The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-01-25
The late ARRAY in Winn Parish, La

! calhoun, IS perhaps 0t Sullclett luipoft'i4Ie
entitle it to place in the columns OF your Pa
per. We therefore give you the Partlcu'ar'
as we are informed:
About four years ago family by the nam
of Peavy settled in the pine woods IN the rea
| of Mr.. Caihoun's and j. A. Bynum's planta
tions They soon commenced trading VII
the negroes OF the neighborhood, also KILN
the stock which ranged in the vicinity OF thei
settlement They hae, as was SAID, heel
driven from tho parish Of jackson Tor thel
theft and plunder. Accordingly, three year
ago, citizens told them that they must ieay
the neighborhood They did not fight on thi
occasion, as there were only four lighting mel
of their crowd but they promised to leave
Some time afterwards they did leave, but set
tied on Rocky Bayou, within few hundred
yards of the upper end Of Dir, Calhailn's UP
per plantation. Here they have lived eve
since, increasing in strength By matrimonial
alliances and otherwise, until sufficiently
strong, as they thought. They not on,y hyec
in continual violation, but in boasted detianc,
of the laws, trading with negroes and stealIn;
generally through the country. One oftheu
had married the daughter of Richard DAVIS
Of this parish. This one, short time since
was advised by his father-in law, who fur
nished him with money, to enter the land il
his (Dayls') neighborhood, on which man by
the name of Gorham had settled. Another
son in law of Davis, by the name of Waters
(who was killed in the late afray, also entered
land in the same neighborhOod, and com
menccd building house. The whole number
of this lawless band was now about fifteen
and they openly bid defiance to the law and
everything that might oppose them. They
threatened some Of the best citizens with in
eyitablc death, and the whole country with
Calhoun's negroes. There was general feel
ing Of anxiety and uneasiness felt by all. To
cap the climax, on the night OF the 20th ol
December, a company OF eight Of them went
to the house Of one Of the neighbors, and
drove the lady of the house from her bed OF
accouehemcnt, and destroyed considerable
portion Of their furniture and othtr effects
In her weak and enleebled condition this wo-
man had to stay nearly half the night in the
woods, in rain and sleet till these demons left
her house. Forbearance had now ceased to
be virtue. Accordingly, runners were sent
to different neighborhoods to call on all good
citizens to unite and drive them from the
On Friday, the 23l nit, they had about
forty men, but owing to some misunderstood
ing the attack WAS not made On that day
This gave the Peavy crowd time to prepare
for them. 4 man named Brown left the citi-
zens' party on Friday evening, and gave infor-
nation Of all that was going on. The Peayy
crowd had therefore twenty four hours to p-e-
pare for the fight. Though they lad only
seven men in the fight, these fought with say-
age desperation.
About four o'clock on Saturday Il citizens
in sight but on the opposite side Of
the bayou. There were forty three of them,
some armed with rifles, others with double
barreled shot guns. So soon as the citizens
appeared in sight, the Peavys hoi>tod red
flag, and with savage yells and horrible impre-
cations deffed all whom they saw. dost Of
them had two guns each. The citizens had
divided their company into two parties SO as
to attac!i in front and rear The Peavys left
their houses and came fearlessly forth to meet
their opposers. So soon as the citizens ap-
Bearing IN front assembled hill about hun
ired and twenty yards from where the Pea
Ty's bad taken their position, fire with rifles
was Immediately opened upon them. Two
men, John Hersen and Huston, each received
1 rifle ball in his thigh and fell The women
now discovered the rear party and screamed
the alarm. Most Of the Peavy crowd turned
and ran to meet their new opposers. They
fred as soon as they got near enough and enc
man named David Collins received a rifle ball
in his thigh. So soon as the first fire was
made on the front party, they charged upon
the assailed, and one man of the assailed, Wa
ters, (Davis's son -in-law,) fell MORALLY wound
ed having received in his breast two rifle balls.
The firing was now general. Old Arch Pea
w, having shot two guns, was himself dan
gerously wounded, a rife ball having fractur-
ed his thigh, while several buckshot took ec-
feet in his body. 4 man by the name of
having received two rifle balls, fed
Bill Peavy was so wounded as to be unable
to get away, and it is supposed was dragged
in the house by the women during the fight,
as he was not seen on the ground The 9TH
ers of the Peayy crowd escaped, and it is not
known whether any Of them, except Ander-
son Peavy, were wounded or not Murphy
ran about quarter of mile in the woods
and fell. He was found dead next morning.
About the end of the fight n Griffin received
/ rifle shot in his right side. Thus ended the
bloody affray.
Tn. wounded Of citizens were carried to
W
ID surgical aid. No one went to attend the
at Peavy's till Monday night, when
DR.. Anderson, more than fifty hours after the
light, dressed old Peary's wound. He found
1im lying on dirt floor, in dirt and filth,
With the same bloody clothes he had on when
wounded. One rifle ball and twelve shot had
struck the abandoned reprobate The Doctor
iressed his wounds, had clean clothes put on
hin, and left him. @
In this fight no man was shot in the back
This shows the courage of both parties.
We understand that there was general
ceiling of insuboriination in some of Cal
loun's negro quarters; and that the negros
their confident belief that the citi-
.ens would be whipped.
In Peavy's store room were found beef hides
With different brands, whisky sugar, moiasses,
,orn, shucked, unshucked and shellcd
Here the matter at present stands. The
oeayys that have been wounded promise to
cave. The citizens are determined to drive
heir band from the country. ALPHA
p. S.-Since writing the above, one Of the
Peavy party who was engaged in the aiiray, a
nan by the name of Carlisle, brother-in-law
O Bill Peayy, has come in, given himself up.
o the citizens party, and made voluntary con-
ession to the effect that the various charges
Ilieged against the Peayys are true. He says
positively that portion of Calhoun's negroes
,ad been engaged, and paid, to assist Anderson
peayy in dispossessing Gorham, and turning
I'm ont Of house and home To what extent
he negroes were to be employed against the
white settlers, we did not understand further
han above stated.
He. the said Carlisle, alias Butler, also says
hat the aforsaid Richard Davis was parttceps
;,ia,i,ais in all their transaction that ne not
,nly knew their mode of gaining subsistence.
vas dishonest, by trading with negroes, &c,
,ut that he approved of it, and counseled and
ldyised them in it. The public eye had long
,een directed to and fixed uptn this man, but
,uspicion marked him as vallain. For
one time he acted cautiously but for the last
ew wears he has become more and more fear
ess in his aggresions upon tn, rights of per-
IONS and property, till he feels himself sufiic-
emily strong to bid defiance to the country.
when he boldly proclains hisintention tohave
i neighborhood of outlaws and thieves
The outrage committed on the night OF the
10Th ultimo, by driving from her bed q woman
and enfeebled by confinement and
her to stay in the woods in rain
md sleet, was only beginning of ruthless
career that was to drive all peaceab'e and
peace lowing citizens from that section ofcoun-
.ry where Davis was to have neighborhood
If his own. Under the then existing circum-
stances no mans family was safe. But one
of two alternatives was left. They must
ABANDON their homes in disgrace, or they must
fight for their fresides, for their wives and
heir children. They chose the latter, and the
is that two men were launched
into eternity, whilst the Peayy's have left for
parts unknown, hauling OFF their wounded
with them.