Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-03
THE RIOT AT MURFRRESBORO.


How Radical DlssenslOns are TO be
HeaIed-The AaaIr Prearrangesa :
How EtIIOGs and BOssen Figured ina
the Matter.
Correspondence Of the Union and Dispatch
MuRFREEsBORO, March 2, l86S.--As
you were informed by telegraph, Mnrfrees-
bor0 was, on Saturday evening Last, the
scene Of considerable excitement The ex
act number OF persons wounded have not
yet been able To ascertain. / think, how
ever, there were seven negroes wounded
three severely, with two reported dead.
An old gentleman-Mr. Patterson Miles
was seriously, though not fatally injured,
by team running over him. 1t appears
provldentIal that a greater number were
not injured. Shots were fred IN the
crowd, apparently at no particular object
bricks and rocks hurled in every con-
celyable direction-teams and horses rush
ing about the square and through the streets.
The negroes, as a general plan. pursued the
Chinese mode of warfare yelling, swear
ing and firing their pistols in the air. IL
they had been reinforced by a big drum
and tin pan, they would doubtless have
put their adversaries to flight. AZ il was,
however, after the unfortunate melee began
in earnest, they followed the example Of
the projectors of this disgraeeful row,
and fed precipitately in every direction.
You will ask, who were the projectors of
this riot? None others than Messrs.
Elicit and Bosom, members of the l4egis-
lature from this county.
AZ you are probably aware, a nEmber Of
Radicals bolted and are running for eouaty
Offices against the regular nominees of their
party. This, in connection with the fact
that the Conservative opponents of the
Radical nominees are very popular with
the negroes, rendered it necessary for the
Radicals to devise some plan by which to
destroy the growing influence Of the Con-
servatives. The plan hit upon was, in its
devilish intent, entirely consistent with
Radical strategy. 1t was to create deadly
feud between the two races. To accom-
plish this, Elliott and Bosom left their
seats in the Legislature and came here.
Their purpose, ba0Rd a reasonable doubt, wds
TO incite a riot, and thus place an insur-
mountable barrier between the whites and
negroes. This was their mission you
are already informed 10 what extent they
succeeded. But did these brave talking
worthless stand firmly by the poor dupes
whom they had led into danger? No,
they ran at the first signs of the
storm they had raised-ran through
the streets like whipped spaniels One of
these fellows in his violent harangue
charged, in the most indecent and unbe-
coming terms, the people of this county
with being riotous and disorderly, and
threatened them with the military.
One of the negro speakers declared that
he hoped to see theday EheE every Rebel
would be exterminated-they were not fit
to live, and much more of that sort of nom
sense.
A Conservative negro attempted to ad-
dress the audience and would have been
mobbed but for the interposition Of several
gentlemen. In fact, a few minutes previ-
Gus, portion of the Radical negroes were
intent on killing him for hurrahing for
Andrew johnson. This is freedom of
speech for you The row began at the
point where the Conservative negro at.
tempted to address the audience 1t was
premsditated, prearranged by the Radicals,
that if no plausible excuse offered itself,
they would invent one, and this opportu-
nifty was taken advantage of.
NOW, every drop OF bloou spit on lasI
Saturday in the courthouse yard, is upon
the heads of Elliott and Bosom They are
answerable for it. If any of these poor
negroes die, they are murdersrs. They may
not be called upon 10 answer for this crime
at the bar of earthly courts, but is there
not a court where the special plea of "trooly
loiP' Radicalism will not avail them The
mark of Cain is upon their brows, and there
they will carry it. Z.