Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1868-09-25
The Riot Mt Camilla, Georgia.

Freedmens Bureau, from Albany, Georgia
one on the report of a freedman, the other a
statement of the sheriff of Mitchell county,
sworn to by himself and other prominent citi-
zens. There is third account also from two
citizens of Northern birth. From the whole
we gather (says the Baltimore SUM- the one
terrible fact of the base uses to which the
colored people are put by political adventur-
ers in the South, at the cost of the peace and
welfare of both races. The negroes were
marshalled under a Captain Pearce. their
candidate for Congress, to march upon and
hold political meeting at Camilla, and it
seems undoubted that large portion OF them
were armed, and in that condition the people
of the town were determined not to tolerate
their presence, though if unarmed they did
not object.
We subioin the statement of the sheriff Of
Mitchell county. 1t is addressed to the men,
bers of the Legislature:
On Saturday, the 10th inst, it was made
known to the citizens that John Murphy, OF
Albany, Ca, had issued a circular and secretly
circulated the same among the colored men OF
the county, ordering them to bring their arms
with them to the polical meeting advertised for
that day at this place. The information was
corroborated by statements made by Robert
Cochran, ST., Thomas Jones and others, who
came from the road in the direction of Albany,
stating that armed negroes were assembling In
large numbers at China Grove Church, waiting
for the delegation from Albany, headed by said
Murphy and Pearce, candidates for Congress,
who were to be the speakers for the occasion.
At the request of citizens, M. J. Poor, Sheriff,
with committee of sixty other citizens, went
out to meet said procession and to protest a.
gainst armed negroes being marched in process
sion in our town, and to state to them distinct
ly that if they would put down their arms no
objection would be made to their entering the
town and holding their political meeting."-
The sheriff delivered this message to Murphy
and Pearce. leaders, of the procession, and they
rrsse-E'zzc4Y INC gums Derongeu to rrtem anu
| they were in the habit of carrying them where
ever they went" The sheriff replied 'sthat as
peace officer it was his duty, under the law,
to forbid the assemblage of armed men at poll
teal meetings, and assured them that if they
entered the town with their music and banners
followed by armed men as they then were, that
there would be breach of the peace, and that
he would not be responsible for the consequent
ces." Shortly afterwards the column moved
into town in regular order, headed by Pearce,
candidate for Congress, and one Putney, white,
in a buggy, armed with dOuble-barrelled
shotgun, a Spencer rife and two pistols, with
quantity of ammunition, as was afterwards
ascertained; next four-horse wagon, contain
ing band and number of armed negroes :;
next followed column of negro men on foot,
between 300 and 400 strong, attended by about
twenty mounted outsiders. At least one-half,
if not two-thirds, were armed with guns, and
most of them with pistols. The music was
playing, and the crowd noisy and threatening
in their conduct-Murphy and one Joiner ne
gro, in buggy in the rear. AS the head of
the column approached the square, one Of our
citizens, James Johns, who was intoxicated,
approached within few feet of the column and
ordered the music to stop, which was not done.
The column moved on, and when about TWEEN
ty steps from him, his gun was fired, whether
intentionally or not is not known, but it was
pointed in a different direction, and the shot
struck the ground about twelve feet from him.
The column fired a yolley, some of the shots at
Johns, but most of them in the direction of
Naples store, thirty or forty steps from the
column, at which place there was a number of
our citizens, all unarmed, wounding six of our
citizens. Immediately about twenty of our CT
tizens sprang to their arms, and fired into the
column, by which two negroes were killed and
an unknown number wounded. The negroes
Immediately broke into a thick cluster of tim
Der, one hundred yards north of the Court
House. At this point there was an attempt
made by Pearce to rally his routed forces
Our citizens Immediately, to the number of a.
bout thirty-a part of them mounted-made
charge, and completely routed the whole party,
Pearce flying through the woods and fields, and
Murphy and Joiner escaping in buggy up the
road, towards Albany. Seven negroes were
killed. from the best information we have been
able to procure. Between thirty and forty
were wounded, all Of whom have been proper
ly cared for.
cit is source of deep regret that the calami-
tous consequences of this affair fell exclusively
upon the poor deluded negroes, led on by wick
ed white men-Murphy, Pearce and Putney-
who made good their escape in the hour of dam
ger with but little injury to themselves. This
sad result is to be attributed more to the sharp
ness and shrewdness of these gallant leaders,
who succeeded in efecting their escape, than to
want of peaceable intention on the part of our
people. We hereby disavow any purpose or
intent on the part of ourselves or our citizens
to violate the laws of peace of the State in what
was done. We were willing, and so expressed
ourselves to these leaders, for them to hold
their political meeting at the courthouse in our
town, if the negroes were disarmed, but we did
think, and still think, that it was our duty to
obey the order of the sheriff, as civil officer
of this State, in breaking up this unlawful as
semble. We felt that as their numbers vastly
exceeded that of our citizens present, that if
this meeting had taken place the lives of our
wives and children would have been at the
mercy of an Infatuated mob. While the con-
sequences are to be regretted, and we do not
boast Of what was done by our people, we feel
that they have but discharged painful duty
imposed upon them by wicked and eorrup men
now engaged in leading estray, into acts of
lawlessness, the colored people of our country
''We appeal to the law-making powers of
Georgia, and the lawful authorities Of the o.
nited States government, to check the progress
of these strolling criminals who are prowling