It is now thought that the most likely cause was a supply of a new form of matches that unfortunately were prone to burst into flames when stored in a hot environment. The high temperature that day was 105 degrees. Similar fires erupted the same afternoon in neighboring towns.
Fearful residents thought it was a wide-ranging conspiracy to rebel. City leaders gathered to form a “Vigilance Committee.” They blamed two preachers from the north for instigating the event, and sought to arrest them. Without evidence, they determined that three enslaved men were the ringleaders, Patrick Jennings, Sam Smith, and “Uncle” Cato. They were hanged near the banks of the river at the location now known as Martyrs Park. All of the enslaved people in the county were punished as a warning, and stricter rules to limit their travel and communication were instituted.
