Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1859-09-17
AN EXCITING TINE IN LAFAYETTE

The "Moderators" Surrender
to the "Vi;yi1ants." -Tus Echo Of Lefa-
yette, (VormiIlionvIlle) Of the 10th, con-
,sius the following exciting intelligence
About ten days ago, the Vigilance
Committees of lis parish were informed
that a powerful and we'll organized band
Of d4speradoes, headed by All individual
named John Jonas, or john Baptiste
Ch'asson, and supposed to number
about three hundred men, were within
about twenty miles Of this place, aud
prepared TO give the vigi|auls battle
The committees Of ST.. Martin, VermiI-
hon, St. Lan.lry aud Ca!casieu, we've M
'ned'atc>y apprized of the Tact, and on
Saturday morning, the 81 Instant, each
was promptly A. the place previously
agreed upon rs a rendezvous. After the
necessary arrangements had been made,
The Vig1|ants, numbering about five
hundred 1uen, took up their line Of
march for the place where it was known
that the enemy would be found. AS
2l,ey marched along, two or three men
were taken prisoners, all armed with
doubIe-b .rreIed guns, which, lhsy said,
:hey carried with them t" shoot birds,
but on drawing the charges from their
guns, they were found to co tain bullets
INSTEAD OF shot.
About 10 o'clock, the Vigilants cs4np:
III sight Of the house Of one ElnlIion La
grange. where the de,p.ra'Ioes had for
lltied misunderstanding holes in the
walls Of the dwelling and all Of the out
houses. through which they intended to
IRE Oh the enemy. Wb"n the commit
tees got within Il short distance Of the
Of the for,iicati"ns, they halted aud pre-
pared to batter the buildings down, hav-
IA with them IA piece of cannon. bu
Just then they learned that there were
several women and children in the
dwelling house, which caused them To
hesitate about firing, not wishing u harm
them. As SOON Is the belIiger.nls saw
the canu"n pointed towards them, the,
beca,nc greatly confused, and the whole
number lett their forts, aud part Of them
ran off into the woods, pursued by a
company Of V'yilants. who overlook and
captured several of them. The balance
rem lined near the houses, but made ~
show OF resistance: a depulation Of
four men was sent to order their instant
surrender, which they promptly did,
each MAJ coming and delivering up bis
arms Seventy-ore were taken prison
ers, and it is supposed that about an
equal number made good their escape.
Their flag and ft,y-three double-barre|ed
guns fell into the hands of the VigiIant>,
with a number of pistols and
knives. One Of the leaders Of the des-
3eradoes, finding that all was lost, shot
himself through the head with his reve'-
thereby putting an end, with his
)wn hands. to his worthless life. This,
- t.- !. "o n..nL1 lnnrn, ,""a aha enIy
lie thai WAS lost,
As o as everything was Quoted, a
egular trial was gone into til. spot, aud
he whole number were condrmued to
ecelve the lash, and given iv, DAYS to
ave the State, under penalty of berg
ing it caught after the expiration OF !
lat time.
There is not least doubt but that a few
tbs unfortunate wretchrs above ,nen- /
one'l were misied by some b%!ack-hearl- '
| scounIFe's, who had induced them to y
:lIeye that The Governor had ordered G
EN-, III his proclamation, to oppose the !,
'g'Iants. and that, too, with arms in "
cir hands; bat most Of them were "
ere for mean, r"scal'y purpose. More a
tw"-;hIrIs f those captured had C
In amy way, been mo'sslsd by the u
mmittees. OF
From disclosures made by some des- I
1t Is evident that if they had
umphed over the committees, they
'uiI have excited the negroes II revolt. IT,
d God only knows what wouId have 10
'n the consequences. ar
How They FOUND lin "A short ~
since a vessel had loaded at St. ~
RVS Gcorgia, for a Northern port and ~.
she was really to sail, one Of the -
g OF negroes that loaded her was N
1t was suspected that he WAS ~
board. He had s.creIed himself under ~
torecastle floor, and the s%trictest scar -
among the cargo failed to show his hi q
9 place. In this extremity the in- we
cIor, who was in the forecastIe, re- par
'ked that the negro must be found if disc
vessel had to be burnt The poor ma,
key hearing the remark, and fearing Thu
he threat might be executed, called sdre,
"No, Marsa John, don't burnt de of a
e, dare's no igza here" This lee bee,