New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1867-05-31
FROM RAPIDEs PARISH.
a Chapter of Outrnges-What Their
Best Friends" are Doing for the Freed
men-Cuipability OF the Bureau Agent
JnsLIce N MOckerN. etc.
Special Correspondence of the Republican.
PARISH OF RAPIDEs, May %, 1867.

The bureau agent at this place, Major
Willauer, is so controlled by rebel influence
that when complaints are made to him he
simply refers the parties to the civil authori
ties, neither knowing nor caring whether
their cases are acted upon or not. His only
desire seems TO be to get rid of them. The
magistrate knowing this, hears the com.
| plant and sends the freedman off with high
assurances of justice but there it stops
| unless Yankee is unfortunate enough to
be the defendant, and then the agent and
the magistrate are certain to proceed to ex-
tremities. They often hunt up such cases
through their emissaries, when no complaint
is made, and they are proceeded with be-
yond the limits of law or equity, for it
would appear to be part of their creed to
| punish Yankees who have the boldness to
come among them.
Whether Major Willauers trucking is
attributable to fear, desire to
| court rebel favor at the expense
of Union men, or to perpetuate his
| sinecure, or whether ii is the result of
| what he has more than once told complain.
| ing freedmen Chat the rebels have the most
money, and that nothing can be done for
them) leave for others to say. But it is
| certain that the colored people have lost all
| confidence in him, and now generally suffer
| on, rather than apply to him, knowing that
their wrongs will not be redressed.
The few loyal white men here have be.
| come so thoroughly disguised with his
tawning upon rebels that they have lost not
| only confidence in, but common respect for,
him, AMI consider him disgraCng, BY his
acts, the uniform many Of them have worn
with honor, and which they all love and
respect, for II is their country's 4 gray
jackets pelican buttons would better har.
monte with his course than the national
uniform.
A few weeks ago two colored men, while
on their way from Alexandria, were met
| by a rebel named Heath, AN oyerscer
for John Ruth Williams who, with.
out the slightest proyocaton, shot both
of them. One of the men named Henry
jackson now on Mr.. Glass plantation. was
shot in the head. The other William Pill
| man, on William Bailys place, was shot
| in the body. Complaint was made to Major
| Willaucr but nothing was done. To in
tlmldate them from prosecuting Heath. the
father OF Plllman was arrested and imprs-
oned, and only released on the pledge that
his son would not prosecute Heath
coIored man on the plantation of Judge
Boyce, at "Cotile,n was shot by rebel
named Corcoreil. The 'colOred mans arm
mad TO be amputated. No action has ever
| been taken by either the civil or military
authorities. While this man was at the
point of death Major Wilauer was on the
plantation, but did not consider the subject
worthy his notice, and did not even inquire
the cause Of the shooting.
Three rebels, named John and Frank
Paul and Washington Virgins, took freed,
man named VIM. Haynes from his bed, one
night not long ago, and murdered him.
Nothing has been done in this case by the
civil or military authorities.
colored woman, named Hall, was bru-
| tally beaten, kicked, and stamped under
foot by Thomas Brothers, nephew Of ex-
| governor Moore. Brothers is In charge of
the plantation of the governor and his
| treatment was because the woman was
unable TO do certain manual labor under
which she broke down, being arihin a fen
days Of her confinement When her nus.
band appealed TO Brothers not to abuse his
wife IN her then helpless condition, Broth
ers attempted to shoot him!
j. .. Pickens, a rebel, contracted with
freedmen; but having outrageously violated
the contract the men came to Alexandria
to report to Major Willauer; but Colonel
Pickens appeared to be master of the situa-
ton, and ordered Willauer to arrest and i'm.
prison these men, which was done: and
they were forced back upon the plantation
at the will of man who violated his con.
tract. These men, unable TO suffer such
oppression, worse than their former slavery,
ran oil one night subsequently, preterring
to do this rather than to make further COM
plants to the bureau.
This same Pickens has threatened to
shoot colored man named Butler, school
teacher on his place, and drove him Off
ostenslbly for chastising some Of his pupils,
but really because he (Butler) is man of
intelligence, and had organized Republi
can club of the working hands on the
place.
A freedwoman named Phoebe Harris, was
beaten by a rebel named Reeves, on the
plantation of Colonel Polk on Bayou Bmnf.
Reeves broke the handle of garden hoe
over her head. She complained to Major
Willauer but no action was taken.
A colored man named Anthony Thomas
was shot at without any cause by man
named Lloyd Compton. Thomas reported
to Willauer, but>without effect.
A colored man named George Washington
was terribly beaten with stick over the
head and body by rebel named T. C.
Lewis. This is the son of our present Alien
District Judge; Lewis acknowledged having
done so, and to give his own words he "did
break stick over the id higger's head,
and would do so again." Such was his
answer to Willauer, but it was far from him
to take any action, and SO it rests.
A colored man named Jerry Ford was
walking quietly along the road, about four
miles from Alexandria, returning from his
work in the field. Joe Texada, one of our
lawn lkers, seeing him, undertook TO amuse
himself by putting his horse In full speed as
he approached the freedman, TO ride the
latter down. The freedman distinctly
heard Texada say to John Ennis, another
white man in his company, "let us ride
down them two id niggers." The freed.
man endeayored to avoid this as their
horses were about TO rush upon him, by
rushing from the road to the swamps; but
Texads being mounted, soon came up with
him and made two or three fruitless at
tempts TO discharge his navy revolver at
him. He then dismounted and beat the
freedman over the head with his pistol,
making several severe wounds. The man,
faint and exhausted froR loss of blood
arrived In Alexandria, and reported
at the office Of Major Willauer but
that gentleman would not leave his agreea-
bic company in his hotel TO 20 10 his
office, distance of two hundred yards, to
see or hear the complaints Of poor beaten,
bruised, and bleeding wretch. The freed.
man, unable TO secure medical attendance,
laid In the bureau office all night In pool
Of his own gore. To avoid investigating
the matter, Willauer made an early start to
the country the following morafng on a
pleasure trip, being careful not to appear at
hisoiiice, where he knew the freedman had
been in waiting since the afternoon pre-.
yious. He IL not expected 10 return within
a week, so the freedman win likely seriously
ponder on the protection Of the bureau, for
get his injuries, and return home wiser
man.
Feeling that have already trespassetl too