Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-25
Inc Aff,ir At Mason,s Depot.

The following letter having reference
to the disturbance at Mason's Depot, has
been sent to us for publication. The
opinion of the writer having been re-
quested by gentleman of this city. the
letter is in answer to that request. We
are informed that the writer is a gentle-
man OF high standing. whose statements
may be implicitly relied on. We sup
press theSpames, as unnecessary:
0 MASON DEPoT, September 81. 1868.
= - -:
DEAR Sir: In your letter to the Mayor
you inclose the account of the outbreak
at this place last Saturday, as given in
the Araianche, and ask for correct
statement of facts. / proceed to give
them as nearly as / can. Much that is
stated is true, but whoever gave the ac-
count to the editor of the avalanche must
have received second handed account
of the affair. 1t is fact that Smith and
Hamilton came from Memphis with
number of negroes, armed, and msrched
to the stand with large crowd of negroes
from Upton and the adjacent counties,
most O. them armed likewise, with the
flag of tbe United States flying, and with
martial music, aud listened to an in
fammatory speech from Smith, as I am
told After time, Num- came down
from Brownsville with his party, well
armed, and under another flag of the
United States, formed and marched with
like music to the same stand, when Num-
demanded to occupy it, and delivered his
iufammatory speech. | learn that he
told the negroes to 90 to the polls and
vote, if, in doing SO, they had to wade up
to their necks in blood. Many of the
negroes Of each party certainly came
upon the ground drunk and ready for
mischief; and, it is the belief of the citi-
zens that Mum and Smith, and other
black-hearted white men, advised the ne
groes TO come armed, in the hope of get
ting up q riot, and thereby give them
some shadow of ground to cali upon
Brownlow for his militia. / am glad
that the few white men present
acted with prudence. and did not
fire a gun or pistol during the
whole time. A statement was made by
one of the speakers, which drunken
white man present said was lie. A me-
gro standing by replied, "You are q
id liar" when the white man struck
him. Upon this number of the negroes,
with guns and pistols, rushed toward the
white man, who made bis escape. They
pursued him, forced their way by the
depot agent and searched the freight
room for him In the meantime, some
thirty or forty started for the hotel, firing |
as they came. They surrounded the |
hotel, broke down one of the doors and
forced another, and several of them en-
tered, with pistols pointed at the tavern
keeper, and searched the rooms After
all there was no one shot 1t is true that
O Nunnite and Smithite took shot at
each other, some time in the day; but
whether either was killed or badly
wounded know not. Now it is clear
that those negroes who forcibly entered
the hotel, and those aiding and assisting
them, committed felony; but are they
the most guilty2 Every man will say
that the creatures who are so base as to
Gil their minds with malice against the
whites, by their fiendish speeches, are a
hundred fold baser than the ignorant me-
yroes who are led on by them. If they
had O spark of honor they would long
,ince have warned the negroes never to
70 armed to their political meetings.
Warrants have been issued to apprehend
al who were engaged in breaking into
he tavern. Where were Mum, Smith
md Hamilton while all this was going on
Let them answer, where2 They hoped
o bring on fight to please Brownlow,
,ut their fiendish purpose was prevented
" the prudence of the citizens; and if
Ieeper degree of contempt could be
cached than that TO which they had pre-
iously fallen, they descended to it last
Itis not true that any citizen
e the place ran to the woods, but few
rom the country left for home. / have
.iven you hurried account of the mat
err Respectfully, ETC., ]. B. ID.