The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-06-11
The Riot on Friday Wight, June >.

your paper Of this morning, com
mnnication, which calls for reply
from those Interested, and who have
been traduced in the article referred
to, and which purports to be written
by several members of tho patrol ;"
a plain statement of the events which
occurred on the evening referred to,
is the best way to make the necessary
correction.
AS is usual i'll every town and city
in the Unitcl States, when party is
successful, q peaceful body of the
members of the Republican party
proceeded to scrcnadc the County
officers whom they had elected. Their
purpose was to congratulato them
and rejoice over their victory. This
was all they intended, and nothing
more; and there would have been no
disturbance whatever, had it not
been interrupted by an nncalcd-for
assault upon the party. who were, at
the time, listening to the address of
the last candidate elect, whom they
intended to compliment that night.
There was noise, but it was the noise
of mirth and JOY over their great
success; but, in neither song, senti-
mcnt or speech that evening, wns
there word or syllable that could be
! distorted into anything which could
be called riotous or tending to pro-
dncc the slightest disorderly conduct.
This, all the gentlemen whom we
visited on the occasion can testify to,
rs well as all who may have seen the
procession.
After complimcnting the Sheriff
elect, Clerk of the Court, Probate
Judge, and the Coroner, we proceed
ell to the residence of the Rev. Mr.
Brown, the School Commissioner,
whom VIC had elected, and, while in
his yard, listening to the remarks he
was making, i'll response to our con-
gratulations, VIC were attacked by
some OF the military patrol OH duty
that night, who appeared to he acting
under the orders Of Major Andrews,
Il United States officer. This officer
demanded of them what they were
doing there, and ordered them to
"fali into line, every ono OF you;"
and, at the same time. ordered the
patrol to "iirc into them, and kill
the last ----- of them" draw
ing his own pistol and firing, as he
gave the commands, into the crowd.
The men on duty, being more CON
sidcratc, discharged their pistols itr
the air, thus avoiding wantonly she'd
ding innocent blood. The ball from
tho officers pistol struck one Of the
party-Bcnjamin Moore, n quiet and
wcll-bchaycd colorcd citizen, ,-cntcr-
ing ut the wrist, and, passing round
his arm, camo out near the elbow,
ini!icting u very painful wound.
This Is Il truthful statement rf that
occurrence. ana, instead of your cor
respondent = statement being correct,
that some one of our party fired q
pistol, VIC now nnhcsitniingly assert
that there WAS not one pistol in our
party, nor was there the slightest
attempt to resist the patrol. Instead
OF this, tie largest portion OF tho
party dispersed very hurriclly, rs
they desired to avoid any riotous
conduct or do anything that might
bring rcproach upon their party i'll
the day of their triumph. Tho few
men who were arrested were immc-
diatcly released by the Commandunt
Of the Post, when lie heard of the
manner i'll which and for what cause
they were arrested.
This, sir, is tho correct version of
this unhappy occurrence, and 10
which the undersigned are willing 10
testify under oath, when il becomes
necessary. There WAS no riot, nor
even disortlcrly conduct, on the part
of the screnading party. and it is for
this reason We desire this statement
to be published, especially as we
have since learned, from the best
authority, that the article purpor,ing
to be written by Several members of
the patrol, was not written or an
{ tlioriZed by any Of them.
| (Signcd.) j. II. BHlANT,
! S. i. THOMPSON,
JAMES DAVIS,
CHARLES NIINORT,
WARREN NIINTON,
JOHN KNOTT.
COLUMBIA. June Q, 1865.