The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-04-06
From the Memphis Fost.
THE FORREST TRAGEDY.
Letter in Relation 10 the Murder on
General FORESTS Plantation-De-
plOrabIe State of Affairs among
some Freedmcn-Yerdict of CerO-
ner's Jury-Forrest taken TO Friar's
Point for Trial.

Point for Trial.
We are in receipt of letter from an eye
witness Of he tragic occurrence on General
Forests pl ntstion, last Saturday, which
gives moIe c mpleto snd further details
thar have yet been Published.
We regret exceedingly to earn Of the law
less conduct OF certa "a Of the negroes, as
CAR ated by our correspondent, and trust
sincerely that, upon the arrival of an oiheer
Of the Freedmen's Bureau, the evils com
planned Of wi:l b. remedied.
II will be seen that the Cor0ner's Jur9
merely state in their verdict the cause Of
death, without asserting that the murder
was committed in self-deiense.
sUzFLoRER LASDISG, Mss,
March 81, 1856.
MISSES. .ED1roRs: Allow me 70 give you
an account OF q serious and most unfortu-
ra,e affair. which tra1spired here this af-
ternoon Gen. Forrest had Just returned,
about four O'Clock, from the landing, and
noticing from the paper that the cholera
was reported in Mobile, went out TO the
quarters and set the freedmen (who had
been allowed 20 quit work a. noon at work
cutting drains about tue houses a6d cleaB-
ing up the prem -ses Inhabited by them 4
freedman Dy Alt name Of Ion LlWdrQ5
passed alo1C, and was told by the General
20 fix up about his quarters. He made no
reply, but pa sed into bis room and, with
his knife in his hand, commenced cufsing
and abusing his wife. The General fol-
lowed hin aud tod him he must not abuse
AID whip his wife that he would not allow
il Tom replied be would whip his wife
when he pleGseI. The General said al
you don't stop and shut up I'll fail you
with this broom" giving HIM, at the same
time, q slight stroke On the shoulder with
IT,, when Tom reptile by striking at the
General with his knife, cutting him on one
Of his fingers. The General then grasped
an sxe standing by, and struck Tom blow
on the head watch Instantly killed him.
I arrived at the scene about SIX clock,
aud found about a hundred Of the freed
men greatly excited, and disp sed to mob
violence.
Aferward the General came out and
made them a speech, deplOring the affair
and stating the particulars, and promising
to await q legal examination. While some
| Of the negroes exhibited an audaclty that
not Two ia q thousand white men would
| show, the others were controlled By the ei-
| forts Of some o. the most intelligent and
| better Of the freedmen, ana they final, Y
| dispersed TO await the future. These are
| the facts, as ! saw and heard them.
The General has sent for the Deputy She
| riff, who pas ed here to-day. This citizens
| Of the neighb1rhood are being notified, and
! will assemble tomorrow, when an investi-
| CATION will be had and an inquest held.
! From the circumstances OF the case, it will
| merit and attract much attention. That it
| il most unfortunate, is felt by ell, aud by
| none so deeply Is the General himself.
| Being somewhat cOnversant wi the eX-
| listing relations OF affairs here tor some time
| past / would most respectfully request a
| suspension of opinion on this case both
/ Nor aud nth until the facts are elected
by judicial proceedings.
! / will Low add some transactions which
! had previously occurred here that had
! purpOsed writing, but have had no oppor-
| 'unlty to mail you. On my return from
] Memphis, on the 18th ult., ! learned that
| during my absence Tone week. one Of The
! freedmen in my employ, his wife and son
] had deserted, and, as | suppose, left for the
! freedmen's " Mecca" Memphis. The second
day after I had gone be refused to work
! and for two houfs cursed, threatened and
| abused my partner and assistant-both ex-
| United States officers. Not wishing dith
Guilty during my absence, they suffered his
| insults for two hours, for which they would
| have knocked down white man, or been
severely whipped in the attempt. Mrs
| Diflenbaeher then undertook to yacfy him
| when be insulted and abused her, calling
| epithcts that would not look well IN re-
| spectacle newspaper. That night the ne
! GRO went over to FORESTS plantation, and
| the next day returned with two men and
| four women: the three men armed with
revolver, a Spencer rifle, and a double
| barreled shotgun. They sgain threatened
! the white men, ald then entered our premi'
ses and commenced carrying away oul
| prcperty. On being demonstrated with
| they brought the Spencer rifle to "ehargg
| bsyouet' position, and cooked It. The
white men finally got dead aim little
| ahead, and made them "ground arms"
! On drawing the load rom one barrel o
| the SHOT gun, which now have in my pos
| fession, found it to consist Of a full charge
Of powder, a heavy charge Of duck shot, one
! buekshot and EDe common bullets. As be
said be meant TO shoot Mr.. Tam, l judge
I be loaded b Iii !. That negro's name j:
| John Wilson; heavy Get, peck marked, form.
