Slavery in America was one of the darkest chapters in its history, built on violence, fear, and dehumanization. Plantation owners relied on terror to maintain control over the enslaved, and fear was their most powerful weapon. Enslaved people who disobeyed were subjected to cruel punishments designed to break their spirits and serve as warnings to others, and much of that cruelty was carried out by overseers. Whippings that left deep scars, starvation, or isolation were common. But for those who dared to fight back—especially by harming a white man—the punishments were far more extreme.
On Calvin Smith’s plantation in Mississippi, this system of brutality was on full display. Calvin Smith was one of the wealthiest planters in the region, owning vast fields and dozens of enslaved africans whose labour funded his riches. To keep his plantation running efficiently, Smith hired overseers like Bird Carter. Overseers were notorious for their cruelty, using whips, chains, and other punishments to force enslaved people to work as hard as possible. Bird Carter was no exception—he was known for being merciless, a man who took pleasure in inflicting pain on those who could not fight back.
Life on Calvin Smith’s plantation was grueling. Smith, one of the richest planters in the state, built his fortune on the labour of enslaved Africans who worked under brutal conditions. Overseers like Bird Carter enforced this system, ruling through fear and violence. On this plantation, resistance was dangerous, but for one enslaved African man named Ben, it was inevitable.
Ben reached his breaking point and could no longer endure Carter’s cruelty. Details of Ben’s life remain undocumented, as is often the case with the voiceless victims of slavery, but his resistance to Carter’s cruelty led to an act that would seal his fate—he killed Bird Carter, the overseer. While the exact circumstances leading to this event remain unclear, it is easy to imagine the unbearable torment and oppression Ben must have endured to be driven to such a decisive and dangerous action.
The punishment for Ben’s act was unimaginably cruel, swift and merciless. Calvin Smith and the governing authorities of the plantation orchestrated an execution designed to strike fear into the hearts of every enslaved person, ensuring that no one else would dare to follow in his footsteps.
A cask (barrel) was constructed specially for Ben, it was carefully measured to fit Ben’s body, narrowing to the size of his head and feet. Spike nails were then driven into the interior of the cask, with their sharp points spaced three inches apart. Ben was then placed inside this nightmarish cask, which was rolled down a steep hill. As it tumbled downward, the nails shredded Ben’s flesh, reducing his body to what witnesses described as “a perfect jelly.” By the time the cask reached the bottom of the hill, there was little left of the man who had dared to strike back against the oppressive system. In one final act of cruelty, the cask was opened, and what was left of Ben’s body was thrown into a river, erasing him as if he had never existed.
This spine-chilling execution was not about revenge at all, but about terrifying every enslaved person and ensuring no one would dare to act as he did.
Ben’s story, though deeply tragic, is also one of courage. His act of rebellion, though it cost him his life, showed that even in a system designed to crush the human spirit, resistance was possible.
Source:
The Narrative of James Roberts, a Soldier Under Gen. Washington in the Revolutionary War, and Under Gen. Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans (1858)
