The intention was to divide into three columns: one to
attack the penitentiary which was being used as an arsenal, another to
capture the powder house, and a third to attack the city itself. If
the citizens would not surrender, the rebels planned to kill all of
the whites with the exception of Quakers, Methodists, and Frenchman.
Apparently, Prosser and his followers shared a deep distrust of most
white men. When they had gathered a large supply of guns and powder,
and taken over the state's treasury, the rebels calculated, they would
be able to hold out for several weeks. What they hoped for was that
slaves from the surrounding territory would join them and, eventually,
that the uprising would reach such proportions as to compel the whites
to come to terms with them.
Unfortunately for the plotters, on the day of the insurrection a
severe storm struck Virginia, wiping out roads and bridges. This
forced a delay of several days. In the meantime, two slaves betrayed
the plot, and the government took swift action. Thirty-five of the
participants, including Prosser, were executed.
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