The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-11-11


riot which took place in Savannah on
election day, as taken from the city pa
pers:
It seems that early on Tuesday morn
ing a large body of negroes, most OF
whom were from the country, took pos
session of the polls to the utter exclusion
of the whites, saying that "no white man
should vote there, and if they wanted
fight to come on" clubbing all whites
away who attempted to vote. The Sher-
iff and his posse, after having borne this
for some time, attempted to disperse the
mob; unable to do this, and after several
of his party had been badly beaten by
clubs in the hands of the negroes, he
called the police force to his assistance.
This but added to the excitement. a
desperate fight cnsued between the ne,
groes, armed with pistols, razors and
sticks, and tho police with thcir clubs.
At last, heated with the contest, the police
and citizens commenced using their re-
volvers also. A terrible seene ensued.
Volley+ after volley was fred in quick
succession. For few minutes the ne
groes stood but the storm they had
raised became too much for them, and
they broke and ran, firing back as they
ran. The scene at this time is described as
terrible in the extreme; bullets flying in
every direction, and the air resonant with
the reports Of a hundred pistols. Many
white citizens behaved with great bravery;
whilo the negroes at first stood their
ground very obstinately, but Caucasian
vaIor was obliged to triumph. The pur-
suit Of the negroes wasnot long continued,
and with the cessation Of firing the dis
turbance also ceased. The first shot was
fired by negro, who drew his pistol and
fired into crowd of white men, shooting
ono of them down. The excitement in
the city during the riot was intense ;
stores were closed, houses barred, while
men were rushing from every direction
to the polls to defend their rights.
The casualties attending the riot were
as follows: Five policemen were wounded
-one supposed mortalIy, while many
citizens were painfully wounded BY bricks
and other missiles The negroes had
three of their number killed and about
fifteen wounded. Miss Sallie Kollock,
daughter of DR.. P. NJ Kollock, WAS seri-
ously wounded in one of her limbs, below
The knee.
The negroes after being routed, did not
return. to the polls again, having accom-
plshed their purpose, which was to raise
q riot and have the vote thrown out in
consequence. There was great excite
ment in the city at night, apprehension
being INDUCED that the negroes would
try it again; but with the exception of
one house being fred by the negroes.
which was soon eXtinguished, all was
Quiet up to the time the newspaper re-
ports were written Tho United States
troops were ordered out 10 preserve order,
but there being no use for them after the
riot they returned to their quarters. A
large force of police was detailed to guard
the ballot- boxes from any attempt OF the
negroes after the polls were closed. The
riot was gotten up by white Radicals for
the purpose of having the city vote thrown
out. but when it started there, as in our
own city, they took good care to get their
own rascally carcasses out of harms way,
leaving the dcluded negroes in the lurch.
Last evening, intelligence was received
that large body of negroes, headed by
the scoundrel Bradley, were marching on
the city, by the way of the Ogeochee
Road. Con. Anderson ordered special
force of mounted citizens, organized as q
patrol guard, to go and meet them. If
the negroes were unarmed they were to
be allowed to pass, but if armed they
were TO be ordered to disperse, and the
order enforced. The party, under COM
mand of Captain M. Pendergast, pro.
cecdcl out the road about two miles, and
met the negroes, about seven o'clock in
the evening, Taking six men he rode in
advance of his main force, and ordered
tho advancing column to halt. lie then
told them that if unarmed they might
pass quietly into the city, but if armed
that they must disperse. The only an
swer received was volley fred at them
by negroes. They then fell back upon
the main body, followed by the negroes,
who vs1 ma maintained heavy fire. Finding
his forco too small TO cope with the riot
ers Captain PenderSasC lell pich W v'io
city. When he first went out and halted
the negroes, Captain Pendergast was
accompanied by Mr. Samuel S. Law, son
of Hon. William Law. When the de-
tachment turned towards the city, Mr..
Laws horse joined it riderless, and it was
feared that he had received fatal wound
when the first vo!ley was fired.
Tn the course of half an hour dctach-
ment of fifty men was sent out on the
road. They found that the negroes had
dispersed, and the fears with reference to
Mr. Law were terribly realized. His
body was found lying in the middle OF .
the road, just where the halt was made
1Je had been shot at close quarters, in the
chest, with load of buckshot. The
wound was torrible one, and must have
caused instant death. The body was