Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-03-06
sFOREISGs OF THE FREEDMEN'S BU-
REAU IN MISsIsSIEPE.
Meeting Of the citizen. Of AmI,e comfy

On the l4rb ult. the citizens Of Zio
TTiu precinct, in Amite county. Miss
met at the residence of Joseph Luml
kin, Esq, 20 take into consideration
report made by one Captain Matthew
sJa-Commissi0nero OF Freedmen. recent
~ Magnolia, Miss, 10 Gen Thoma,
wherein certain accusations were mao
z2ailst the citizens Of said precinct.
7 he meeting was called 10 order by ID
William c. IcGehee. and on motion
Rev. I. A. Flowers was appointed Chain
man, and John w. Knox, Secretary q
The meeting.
The Chairman made known the objeC
q the meeting by reading frsm IN
Jackson AsJgs, extracts from said report
and asked what action the meeting w0ul
Toke with reference thereto
Joseph Lumpkin, Esq, offered the fol
lowing resolution, which was adopted
90 wit:
Rrso'rrH, that a COMMITTEES Of five D.
appointed 10 make inquiry into said &c
CuSa-i0ns, and report, without delay, al
The facts upon which they are predi
Gated, together with al other facts whici
snow the relationship nov existing be
tween the freedmen and then fOrlnel
owners in this precinct
The Chairman appointed un this com.
mlt-Ce John Nunnery, Ihos. i. Moore
Van !. SwesrinEen, Winste8d Mchiu.
son and J. :. Reeves. VINO retired to take
1ato consideration the matters submitted
20 them, and IN due time made the fol-
lowing report:
The undersigned committee Of citizens,
residing at Zion Hili precinct, appointed
10 iuuuire into certain accusations made
against the citizens Of said preeiut, by
one Capt Matthews, ,su1-commi~si0nero OF
az ATaHrass1fr1
ASCERTAIN upon what the said Matthews
had uredicated said accusations, do re-
port that they Have made diligeHt in
Gufrv into each of the charges alleged
against them. and find that SO far as there
is any truth IN them. they are founded
uu0u facts of various events connected
together either by the said Matthews, or
some desieuing and malicious iniormer,
or that the said Matthews has been made
q too willing dupe Ct by lending a eTedu-
ious ear 90 every negro whose presump-
tion provoked such eastigatiOn As If
administered 10 white person by gem
tleman, for q similar ofense, would have
gone uunuticeG.
The nrst act Of cruelty alleged against
The people Of Zion Hill, is towards a ne
gro who formerly belonged TO Mr.. Allen,
Of Pike county, sent into tsis neighb0r-
hood on business, on or about the 18th Of
Becem mber last, who was taken out, as he
sslys, SO night, from the place of Mr. Al
ans s0u-iu-law, by fifty militia men,
al u, by order Of the lieutenant, whipped
by- ~ men, "hv stamping on his face
and JEsast.n and otherwise cruelty using
him.
We had never heard of any such
case. ali hoggh living in the immediate
vicinity NJ Mr. Aliens sOn-in-law, until
we saw il published in said report; but
1p5n inquiry, we find such negro was
whipped about the time alleged, and the
facts connected Herewith as follows, to-
wit,
The militia being ordered ont at that
time for the purpose Of preventing any (
outbreak amOug the negroes, during the 4
Christmas holidays. which was then ap- /
pretended. this negro was found, by 4
some Of them, in a retired and Unfre- 4
gueuted place. In conversation with ne ]
Croes OF the neighboFhood, which excl |
led suspicion. His movements were ]
watched by them, and that night he was 4
found armed with pistols, at the house OF /
Mr.. Aliens son-iu-iaw- and not making .
satisfactory answers 10 the inquiries
which they propounded to him relative
10 his business and residence, he wss
ordered hv them 10 return Immediately .
home He at once became impu-
dent, and insulting 70 one Of the white
men, who. under sudden evaporation,
kicked him once or twice with little or
no injury He was ordered again out of
tbs neighborho0d, and said Matthews
la. furnished US with evidence that he
LEFT. II much less had been done by the
parrot ID this case, we cannot see how
the com rluuitv could have beeB pro-
.eet=d from the dangers by which they
were threatened. The President and
Governor unUst have supposed there was
danger: and il there Was danger, then
certain amount Of severity on the part Of
those charged with the duty Of prevent
ing ID, was necessary, and aefs commit
led under such circumstances ought 10 be
extenuatsd and excused, which E04ld
not be under other circumstances.
