Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-05-12
Col. Straight's Report OF the Clay
County Disturbance.
IxDIAxApoLrs, May 4, 1864.

/ Brazil, yesterday, at / o clock p NJ, fol
the purpose of raising recruits for th'
/ hundred days service. When I arrived
! At the depot | was informed that thers
( was q party Of men ehcamped at q schoo
house, some four miles northwest Of the
town, who had avoWed determination
to attack the citizens Of that place ]
gave the subject bat little attention al
first, bat after conyersing with several Of
the citizens, concluded TO visit the des
! ignated place, with Lieutenant Stunkard
Tor the purpose of aseertaining the tratk
Of the case We had proceeded about
three miles on the national road, east ol
the town, when we came TO q cross road
at which place were congregated from
twelve TO fifteen men, each Of whom was
armed either with a rifle or shotgun,
loaded and capped. We Stopped and
entered into conversation with them con.
cerning the state Of the country and the
object Of their meeting. We had been
there but a few minutes when a large
party came up, and in the course Of an
hour and half some three hundred men
had congregated, who were armed as
0FfgEc 4S1GFtO%Q% MANY "a AAElA Uhl
revolvers visible upon their persons, in
addition to the guns above referred to.
talked with them freely as TO their OBJ
ject in congregatiug, and discovered that
they were fully organized into a military
command.
Many Of them made very violen.
threats against the people Of Brazil
A Al .w.tk .ghor, I taIL.d .yr-as..I A.
most bitter contempt and hostility
toward the State and National authori-
ties, using the most abusive epithets
against both. After eonversing with
them freely, became fully convinced
that they we're assembled for treason
able purposes In the meantime I had
ordered two companies Of the Indiana
Legion (near BtaziD to be assembled as
soon as possible. They were mostly in
town, and responded promptl 4. | then
informed the reasonable, armed mob
that IL they did not disperse ut once |
would give them an opportunity Of tess-
ing the sincerity Of their declarations by
giving them battle without delay; and,
notwithstanding numerous violent dec
larations to the contrary, When ordered
the Legion brought up, they began to
dIsperse, travelling the several roads, and
in few moments all bad left
Lieutenant Stnnkard aud myself, To-
gether with FIVE or six Union men, who
bad collected there during the eonversa-
ton, then returned to the town, and on
our arrival we found the people in u
state Of excitement, ia consequence Ct
another party, numbering some forty or
fifty men, similarly armed, which was
approaching the tosn on the Ma.
tional road from the West The
citizens had already sent delegation
requesting them 10 leave their arms be.
hind, hoping thus to avoid bl0olshcd
The pretended commander had refused
70 comply, and expressed determine
ton TO do as be pleased but in the mean.
time had halted about bait mile from
to~n. al once ordered one company
Of the Legion forward on the road in
that direction, and proceeded immedi-
ateiy to ascertain, IL possible, the deter
mination Of the hostile party.
On arriving where they were, | in
qaifed for the officer in command. and
after short conversation with him as
eeFtained that he was expecting TO form
a junction with the other party at Brazil,
showing complete concert of action
told him that he and his party we're at
liberty to 90 20 Town Of return home,
whichever they cav fl, but that no mill
tary display would be allowed, unless
they joined the regular military organi-
cation, and their proseace was looked
upon by the people as a hostile demon
straiion; consequently, they must dis
perse at once, or | should use the aeces-
sary means to accomplish this object At
the earliest possible moment At first
they seemed inclined to stand their
ground. Just before the company had
ordered up arrived, they left hurriedly.
Thus ended what seemed at one time
to be a mere serious difficulty than mere
words. These people seemed to well
understand each other, though the citi-
zens of Clay county knew but a small
number Of them. They were mostly on
horseback Some we're recognized who
lived twenty-five miles away I asked
many of them their names, but all re-
fused TO give their names or the names
OF their comrades; though some OF them
were recognized, and / expect soon to
be able to furnish you with the names Of
several OF the leaders and most violent
parties belonging to The gang | viii
here remark that they were very hard
looking set Of men; not an educated,
gentlemanly looking man among them,
and IL a ms oninioD tha. un1ezs souc cf
their leaders are speedily arrested we
may look any day for startling news from
Clay county. Most respectfully your
obedieut servant,
A y SrREIGHT.