The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-09-05
From the Baltimore Gasetts.l
The Camp Meeting Riot.


Mention was made on Saturday, of an
ARRAY, occurring on Thursday night, be-
tween number of white men and ne.
groes, at a camp meeting held near aan'
oyerswitch. on the Baltimore and ONO
Railroad, Some further particulars are
given. an investigation having been had
on Friday, before JnsticesJ. @ A. Jones,
VIM. H. Downs and George j. Warfeld,
of Anne Arundel county. The camp
meeting was held under the auspices OF
the Methodist Episcopal Church, direct
ed by Rev. John Lanahan, Presiding Ell
der, and had been in progress about o
week, the managers designing TO GU 50
on Friday morning. There were la.se
number Of tents upon the GROUND io5
the accommodation OF the whites, ana
in the rear of the preachers stand. as Is
customary, there were NUMBER Oh tehts
erected by the negroes, who were pres
emf tn the number of three hundred.
Everything passed off quietly about the
camn until Thursday afternoon, when
several angry discussions occurred among
some of the whites and negroes, but no
collisions took place. 1t was observed,
after this, by several on the ground, that
the negroes were cutting clubs IN the
woods. which produced considerable ex-
element throughout the camp. Later
in the evening several young men, who
were intoxicated, approached the negro
meeting and began throwing, canteloP
and watermelon rinds into the crowd.
This caused the managers and officers OF
tbe camp meeting to interfere topreseI We
order, and they had nearly succeeded IN
getting tile disorderly element from the
Sround, when the negroes, under asht ut
of orally, boys "come on boys" made a
rush at this party, and fired several pis-
tol shots at them. This caused the OH
GERS and those with them to retreat to
the front of the preachers stand, follow
ed by the negroes, still firing. The fact
that every one here, almost, was IN a
kneeling position, prevented, no doubt
many persons from being shot. One
voung man named Milton Benson,
whilst rising from a kneelingg po--
sition, received ball in the back part
of the neck which came oHt of his mout b.
He ia seriously wounded. The whites
rallied at this jancture, and the negroes
gaining strength height became pref ty
general, pistols and clubs being freely
1sed Three negroes were wounded,
Andrew Adams, shot in the right side;
Elias Hamilton, in the right foot, and
another. unknown, in the arm. MIR. w.
III. Downs, magistrate, made q marrow
escape. He had placed himself on the
preachers stand when the firing com.
menced. Will In this position one ball
passed through his hat and another
through bis boot. The fight caused the
greatest constern alton among the women
and children on the ground, they heeirg
in every direction. The fight was kept
up for about half an hour, and only
ceased when the whites fell back. Quiet
having been artially restored, Rev.
George Leitch, the minister In charge,
with several Others, visited the negro
camp and persuaded them to leave the
ground, to prevent further disorder and
perhaps bloodsbed. This they consented
to do. After tl,eir departure, however,
some of the wb ties who had engaged In
the fight burned up their tents, camp
euuipage, &c. A number of witnesses,
both white and black, were examined by
the magistrate tie above being the
substance of their testimony. Washing
ton Stokett, a negro, who gave in his
testimony, stated that he did not strike
white man, but tried to do so, was
arrested and held for trial Warrants
were issued for several parties, both
white and black, who were charged with
being engaged in the riot. The author,
tiles of the county are engaged in bring
ing the participants in the disgraeefal
affair to justice Yesterday B. D. Smith,
of Anne Arundel county, brought to the
Southern station house % negro named
Jake Waters, formerly slave OF MT.
Benson who was one OF the lloteIs. he
was arrested OF u warrant issued by JUS
tice William II. Downs, charging him
with throwing clubs at white persons,
urging negroes to rally on white people,
and threatening TO kill man named Joe
Marriott The accused will be taken to
Annapolis Jail to-day.