Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-10-16
The Report OF the Camilla Rfot'
Mcpherson BARRACKS,
GEORGIA.. Sept. 20, 1868.

- a No. IS, c.. S., from headquarters
Do,ortment of the South, proceeded TO
CebiIIa, Mitchell county, Georgia, on the
091 instant, to investigate the occurrences
At that place on the 18TH instant. re-
n -, report as follows \ few days
previous to the l9th instant notlces were
circulated in Dougherty and Mitchell coun-
Ties that a Republican meeting would be
held at Camilla, Georgia, on that day, and
fb,t W. P Pierce, candidate foG Con
1ress from that District, John Murphy, a
candidate as ElectOr for the District, Put
new. and others would address the meet
ing that pursuant to that notice Q mum
her Of colored people from pjantatlons be
tween Albany, Georgia, and the nel8nDor-
hood of Camilla, proceeded IN body to
that place, accompanied by musicians and
y varon. This crowd numbered from two
70 three hundred colored people, about
one-baIf Of whom may have carried fire
arms of different descriptions that when
within two or three miles from Camilla
thew were met by NJ. S. Poore, the Sheriff
Of Mitchell county, accompanied by four
or five citizens Of Camilla, who protested
against their entering the town with arms,
claiming, in accordance with late prOcla-
nation OF the Governor, he WAS cmDu Slred
10 demand that they do not enter the town
with arms This demand Of the sheriff was
replied to by Messrs. Pierce and Murphy,
on behalf OF the crowd, by their stating
that they were not an organized BODY, anu
III 10 WAY under the control Of any leader !;
that the persons with arms carried them OF
their own accord, and assured the sheriff,
and the citizens Of Camilla with MIN, that
thew were going to Camilla Tor the purpose
OF attending a pOlitlca! meeting, 81 that
their intentions were peaceful and without
I, /. Of tno MA
would respectfully call your attention to
{ha enclosed affidavits CT w. ?. Pierce,
John Murphy, L. L. Putney, and III. ).
Poore. sheriff OF Mitchell county, for a
fuil understanding OF what took place
between the sheriff and the freedmen at
This time.
From the affidavit it will be seen that LIE
considered the attitude Of the crowd APP
preaching the town Of such 4 character as
20 induce him to return TO the town and
prepare tho citizens against attack by di-
Yecting them as q posse to have their arms
ready in case he should call upon them to
assist him in preserving the peace. l have
been unable to obtain any evidence
that these colored people going to Camilla
on that day were either instructed Or adj
vised by any one to carry arms with them
for purposes Of defence or violence, or that
they seriously expected interruption from
holding theirmeeting, although, from some
Of the enclosed affidavits, ii Is alleged that
one JameSJ0hns, q white citizen Of Camilla,
had frequently said that no Republican
meeting should be held at Camilla, and
that en- this day this man Johns, armed
with q gun, met the crowd some three miles
from the town, and told them that they
should have no meeting or speaking at Ca
IaiIla. and that if they came into town they
would be hurt. Upon the crowd entering
The town en- route to the Court House, they
were met by this man Johns, who was in
tozicated, and armed with gun. He was
boisterous and angry IN his manner, and
ordered the musicians in the wagon to
cease playing. His orders were not obey
ed In some Of the affidayits it is stated
that he fired his gun at the people IN the
wagou-by others that his gun was dis
charged accidentally, or not in the dlrec-
ton OF the wagon. However this may be,
the result of the discharge Of this mans
gun was Immediate fire from both colOred
people and citizens of the place. It is ad
mitted by all persons that this mans gun
was the first fired, and that it was di6char-
Ged without prOvOcatlon. In CONVERSE
ton with the citizens of Camilla, this man
Johns was described to me as a drunken
and dangerous man, and frequently in diff
w
and that on that day he was intoxicated.
Under these circumstances, as it cannot
but be considered as neglectful on the part
Of the sheriff III not seeing that this man
Johns was kept out of the way on that day,
particularly as he was drunk, and as he
(the sheriff. appears to have unprecedented
50 much trouble from the approaching
crowd and the excitement existing among
the citizens Of the place. For a full under
standing of the occurrences fO1 the time
the sheriff met the crowd advancing on the
road to the town, until the firing COM
neuced and It's results, respectfully call
attention to the enclosed a11idavitS of both
citizens of Camilla and persons who went
there to attend the meeting. SO far as 1t
was possible to learn, the casualties on
that occasion were as follows Nine killed
(colOrad) from twenty-five to thirty (col-
oredy wounded several citizens of Camilla
(white) wounded none severely.
From the enclosed statement Of parties
present, it will be seen that the firing in
town did not continue many minutes, but
that the colored people fled to the adioin-
ing woods, and that they were pursued by
the citizens as posse of the sheriff, some
of them mounted and some on loot, and
that firing of guns through the woods was
heard during the balance of the day. The
sheriff, in his affidavit, states that three
colored men were killed one mile from tbs
town. l have been unable to find any
proof that the colored people who went
that day to Camilla were advised by any Of
the white men who accompanied them,
and who were to address them, either to
go armed for defence or violence but
that, on the contrary, the enclosed atfida-
Wits show that MessrS. Pierce, Murphy and
Putney all advised and impressed upon
them that they should be peaoeable and
law-abiding in all their acts, and they were
meeting at this place (Camilla) in the exer-
else OF their rights as citizens OF the United
States. That the citizens Of the town OF
Albany were in any way implicated or con-
nected with the occurrences at Camilla on
the 10Th instant is in no way proven. 1t
is explained in the affidavit of the Sheriff
Of Mitchell county, that notice of some
colored people having left Albany on the
evening of the 18th instant for Camilla was
received by him through person living in
the adjoining town of Newton. This is in
no way denied, as by reference to the Aft
davit OF Peter Hines, the leader of the
band, it will be seen that the musicians,
with other freedmen left Albany on the