The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-10-10
WASHINGTON.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE CAMILLA RIOT.

WASHINGTON.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE CAMILLA RIOT.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9-Gen. Howard tbi
evening received from Gen. Sioley the reports
and affidavits relating to the Camilla massa
ere, and forwarded them to the Secretary o
War They are as follows:
ii: j. M. Schofeld Secretary of War,
Sir-I have the honor to forward to you an
affidavit cent to me by Gen. Sbley with regard
to the Camilla riot. The general saws that no
action whatever has been taken by the civil
authorities at this date, Oct. 6, towards bring
ing the guilty parties to punishment. and no
inquest was held upon the bodies nor investi-
CATION had, except by the bureau and Captain
Mills, BY order of the commanding officer of
the district of Georgia, whose report has been
forwarded to the commanding officer OF the
Department of the South. He further says it
10 not believed possible to bring the guilty par
ties to punishment through the civil authori-
ties of Mitchell county, they having been en-
gagged in the affair aud justifying it. and no
unbiased jury could be found in that county.
The general makes no further remarks which
relate to this riot, but simply submits affidavits
together with private letter from an Gficer in
that county, who makes a special request of
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
o. o. HOWARD,
Maj. Gen. Cong.
Inc following is the report from Capt. Mills
referred to:
Mcpherson Barracks, Atlanta, Ca, Sept %.
1858 -Brevet Brig. Gen. r. G. Drue A. A. G !,
Department of the South. Atlanta Georgia.
General: have the honor to report that in
compliance with Paragraph No. A, from the
headquarters of the Department of the South
proceeded to Camilla, Mitchell County, Ga,
on the 23d inst, and respectfully report az fol-
lows: A few days previous to the 10th inst,
notices were circulated in Dogherty and Mitch
ell counties that Republican meeting would
be held at Camilla, Ga, on that day, and w.
p. Pierce, candidate for Congress for that dis
trct and John Murphy, candidate for elector
for the district, and others, would address the
meeting; that pursuant to that notice num-
Der of coiored people from plantations between
Albany, Ga, and Camilla, proceeded in body
to that place, accompanied by musicians and
wagon. This crowd numbered 200 or 300 col
cred people, about one half of whom may have
carried fire arms of different descriptions.
When within two or three miles of Camilla,
they were met by M. S. Poore, the sheriff of
Mitchell county. accompanied by four or five
citizens of Camilla, who protested against their
entering the town with arms, claiming in ac-
cordance with late proclamation of the gov
ernor that he was empowered to demand that
they should not enter the town with arms. This
demand OF the sheriff was replied to By Pierce
and Murphy on behalf of the crowd. They
said they were not an organized body, and no
way under the control of any leaders, and that
own accord, and they assured the sheriff and
the citizens of Camilla with him that they were
going to Camilla for the purpose of attending
political meeting, and that their intentions
were peaceable and without intent to disturb
the peace of the place. would respect
fully call your attention to the enclose
Affidavits of William p. Pierce, John
Murphy. +. +. Putney and w. G. Poore, Sher-
if of Mitchell county, for full understanding
of what took place between the sheriff and
fraad ms at this M From tho afa -
will be seen that the sheriff considered the at
titude of the crowd approaching town, of such
character as to induce him to return to town
and prepare the citizens against attact, by di-
recting them as posse 10 have their arms
ready in case he should call upon them to as
sist him In preserving peace have been I'M
able to obtain any evidence that these col0red
people going to Camilla on that day, were
either instructed or advised by anyone to carry
with them arms, either for purposes of defense
,or violence, or that they seriously expected in
corruption from holding meeting, although
from som. enclosed afadavlts, that one James
Jones, white citizen of Camilla, had frequent
" said that no Republican meeting should be
held at Camilla, and that on this day, this
man Jones, armed with gun met the crowd
about three miles from town and told them
they should have no meeting or speaking at
Camilla, and that If they came to the town
they whud be hurt. Upon the crowd enter
ing town, and when on the way to the Court
was intoxicated and armed with gun. He
was boistrous in his manner, and ordered the
musicians in the wagon to stop playing. His
orders were not obeyed. In some of the
enclosed afidavits it was stated that he then
fired his gun at the people in the wagon, and
by others that his gun was discharged acct
.dentally, and not in the direction OF the wagon.
However that may be, the result of the dis
charge OF this mans gun, was an immediate
Zine from both colored people and citizens of
the n lace. If admitted nv all narsons that
this mans was the first gun fired, and it was
discharged without provocation. In converse
tion with some citizens of Camilla, this man
zones was described to me as a drunken and
dangerous man,and one whose acts they depre-
Gated and that on that day he was intoxicated.
Under these circumstances it cannot but be
conside red peglectful on the part of the sheriff
in not seeing that this man Jones was not
kept out of the way on that day, particularly
as he was drunk, and as the sheriff appears 10
have apprehended so much trouble from the
approaching crowd, and the excitement exist
ing among the citizens of the place, with full
understanding of the occurrences from the
time the sheriff met the crowd arriving on the
road to town till the firing commenced and its
result. respectfully call attention to the en-
CLOSED affidavit of both citizens of Camilla and
persoDsSwho were there to attend the meeting.
$50 far as it was possible to learn, the casual
tiles on that day were as follows: Nine killed
and from Is to 80 wounded, coored. Several
persons were slightly wounded but none Sc
verely. They were citizens of Camilla
From the enclosed statement of the parties
present it will be clearly seen that the firing
in town did not continue many minutes, but
the colered people fed to the adjoining woods
and were pursued by the citizens as a posse of
the sheriff. Some of them were mounted and
some on foot. The firing of guns through the
woods was heard during the balance of The
day. The sheriff. in his affidavit, states that
three eolored men were killed one mile from
town. have been unable to find any proof
that the colored people who went to Camilla
. that day were advised by any of the white
men who accompanied the men who were to
address them, either to 60 armed for defence or
violence, but on the contrary. The enclosed
afidavits show that Messrs. Pierce and Muir
ply advised and impressed upon them that
they should be peaceable and as law abiding ia
all their acts, as they were meeting at this
place (Camilla) in exercise of their rights as
citizens of the United States. That the citi-
zens of the town of Albany were in any way
implicated or concerned with the occurrences
at Camilla on the 10Th is in no way proved. 1t
ia explained in the affidavit of the sheriff OF
Mitchell county that not one OF the same color
ell people having left Albany on the evening
of the 18th for Camilla was received by him
through person living in the adjoining town
of Newton. This is in no way denied, as by
reference to the affidavit of Peter Steine, the
leader of the band, it will be seen that the
musicians with other persons left Albany on
the evening of the 18th inst.
1 herewith transmit the proceedings of
meeting of the citizens of Albany held on the
9Th INST will state that information was
freely /. ,udered by all parties I was accom-
panied Major Howard sGoassista tan Com
men from Albany 20 Camilla and from what
could learn the blacks and whites were peace
ably disposed towards es oh other. In my in
yestiaation in this matter have materially
been assisted by Major Howarlt' and upon my
arrival at Camilla the citizens of tat place APP
peared DESTROYS that the occurrence should be
investigated. Up to the date of my VISIT no
action had been taken in the matter by We
civil authorities of the county, nor any inquest
been held over the bodies of those killed
Very respectfully your obedient servant,
WILLIAM MILLS,
Sergeant Sixth U. s. Infantry.