Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-09-18
THE CAMP MEETING OUTRAGEs.

A mass meeting Of the Methodists of Balti.
more, the ministry and laity, was held at the
Light-street Methodist Church, in Baltimore,
last evening" The meeting was initiated by
singing and prayer, the religion ser vices beinS
conducted by Rev. j. McCauley.
Rev. Dr.. Lanahan, Presiding Elder said =
resolutions, before which. however, certain
testimony will be read, howing the origin of
the bloody outrage perpetrated In that which
we had, for the time being, set apart as our
The sworn statements Of two white minis.
ters and two white laymen, and one colored
minister, who was In charge OF the colored
meeting al the time OF the riot. were read. The
evidence was TO the effect that at the time the
riot commenced there were in the neighbor
hood Of sixty penitents at the altar, whites, }
kneeiing In prayer, with hundreds Of deeply
interested spectators standing around; while
the members Of the church were engaged in
singing, prayer and conversation with those
penitents. they were startled from their deyo.
uons by women screaming and faInting, chill.
dren crying, falling and being tramples: upon,
while hundreds OF the people were running i'm
the utmost terror and In the widest Confusion
just behind the preachers stand the rioters
We're shooting anu yelling like demons: while
ali this was transpiring several shots were
hred at the people directly in front of the
preachers stand; Mr.. Benson, who was shot
kneeled just about where this fire seemed to be
directed: the negroes were not nor had they
been, in range of he parties who fired th ese
shots, nor could they, by any possibility. have
been intended for the blacks; q black mar said
to be the servant Of Judge Baldwin, was
knocked down with Clubs in the circle of the
white peoples tents, and he must have been
killed had it not been he rolled under the
seats, which sheltered him from their blows,
until he was rescued; this man was NOT in
the fight at all, but, 1t was said. was at
tending to his masters business about
the grounds; the fight with the blacks was
entirely on that portion OF the ground which
had been allotted to the special use Of the
colored people, and one OF the rules for the
government of the meeting was that there
should be NO mixing of white and colored and
the control Of the camp, went within their
bounds, ne did 1t in violation of rule OF the
camp-meeting, which had been published from
the preachers stand TO thewhofe congregation;
The grounds al lottsd 70 the colored people was
from the rear Of the preachers, stand back TO
their own tents; 1t is TACT, which no truthful
man present can deny, that when the blacks
charged the rioters, which they did several
times, they always retreated within tina circle
OF the white peoples tents; they could have As
readily retrsated through the open space 10 the
right and ieft Of The solored peoples tents,
hundredth part OF The alarm am ,ne the wo :.
men and childrensa and wouId not have en-
daDgeTed the lives Of any OF he white people
ten-eo on the ground as the whole melee
woulo then have ben outside the Wits rena,Is
encampment; butft was evident 10 mat tha ,r,iact
OF the rioters was TO get the blacks rnsire the
circle Of The white peoples tents. and have the
pro,ects by canvass tents; but TIE 6facks
when they bad charged to the limits of tb,ir
own grounds. aiway returned to the front Of
their Ownatents. c, a ftfr the riot had soruewhat
suhsiced- white man with a white coal
deiiberatel v fire at least i've shots at the ne
eroes, the fiofers bad absolute possessionI OF
he erouBd from the lime the riet commeucpd.
~ O'Clock, until daylight; during the MIN
many regrets wereexpressed among the rio
tsrs that none of the dc preachers had haen
shot, spd that none of the DID "A bo,itI an
Meth odasts had been killed; that they were n o.
% eoos as tie negroes, with man y.other IN inrs
people as well as black. r-.i0rr :.
Ihis camp NEE ting was under the special
charge OF the Rev. John Lar ahan.. PrestsiIu
Elder, VINO lives IN this cry, and Rev. Mr.
HawIey. the minister IN eharRe,of the tcirc uit
when the camp was held, and Rev. Mr. Leach,