The Avoyelles pelican. [volume] (Marksville [La.]) 1859-186?, 1862-08-09

him to rescue D-rs. When they arrived
at the ho,s,, where the parties were, they
folnd these five Nli|itiamen seated OF
standing about on the gallery WITH their
guns leaning against the wall and rail-
ings. Before they were able to get TO
the guns, WIN. Edwards had murdered
the lamenttd Gaspard. His men con-
tinnpd to fire upon the four remaining
Militamen during which time VIM Ed
wards was killed, and the other two
wounded, as 7. J Edwards states When
the valiant L. J. Edwards was wounded
he broke and ran himself notwitlstand
ing all lie says and inti1nates about his
bravery ard that of his party. Young
Scott Gray was wounded i'll several
places and is not we'll yet. SO the Ed
wards party were the attacking party
and are as much nurderers as ever es-
capped from justice. As soon as the Col
onrl was informed of what had taken
place he ordered out the Militia for the
purpose OF arresting these Murderers
and beavers but they made heirescape,
and having left home for a capital crime
they ught Yankee protection and now
make loud professions Of loyalty to the
Dis United States Government. If they
were not afraid Of justice for their crime
at home, that would not now be within
the Yankee lines. Whether the monster
Butler will screen mnrderers from JUS
tice under state laws remains to be seen.
They left home not for upholding the
authority of the United Government. as
L. j. Edwards says, not as exiled Union
lists as the Editor of the Delta plain
lively remarks, but as wilful lnurderprs
avoiding the penalty of their unprov"ked
crime. Again. No member OF hi, family
has ever been put under arrest, and If
any one of them ever fled to the Sw;tlnps
to avoid the fury Of the "Confed'rAte
rnbb's they have constantly denied it
when questioned on the subjects. Il. j.
Edwards own brothers remainedat home
unmoleSted and are yet at home undis-
t'lrbel. Who his friends are is hard
to tell. We know he had some few
previous to his brutal murder Of Gas
pard and dastarlIy attempt to mur-
der others, but whether they coutin-
ued to be his friends is contradcted
by the Indignation his crime aroused
in every mind. Some persons it is
true were arrested and put under guard
They were guilty of refusing to obey the
commands of their respectiv captains
to perform Militia duty, and sone Of
them were charged with uttering disloyal
sentiments. They numbered in all about
fifteen persons. They sued ont a Habeas
Corpus and We're put under a bond of
5000 each for their appearance at the next
regular term of the District Court. Here
again we might ask, how did it happen
tat these men were so promptly arrested,
when, if it be true, as L. j. Edwards
say hc and all his family were such
avowcd Unionists and passed unmolested?
There is a pal alpable contradiction here.
When did he battle the designs of the
Confederates, as he alleges, to bring a.
bout Il conflict! Certainly not on the
5th May, because he says of that affair, if
'ce promptly met them and compelled
them to return home. 1t could not have
been on the 18th of May, because he
sought and made the attack himself, and
it cannot have been since then because
lie has been an " er,Ied Uniouis,, SO SAYS
the Delta.
With regard to what number of the
people in the parish are unionists we have
not the means Of ascertaining, but from
he promp tness with which they heed the
Of their officers, we are salts
led L. j. Edwards asserts a palpable
alsehood when he says that 'tmajority
# them are for the Union had they an
occasion SO to express themselves"
Many here long clung to the Union be-
cause it was the government Of their fa-
hers; they desired to see it restored, be-
;ause they thought it would afford them
hat protection for which it was establish
ID. But wheE they saw with what bar
parity their friends and relatives were
reated wherever the Northern army
wept along, they gave up all hope of
estoration, and to-day we find that some
# those who clung to the Union longest
nd with the greatest devotion, are the
most uncompromising Southern men a. I
nongst us. T. j. Edwards ISLANDERS the i
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