   Google Images.  There is also an interesting discussion on it, at: 
   http://myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.22392.html

It seems to be the same sword pictured in William Sidney Drewry's 
   "The Southampton Insurrection" (Neale Co., Washington, DC, 1900). 
   A footnote states it was in the possession of Mr. James D. WESTBROOK 
   of Drewryville, a relative of TURNER's captor Benjamin PHIPPS; that 
   Mr. Frank ALFORD of Suffolk claimed to have TURNER's musket & sword; 
   that TURNER was armed only with the sword; that ALFORD's father's 
   militia unit - commanded by Capt. DAY - had returned to Portsmouth 2 
   months before TURNER's capture; and that ALFORD's claims were disputed 
   by Capt. J.J. DARDEN in a letter to "The Suffolk Herald," replying to 
   an article published July 24, 1899.  (pp. 91-92) 

That book & text are available online at: 
   https://archive.org/details/southamptoninsur00drew 
   https://books.google.com/books?id=Eg55AAAAMAAJ&hl=en 

Newspaper coverage ("The Genius of Liberty" &c.) of the Southampton 
   Insurrection, 21-23 Aug 1831, is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/news/18310903gl.txt 

Court proceedings on the Southampton Insurrection, Aug-Nov 1831, including 
   the trial of Nat TURNER, 5 Nov 1831, are posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/court/ol_nat.txt 

"Frank" Francis Marion ALFORD was a Confederate veteran, having served in 
   Co. B, 19th Battalion VA Heavy Artillery.  He is buried in Cedar Hill 
   Cemetery, Suffolk - Block O, Lot 95. 
   Cedar Hill list, an extension of the SCHS Cemetery Project: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/cedar_a.txt 

His obits ("The [Richmond] Times," May 28, 1901, p. 4, &c.), which state 
   he owned TURNER's sword [no mention of a musket], are posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/a416f1ob.txt 

William Hugh Latimer WESTBROOK (1883 - 1963) is buried in Riverside Cemetery, 
   Courtland - Section I, Plot 29A. 
   SCHS Cemetery Project, Riverside list: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/riverside.txt 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/news/19560816tn.txt