User blog:El Alamein/Nat Turner vs. John Brown



Nat Turner: The deeply religious rebel leader who inspired a slave uprising in 1831 against the slave owners of Virginia!

John Brown: The radical abolitionist who led a daring raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry in an attempt to initiate a slave rebellion!

Nat Turner
"For as the blood of Christ had been shed on this earth, and had ascended to heaven for the salvation of sinners, and was now returning to earth again in the form of dew - and as the leaves on the trees bore the impression of the figures I had seen in the heavens, it was plain to me that the Saviour was about to lay down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and the great day of judgement was at hand."

- Nat Turner



Nat Turner was born a slave in Southampton County, Virginia. He was literate and highly religious. It was the result of his interpretation of the Bible that led to his preparation for a slave rebellion, which he saw as divine salvation from bondage. Beginning on August 22, 1831, Turner led around 70 slaves in a campaign of terror against the white plantation owners of the area. They broke into houses and slaughtered the inhabitants, collecting weapons as they went along. A white militia quickly organized and defeated the slave army, but Turner himself successfully evaded capture, surviving in the woods until October 30. He was tried and ultimately hanged. Countless black slaves (most of whom were unaffiliated with Turner's rebellion) were killed in brutal reprisals carried out in response to the revolt.

Weapons
|-| Long Range=

 Flintlock Musket: 



Nat Turner's army was not well-equipped with firearms, and the few that they were able to acquire were often discarded for lack of ammunition or else to remain quiet while on the move. However, several muskets were captured during the attacks. Because of a lack of powder and ammunition, these were primarily loaded with birdshot and gravel.


 * -| Mid Range=

 Shotgun: 



A few shotguns were also acquired during the raids. These were mostly hunting shotguns taken from the homes of wealthy plantation owners. They provided a greater level of firepower than the muskets. Like with the muskets, these weapons were loaded with birdshot and other improvised projectiles due to a lack of proper ammunition.


 * -| Close Range=

 Hatchet: 



Nat Turner's slave militia was primarily armed with axes and hatchets as their main weaponry. These were in abundant supply as tools for the slaves, and they were able to employ them effectively in close-quarter surprise attacks on their victims. These usually had wider, blunter blades than axes of military design, so they usually better designed to deliver crushing and blunt trauma rather than cutting or hacking damage.


 * -| Special Weapons=

 Cane Knife: 



In a similar fashion to the hatchet, the cane knife would also have been a tool-turned-weapon readily available to a slave in the South. These weapons also enabled Turner's army to maintain relative silence while carrying out their attacks. They also offered tactical variety at close-quarters; while the hatchet was a better clubbing instrument, the cane knife's thinner blade was better for slashing and hacking attacks.

John Brown
"I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land can never be purged away but with blood. I had as I now think, vainly flattered myself that without very much bloodshed, it might be done."

- Nat Turner



John Brown was a militant abolitionist in Virginia who fervently believed that armed insurrection was the only way to combat slavery in the United States. After clashing with pro-slavery opponents during the fighting in Bleeding Kansas, he prepared for an assault on the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. This entailed recruitment and a meticulous stockpiling of weaponry before the attack. On October 16, 1859, Brown and several supporters cut the telegraph wire and successfully captured the arsenal. The popular slave uprising Brown had hoped to instigate never materialized, however. After fighting local townspeople who formed a militia to harass them, Brown's men were ultimately surrounded and defeated by US Marines led by Robert E. Lee. Brown was arrested and executed for his actions.

Weapons
|-| Long Range=

 Sharps Carbine: 



Brown and his men were well-equipped by the Massachusetts State Kansas Committee, a group organized to fund the free-state cause. This included around 200 Sharps carbines. These .52 caliber breech-loading rifles were accurate at a longer range, enabling Brown and his men to engage opponents at a distance.


 * -| Mid Range=

 Percussion Cap Pistol: 



The .31 caliber Maynard revolver was issued by the Massachusetts Arms Company to Brown and his men. It utilized a percussion cap tape roll (similar to the tape rolls used by toy cap guns). While Brown was ultimately issued with a couple hundred of these sidearms, they were not used during the Harpers Ferry raid because they were not equipped with the proper percussion caps. (However, for the purposes of this battle, the weapons will be properly equipped.)


 * -| Close Range=

 Pike: 



Surprisingly, the weapon that Brown ordered in the greatest quantities were 950 pikes, which he intended to issue to any men who joined his rebellion who did not have prior experience with firearms. These pikes had 10-inch double-edged blades attached to six-foot ash handles. These were bought quite cheaply, allowing Brown to purchase them in large numbers.


 * -| Special Weapons=



John Brown carried a Bowie knife with him during the raid on Harpers Ferry. It had a tortoise-shell handle with a steel blade. This was ultimately captured by J.E.B. Stuart after Brown's defeat.

X-Factors
|-| Combat Experience=

 Advantage: John Brown 

Brown had fought in several minor skirmishes during the 1856 Bleeding Kansas crisis. During this time, he attacked pro-slavery groups and participated in the battles of Black Jack and Osawatomie. This was, of course, followed up with the attack on Harpers Ferry. Nat Turner, alternately, had no prior combat experience when he launched his slave rebellion, and he was defeated immediately afterward, so had no subsequent experience.


 * -| Discipline=

 Advantage: John Brown 

While neither group was particularly well-trained, John Brown's militia attempted to practice drilling and other methods of training. Nat Turner's men were slaves and had no spare time to dedicate to excess preparation. In addition, while many of Brown's men were killed fighting at Harpers Ferry (although a few did flee), refusing to give ground, most of Nat Turner's forces were dispersed upon the arrival of a sizeable white militia.


 * -| Physicality=

 Advantage: Nat Turner 

Turner and his army were raised under extremely harsh conditions. As slaves, they worked in brutally taxing physical conditions. While the long-term effects of this lifestyle often resulted in debilitating injuries, illnesses, and premature death (especially when the violent treatment by white slaveowners is taken into consideration), Turner and his men were likely physically fit and capable, if not somewhat sore and tired. John Brown's militia was comprised of abolitionist Northerners who spent more time organizing funds and political gains than actual physical training.


 * -| Survivalism=

 Advantage: Nat Turner 

Nat Turner spent over a month hiding out in the woods after the defeat of his slave army, and many of his men scattered in a similar fashion. This, of course, is also enhanced by their harsh lifestyle. Brown and his men conducted more conventional campaigns centered around urban (or at least settled) areas, which were valuable logistical and political targets.


 * -| Fanaticism/Brutality=

 Advantage: Nat Turner 

This is a very close comparison. Both men were quite fanatical; Turner believed he was divinely chosen to lead the slaves to freedom, while Brown was a fierce militant abolitionist. However, while Brown was never afraid to become violent in his campaigns, Turner and his men actively used terror as a weapon as they campaigned through Virginia, slaughtering dozens of victims in close-quarters encounters. The highly personal and ruthless nature of these killings is what gives Turner the edge.

Battle
Will be 5-on-5.

Will take place as Nat Turner and his men assault John Brown's small outpost in the Virginia woods.

To be written.

Expert's Opinion
To be determined.