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        <title><emph>Dying Confession of Pomp, A Negro Man, Who Was Executed at Ipswich, on the 6th August, 1795, for Murdering Capt. Charles Furbush, of Andover, Taken from the Mouth of the Prisoner, and Penned by Jonathan Plummer, Jun.:</emph>
Electronic Edition.</title>
        <author>Pomp, d. 1795</author>
        <author>Plummer, Jonathan, 1761-1819.</author>
        <respStmt>
          <resp>Text transcribed by</resp>
          <name>Libby Chenault, Andrea Rosenberg, and Elizabeth S. Wright</name>
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          <name id="ns">Elizabeth S. Wright</name>
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        <edition>First edition, <date>2004</date></edition>
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        <publisher>University Library, UNC-Chapel Hill</publisher>
        <pubPlace>University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, </pubPlace>
        <date>2004.</date>
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          <p>© This work is the property of the University of North Carolina 
at Chapel Hill. It may be used freely by individuals for research, teaching and personal use as long as this statement of availability is included in the text.</p>
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          <titleStmt>
            <title type="title page"> Dying Confession of Pomp, A Negro Man, Who Was Executed at Ipswich, on the 6th August, 1795, for Murdering Capt. Charles Furbush, of Andover, Taken from the Mouth of the Prisoner, and Penned by Jonathan Plummer, Jun.</title>
            <author>Pomp</author>
            <author>Jonathan Plummer, Jun.</author>
          </titleStmt>
          <extent>1 p.</extent>
          <publicationStmt>
            <pubPlace>[Newburyport, Mass.]</pubPlace>
            <publisher>[Jonathan Plummer]</publisher>
            <publisher>[Blunt and March]</publisher>
            <date>[1795]</date>
            <authority/>
          </publicationStmt>
          <notesStmt>
            <note anchored="yes">Call number BR 910.42 1792 (Peabody Essex Museum)</note>
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typographical errors have been preserved, and appear in red type.</p>
        <p>This electronic edition has been transcribed from a digital image supplied by the Peabody Essex Museum and a microcard image in the collection <hi rend="italics">Early American Imprints, 1639-1800</hi>. </p>
        <p>The long s, which was used routinely in eighteenth-century English printing, but which looks like an f to today's reader, has been printed as an s in  this electronic edition.</p>
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            <item>African American criminals -- Massachusetts -- Andover -- Biography.</item>
            <item>African American criminals -- Massachusetts -- Andover.</item>
            <item>African Americans -- Massachusetts -- Andover -- Biography.</item>
            <item>Executions and executioners -- Massachusetts -- Ipswich.</item>
            <item>Furbush, Charles, 1736-1795.</item>
            <item>Last words.</item>
            <item>Murder -- Massachusetts -- Andover.</item>
            <item>Pomp, d. 1795.</item>
            <item>Slavery -- Early works to 1800.</item>
            <item>Slaves -- Massachusetts -- Andover -- Biography.</item>
            <item>Slaves' writings, American -- Massachusetts -- Andover.</item>
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        <date>2004-09-15, </date>
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    <front>
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    <body>
      <div1 type="section">
        <head>Dying Confession<lb/>
of<lb/>
POMP,<lb/>
A NEGRO MAN, who was executed at IPSWICH, on the 6th August, 1795,<lb/>
<hi rend="italics">For Murdering Capt.</hi> CHARLES FURBUSH, <hi rend="italics">of Andover, taken from the mouth of the Prisoner, </hi><gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/><hi rend="italics">enned</hi><lb/>
BY JONATHAN PLUMMER, JUN.</head>
        <div2 type="pomp's confession">
          <p>I POMP now under sentence of death in
Ipswich Jail, was born in <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/>nea, and 
brought from that place, so soon after I
began my existence, that together with
my Parents, I arrived at Boston when I 
was about three months old. My Father died
soon after and my Mother has since had two husbands,
and is now a widow. I have three sisters
and three brothers now living in Boston, for
whom <sic corr="as">a</sic> well as for my Mother I have a great
regard.</p>
          <p>My Mother soon after our arrival in this
Country gave me away to Mr. Abbot of Andover.
