The Van Buren press., 1868-12-01
HORRIBLE MASSACRE AT CENTRE
POINT! r.
THREE RESPECTABLE CITIZENS OF
SEWER COUNTY SHOT DOWN IN
COLD BLOOD BY CLAYTON6
MILITIA .r.

OF armed men, numbering between Two
and three hundred, entered the little town
of Centre Point, in Sever county, about
twenty eight miles distant from this place.
Without making known their object or
the purpose for which they invaded the
county, they proceeded at once to arrest
every citizen Of the place They marshal
ed all the defenceless citizens together in
an open field, right in the midst Of the
town, and there they were kept until about
9 o'clock. during which time they con
tinued to make arrests, and ROB the PEG
pie of their property, None escaped who
had occasion to be in town. Even ply
sicians who were on urgent business to
visit sick patients, were halted in the
street, dismomted, and their horses taken
from them. while they were themselves
placed under guard.
About . o'clock they were marched
down to store house and closely con
fined, still under the strict surveillance Of
these harbarous wretches Then com
menced a wholesale and indiscrimate rob
berg. The merchants were forced to de
liver their KEYS to the robbers, who en-
tered the stores and began to pluuder
them. Everything that they could use
they appropriated to themselves, and de-
stroyed things they did not want. Guns,
ammunition, horses, corn, shoes and
everything that could be found was taken
by this band ofruthless vandals and muir
derers. The robbery continued during
the day, in which time the town was COM
pletely sacked Those under arrest dur
ing the meantime were totally ignorant
Of who their captors were or under what
authority they were acting.
About o'clock in the afternoon the
prisoners, having previously been search
ed. were again marched out into the open
field where they received the first intima.
ton of the object and designs of the ma
rauders. One Capt Reeves told them
that Governor Clayton had declared
martial law in Sewer county They were
there to enforce his proclamation. Ii
was the first rad they had made. TWAS
only the initiation of what would occur
His men were euraged 1t was with great
difficulty he could restrain them. They
wanted to KILL TEN OR TWELVE MEN any
how, They want to HANG some of you
fellows We are coming back here again
perhaps tomorrow etc. Such was the
language used by this ruilian to body OF
unsrmed citizens who were prisoners and
had their lives in jeopardy. They were
then discharged.
The next morning, Tuesday, a number
OF citizens from the surrounding country
having heard that band of jayhawkers
/ from the mountains had made q raid OF
Centre Point, and had taken all the prop
erty of the citizens, went into town, some
! few with their arms. But hearing who
the men were and under what authority
they were acting, they held meeting ant
were addressed by some of the leading
citizens advising quiet submission, unit
they could make the proper appeal to thu
authorities. This they quietly agreed tc
do, and at once appointed committee
to visit Murfreesbore and ascertain i
they could recover their property, and
also appointed committee to visit thi.
place and confer with the military author
tiles here and with Governor Clayton
This being done they were quietly pre-
pairing to dispense, when the cowardly
assessing rushed into town and commenc
ed firing upon them. Being thus sur
prised and wantonly attacked and see
ing their fellow citizens falling around
them, with hardly any hope of escaping
being murdered themselves, some few oil
them who had arms and could get to
them, returned the fire of their assailants
without however doing much execution
They were soon overpowered, and those
who could not escape were taken prison
ers. Some succeeded in making their es.
cape as though by miracle being sue
cessiyely fired upon while running. The
deeds of bloods that were then enacted
were among the most appalling in all the
annals of crime and were well calculated
to make the liyid lips Of the veriest COW
ard tremble with emotions of vengence
As if by brutal instinct and true to the
coward nature, the Oldest, the most en-
feebled, the most iuoffensiye, the most re
spectacle and totally defenceless were
taken out and SHOT DOWN IN COLD BLOOD.
Three citizens ofSevier county, Arkan-
sas, noted for their responsibility and
standing in the community, strong and
nnwavering advocates of peace, of law,
of order; respected for their age and es.
teemed for their virtues Hester, Ander-
son and Gilbert by name; living under a
government declared by Congress to be
republican in form; were led out to the
scene of slaughter and shot down like
dogs, by men acting under instructions
from the executive of the State. Alas T.
such is indeed the case in this the 10Th
century and in free America. There were
also some six or eight citizens wounded,
but how many Of the militia were killed
and wounded we wer unable to ascer.
tain. The militia are still in possession
of Centre Point and have all approaches
to the town guarded They permit per
sons to enter the place but will not allow
them to pass out The citizens had all
dispersed except those whom they still
hold as prisoners.
The above facts were detailed to us by
reliable citizen Of this county. who was
an eye witness TO the scene. He narrow
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