10 
ST. HELENA. 
noise in a dungeon built underground in the fort for the purpose of 
securing “ villinous and desperat blacks.” Governor J ohnson was a 
remarkably early riser, and at daylight in the morning when he 
came out in his “ gowne and slippers,” according to custom, to give 
the keys to the sergeant of the guard, he was forcibly seized by 
Jackson and several others well armed ; doubtless they intended 
putting him also into the dungeon alive, but, on the Governor 
resisting, three of the party fired at and hit him in the head, 
mortally wounding him, but at the same time wounding Jackson in 
the arm. Having so far succeeded, the determination and cruelty of 
these ruffians became unbounded; they hurriedly disposed of the 
wounded Governor by throwing him into the guard house, but in 
order to quiet his wife, who had been aroused by the noise, they 
permitted her, with the assistance of two negro women, to drag his 
body upstairs to her own bedroom. The surgeon whom they had 
taken from the dungeon to dress Jackson’s wound, was permitted by 
them, after they were well assured of the impossibility of his 
recovery, to visit the Governor, who died that night. The next act 
of these murderers was to secure all the roadways by which intelli- 
gence might penetrate to the country, all soldiers from the garrison 
who came to the fort being cast into the dungeon where they already 
had fifty prisoners ; others being sent to spike the guns overlooking 
the anchorage, while the ringleaders went into the Governor’s closet 
and brought away all the treasure, the whole party proceeding with 
it on board of a ship named Francis and Mary , then lying in the 
roads, taking with them also the Lieutenant-Governor and several 
others, who, with the master of the vessel, they retained as their 
prisoners for the purpose of exchange, in order to procure the 
necessary supplies for their intended voyage. They sent one of their 
pai'ty on shore to intimate their intention of killing the prisoners 
unless their demand was complied with, and so they obtained 
provisions, exchanging their prisoners for them, at a spot half way 
between the ship and the shore, where they were beyond the range 
of the fort guns. Thus did these daring villains carry out their 
carefully planned scheme and escape no one knew whither. On 
shore a vei’y chaos of excitement succeeded. The Lieutenant- 
Governor, Captain Richard Keelinge, took the reins of Government ; 
but the success of this plot spread the spirit of insubordination 
throughout the colony, and he had greatly to exercise his ability to 
