The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-06-28
From the Baltimore Gazette Of June Is.
Republican Government in South
Carolina.

Carolina.
We have received the following account
of an affair which occurred lately Ill
South Carolina, which illustrates the char
actcr of the despotism under which the
people Of that State are living. The VII,
ter is gentleman for whose honor and
veracity we will readily vouch:
A Federal soldier was killed at Edge
field Court House on the 5th of March,
under the following circumstances A de-
tachmcnt of the ST. Regular cavalry ar
rived that morning, the first day OF the
spring term Of the Court of Common
Pleas and sales day. a considerable
crowd from the country had assembled,
and after the adjournment Of the court
in the evening, two citizens, Bouiwars
and Coleman, were talking rather above
the usual voice on the public square, when
drunken soldier from the cavalry de-
tachment approached, and ordered them
in rude manner to stop their noise. The
citizens ceased their conversation Tor some
moments, as if for the purpose OF avoid
ing the soldier, and again resumed. lie
stepped between them and pushed them
apart violently, and said, If you do not
shut your mouths l will slap your faces,
Cd d-n you," and moved on. Cole
man said, " Well, what are you going, to
slap our faces tor?" and the soldier
turned, seized him by the collar and
dragged him a few PAGES, when Coleman,
who had q stiff leg, fell to the ground.
The soldier placed his knee upon C.'s
breast, having drawn his pistol and struck
at his head Several gentlemen, among
others General r. G. Dunnovant and DR..
William Burt. approached him and begged
the soldier not to hurt the man, as he had
done nothing, and in response he would
brandish his pistol and say, cd d-n
you, 60 away, or ] will shoot YOU" and
of course no one touched him. Coleman,
who was still on his back, endeavoring to
cxtricatc himself, appealed to the by
ISLANDERS, and said, Gentlemen, will you
permit this man to murder me for moth
ing?" The soldier thcrcupon seized him
by the hair, raised his head from the
ground and shot him through the back OF
his neck. At this juncture, when it was
evident that he intended to murder an
innocent man, whom he had SO diabolical-
ly assaulted without provocation, a young
man drew his pistol and fired upon the
soldier, who jumped and ran towards the
quarters of the garrison. Coleman rose,
and fired two or three times at the soldier
as he ran, and the young man fired twice.
No one else fired or intcrtered. The SOL
dier fell. after running about twenty. five
yards. Dr. Burt rendered his assistance:
and found that he had been struck but
once in Tic chest, evidently the first shot
of the young man. No resistance or in
suit had been offered to any soldier of the
United States that day by any citizen,
and everything had gone on quietly until
this brutal and unprovoilcd and unneces-
ly assault was made upon IN unotlcnding
citizen. The sergeant in charge OF tho
detachment Of the 25th Ohio Volunteers
marched his men on the square, cursed
and denounced the people rs ID cow
ards and murdcrcrs, and threatened 10
shoot any man who opened his mouth.
Upon the circumstances being explained
to him afterwards by Gems. Butler and
Gary, he expressed himself satisfied, and
said that tho soldier deserved to have
been killed, and the sergeant commanding
the cavalry detachment did likewise.
The sergeant offered to forward for the
information Of the commanding general,
a statement setting forth the facts as they
occurred The statement was prepared
setting forth the above facts signed by
General Gary, Butler, Dunnovanr, Dr.
Wm. Burt, the clerk and sheriff of the
district, and several others of the most
respectable gentlemen in the community
who wcro eyc-wltnesscs, was forwarded
and was received. Two or three weeks
after this squadron Of cavalry was sent
to Edgcfcld Court House, under charge
of Major Alexander Moore, of General
Sickles staff General Gary and Mr.. S.
B. Griffin, lawyers and gentlemen Of the
highest responsibility, were arrested with
out being informed of the charge upon
which they were arrested, placed under
strict guard, and no intercourse was al
lowed them to speak with their friends,
not even to speak to them. They were
hurried off at night and were made to
travel all night 10 Columbia, placed in a
oalhsome, filthy guard house, where they
learned for the first time that they were
arrested upon the affidavit of a negro, a
notoriously bad character, to the effect
that they had fred upon the Federal
soldier who was killed on the 9th OF
March. and encouraged others to do so,
when tho truth was that Mr.. Griffin was
not on the street, but in the court honse,
out of view, and that General Gary not
only did not fire or encourage others to
do so-ior he had no pistol or other
deadly weapon upon his person-but was
very influential i'll al!aying the excite
ment which the outrageous conduct OF
the soldier had created. These gentle
men were sent from Columbia to Charles
ton, placed in felon's cells in the Charles
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