The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-05-05

The affray near Florence between ne
Croes and an old man, named James
KEYS. has created much sensation, and
of course has been greatly msgnIfied
The people in that vicinity were con
siderably alarmed at the time, fearing
that the old man would be killed and
| the evaporation of the negroes lead to
an attack upon others, bat we are hap.
py to know their fears we're not real
lied, owing to the prudent counsel and
conduct OF Col. Calls, Superintendent
of Bureau, and citizens of the neighbor-
hood. The facts as related to US, are
substantially as follows:
Mr. Keys, an old man in his dotage,
an uncle of Mr. VIM. Keys, Esq, came
on the plantation of the latter, and
while looking on at some negroes at
work unloading a wagon of flour, one
of the barrels bursted and a little of
the -four was wasted, which he attribu-
ted to the carelesEness of the negroes
and commenced cursing them. 1t was
not noticed at first, bat being repeated,
one of the boys made some reply to
him, which incensed him, and he put
q pistol to his head and fired it, the
ball grazing the negro's ear. In the
contest which ensued, Mr. Keys fired
again, the ball this time taking ei-
feet in the arm OF the negro
breaking the limb. The other negroes
now interfered and the pistol was
wrested from Mr. Keys, who ran into
the house and got gun, and returning
cooked the piece upon the negro who
had his pistol and demanded that it
be handed back TO him, which was
done. As he was returning to the
house, the crowd of negroes now co =
lected together, rushed towards him
but getting into the house he barred
the door, which the negroes, now furi-
GUS with rage, burst open. The old
man fred into the crowd and wounded
two of the sssailants, but the gun being
charged with small shot the effect was
not very damaging Mr.. Keys then
went up stairs and the negroes left the
house, sud their numbers having in
creased to about fifty, and guns and
pistols having been procured, they
organized a company, and surrounding
the house, commenced g. regular
siege, intending to kill Mr. Keys
whenever he made his appearance,
and would allow no one to enter
or retire from the building Mr.
Calls was tclegraphed of the state
of things, and he replied instruct
ing his agent at Florence to proceed to
the house with the sheriff of the county
and arrest Mr.. Keys to get him away
from the mob. This was effected with
less difficulty than was apprehended.
The next day Col Calls went down and
found the negroes much EXCITED, but
they were somewhat pacifed by an as
surance that Justice should be impair.
TALLY administered. The trial was had
before a magistrate of the charge
against him and was bound over in the
sum of one thousand dollars to appear
at the next term OF the Circuit Court
Having called the negroes of the sur
rounding plantations together, suasive
and temperate speeches were made to
them by Col Calls and Rev. Mr.. Lakin
and they have all returned to their
places and gone to work again
The occurrence of this affair IS I'M
fortunate, as the action of an old man
in his dotage, and very irsscible, will
be taken, by those too ready to pervert
every transaction of this kind, as the
general condition of affairs in the South,
and not as it really is, an isolated affair
of unfreauent occurrence -HuntSUiHe
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