The Portland daily press., 1866-10-09
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND
Tuesday Morning, October 8, 1866
The Brenhanl Riot.

NSN-J
lisnatcb which announced that in the interl-
or of Texas handful of United states SOL
diers was drawn up behind hastily construct
ed defences. in expectation OF an attack from
the rebel population which surrounded them.
subsequently it was stated that Two or three
soldiers had been killed in Brenham, several
buildings had been burned, Gov. Throckmor-
ton had ordered the citizens toig guard the town
with an armed force, and Gen. Sheridan had
instructed Col. Mason. commanding the troors
in that vicinity, not to allow his men TO be ar
rested by the civil authorities. From the va
rious partial accounts which have been re-
ceived, we are at length able to construct
complete narrative, and the story is one which
well deserves to be told.
Brenham is a little town on a tributary OF
the Brazos river, in Washington county. Tie
Freedmen's Bureau has been as unpopulai
with the rebels of the neighborhood as An
drew johnson himself could desire. Many
threats have been made against the life of the
agent. and one night a crowd visited bis Of
flee, called him out repeatedly, cursed him
and groaned for him, but departed without
proceeding to violence. Several United States
soldiers had been shot in the county, and one
in Brenham. The murderer, in the last case,
was arrested and had a trial, so-called, before
the civil authorities. There was no doubt of
his guilt, but it was impossible to find Wash
ington county jury which would convict him,
and he walks at large to-day. Outrages to
freedmen were of frequent occurrence, and
the hostility to the Bureau originated in the
manifest intention of the agent to protect these
unfortunate people to the extent of his abil-
ity.
Such was the state of things on the night
of the 7th Of September. There were then
sixty soldiers OF the 18th United States infan-
try stationed at Brennan, under the COM
mand of Captain (Brevet Major) G.. W.
Smith. Three of these men, unarmed and
helplessly drunk, were in the streets. They
were but few steps from military office
and an officer sat upon the stoop where he
might easily have been appealed to If they
had been troublesome. Suddenly, without
any premonitory noise or confusion, he heard
the sharp rattle of six or eight pistol shots
fired in a deliberate volley at these defence
who at the same moment broke and ran leav-
ing two of the three wounded ard bleeding
to death. As soon as the intelligence could
be conveyed to Major Smith at the camp. a
short distance out of town, he started with a
detail, to make arrests. In endeavoring to
find one Of the suspected parties, the door of
his drinking-saloon was forced open and the
men began to destroy the furniture. These
proceedings were at once checked by the COM
manding officer, and at about 12 O'Clock The
search was abandoned and the detachment
returned to camp. 1t afterwards appeared
that number of soldiers remained, and sub
sequently broke into bookstore where it was
thought one of the assassins was sleeping-
Before 1 o'clock however the sergeant on duty
reported that all the men were in camp. At
about half past 3 fire broke out in the book
store and before it was subdued destroyed six
or seven buildings. aHi ifaH
fsrreo oil ta.~ aat@ils ut the affair which
have reached US. Col Mason, after investiga-
ton, Delfeves that the store was fired by citi-
zens. 1t would not have been strange if the
soldiers, incensed by the murder of their com
rades aud excited by the liquors which were
accessible after the departure of their officers,
had set fire to the building; but the lapse of
time, mole than two hours after their return
to camp, is conclusive proof that if they calls-
ed the confagration it must have been by
some accident. The citizens Of BRENNAN
chose to take a different view organized, sent
out couriers to raise the country, began to run
bullets, and threatened to take Major Smiths
camp and annihilate the Yankees. Major
Smith thought the circumstances sufficiently
critical to call for some precautions, and pro-
ceeded to strengthen his camp with rifle pits
and trenches which would have rendered the
process of annihilation somewhat tedious and
expensive if the Johnnies had concluded to
make the attempt. On looking at him little
mcre closely they thought it best to let him
alone. He even succeeded, after time, in
persuading the civil authorities to issue writs
TOR the arrest of the murderers, but they have
never been served He positively refused to
give up his men to the excited popu.ace, and
his refusal has since been sustained by Col.
Mason, his immediate commander, and by
Gen. Sheridan. -"
The Agent of the Freedmen's Bureau was
at once notified to leave his boardin house,
and could obtain no other quarters except in
camp. The teacher OF the freedmen's school
was turned out Of house rented for his use,
with his wife and child, in the rain, and com
PEELED to seek protection in the camp. But
for the interference of the authorities, the
morning train would have been stopped, it
being understood that few Yankees were on
board. An order was procured from
Governor Throckmorton, authorizing the
citizens to guard the town with an armed
force, and telegram was sent down the river,
announcing that Not Yankee is to be found
in Brenham." .a4., l,,,.t..t.
Somuch for the Brenham riot, which began
with an unprovoked an murdeIous assault
upon soldiers of the United States and nearly
brought on pitched engagement with rebel
militia. In his recently published letter to
Governor Throckmorton, General Sheridan
says. Il will do all in my power to satisfy the
ends of justice in every case; but I doubt if
much justice could be done in a community
which compeIs our officers and soldiers to re-
main inside Of the defences thrown around
their camps And it is such halfcivilized
communities which Andrew johnson would
nave us invest with more than their former
influence in the government of the United
states, without insisting upon a single guar
anty for future peace and order!
A SOUTHERN RAILROAD STATIoN.-A pleas-
ant railroad station is Meridian, Miss. The
Selma (Alabama) Messenger saws off "a
gentleman who had some experience in stop-
ping over at Meridian during the war and
whose business called him to Miss;ss;n,; -.