The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-09-23

TELEGRA.PHIC NEWS.
THE GEORGIA AFFAIR.
THE FIRST ACCO UNIT MUCH
EXAGGERATED.
STATEMENTS OF THE CITIZENS AND
THE FREEDMEN'S BUREAU
AGENT.

AGENT.
ATLANTA, Ca, September 22.-The par
ticulars Of the riot ut Camilla as tele-
yraphed from Bainbridge to Augusta yes
terday were incorrect and exaggerated.
The following gives the accounts of both
sides:
FREEpMEN's BUREAU STATEMENT.
Major Howard, United States army, and
Sub Assistant Commissioner Of the Freed
mems Bureau, telegraphs General Sibley,
commanding the district, as follows, from
Albany, September 18th:
"At o'clock P. NJ, 1shmael Lumis
(freedman) reported himself directly from
Camilla. Mitchell county, Ca, stating that
he had left there at 2 o'clock P. NJ. that
in the forenoon this day he approached
Camilla with John Murphy, William &.
Pearce candidate for Congress in the Sc
cond district, and F. F. Putney (white),
and about seventy-fve colored persons, en-
route for the town. Pearce and Murphy
were to deliver political addresses. Upon
approaching Camilla, relator, being in adj
vance, was accosted by an armed and
mounted white man who at first said he
was going for doctor to attend freedman
who had been hurt by the falling of tree,
but who subsequently stated that he was
courier, and advised relator and others Of
the party who had overtaken him not to
20 to town; that the people there were
determined that the Radicals should not
speak in Camilla that, Notwithstanding
the warning, the party moved on towards
Camilla, when they were met by the sheriff
and posse, who accosted Captain Pearce,
and who were assured by Captain Pearce
that he desired and intended to peak IN
Camilla on politica! subjects. The sheriff
endeayored to dissuade him from doing 30,
telling him that the people would not permit
it that the sheriff then went back into
Camilla and again returned, saying he had
done all in his power to dissuade the people
from violence, but without effect; that
the party moved on to the town; that
Pearce and Putney entered the town, dis
mounted from their buggy, and hltched
their horse at the courthouse that as the
wagon containing the music Of the party
entered the town it was fred upon by the
mounted white man who had first accosted
relator and by several other white men !;
the woods THAI Pearce attempted to rally
them, calling on them not to fly; that the
colored men, being unarmed, would not
stop. Relator, being mounted, dashed out
of town 80 did the freedmen on foot and
part of the musicians, who had abandoned
the wagon. Murphy and Philip Joyner,
in buggy, drove rapidly away in the
direction of Albany; that relator kept
ahead of them that when seven miles from
Camilla the buggy containing Murphy
and Joyner was overtaken by five or Six
white men mounted and armed that the
buggy was stopped, and one horse dashed
riderless up the road toward the relator.
He saw the pursuers around the buggy
some of them dismounted-and that he then
came as rapidly as possible to Albany"
STATEMENT OF THE SHERIFF OF MITCHELL
COUNTY AND OTHER PROMINENT CIT1-
ZENs.
The following statement Of the sheriff
| and other prominent citizens of Mitchell
county, sworn to, is addressed to the Legis-
lature:
"On Saturday the 10Th instant it was
made known to the citizens of Camilla that
John Murphy, of Albany, Ca, had issued
circular, and secretly circulated the same
| among the colored men of this county, Or
| dering them to bring their arms with them
to O. political meeting advertised for that
day at this place. This information was
corroborated by Robert Cochran, ST.,
Thomas Jones, and others, who came from
the road in the direction of Albany, stating
that the armed negroes were assembling in
large numbers at China Grove church, wait
ing for the delegation from Albany headed
by John Murphy and Pearce, candidates
for Congress, who were to be the speakers
for the occasion.
"At the request of citizens, W. j. Poore,
with committee of six other citizens,
went out to meet said procession and to
protest against armed negroes being marched
| in procession in our town, and to state to
them distinctly that if they would put down
their arms no objection would be made to
their entering town and holding their po-
litical 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 these armed
negroes; the guns belonged to them, and
they were in the habit of carrying them
wherever they went. The sheriff replied
that as peace-officer it was his duty under
the law to forbid the assemblage of armed
men at political meetings, and assured
them that if they entered the town with
their music and banners, followed by
armed men, as they were, there would
be breach of the peace, and ne would not
be responsible for the consequences.
"Shortly afterwards the column moved
into town in regular order, headed by
Pearce, the candidate for Congress, and one
Putney (white) in buggy, armed with q
double barrel shotgun, Spencer rifle, and
two pistols, and having quantity OF am
munition, as was afterwards ascertalned.
| Next came fourhorse wagon containing a
band and a number of armed negroes; next
| followed column of negro men on foot,
between 800 and 400, attended by about
twenty mounted outsiders. At least one
half if not two-thirds were armed with
guns, and majority of them with pistols:
| The music was playing, and the crowd
noisy and threatening in their conduct.
Murphy and one Philip Joyner (negro)
brought up. the rear in buggy.
Gas the head of the column approached
| the SQUARE, one of our citizens, named
James Johns, who was intoxicated, ap-
preached within few feet Of the column
and ordered the music to stop. The order
was not obeyed, and the column moved on,
and was about twenty steps from him when
he fired-whether Intentionally or unln-
tentionally is not known, but his gun was
pointed in different direction from 1t, and
the contents struck the ground about twelve
feet from him. The column then hred
volley, some of the shots at Johns, ou'
! &C 4l,a,a tho dirnctinn of Maple' e