American Watchman And Delaware Advertiser

The following extract of a letter from a gentleman in Charleston, to the editors of the New-York Gazette, is published as giving a faithful account of the rise and progress of the late contemplated rebellion of the blacks in Charleston:

"As you will have heard, ere this reaches you, of a conspiracy in this place among the blacks against the whites, I think proper, as it is now no longer a secret, to state to you the facts as far as they have come to my knowledge.

It is now four or five weeks since I first heard a whisper that an insurrection of the blacks was to be apprehended. At first but little attention was paid by the citizens generally to this rumor, but it kept gaining ground by whispers and hints from one to another, till it was known that our City Council had the information from some faithful blacks, which placed it beyond a doubt, that a secret conspiracy was going on, which would very soon, if the conspirators were not apprehended, break out in an insurrection.

The City Council kept it pretty much to themselves, till they apprehended a number of suspicious slaves, as well as many whose guilt was beyond suspicion. No one, I believe, of the citizens, ever thought that the blacks could possibly succeed, were they really to begin to put their nefarious designs into execution, but that they would take some lives; and this would be but a signal for a general massacre of the poor devils.

The military were all armed, and out every night—this is still kept up.

A court, consisting of five Freeholders, was organized, being men of talents, and the strictest integrity, to try such as were and might be apprehended. Recently, the ringleader, a free black fellow, has been caught, and the Court, after having acquitted several, passed sentence of death on him and five slaves, who are to be executed next Tuesday, their guilt having been proved beyond the shadow of a doubt. They were all of them leading characters or principals. It is said that they have, or some of them have, acknowledged their object to have been the murder of the white males, the taking of the ladies for their wives, and the plunder of the city: and instead of appearing to feel any contrition, they expressed their regret that they could not have executed their designs. They will not give the names of any of their accomplices.

These are the generally credited reports which are said to come from head quarters, and I have not a doubt are pretty nearly true. It is also generally believed that they intended first to set fire to the city in different places They were to have commenced carrying their infernal plot into execution last Sunday evening two weeks ago, but the city council having been timely apprized of it, had nearly all the militia of the city out under arms that very night, and even the night before for some said it was to have been on Saturday night, so that they were deterred from making the attempt—Every day seems to discover more and more of the extent of the plot. or rather of the number of those who were to have been actors in the tragedy.

Two or three nights since, a white man said to have been an old pirate, was apprehended by the Intendant of the city. Information that such a man was inciting some blacks to an insurrection, had been given him by a black fellow, who proposed conducting him into an apartment in the house where this man was in the habit of meeting those blacks as their counsellor. It was in this manner that he was taken after having been overheard in hellish counsel, by the Intendant and another gentleman It seems doubtful whether the law will allow this monster to be punished as he deserves.

Yesterday a gentleman had his coachman apprehended, as one of the conspirators, and it is said that this monster has since acknowledged it to his master.

There are many reports going the rounds, which are not to be relied on; but what I have heard stated I believe to be true."