New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-04-10
REBELLION Nv DE soTo PAmIsm.


In 1854 armed rebel hosts swept down
ike an avalanche upon the advance of the
federal army, in The outskirts of Mansfield,
parish Of De Soto, and many of the bravest
heroes of the war to maintain the govern
ment of the United States were slaughtered
by the relentless foe.
That rebel foe is still relentless in hostility
to Union men, and still rebellious toward
the government Of the United States, if we
may Judge from what has lately transpired
at Mansfield. Several Republican clubs
have been organized in De Soto parish and
meetings have been held TO express their
political sentiments Of friendship for the
loyal congress, and to assert the right of
free speech and the right of voting for the
ratification of the new constitution of
Louisiana and the Republican candidates
for state and parish officers.
These organizations exasperatsd the un.
whipped rebels of De Soto to such degree
that they held meeting at Mansfield on
the twenty-eighth OF March, and adopted
resolutions prohibiting future meetings of
Republican organizations. and appointed a
committee to wait upon tiF. Stephen Hum.
phries, the president of one of the Re.
publican clubs, and informed him that the
club would not be permitted to hold any
more meetings, and that If it did the mem,
bers must take the consequences. The
same committee, consisting in whole or in
part of William Longmeyer and Boiling
Williams, also waited upon Mr.. James Y.
McGalia, an elderly gentleman who resided
about ten miles from Mansfield, when he
came into town on Monday, March 30, read
to him the resolutions adopted by the
rebels at their meeting, accused him of in.
citing INSTRUMENTATION and discomfort
among the freedmen, told him that lie had
been instrumental in the organization of
Republican clubs, aud informed him that
meetings of such clubs would no longer be
tolerated. These organizations they as
serted tended to disOrganiZe labor and
create among freedmen spirit of dis
content.
This interview with M. McCalla on the
street was in the presence OF a large mum.
Der of citizens, many of them the chronic
idlers about the streets who consume their
time in bewailing the impoverished cOnd.
tion of the country, and lamenLiDg that "the
niggers won't work" These spectators put
in u word occasionally to the same import
as the language employed by Mr. Long
meyer, the spokesman of the committee
Among the lockers on was John Hogan, of
New Orleans, United States Internal reve.
nue. assessor; but he made no effort to dis
suRde the people from their purpose, nor
did he interfere when LOngmeyer called
Mr.. MUCalls i'd old liar or when he
struck him blow on the face which left
mark that WAS visible for days afterWard.
Mr.. McCalla replied to L0ngmeyer's read
ing OF the resolution, warning him not to
attend or assist in organizing Republican
meetings, that he thought he was in a free
country, where the people had a right to eI-
press their political opinions. L0ngmeyer
reioined that he should not do it there, and
told him that the sooner he left the country
the better it would be for him. He also told
him that neither he, McCalla, ner his son
should come into the town again, though
one or both of them had been in the habit of
going there every week for papers and let
ters and to make purchases.
During this conversation IOngmeyer
called Mr.. McCalls's son Il deserter from the
confederate army, and said that he had
better make himself id scarce about
there, intimating that if he did mt do SO
they would take his breeches off, that is,
tar and feather him.
Mr.. McCalla bravely insisted on his right
to come to town when he pleased, and stay
there as long as he pleased; denied the
charges made by "the cOmmittee' or the
rebel meeting they represented, that he was
melting insuburdiuasiOn and discomfort
among the freedmen, and asserted his right
70 express MS polltlcal opinions When and
where he pleased.
The evening after this affair In tine town,
when the committee gave Mr.. McCalla the
warning and notice, that gentlemen called
on Mr.. Mimple, of the law firm of Elan &
Wimple, OF Mansfield, when the latter told
him that both himself and Mr.. Elan (the
late speaker of the Louisiana house of rep.
resentatives), had in the past had great
deal of trouble TO keep the people of Mans.
field from handling" him VA account of his
Union sentiments.
Nj. McOalla is not new conner, and has
never resided in any one of the free states.
He was born in South Carolina, and is the
grandson of Revolutionary soldier. He
has resided ia NHtchitoehes and De Soto
parishes thirty years, more than twenty
years - the latter parish, and during the
war was persecuted for his Union senti-
ments, as he has been since the war because
he is Union man and Republican. Both
ne and his son lately passed through this
city on their way TO Indiana, from whence
they propose 10 go to Kansas to settle
and Will then send for their family and
household treasures near Mansfield. When
they came to New Orleans they brought
letter to the editor Of the REPUBLICAN from
a reliable gentleman, stating that they are
Union men who have been prosecuted for
the last seven or eight years on account of
their Union sentiments, and "their lives are
now openly threatened by the rebels; and
as Union men have no protection here
they ind II necessary to leayen
The son, Thomas P. McOalla, was born In
Natchitoches, was conscripted into the rebel
army, and went into camp July 20, 1862
he served in that army until the capture of
re0els when the Queen of the West was
destroyed ut Grand Lake, April ID, 1863, soon
after which he was brought to New Orleans
where he remained prisoner of war until
April 29, and then gladly took the oath of
allegiance to the government of the United
States. He enlisted in the l36th Indiana
infantry In the hundred days service, re.
enlisted in the first Indiana heavy artillery
September z, 1854, and served till the close
OF The war.
In 1866 he returned to De Soto parish.
where he has been treated in an unfriendly
spirit since that time because he is a Repub-
l1caD, and because he performed seryica in
the federat army. On the twenty.seventh Of
March he vent to work for Mr.. Louper, the
shreveport United States quartermaster's
agent tor disinterriBg the bodies of federal
soldiers inferred in the cemetery at Mans.
nela, which were TO be reinterred at Alex
Que day while Mr.. Louper was sitting
ooNh making out plans, two or three citl.
zenB stfolled into the een1eterv one Of
whom asked, "WhAt is In thai box ?'' point.
Ing 90 co1hn In which the remains of a
oeAd oiacer were 70 be transferred. He re-
pied hothlng,h TO which the citizen
answered, !" IL 10 Did pity ID haa mot got
some Que In it, MF. Louper exhibited n
natural Indignation az thls remark. and
Was rising up from his eittihg posture. when
one OF th5 rebel oitizeas told him 70 keen
still, for they would as soon put him in
there as sotl Then they inquired for