Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-08-15
VOL. XVII.
~ I T;brarY SiaIai
SSdto - I. Itld s1 -

Stale :, II. I, ,.,,,,sr. r.,EsIiIll 81
GNA hli Hf1l il14
The oouAtEy see lasaoeked Dy the
report of tragedy near Island
No. 10, in the Mississippi by which
whole family were murdered by party Of
what we're reported to be cOlOrsd, United
States soldiers. The affair wass terrible
one, but has been made still more SO by
the prints which are constantly on the
watch for some cause Of ofense against
cOlored soldiers These. papers were COM
plaeent and calm over the fendish mur-
ders Of innocent negro men, women and
children by the Copperhead mob in New
York, but have glOated over this affair as
one which proved the justice Of all their
hatred Of the negro. We have waited un-
til the first excited reports had passed and
been shown exaggerated, in order to OBJ
tain reliable statement. This is sppar-
emily found in a letter to the St. Louis
Democrat, from Columbus, Kentucky. The
writer says;
The facts are substantially as follows:
A negro woman, the mother Of two child
ren, had been for months severely abused
by the family Of her owner, and finally es-
capped TO the contrsbsnd colony at Island
10, leaving her two children with her mas.
ter. 1t soon came TO the ears Of the moth
er that her children were daily fogged
and otherwise tortured in consequences of
her escape, with an intimation that this
remedy would be faithfully followed up
until her return. Under this state Of the
case party Of negro EaboTers on the Island
men who were not and never hsd been
in the military service of the United States
went down to the plantation Gn Tenn
essee) to recover the chifdren. On arriv-
ing there they found but one Of the child
rem the other had been "run off" High
words passed at this meeting, and there
were threats of shooting on both sides, the
negroes promising to return in few days
for the other child, and threatening sum
mary vengeance upon the Shareholder un-
less the absent child should be forthcom-
inf Promptly as they had promised, they
returned. The child was not found. An
alteration occurred in which the negroes
were the victors, the killing ensuing as has
been published. Whether they fired first,
or we're fred upon, am unable to learn.
Some Of the party we're desperate chsrae-
ters-msde 90 by the inefable bFutslities
of slavery-but not one Of them had been
enlisted into the United States service.
They were simply casual laboFers and had
stolen away unobserVed. Their absence
was secret to all but those concerned in
the raid.
" The part i7hieh the negro soldiers tgho
mere IN that Vieinity really took IN the matter
Das to hunt up, arrest and deliver 10 tie
authorities here al Of The alleged murderers
who could be found. - - -r-
"The telegraph has spread q false re.
port o. this unfortunate occurrence-foully
hbeling the negro soldiers which viii i
find its way into foreign and rebel iourn-
ais, where contradiction never viii fol-
low. Ityet remains TO be established that
colored soldiers hsve ever inflicted vio-
lence upon their rebel masters in any other
than an authorized manner, though it need
not be matter Of special wonder, If their
long enduring wrongs should occasionally
tempt them in that direction.
"The muFderers are in the military
prison here, and there need be no fear that
Justice will not bs meted out to them.
Yours, TRUTH"