! erly lived in South Memphis. He is wear
| ing good clothes belong ng to me, and
| hJYe the Freedmen's Bureau may arrest him
for which / will pay fifty dollars, if justice
is done both parties.
/ found such y growing fudacity toward
/ white people, among the baser OF The freed
! meu, backed by mobbing together from
| sdiacent planta ions, with firearms loaded
10 Kill white people, and noticed such al
| increasing disposition among some to idle
| ne and vice, that ! te that the {. cd anC
order, the peace and quiet Of this section
both white and black, called for the pres
euce Of an officer Of the Bureau.
a full statement OF the fact, written by
nv partner, before my return, together
| with my views, as full aud strong as / coulC
| write them. with an earnest and urgent Gp
| neal 10 Col Thomas 10 send an officer her,
at once % investigate affairs, and depl5riug
| rrsUl.B that might eugua; as ais'i state
meut II IA Gen. Forrest AID another fOu
Dr. a. H. henderson, were prepared auC
taken IN person bg Mr.. Miller 10 Vicks
burg. aud presen ed t. Co. Thomas's Adi a
t4ut General on the 22d. Mr.. Miller re-
I turned here on the oath, having received
| the assurance thst an oiIcsr should be sent
While many of the freedmen work wei
and prove worthy, others axe lazy aud stub.
born: and those ere the ones who are mos
vicious, insulting auo abusive There IS II,
! punishment Tor crime here, and the vic
| i0us roam at large 10 cause trouble and de
| etrucliOn b others.
IN conclusion, / msy now repeat, as
7 wrote Colonel THONGS, that the peace and
/ quiet Of this section are in jeopardy.
Hoping for the sake Of Truth you may
| publish this, and, il so, promising you tar
Their particulars at future time, am,
AOurs, etc.
B. F. BIFFFYDAcHrR.
SUSDAY, April Ist, P. N.-The following
is the verdict Of the Coroner's Jury
STATE or MISSISSIPPI
CoAHoNo COUNTY,
April ], 1865.
! T-,--~ e ,v-,oaf e,rrr, D., nod q
| view the body Of Thomas Edwards, a negro
msn or freedman, deceased, having been
/ duly sworn, find that the said Edwards
came 10 his death IN the afternoon Of the
| 3lst uitimo, from blow on the bPak Of The
! head delivered by n. B. Forrest, with an
axe, during an alteration between said
| parties, arising from the interference of said
! Forrest TO prevent the deceased from abus-
ing his (the deceased 81 wife.
WIN j STEELE, THos II. McNKIL,
J. J.. JoNFs, +. II. MAUPIN,
}. j. DIrFUSUACHER, J. +, BANDr,
! c. S. CRAZE, C. W. Tam,
HUGH ADAMS, R0Br. CARR,
W y. MuCHELL, j. 7. HUToBiNsoN.
Gen. Forrest has surrendered himself tc
! ". ". Shaw, Deputy Sheriff OF the county
and will proceed 20 Friar's Point.
--
GrceIey's Gratitude.
The Petersburg (Va) Index is re
| sponsible for the following statement
A good many years ago packet arrived
al the wharf he Petersburg nom New orki
I lenrinE, among its other clAtenis, young
Tensile on her way, rs was the custom in
| those remote days, 70 seek, in an old fash
| toned Virginia family, occupation aud O
! livelihood at her profession rs a teacher Oi
| elementary branches OF schooling.