The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-09-29
COyre,pOndenes N. 7. Tribune

the regular nominee OF the hepu0l1-
cans of this Odd gressional district,
for the United States Congress, pro-
ceeded to Americas, Sumter county, a
town but a few miles from Anderso7l-
vile, for the purpose OF making his
first speech in the canvass of his dis
trict. BE was accompanied by Mr..
John Murphy, native of Indiana, and
now citizen and the sheriff elect OF
this county, elected by a Republican
majority of about 700 in poll OF about
200. Reaching Americas, they regis
tered their names at the hotel. Five
minutes thereafter they were informed
by the proprietor that his 6o1rdeTS
insisted upon his turning these
gentlemen ont of The house. They
were Radicals, they must leave,
or he could not be landlord OF
theirs. The gentlemen replied, Erase
our names from your book,n Shortly
] after this they addressed the colored
Republicans, amid the mutterings and
curses of the white citizens, who were
in town in-force. After speaking, they
went by invitation to the house OF Il.
| X, Mccoy, a Republican and Associate
Chief Justice of the State. While there
the colored Republicans attempted to
march through the public square with
| drums and fife, though ftTldT'Hed. They
were ordered by the Judge of the S1-
perior Court, then in session. to stop
the noise, meaning that of the drum
and fife. Some colored man, not hear
ing tho order of the Judge, nor compre-
hending the cause of the cessation of
the music, called ont, "Go on with the
mnsic," wheFeupon the I1ltiteS dreIO
their pistols, ShOt.1lns, kliUeS, ETC., and
Cir0Ve The cokorcd men from the square.
| MesSrs. Pierce and Murphy knowing
nothing OF this, approached the public
| square, paying little heed to the warn
ings OF the colored people, who told
| them that the IUIIiteS had sworn to Kill
them. The Mayor addressing the mob,
was informed by angry men that the
blacks should not be harmed, but the tlDo
odd t0lliLe scoundreLs" should die. AS
Messrs. Pierce and Murphy neared the
square an old white man said, more to
himself than to either of these gentle
men, "God d-' you. you IgiH 7sever
LedUe That square GLiUe." They then
turned, md by q circuitous route
reached the Office OF Mr.. w. O. Morrill,,
Agent of the Freedman's Bureau, where
they took refuge. They renamed con-
eeuIcd thus until after 7lightfalE, when
Mr.. Morrill, sent his servant with
them through the fields to a point
outside the town where he met
them with n wagon, In which they es-
capped into Lee County. and thence TO
this place. Returning over the road
} upon which he had taken out the wag-
ons, Mr.. Morrill found IL -Picketed by
HdLT a dozen armed men. These men in
Qutred of cOlored men who passed over
the road after Mr.. Morrill, for two men
giving a careful description of MesSrs
Pierce and AfkTphy. That night every
road leading from Amercus, In any dI-
rection, I1dS Dickcted by armed bodies of
IVllite mel. Similar bodies of men kept
watch over the houses where the two
gentlemen were supposed to be conceal
ed. None OF these people made any secret
Of their Intentions o numbering MeSSrS
Pierce and Murphy. Yesterday, the
18th inst, Mr.. Pierce accompanied by
MIR. Murphy, the Rev. +. +. Putney,
Phillip Janln Ga colored man. recently
member OF The Georgia Legislature,
but who wasT expelled on account OF
his color,) and about Eeventy-ive coll
. ored men approached the town of
Camilla, Mitchell County, where Mes
srs. Pierce, Murphy, and JaniD, were
to address the cOlored Republicans.
/, Four miles from Camilla they were met
by n white man named James Johns,
who at first stated that he was in search
of "dOctor" to attend IA colored man
who bad been injured by q falling tree.
AS soon however, as he learned the char.
acter OF the party approaching, he de-
clared himself a "courier" sent to notify
Afr. Murphy that The people of Camilla
and Of Mitchell County t0OIttd permit no
Radical speaking IN Camilla, that The
county tcuS theirs, and they intended TO
rule Il. .a=-latF
He then dashed of to town, and the
party moved toward the town. not be-
lieying that the people would use force
to prevent a political speech. Mr..
Pierce, however, needed tho warning
of the man Johns SO much as to send Il
note by a freedman to the Sheriff of the
county; the contents of this note are
| unknown to your correspondent but
from subsequent actions of the Sheriff
1t is supposed TO have been a note ask
ing the protection Of the ciOiL authorities.
| Al point two miles from the town, the
party was met by the Sheriff and a
posse. The Sheriff asked that in defer
ence to the wish of the citizens, Mr..
| Pierce could not enter the tolIn. Mr..
Pierce answered that no was violating
no law of the county, and no right OF
the people, he would speak In Camilla.
He thought no had the right TO do SO.
Upon that the Sheriff and his posse, all
being armed and mounted, dashed of to
town.
Mr.. Pierce, in buggy with Mr.. Put
ney, proceeded toward the town, fol-
lowed ut some distance by the rest of
the party, With these latter was "a
plantation wagon, drawn by four
mules, containing tho colored band,
consisting of two drummers and a fifer.
Messrs. Pierce and Putney drove
into the town. dismountsd from
their buggy, and hitched their horse
at the Court House. at hun
area yafuS from IHo COURT 11OuSe The
band wagon tvGs met By the man Johns,
NTH double 6dTTeted shotgun, lDsIc6
ne discharged into the avd0oti, IUonnding
tlDo cOLOred men. Upon this there rose
up from either side Of the road upon
iUhich the cokored people t0ere approach.
ing the torn, q large 9aNHl6eT of Unite
men, t1ho had been concealed i3t Re an
der. 9roIuth, Iuho opened a cross. fire upon
The cOLored people IN the road. A few
OF the colored people, having pistols,
endeavored to defend themselves, but
a majority of them fled. Messrs.
Pierce and Putney rushed toward the
contending parties, Mr.. Pierce throw
ing up his hands, and callingupon the
freedmen to stop. saying, "don't do that,
don't do that" Upon this the whites.
or portion of them, turned upon
Pierceand Putney, and fired, wound
ing Mr.. Pierce in the leg, and Mr.. Put.
ney in the elbow and shoulder. Both,
however, took to the woods and escap-
ed, reaching the plantation of Messrs.
FIagg and FiSh, two gentlemen from
Massachusetts, at O'Clock this morn
ing.
10 return to the battle or massacre
at Camilla. The freedmen who were
armed, having emptied their pistols,
fled for their iives-Such' as had not al
ready been placed horS dtt combat
1Ae tpniteS pursued, some Of them first
| ASSURING themselves that those cot0Ted
| men teJt on the ground tCere dead 6y re-
Peated shots at their PROSTATE bodies.
Murphy and Janln endeavored to es-
cape In their buggy, but eight miles
4 from Camilla We're overtaken by five or
six mounted men, both dismounted