The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-09-23
Fifty Persons f,fted Dc 'rounded
N EssAsaR OF CAV. nUsLoCEa.
The Legislature Refuses to Interfere.

both sides: o. o. Howard, Brevet Major of U
S. A., telegrap hed to Gen. Sibley, commandin,
the district, the following from Albany Sept
10: AT 10 o'clock p. NJ. lshmael Lunnor
freedman, reported himself directly from Ca
milla, Mitchell County, stating that he had lei
there at two O'clock that afternoon; that IL tn
forenoon of that day he had approached Ca
mila with John Murphy, William r. Pearce
candidate for Congress for the second district
and L. .Putney White, and about seventy-tiv,
colored persons, all enroute for Camilla, where
Pearce and Murphy were to deliver n poltica
address Upon approaching CAMILLA the re,a
tor, being inadvance, was aceosted by an arm
ed ana mounted White man, who at first stated
he was in search of q doctor to attend freed
man who had BEEN hurt by u falling tree, but
who subsequently Stated that he was courier
aud advised the relator and others of the part,
who had overtaken him, not to go TO town
that the people there were determined that the
IA, ideals should not speak in Camilla, and that
notwithstanding the warning the party moved
towards Camilla, when they Were. met by the
Sheriff and posse, who accosted Capt Pearce,
and who was assured by Capt Pearce that he
desired and should speak in Camilla on peliti-
cal subjects TIE Sheriff endeavored TO dis
suade him not to d. so, telling him the people
wouldn't permit that The Sheriff then went
back into Camilla, and again returned, saving
he had done all in his power 10 dissuade the
people from violence, but with no avail; that
the party moved on to town; that pearce
and hitched theirshorsessat the Court HOUSE
that as the wagon. containing the music
of the party entered the tDwn il was fired
upon BY mounted While men, who had first
aecosted him and by several other white
men; that he started to escape 10 the woods /;
that Pearoe attempted TO rally them, calling on
them not to fly; that the celored men being
unarmed wonll not stop. The relator being
mounted dashed aout of town, past the freed
men on foot and past the musicians, who had
Philip, Joiner, in a buggy, also drove rapidly
away towards Albany; that the, relator dash
ed ahead of them; that when about seven mi les
from. Camilla the buggy containing Murphy
and Joiner was overtaken by tour or five white
men, mounted and armed that the buggy was
stopped that one horse dashed riderless up the
road towards the relator; that lie saw the pris-
oners around the buggy, some of them dis
mounted; that he then came as rapidly as pos
sibe to Albany. 1854 81 .lL -aGi.t.
The following is the statement of the Sheriff
of Mitchell county, sworn to by himself and
other prominent citizens, and addressed to tho
members OF the1Legislature. On Saturday the
18th, it was known to the citizens that John
Murphy, of Albany, had issued circular and
secretly circulated the same among the colored
men of this county, ordering them to bring
their arms with them to political meeting adj
vertised for that day at this place. The iufor-
nation was eorroborated by Robert Cochran,
Dr., Thomas Jones and Others, who came from
the road in the direction Of Albany, stating
that armed negroes were assembling in large
numbers; at China Grove Church, awaiting
the delegation from Albany, headed by said
Murphy and ,Pearce, candidates for Congress,
who were TO be the speakers on the occasion.
AT the request of the citizens NJ. j. Poor, the
Sheriff, with a committee OF six other citiZans
were sent out to meet said procession and to
protest against armed negroes being marched
in procession into our town, and to state to
them distinctly that if they would put down
their arms no objection would be made to their
entering the town and holding their meeting.
The Sheriff delivered this message to Murphy
and Pearce. the leaders of the procession, and
they replied that they had nothing to do with
those armed men, and that the guns belonged
to them aud they were in the habit. of car
rying them wherever they went. The Sheriff
replied, that as a peace officer it was his duty
under the law to forbid the assemblage of arm
ed men,at political meetings, and. assured them
that if they entered the town with their music
and banners followed by armed men as they
then were, that there would be a breach of the
peace, and that he would not be responsible
forgthe9 consequences Shortly afterwards the
column moved into town in regular order, head
ed by Peafee, the candidate for Congress, ans
one Putney, (white) in Il buggy, armed with :.
double-barreled shot gun. a Spencer; rifle and
two pistols, with Quantity Of ammunition, as
was afterwards ascertaiEed; next a four horse
wagon containing a band and o number of
armed negroes; next followed column of me-
gro men on foot. OF between 800 and 400, at
tended by about twenty mounted outriders, at
least one half if not two thirds were armed
with guns, and most OF them with pistols. The
music was, playing and the crowd was noisy
and threatening in their conduct. Murphy
and one Philip Joiner, q negro, were in bug
gy in the rear As the head of the column APP
preachedsthe square, one of our citizens, Jas.
johnson, who was intoxicated, approached To
within few feet of the column and ordered
bn ct II Ia.
column moved on. When about twenty steps
from him his gun asfired, whether Intention
ally or not is not known, but it was pointed
in Indifferent direction, and the shot struck
the ground about twelve feet from him.