With this Gentleman I lived till I was 
sixteen years of age, but he being then on the 
point of moving back into the country some distance,
told me if I chose it that I might then 
live with one of his sons, who was still to reside
in Andover. I took up with his offer: choosing
rather to continue in Andover, than to accompany
my old master, to his new abode.</p>
          <p>With young Mr. Abbot I lived not long, before
I grew uneasy with the place. I told him
that I meant to leave him soon, but he informed
me that I was not free. About this time I
was seized with convulsion fits which continued to 
oppress me at times ever after, to the fatal night
that I murdered Capt. Furbush. Continuing
still unreconciled to the new place, I went to the
Select men of Andover to know whether I had
not a right to leave it, and by their advice continued
there a considerable time longer. But
after a while it came to pass that Capt. Furbush
took a notion to have a black man; and applying 
to the Select men, obtained their consent that
I should be his servant. In compliance with the
wishes <gap reason="illegible" extent="approx. 30 characters"/>
him; but soon found that I did not like him
any better than the man with whom I had last
lived. Furbush had a considerable farm and 
when I first began to live with him did some 
work himself, but I did not like the way he carried
on his business, and after a while he left off
work entirely, and by my desire left the whole
management of the farm to me. I performed
nearly all the work that was done on the place, 
cut all the hay, and with a trifle of help from
the boy, whom my master desired to <sic corr="assist">asist</sic>  me a
few days in a season, raised an hundred and seventy
bushels of corn in a year. But my master
still continued unkind to me, never letting me
go to meeting on Sundays, and forcing me to
clear out the cattle on those sacred days. When
I asked him for money, he commonly gave me
no more than four pence half peny, at a time:
and even on Election day he gave me no more,
nor would he suffer me on those days to go to 
frolicing till after one o'clock in the afternoon.</p>
          <p>Though I did the best that I was able to do
on the farm, my master was so far from seconding
my endeavors, that he often brought whole
droves of horses home with him in the night, and
turned them in among the standing corn, that I
had taken so much pains to plant, and hoe, and
on the succeeding mornings he would charge 
me with the guilt of turning these horses into
the corn field. In this way he often caused
corn enough to be broken down in one night to
fat a hog, and keep him fat a whole winter. I
thought I found that he was a bad man, and a 
cheating horse jockey, and finally being unable
to like him, I ran away from him, but was pursued,
found, brought back, and severely flogged,
by him for my pains. I afterwards ran off again
but again met with the same fate. In this manner
I went on ten or a dozen years, not liking
my place, and not able to get away from it. I 
was frequently troubled with convulsion fits and 
sometimes crazy in such a degree, that I was
generally bolted in to a chamber every night, in
order to hinder me from getting into the chamber
where my masters daughters slept. I worked
very hard all the time. My master had one
<sic corr="weakly">weakle</sic> son who was unable to work, and who often
shed tears while he saw me labor and told me
that he wished he was able to help me. I told 
him that perhaps I should contrive something
after a while but did not explain myself. Continuing
still uneasy I thought I would try once
more the benefit of my legs. I accordingly ran
off, but after a weeks absence, I was again
brought back by my master, stripped naked, tied
up by both hands, and unmercifully flogged.
This was in the evening, and though it was late
in the fall, and cold, frosty, icy weather, my 
master left me thus naked, and tied up, till the
morning. My sufferings during the tedious
hours of this lengthy night, by reason of cold
and nakedness, a sore back and wounded spirits,
were extremely great, and while under this torture,
I thought it likely that my master would
sometime or other feell the effect of his cruelty.
My conjectures were so far right that it was the
last time, that Furbush ever struck me.</p>
          <p>My master used to tell me I might stay as
long as I pleased at his house, adding that he
should not stay in the world forever. From this
I entertained an idea that Mrs. Furbush and the
farm would be mine, after the death of my master.
The hopes of being master, husband and owner,
on one hand, and the cruel treatment I 
had received from Furbush on the other, prompted 
me to wish for his death and produced an
idea of hastening <gap reason="illegible" extent="15-20 characters"/> by <gap reason="illegible" extent="8 characters"/>
him myself.</p>
          <p>In this state of mind the morning of the fatal
day arrived. I arose considerably disordered
having a great singing noise in the ears, and 
something whispering strange things to me I
however went about my work as usual, cut up 
bushes all the day, near where there was another
man to work but revealed nothing concerning 
my designs to him, at night went home, eat a 
beef steak for supper, and went to bed. Soon
after I was seized with a fit, bit my tongue almost
through, and after coming out of the fit,
was delirious. I continued not long after this
in bed, being impressed with an idea that I must
get up and kill Capt. Furbush. The Lord a 
massy! said I to myself what is a going to take
place now! The door of my chamber not being
bolted as usual, I left my apartment and went
down to the fire place. I was struck with horror
by my reflections; but something still kept 
whispering in my ear, that now is your time! 
