The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1868-09-05
BELLEVUE, LA, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER s. 1868

n
an attitude of defence, and made ready tC
shoot The parties Bright and Captain
| McAlicheal and witness, was near enough tC
be killed if they had fired. The white peo
| pie residing in that neighborhood had given
them no cause within the knowledge of the
| witness to incite a riot or insurrectiOn. The
| whole neighborhood both white and black
| were thoroughly aroused. Witness heard OF
| this contemplated outbreak, on Saturday
| evening previous A general ruInor in
| this section founded on threats made by
the freedmen was that they intended to kill
the whites and take possession of the Point
The sheriff had notified Isaac Williams, by
general repute their leader or head of their
club, on Friday that they could hold THEN
meetings, but objected to their going there
armed Isaac Williams promisedto obey
On Saturday there was large meeting to
which the freedmen went armed, at Isaac
Williams They met armed again on Sun
day, then again on Monday. This possee
was raised by the sheriff to prevent their
armed meetings, disturbances and threats
they had determined toput into execution.
Witness recognizes Nose Thomas, Armstead
Baily, Henry Mcdaniel, Tom Glissett, Owen
Jefferson, John Watkins, Jack Johns, Reu.
ben Williams, Sam Watson, Jim Bryant, Sam
Harris, Warren Mcdaniel, Jabcz Marshall,
Stephen Brazeal. Witness recognizes the
above as those captured at Isaac Williams
All this happened in Bossier Parish, La.
Cross examined Witness recognized
some ofthc prisoners with arms and some
without. Says there were as many guns,
and pistols as there were men Saw some
OF the prisoners with two pistols, and some
with one All the guns and pistols were
loaded
tSigned,) E. CoNNEL1.
Henry Barnacastle, sworn-says
he resides in Fillmore. 1t had
been the custom of the freedmen
for several weeks previous to the
24th Aug. to meet in an armed at
titude in Bossier Point. These
meetings gave the people a good
deal OF alarm, so much so, that a
committee was appointed by the
citizens to see w. Ii. Hill, Sheriff
OF the Parish, to get him, Hill, to
60 down to Bossier Point and see
them, or their head leader, and
tell them they could hold their
meetings, but not with arms. This
committe saw Mr.. Hill, Sheriff,
who went down on Friday 21st
August. Witness went with the
Sheriff, who had a talk with Isaac
Williams, who was said to be the
leader of the club. Williams said
he would continue to have his
club meeting, but would make
them leave their arms at home.
He spoke as though he was their
commander, and could make them
do anything. On Saturday the
22d, the day after, we received a
communication from Bossier Point
that the freedmen had assembled
in a body of about 200, in an arm
ed attitude at Isaac Williams
house, and had threatened to ex-
terminate the white people. On
Sunday evening witness received
a message, that the freedmen we're
still assembling at the same place,
and the citizens expected fight
every moment, and for witness to
send what men he could get, down
that night to Isaac Williams and
to guard the citizens and their
homes, and get as many men as
witness could, and bring them
down on Monday morning, to as
sist, if the freedmen did not com
mence the fight before. Witness
went down to Isaac Williams on
Monday morning, the 24th of Au-
gust. The excitement was SO in
tense that some of the ladies left
their homes for safety. On Mon
day morning witness was not pres
ent when the main body of the
freedmen were captured, but went
with the Sheriff and captured sew
en- armed freedmen in a few hun
dred yards. Said men were armed.
They were going in the direction
of Isaac Williams home, armed
as they had been previously in
structed. Withess ordered these
men to surrender their arms, and
they refused to do it. Witness
recognises Geo Sanders and Wiley
Hardy, prisoners at the bar. They
refused to give up their arms, and
did not do SO until witness and
others marched them up to the
main body of men. They were
brought up with the main body o.
| prisoners and put in Jail. All o1
this was in the Parish OF B0ssier
La. Witness recognises Isaac
| Williams, Armstead Bailey, Pom
! pey Allen, Reuben Tuck, Thomas
Grissett, Warren Mcdaniel, Over
jefferson, John Jones, Jack Johns.
! jim Robertson, Reuben Williams,
Samuel Watson, Wiley Billiard,
Stephen Clinton, Wiley Hardy,
Reuben Jenkins, Geo Washington
Sam Harris, Stephen Brazeai.-
Witness recognises the above
named men among the prisoner
captured at Isaac Williams house
except Isaac Williams, who wa
,a4 .,n+,,ra1 down tharn