The column then fired a volley: some of the
shots at Johuson most of them in the direction
of Naples store, thirty or forty steps from the
column, at which place there was a number OF
our citizens -all of them were unarmed-
woandng six of them. Immediately a5out
twenty of our citizens sprang to their arms
and fired into the column, by which two
negroes were killed and an unknown number
wounded, The negroes, Immediately broke tC
thick cluster of timber one hundred yards
north of the Court House. AT this point there
was an attempt made by Pearce to rally hi.
routed forces. Our citizens, to the number Of
about thirty, a part of them being mounted
Immediately made charge and completely
routed the whole force, Pearce flying through
the woods and fields, Mu ply and Philip Joiner
a
Seven negroes werei Killed, and from the best
information we have been able to procure be-
tween thirty and@forty were wounded, all o
whom have. been properly cared for. 1t is q
source of deep regret that the calamitous con
sequences of this affair fell exclusively upon
the Door deludetl negroes, led on by wicked
white men (Murpny, Pearce and Putnev), wht
made good their escape in the hour of danger
with hut little injury to themselves. This sac
result is to be attributed more to the sharpness
than shrewdness of their gallant leaders in eff
fecting theirlescape than to the intention OF
the part of our people. We hereby disavov
any purpose or intention on the part of our
selves or our citizens to violate the law or tht
peace of the State in what was done. w
were willing, also, and expressed ourselves t.
these leaders, for them to hold their politica
meeting at the Court House in our town if thu
negroes were disarmed, but we did think, ant
still think, that it was our duty to obey the
orders OF the sheriff as a civil officer of thi.
State in breaking up this unlawful assembly
We felt, as their numbers vastly exceeded tina
of our citizens present, that had this meeting
taken place the lives of our wives and children
would be at the mercy Of an itfririated mob
While the consequences are to be regretted
and we do not boast of what was done by GU.
people, we feel that they have but discharged
painful duty imposed upon them by wicked
and corrupted men now engaged in leadin.
astray, into acts Of lawlessness, the colore,
people of oar country We appeal to the law
making powers OF Georgia, and the lawful au
thorties Of the United States, to check tn
progress of these stroling criminals that ar
providing about our homes and disturbing tn
peace and quiet of orr war-strlcken people
The foregoing statement, from the militar
and civil authorities, give full particulars
the riot. 's ,.7.s
= The Governor has addressed a message t
the Legislature recommending that the Pres
dent be petitioned for troops, and the matte
80 .;na eausilnrpd to-day.
90 The following report is from Judge Vazo
and Mr. johnson, vino were requested b
Lieut.. Howard, of the Freedmen's Bureau, t
Investigate matters and report to the commit
tee of the Senate and House OF Represent
tives of the State OF Georgia:-"We LETT Vi
mila at noon this day. All was quiet thel
and no apprehensions are felt Of turtle
trouble. The citizeus acted under the orde
of the sheriff. They acted as his police in I'll
whole affair. The negroes of the county al
all quiet, and no bad feeling exists between Il
blacks and whites growing out OF the aitdi
But few negroes were present during Il
fight, except those in the procession. There
no necessity for any additional force to protet
the whites or Blacks. The wounded negroC
are well cared for, and have the sympathy
the whites. The whole difficulty originated
% the right claimed by Murphy Pierce, an
others to carry negroes into a political NEE
ing with arms. The sheriff disputed the
rights and insisted that under the proclami
ton OF the Governor and the law it was h
duty as a ciyii officer to prevent such a pr
.3 ceeding. aa7-- .t.fa
(Signe0 t,r ......l...s D. A. WAGON,
b. JOHNSON"
Messrs. Vazon and johnson and Mr.. CIar
Northern man, certify to the good charact
of the parties who have made sworn stat
ments of the affair, which, with WAGON al
Johnson's report, were laid before both Hous
and determined their decision in relation
the Governors message and their refusal