“I reckon it was hot, ‘cause in less than two days, 21 white men, women, and children, and 44 Negroes, was slain. My granddaddy say that in the woods and at Stono, where the war start, there was more than 100 Negroes in line. When the militia come in sight of them at Combahee swamp, the drinking, dancing Negroes scatter in the brush and only 44 stand their ground. Commander Cato speak for the crowd. He say: ‘We don’t like slavery. We start to join the Spanish in Florida. We surrender but we not whipped yet and we is not converted.’ The other 43 say: ‘Amen.’ They was taken, unarmed, and hanged by the militia.”
This passage appears to be a descriptive account of a violent incident involving a rebellion or uprising of enslaved African Americans in the American South. The speaker, most likely a descendant or someone familiar with the events, recounts how 21 white individuals and 44 African Americans were killed in less than two days. The uprising seems to have started in the woods and at Stono, possibly a reference to the Stono Rebellion of 1739 in South Carolina.
The speaker's granddaddy recalls that there were initially more than 100 enslaved African Americans involved in the rebellion, but when the militia, or armed forces, approached them at Combahee Swamp, only 44 chose to stand their ground while the rest scattered into the brush. Commander Cato, who was likely one of the leaders of the rebellion, spoke on behalf of the group and declared their opposition to slavery. Despite surrendering, the group emphasized that they had not been defeated or converted to accepting their enslaved status.
However, the passage ends on a tragic note, stating that the remaining 43 individuals were captured without weapons and subsequently hanged by the militia as punishment for their rebellion.
In this account, it is mentioned that a conflict took place in which 21 white men, women, and children, as well as 44 Negroes (referring to African Americans), were killed. The specific location of the conflict is mentioned as Stono, where the war began. It is described that there were more than 100 Negroes in line at Stono and in the nearby woods. However, when the militia arrived at Combahee swamp, many of the Negroes scattered into the brush, leaving only 44 who stood their ground.
A man named Commander Cato is highlighted as the one who spoke for the group. He expressed their dissatisfaction with slavery and mentioned their intention to join the Spanish in Florida. The group ultimately surrendered but declared that they had not been defeated or converted. The other 43 members of the group responded with "Amen."
Lastly, it is mentioned that these 44 individuals were captured while unarmed and subsequently hanged by the militia.