kill him now! now or never! now! now! I took
an axe and went softly into the bed room of my 
master, and the moon shining bright, distinguished
him from my mistress, I raised the ax before
he awaked and at two blows, I so effectually did
the job for him, that he never after even stretched
himself.</p>
          <p>My mistress being roused from sleep by the 
sound of the blows, said are you dead you? But
receiving no answer she immediately left the bed,
and called in a near neighbor. I did not try to 
escape not knowing that there was any necessity
of it. I was told that I had but to go up to my 
chamber, I went there and perceived that somebody
had bolted the door after me. Company soon
began to croud into the house, and I was soon
told that I should certainly be hanged. I was
now very much frighted, <sic corr="and">nnd</sic> expected to be
hung immediately, but my grief wore off considerably 
w<gap reason="illegible" extent="4 to 5 characters"/> found that I was not to be hung
there. I <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 4 characters"/>soon brought to this Jail, and here
enjoy mys<gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 4 characters"/>considerable well, though at Court 
time I <gap reason="illegible" extent="5 to 7 characters"/> ry unhappy, and now some times,
the idea <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/> I have no friends, makes me dull.</p>
          <p>The Ministers have been kind to me here, and
I believe they are clever people: Mr. Stanniford
too the Ja<gap reason="illegible" extent="2 characters"/> keeper is kind and humane, and his
wife and daughters clever people and pretty women.
(t <gap reason="illegible" extent="5 to 7 characters"/> ndantly amiable ladies he ought to 
have said <gap reason="illegible" extent="2 to 4 characters"/> whole family are clever folks.<corr sic="no punctuation">)</corr>
The Ministers have told me to pray to God, and
to the blood of Christ, for a new heart. I approve
of <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/> advice, and spend great part of
my time in <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/>ayer, even ten or twenty times in 
a day I p<gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 4 characters"/> though I find it hard work, I do
not howe<gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 4 characters"/> find fault with the hardness of the 
task, for <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/> ieve it has been attended with great
success. I have good hopes that I have got a 
new hear<gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/> the one that I used to have, used
to ache <gap reason="illegible" extent="1 word"/>d, but the one I now have feels easy.
I never <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/> so well and hearty in my life as I 
now am, <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/> fits and lunacy have left me entirely
 <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/> hope to behave cleverly and graciously
in this world.
</p>
          <p>I have prayed so much, that I have got all the
minister's <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/> of praying and am not afraid to 
pray with <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/> black coated man on the Continent.
I <gap reason="illegible" extent="2 to 3 characters"/>d make a very extraordinary priest,
and inde<gap reason="illegible" extent="2 to 3 characters"/> am turning very fast into one.
When I <gap reason="illegible" extent="5 to 7 characters"/> here, I was as black as any negro
in the country, but now I have scarcely a 
drop of negro blood left in me, my blood having
so far <gap reason="illegible" extent="2 to 3 characters"/>ed into the blood of a Minister, that 
I am a<gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/>y nearly as white as a Mulatto.
Minist<gap reason="illegible" extent="7 to 10 charcters"/>  people and they can turn 
<gap reason="illegible" extent="20 to 30 characters"/></p>
        </div2>
        <div2 type="section">
          <p><hi rend="italics">Some acc</hi><gap reason="illegible" extent="2 to 3 words"/><hi rend="italics"> the hapless POMP with some reflections</hi>
<gap reason="illegible" extent="3 or more words"/><hi rend="italics"> fate by </hi>J. PLUMMER, Jun.</p>
        </div2>
        <div2 type="Plummer's Reflections">
          <p>POOR POMP was a well made, considerable
large, likely looking Negro. 
<gap reason="illegible" extent="1 to 2 characters"/>e was very capable of contriving
business on a farm, and such was his
strength and industry, that besides
the <gap reason="illegible" extent="6 to 8 characters"/> which he received for his labour,
Capt. Furbush could very well have afforded
him 50 dollars per year—With such wages, or
even with half that salary he might soon have 
acquired money enough to purchase 50 acres of 
excellent <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/> land, and to have enabled him to 
clear and improve the same—In that situation
some unfortunate white woman might possibly have
sought <gap reason="illegible" extent="2 to 3 characters"/> assylum in his arms, or at least the
likelie <gap reason="illegible" extent="8 to 10 characters"/>to girl that fell within the line of
his ac<gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 6 characters"/>nce would have sprung like nimble 
doe <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 5 characters"/> his marriage bed—The animating 
sweets of freedom, and of domestic life, had then 
been all his own—He would neither have sullied
his hands with innocent blood, nor have been
forced with unutterable woe, to breathe his last
in a h<gap reason="illegible" extent="4 to 6 characters"/>. But alas! instead of running this
happy course, for want of understanding, and 
skill <gap reason="illegible" extent="8 to 10 characters"/> him, to wife and laudable pursuits,
we have seen him experience the sad reverse.
</p>
          <p>I ha<gap reason="illegible" extent="2 to 3 characters"/> endeavored to preserve the ideas of 
poor Pomp, in the above speech, though I have 
taken the liberty to arrange the matter in my own
way, <gap reason="illegible" extent="4 to 5 characters"/> to word his thoughts more elegantly
and <gap reason="illegible" extent="7 to 10 characters"/> than he was able to express them.
