The Avoyelles pelican. [volume] (Marksville [La.]) 1859-186?, 1862-08-09
FROM AN ENILED Z.
NIONIST.
A PAINFUL STORY.

To the Editor of the Delta:
Many, no donbt, have heard of the
unfortunate affair which took place in
the parish of Avoyelles on the 18th of
Way last, but very few know the real
facts of the case. | would have made a
general statement Of tlre facts sooner
had | not feared that no immediate ac-
ton could have been taken in the pre-
misses by the United States authorities,
thereby ~endangering the safety Of my
relatives and friends at home. Reluc-
tant us | now am to do SO, | am compelI-
ed to lay before the proper authorities
the causes which induced me to leave
home aystugee. l deem it necessary to
call the attention of the United States
authorities to the state of affairs as they
existed i'll the parish of Avoyelles, after
the capture of New Orleanssby the Union
troops, and of the manner in which [ be-
came involved in my present embaras-
sing position. AS soon as it was known
that New Orleans had faller,.I made it
my duty to visit several parts Of the pal
IRISH for the purpose OF preparing the
minds of the people to return to their al
%legiance to the United States govern
ment. I was generally successful in
this, with the exception of Il few sugar
and cotton planters, and also Il few de-
signing political delnagogues who had
no property at all, and who were obsti-
nate in their opposition to the United
States authorities, expecting, Gas a mat
ter of %course,) in case the so-called Con-
fedprate States succeeded i'll dividing our
Union, to gain important positions. 1t
being a well known fact to the parties
lastly named that | and all my family
and friends were opposed to the destruc-
ton ofcotton, &C., we were often threa-
tened with arrest and hanging for our
manly opposition to their nefarious de-
signs. Muskets had been sent up from
New Orleans previous to its capture to.
ovprawe and keep us in subjection.-
Armed bands Of men had been sent to
burn our cotton by the militia colonel,
which We're promptly resisted by us and
compelled to return home by our de-
termination to defend to the last our
property. They employed all means to
bring about a conflict with the supposed
Union men of our parish, in order, il pos
sible, to crush out the rising Union feel
ing which was rapidly gaining ground
in our community. In this we bafficd
them. for a time, until the 18th day Of
May last, when a party Of several mill
tiamen, armed with s%hot-guns, pistols
and bowie-knives. had been detailed by
the militia colonel to arrest a certain i'll
dividual, known to us as a Union mar,
with the intention of hanging him be-
cause he so far recognized the United
States authority as to take a passport
from New Orleans. Hearing Of this, |
determined to defend him from injustice,
so much as a personal friend, but be-
cause l wished to evince to them my
determination to uphold the United
States authority, come what might. Ac.
on this impulse, Immediately on
hearing of his arrest [ proceeded, in COM
pany with my father, VIM. Edwards, p.
and A. Denis, to his assistance,
and upon our arriving we were 'imme-
attacked by the militia men, who,
however, fled after firing some fifteen or
twenty shots at us. which unfortunately
killed my father, Vim. Edwards. I re-
a dangerous wound in the right
Mr.. Denis received three shots in
the left arm, and Mr.. Battell escaped un-
hurt, though several shots passedthrough
his clothes. On theirside one was killed
and one wounded. fiaa.
/ a~scertained afterwards that the Col
mel hadgordsfsd astspaiiitia toa6appe
,ure us for having resisted his dssg0sed
authority and Of upholdingg that Of the
/ las g ri ~ $50 LID = s53 t
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