The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-13
The Outrage in Wilkes County.

rage committed by band OF rebel Worth
ties on Republican meeting in Wilkes
borough on the 4th instant. One of ou
correspondents says:
81 write you this, to inform you of the
proceedings in Wilksborough on yesterday
the 4th day of July. The unreconstructe6
Rebel Worthites played their hand to per
fiction, which was only equaled by their acts
of tyranny during the rebellion. Some three
weeks ago it was announced there would be
Republican meeting in Wilksborough on
the 4th of july, and none but Republicans
were invited to attend. They day came, and
there was a large crowd of both races i'll
! attendance The meeting was organized in
perfect harmony, committee appointed to
prepare resolutions, and Speeches made by
S. P. Smith Sen, Esq, Capt. j. q. A. Bryan,
and Rev. Alfred Stokes. By this time it
was late in the day. At the conclusion OF
Mr.. Stokes speech several unreconstructed
Rebels entered the meeting, al armed, and
demanded that Col. Armtield, A noted Rebel,
should speak. He is the man who some
time ago made speech in Wllksborougli
in which he denounced in the severest terms
the U. L. A. and Heroes Of America. This
being Republican meeting, and we having
other speakers who were yet to speak, 1t was
objected to Col Armfeld speaking, from
which riot ensued. Several pistols were
drawn, and attempts made to shoot the men
who objected to his speaking The whole
meeting was thrown into the widest excite
ment A fearful time was anticipated. Not
single man of the Republicans was armed,
or ever thought of such thing as riot oc-
curing during the day. The Rebels, after
sometime, finding that they could not drive
and overpower the Union men, left the meet
ing sneering at the Republican party. They
continued to go in an armed band during
the remainder of the day, and at every op
portunity assaulted Union men and freed
men with the most deadly weapons by which
three white men and one freedman were
more or less injured; one of the whites seri-
ously. No arrests were made by the civil
authorities, and up to the writing of this,
4 o'clock, P. NJ. not single arrest has been
made. There is most terrible state of af-
fairs existing at present in this County
This matter should be looked into by the
Military authority. The leader of our party.
Mr.. G. j. Cowles. is absent at this time. We
very much need the presence of a military
force here. A Union man, alone, is not safe
to express his sentiments in the town of
Wilksborough, especially if he has been a
federal soldier"
Another correspondent writes as follows:
Through the medium of your valuable
paper, we wish the public in general to
know how the Union party is treated in
Wilkes County. They had Union meeting
appointed in Wilkesborough on the 4th of
July. A large crowd of both white and
colored was present. The meeting was or
ganized by calling Col Gideon Smoot to the
Chair, and George Brown, Clerk of our Su-
perior Court, acting as Secretary. The
Char in few appropriate remarks explain
ed the objects of the meeting and appointed
committee to draw up resolutions for the
action of the same. The Chair then called
on the Rev. S. p Smith to read the Declara-
ton of Independence. He came forward
and did so, after which he spoke about an
hour in favor of the Union. He was followed
By speech from Capt. J. @. A. Bryant
Bryant was followed by ii short speech from
Alfred Stokes, colored. All was good order
and peace until Stokes closed, when the dis
loyal party began to call aloud for Colonel
Armfeld, Confederate Colonel and lawyer
in our village. Hewas very willing to speak,
and started to the stand, when the Union
party objected, contending that it was a
Union meeting, and that he had no right to
interfere. But the secession rarty, having
previously armed themselves with pistols,
sticks, &C., rose in a mass and swore he
should speak, drawing pistols and raving like
parcel of mad men. We expected a good
many of the Union men in the house would
be killed, for they were entirely unarmed,
though the Union men undaunted drove
them out of the Courthouse and held the
house. Armfeld then stood on the steps of
\ or,1 fnr forx
little group of disloyalists, and the crowd
dispersed. No damage being done at the
Courthouse, only the peace of the day be-
ing broke. Not being satisfied in their fend-
ish work, late in the evening, after the most
of the people had gone home, they reinforce
ed, and armed with pistols, sticks and
knives, they turned out on the search of
Union men. The first sufferer was a poor
old innocent negro, who was fallen upon by
a refugee from Tennessee and cut badly
They then fell upon an old gentleman and
his young son who lived few miles from
town, with cudgel, and beat the young man
so he could not get home They run the old
man out of town without hurting him much.
They then attacked a Mr.. Ball and beat him
severely. The next was q crippled negro
that happened to fall in their wicked hands
What few Union men was still in town, see
ing they were overpowered, had to escape for
their lives and leave them still searching for
Union subjects. The most of these violators
of the law are citizens of Wilkesboroueh
and close around that place.
Are we the Union men of the mountains to
be left thus unprotected? There is no chance
for registration or an election to be held
here, unless something is done. We obey
General Sickles, but they carry arms We
must be allowed to carry arms and have lib
erty to protect ourselves, or otherwise we
must have protection from the general gov
The above facts, which may be relied upon
IS correct, show that the civil power in
is not even disposed, if it
we're able, to protect the loyal people of
Wilkes County. There are no troops in
Wilkes. The rebels and minions of the
State government, therefore, have every
hing their own way.
Such outrages as these may be traced o
he violent and infammatory language of
he rebel press, led and encouraged by the
Sentinel, the organ of Gov. Worth and to
he fact that some months since, when I'm
onists in that part of the State were prose-
:uted in Court for imaginary offences, and