As to <gap reason="illegible" extent="7 to 10 characters"/> said of something telling him to 
kill his <gap reason="illegible" extent="7 to 10 characters"/>er, I believe it to be a falsehood of 
his ow<gap reason="illegible" extent="7 to 10 characters"/>hing contrived by him to excuse 
his conduct, but as to the rest of his speech, I
fancy that he believed it himself; though in several
particulars he was pretty much mistaken.
His <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 4 characters"/> capacity was below the common
pitch, and his understanding was undoubtedly 
considerably injured by convulsion fits, though 
his parts were vastly superior to those of an ideot.
But for a rational being his mental improvements
were extremely small; though when we consider
the situation that he has lived in, this is not so
very strange as we at first should think it. He
lived either alone in the field, in bed, or in the 
kitchen of some people, who were too much
above him to be his associates: and probably
was never learned to read—There were few Negroes
in Andover or any where near him, and 
all there was were unlearned people. From
whom then or in what manner was it in his power
to gain knowledge? 'Tis true that he had
some intercourse with his white neighbours, but 
very little that was profitable for instruction;-- 
the discourse generally turning on domestic business,
the raising country produce, the age, and 
strength, of oxen, and horses, the bulling of
cows, or the lambing of sheep.— Of knowledge 
like this Pomp had a large stock. He knew
all his master's cattle, sheep, and hogs, and pretty
exactly the age of each creature: and likewise
the horses and oxen of many of his neighbours: 
could tell when such a particular cow of a certain
neighbour had been bulled, and when his
sow had pigged; but no man thought it worth his
while to talk much upon other matters with him,
nor would he have been much pleased with the 
discourse had it been otherwise. He knew not
the names of the Seven Sciences, nor even that
there were such things or names—knew nothing
of ancient or modern history, nor even the late
revolution in France, or the consequences of it
so often rung through the universe—So little <gap reason="illegible" extent="30 to 60 characters"/>
ears—Of philosophy <gap reason="illegible" extent="15 characters"/>, geography,
good breeding, honor, politics, <gap reason="illegible" extent="2 to 3 characters"/> he never
heard, or heard with little attention, and less improvement—
To crown his ignorance he lost his 
life by not knowing that murder was a sin: he
expecting that he should immediately rise to a
good estate and great felicity whenever he should 
be fortunate enough to kill his master. He 
knew nothing of the Laws of the United States
or of this Commonwealth; and after the murder
when he was told that he would be hung, he
dreamed nothing of any previous imprisonment
or trial: when he heard the sentence of death in
Court, he expected to be hung the same hour
but finding he was not to be executed that day,
he conceived hopes that he never should be. He
had seen others and been himself corrected in anger.
He had observed that whenever his master
was angry with him he either flogged immediately,
or he for that time escaped correction,
and that after the wrath of his master had
subsided there was no danger. He thought the
People of Andover and the Court at Ipswich
would hang him in the same angry frame of 
mind, that his master used to flog him in, or that
they would not hang him at all: he having no
idea of the calm, but irrefutable ire, the deliberate, 
but vindictive, vengeance of the offended Justice,
and of Heaven.
</p>
          <p>N. B. The reader will take notice that I do
not attest to the truth of Pomp's dying speech,
but I affirm that he related to me as matters of
fact the particulars <gap reason="illegible" extent="4 or 5 characters"/>ted in this speech—
Unfortunately for me <gap reason="illegible" extent="3 to 4 characters"/> Jail keeper was absent
when I visited the prisoner,<gap reason="illegible" extent="15 to 20 characters"/>on
his name does not appear a <gap reason="illegible" extent="4 to 5 characters"/>tness: his lady
was present, but perceiving that she was rather
timorous, I did not trouble her with a request
to be a witness; though I believe she will readly,
orally attest to the truth of it. </p>
        </div2>
        <div2 type="advertisement">
          <p>Printed for and sold by JONATHAN PLUMMER, JUN. price 6d, who still continues to <gap reason="illegible" extent="4 to 5  characters"/> various branches of trifling business—Underbeds filled with straw and wheeled to the ladies doors — Any person wanting a few dollars at any time may be supplied by leaving a proper adequate in pawn—Wanted 1000 junk bottles.</p>
          <p>A certain secret disorder cured privately and expeditiously— Love-letters in prose and verse furnished on the shortest notice—The art of gaining the object beloved reasonably taught— </p>
          <lg type="verse">
            <l>Nymphs and swains bow'd down with care</l>
            <l>By cupid wounded to the heart,</l>
            <l>Quick, O quick to me repair</l>
            <l>For soon I ease the dreadful smart. </l>
          </lg>
          <signed>J. P. </signed>
        </div2>
      </div1>
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