 In 1830, Joseph Travis purchased Turner, and Turner later recalled that he was "a kind master" who had "placed the greatest confidence in" him.Turner eagerly anticipated God's signal to "slay my enemies with their own weapons".He witnessed a solar eclipse on February 12, 1831 and was convinced that it was the sign for which he was waiting, so he started preparations for an uprising against the white enslavers of Southampton County by purchasing muskets.