New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-10-10
OutrageS and Murders in BOSsier
RAID FROM ARKANSAS INTO LOUISIANA
Shooting of COlored Men Upon Plantations,

the Cdddo Gazette, a Demo cratic journa
published at Shreveport. We ask oul
readers to scrutinize it carefully. Though
an effort at defense, it is most damning ties
timOny.
1t is charged that a white man was arrest
ed by negroes for having fred his pistol
as the negroes said at one OF them. Fol
this arrest and detention the whole popu.
lation arm themselves and hunt down and
shoot the negroes wherever they can be
found. If the blacks were guilty of any
wrong, no attempt was made to bring
them to justice. Not only those charged
with the %offense, but wherever they can
find them" they are murdered without
warning or explanation:
A thousand conflicting reports of the
horrible assassinations in Bossier parish
have been circulated far and wide. To
correct erroneous reports, and give our
readers a plain, unvarnished history of
these revolving acts, is the object of this
article. The apprehension so long enter
tanned that the two races would eventually
make war upon each other has been
changed to a horTid reality.
We present the following statement of
all the facts we have obtained connected
with the disturbances and murders which
have occurred in Bossier parish during the
past week:
On Sunday morning Mr.. Elisha Gibson,
with several of his neghbors from Colu Dbia
| nnnnfu ArEanoaS uyara rat,rn,r, H..
from Shreveport. They had sold their cot
ton and made their purchases, but still re-
tanned several hundred dollars, which were
in the hands of Mr.. Gibson. This party
stopped at the Shady Grove plantation on
Red River. eight miles above this place,
and purchased corn. While there a pistol
was fired. 1t is lot proven that the pistol
was fired at any one. Gibson asserts that
it was an accident while the negroes on the
place declare that it was shot at one of
them. At any rate nobody was hurt.
When the party left a number of negroes
followed them and arrested Gibson. No
resistance was made, as the whites were
unarmed and unprepared to defend them
selves. The negroes returned to Shady
Grove with their prisoner, and for safe
keeping he was chained by the neck to a
tree. Mr.. Brownlee, DR.. Vance and Mr..
Byrne, of our city, advised the negroes to
release Gibson, assuring them that he was
a worthy citizen OF Arkansas. Failing in
this, Mr.. Brownlee went to Benton and
secured the assistance Of several citizens.
who came down and rescued Gibson from
the inflriated barbarians. Gibson then
informed them that he had been robbed of
all his money, his hat and coat.
The was an interval of two days, a lull
which preceded a terrible storm of passion.
Wednesday morning before daylight a
party of about thirty men, said TO be from
Arkansas, surrounded the negro quarters
at Shady Grove and demanded the surren-
of the guilty parties. A fight ensued,
in which one negro was killed and three
wounded. Five negroes charged with steal
ing the money were taken in the direction
Of Arkansas. Thus ended the first bloody
On the same morning wednesday, a
of negroes from adjoining planta-
tons posted themselves along the road near ]
Brownlee's, and when the latter left
the residence OF Mr.. Saggus, his father-in-
law, in company with Mr.. Francis Ogden,
they surrounded them and then deliberately
shot them down. :
Mr.. Baer, who was present, protested /
against the assassination of these young
men, but the negroes stated that they had {
Gibson from them, for which crime
hey must be killed. Bird shot were used,
mixed with a few buck shot. and these white
men we're literally filed with lead. Meth ,
IT OF them We're killed instantly, but Mr.. t
Ogden died in a few hours, and Mr.. Brown
ee is in a critical condition. The negroes {
fired by plattoons upon these help {
aGS man loft rhan IN tho 1danso, 20 III {
Is they supposed, and walked off quietly as !
f they had obeyed a military order. :
When the news reached our city it pro- !
luced the widest excitement for the safety t
If white families in the neighborhood, who t
we're Ou%tnumbered ten to one by the ne S
Volunteers quickly rallied to the
ry ito arms" and about fifty men started f.
or the dark and bloody ground. ,
At the earnest and oft-repeated s~olieita- I
ion Of our citizens, Mr.. Heating, the
United States Deputy Marshal, made a i
'equisition upon the military commander I
this post for troops. Before the soldiers !
rossed the river a courier from the front =
'rought the startling news that the fight =
lad begun. "he volunteers from Shreve- a
,ort sent forward scouts, who reported D
hat the negroes at Smedley's, one mile be- e
oW the place where the murders were Fl
ommitted, were loading their guns and II
for action. Colonel Jack Whar- u
with a few others, rode up to them. :.
nd assured themthat they would not be y
isturbed, but ordered them to lay down q
heir arms. In answer to this re- n
uest the negroes began to fire, which was il
etutned, when the negroes beat q hasty 81
Ed. Sturgess's clothes were torn j.
y snot, and his horse was badly wounded. q
bout twenty-five shots were fired, but no r
ne was killed. One negro was severely a
Tounded and has since died, the balance n
L
The plantations along the river were Wis h
but strange to say all the negroes had fa
their cabins aud taken to the e.
They seem determined 10 shield 2
ne murderers of Brownlee and Ogden. d
The party from Arkansas did not return d
ONE as was expected, but halted at Ben il
until they could learn the result Of d
heir raid on Shady Grove. They were Of
nraged BY the murder of Brownlee and y
and have Fetaliated terribly on Iii e Il
egroes ~hereTer they can End them. I
On Thursday morning i've negroes were n
hot by the Arkansians at Shady Grove. <
Though the proprietor vouched for their il
oed character and had promised them q
rejection. Manycfthe paftyffom sbrevc. A
ort were shocked and offended by this nm. sc
ecessary cruelty, and returned home. TIE 9
of Shreveport volunteered their =
to arrest the ~murderers and to pro- y
ect all who were peaeeably disposed. d
hey deprecate all acts Of brutality. b
committed by whites or blacks. .
On Thursday evening, q few miles above 2
In Boszier parish, Mr.. W. II. Z