The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-09-23
ATLANTA.
Fhe Riot At Camilla, GeOFgia-Full
81 .rf5tev + Particulars. ...5-

ATLANTA, Sept. t22.-TWo accounts
Of the regent riot are receiyed-one
from aifreedman through Major How
| ard, Assistant Commissioners of the
Ereedmen's Bureau, and one from
Sheriff Poor, of Mitchell County.
Major Howard says Ishmael LuD
nor. a freedman. states that he left
Camilla on the afternoon of the 10Th;
| that on the forenoon of that day he
approached Camilla with John Muir
ply aud VIM, II. Pearce, candidates
for Congress In the Second District,
and II. 4. Putney White and about
70 colored persons, all en- route for
emilia, where Pearce and Murphy
were to deliver political addresses.
Upon approaching Camilla, the re-
lator, being in advance, was accOsted
by an armel and mounted white man,
who at first stated that he was in
search of IA doctor to-fattend n freed
man who was hurt by the falling Of a
tree, bat who subsequently, stated that
he was courier, and advised the
party not to go to town; that the peo-
pie were determined that the e'Radicals
should not speaksthere; that notwith- :
standing the warning, the party moved
on, when they were met BY the Sheriff
and posse, who aeosted Capt. Psarce,
and who was assured by Pearce that
he desired aud should speak in ca
milla on political subjects. The
Sheriff endeavored to. dissuade him
from doing SO, telling him that the
people would not permit it.
The Sheriff then went back into
Camilla aud again returned, saying he
had 'doneallFi in his power to dissuade
! the people from violence, but with no
| avail; that the party moved on to
town; that Pearce and Putney enter
| ed town, dismounted and, hitched
their horses at the Court House; that
as the wagon containing the music
entered town, it was fired on by mount
! ed white men, who had first accosted
him by Several other white men; that
the freedmen then started to escape
tempted to rally them, calling on them
not to fly; that the eolored men, being
unarmed, would not stop; the relator
being mounted, dashed out of town
passed freedmen on foot, and passed
the musicians, who had abandon
ed their wagon ; that Murphy aud
Phillip Joiner, in a buggy, also
drove rapidly away towards Albany
that the relator dashed ahead
that when about seven miles from
Camilla, the buggy containing Muir
ply and Joiner were overtaken by
four or FIVE white men, mounted and
armed. The buggy was stopped; one
horse dashed rideriess up the road
towards the relator, aud that he saw
/ II kL1 A,ox~tv
of them dismounted !; that he then
came as rapidly as possible to Albany.
The Sheriff states that Murphy had
secretly circulated a circular among
the colored men OF the county, order
ing them to bring arms to the meet
king advertised for the 19Gh.i At the
request of-the citizens, Sheriff Poor,
lYithna committee of six, met the lead
\ ers Of the procession when marching
toward the town, aud assured Pearce
and Marphy that the scitizensshad no
objection to the meeting but did OBJ
iect to their entering the town armed.
Murphy and Pearce said the guns be-
longed to the negroes, who were in
/ The Ia biepf earryi1g them wherever
they went. The Sheriff replied that
as peace officer, it was his duty to
ferbid the iassemblags of armed msn
I at political meetings, and assured
them that if they entered the town
with their music and banners, fol-
lowed by armed men, there woul d
be breach of peace, aud he would
not be responsible for the eonse-
quences. ,.a..i i
The procession moved into town,
headed by, Pearce and Murphey in q
4 buggy, armed with doubles e-barreled
shotgun, Spencer rifle and two
pistols, with a quantity of ammuni-
ton, as was afterwards ascertained,
A four-horse wagon, containing a
! band, and a number of armed negroes
next followed a column of negroes
on foot, between three and four hun
dred. attended by about two mounted
outriders,s at least oue-haf or two
third Of whom were armed with guns
and most with pistols. The band
was playing, and the crowd noisy and
-threatsning In their conduct. Muir
I phy and one, Phillip Joiner, negro
wefein a buggyin- the rear. Jane:
j Jauls., an intoxicated citizen, order.
ed the music to stop, but it dfd not
ed, but il an opposite di
rection from the procession, whel
1.-THE tIcolumn fred volley a
Jauls, but mostly at Naples store
where six unarmed citizens Wer