The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-10-17
The Negro Revolt i'm Tenne.aec.

We copy the following fromth Memphis
AUalanche, relative to the reported insur-
roction Of negroes in the vicinity Of Mem
phis:
For some time past, the planters living
on and about the Burgett plantation, have
been watchful OF the conduct and man9u-
vres OF the negroes about them, who, our
informant states, number somewhere in
the vicinity OF 500. AS many as three or
four times have they (the planters) been
warned ~ their friends here to watch their
/ every act, as it was known that they had
purchased arms and ammunition in this
city, and had unwittingly limited at their
murderous designs.
On Friday evening, while the negroes
were weighing cotton, the suspicious of
the overseer were aroused by hearing
them interlope the text sDixie,'' with the
words "Ohs will be wine to morrow" and
tomorrow" s'We,n have fun &c. He
said nothing, but whom the time arrived,
dismissed tho negroes from their labor,
| and repaired as quickly as possible to his
own quarters, where he found the owners
OF the plantation, the brothers Burgett
He related to them what had occurred.
and suggested the propriety of immedi-
ately taking such measures Of Defence as
| In their judgment was necessary to pre-
serve the lives of all the whito people
about the place. In the meantime, they
had learned that on the following day, the
negroes intended to attack them In the
field. They then determined on devising
plans, which, they thought, would entirely
circumvent those of the negroes, and OBJ
vlate the necessity of shedding blood.
With this end in view, they started next
morning for the field, two of the party
riding off toward the road-two riding in
rear Of the plantation. The.brothcrs Isaac
and Henry took the road, each being arm
cd with shot gun and a revolver Thoy
had not advanced far before they werc mot
by body C about fifty negroes, who or
dered them off their mules, accompanying
the order with rapid and indiscriminate
firing.
Fortunately, mono of the shots had any
| effect. MI. Isaac Burgett quickly aighted
from his animal, and, raising his gun to
his shoulder, fired, killing theleader Of the
crowd, and wounding two others. His
brother, Mr.. Henry Burgett, had, by this
together with the other two gentlemen,
who, It will be remembered, had started
IN another direction, poured volley into
their ranks, which had the effect of scat
tering them in all directions. 1t was here
more wounded. BY this time, some ten or
twelve white men gathered aro und the
place, and quickly succeeded in arresting
and placing under guard the entire gang.
Forty new rifles, thirty-five revolvers, keg
OF Po"der and two large bags OF shot were
captured. In about an hour after the cap
ture, two more squads of negroes were dis
covered about a half mile of, but imme-
diately dispersed in confusion, upon
hearing of the disastrous defeat of their
infamous brother-plotters and assassins.
An examination, afterward Of about
twenty of the negroes, showed plainly that
it was concocted by heads far more capa-
BILE OF doing mischief than those Of the
ignorant, deluded negroes; but the plan
ners lacked tho courage Of executing their
demnable schemes. This part of the work
they left to negro named Bill Dickinson,
who assumed the leadership, and who, as
is stated above, was killed. This outbreak,
which was to result in the murder of ali
the whites in the neighborlood, to be fol-
lowed by an indiscrinlinate plundering, was
planned and originated here in Memphis.
There can be no question about it. The
ammunition and arms for them were pur-
chased by white men in Memphis. This is
the testimony of tho negroes. They say,
too, that they were forced into the insur-
rectlon by the negro leaders, who told them
that if they would but once take pos IS
sion of the plantations, their frienos in
Memphis and at the North would stand by
them.