Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-06-19
Ne(ps Artitlts, 1t,
From the Columbus Times and Sentinel, June 6.
THE FLORENCE TRAGEDY.

GLENNvILLE, Ala, June 8, 1856
Messrs. Editors: Our community was thrown
into state of great excitement yesterday
evening by the receipt of intelligence of a
most bloody assault made by party of men
residing in the neighborhood of Jernigan on
number of citizens who were passing from
Florence, Ca, to their homes in this county.
The facts concerning this horrible outrage,
as nearly as we have been able to ascertain
them, are about these:
Tor some years, Matthew Averett, ST., has
been keeping ferry at Florence, on the
Chattahooche river, without charter from
the State of Georgia. In 1853, A. W. Hill,
Esq, of Florence, Ca, applied for and OBJ
tanned charter from Georgia, for ferry at
that place, and opened road on his own
land on this side of the river, leading into
the old Florence road, and stopped the road
leading from Averett's ferry on the Georgia
side, whereupon Averett erected toll gate
across the Florence road on the Alabama side,
and demanded and collected the same toll as
he would have received at the ferry.
The authority upon which Averett claims
the right to do this, is an order of the Com
missioner's Court of Barbour County, Ala
banla, granted to him in 1913, to erect toll
gate at the terminus of the Florence road
on the West side of the Chattahooche river,
and collect toll thereat, and forbids any per-
sou to interfere with said gate within one
half mile on either side up and down the
river. He has erected under this order
gate several hundred yards back from the
river just at the point where Hills road in
tersects the old road. Many persons have
paid toll and many have refused to do so,
but have removed the obstruction and passed.
The matter has been agitated for some time,
and the citizens on both sides of the river
have become very much excited, and have
repeatedly torn down the gate. On yester-
day several of Avcrett's relatives and his
overscer armed themselves with double bar
rel guns and proceeded to the gate to guard
it, and prevent persons from passing without
paying toll. The names of said l Understand
to be VIM. Cliatt, Jno. McClendon, VIM.
NcClendon, Jas. McClendon, Wilson B.
Avcrett, +. d. Averett, and - Miles, the
overseer Upon their arrival they secrcted
themselves behind fence in the adjoining
field. Soon after they arrived there, Ma
thaniel Roach, with his little son five years
old, Robert Warlick, Samuel Driggers and
a man named Sykes, arrived at the gate and
were about to pass through, when the men
fired on them from their place of conceal
ment. At the first fire Mr.. Roach's little
boy was wounded in the neck and body
supposed to be mortally wounded. Sykes
was also shot down, mortally wounded
Roach, in cndcavoring to save his child by
holding his own back to them, received a
great many shots, and isseverely hurt War
lick was wounded dangerously. Driggers
was shot in the arm, but not dangerously
Driggers was the only man in the attacked
party armed, and his gun would not 60 off
until too late to do any good.
| You can better imagine, than we can des-
cribe, the excitement which prevails after
such shocking outrage. The officer, with
pass, is in search of the offenders, and an
ticipates some trouble in arresting them
All arc well armed, andAlEould they resist,
more blood will be shcdsThe community
will see that the law is executed. The facts
above stated we believe to be true, as they
have been gathered from the most reliable
sources. If anything more happens will
let you know. a FRIEND TO ORDER
p. S. Glennville, June 8, IL o'clock, a.
H. A letter has just been received by J..
NJ. White, Esq, from Florence, Ca, stating
that five more men on arriving at Hills ferry
got into the fiat to cross the river. Soon
after they had pushed out into the stream,