The next charge j., that "on Christ
mae day the militia gave the negroes a
general whipping This is wholly false.
We cannot hear Of a single case Of whip
ping on that or any day during tEe Ho!-
idavs. On the C0utraIy, the negroes
were engaged almost inces-antly, night
and dav. IN reveiing and dancing, their
employers giving them, on most places,
dinners ami supperS i1r themselves and
guests, as has been customary time out
II mind % u the South The militia ap-
Desred occasionally on the places where
taa ne-roe- were having parties, but uCt
one was whipped, 70 far rs we can learn,
ily The militia OF any one else.
The -hira charge against Us Is, tnst
negro woman g-as most cruelty whipped
IN tle Cain plantation, in which Mr.
Calm and Mr.. lUmpEiu aided the militia Z
The la.lz, a- we lear2 them, are these;
Some time ief1re the whipping Of this
negro. she struck a daughter of Wr. Cain ,
.averaI blows over the leit arEa and
shoulder with q board, disabling those }
limbs for three gesks. Mr.. c. was alb s
sent AZ the time, ard llo woman left the
premises. Nr. &. stated the facts 10 the d
provost marshal Of freedmen a. Liberty,
and made application f1r her retgu 20
him, 81 she was under contract 20 work
1licati0u was granted, and Mr.-C. had her
brought back. Some ten day after herTe-
tGru. several relatives and friends of .
Mrs. C.'s daughter took th6 negro from +
the residence Of AiF. C., al niglt while -
he was asleep. and administered 10 hag a !
Wholesome ca-tigaUOn. Alr. c. nor Mr.. .
K.umDi,in. nor s. single one of the militia,
had ANYTHING 10 do with the whipping,
0r knew when il was done. These are e
the facts in Jhis ease, without eGtenua- /,
flon, and we would say, for the benefit OF =
said Matthews, that said negro woman f,
has made contract with Mr.. Cain for
the present year; which she did freely .
and Of her own accord, preferring % live =
with him than with any one else and I
she Saws she "has struck her last white
woman with boarde'
The fourth charge is thai, " on the f,
same night, negro was severely whip I
ped on the Lumpkiu place, in which Mr..
Lumpkin was engaged This j. also 7
wholly false. No negro has been whip
led on this place for years, as the neigh :
lors living in sight testify, and the old !
% Squire SAYS Matthews il ayiie SIAN /
ierer."
The fifth charge is one be intended, no !
louIrr. as a climax Of atrocities, which
he bopei wOuldibring down on this COM !,
nunity the curse Of military force in \
,ur midst. BE SAYS: 81 respectfully in
,ifa vour atteBti0n % a murder commit :
ed bv one John r. McGehee, some nine !
Dopfbs ago. which would challenge the !
world for an equal IN studied brutality. =
which was reported 20 me sotne time =,
ince. but for tie want Of facts j did not i
eel authorized ia stating them before. d
Yhe marc a0os alulslered, sf8Haed, and I
tis skin nailed 10 u barn. !
The utter fslsity Of such O charge s
,gaiusl John H. McGehee, would excite 4
he mirth Of his acquaintance, II ~ were p
iCt apparent that deep seated maIgnlty q
wac al the bottom Of it, affecting act D
1nly bim but thif community John y. D
never murdered 3 negro al any
time, 90 far s. any acquaintance pi his D
-ver before hsari, aud he is az iHcapalgle q
Of committing sieh an atrocity as that q
ALLEGED against him as sET virtuOsoin all &
q New England. And yst, a. utterly {
groGndtess as such an accusation j., ~ u
have reason 70 believe that the said Mat n
lhews, in a recent march through this a
with regiment Of c0lOreil o
infantry. attempted Ia get possession o
81 Dir. John ii. McGehee, with the "
evident Intention Of taking his life, a
IS bis house Waa visited aud searched at b
z late hour OF the night Tor him, and he II
eiuded the seareh by nmely warning {.
given him by one of bis former siages. q.
who was IA some way apprised Of their .
intention. The white Officers called al a
the house of Mr.. MeGehee ip the even n
snE, before night a. the regiment was 4
passing. conyersed with him and re- n
msiDed Ia his house about one houF 4
They left and eamped within a few miles
some OF the same white men. with ne z
gToes, returned al q late hour OF tie ]