Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-14
TIre OGEECHEE RFREIIIoN


1t seems to be inherent in the ma
ture Of a large portion of the Off
GERS of the army to misrepresent
the motives and purposes and the
actions of the South, and this is pc
culiarly the case where the negro is
involved. Georgia has just. fur
nished very striking Illustration of
this fact. 4 number of negroes on
which is known as the Ogeechec
plantations, had been guilty of theft
in stealing a large quantity of RICE.
and the sheriff of Chatham county
and two of his deputies, in making
the arrest of the guilty parties, were
set upon, the prisoners rescued by
an armed band Of negroes, who,
with violent language and cooked
muskets, drove the sheriff and his
deputies off with threats of death if
they ever returned TO the district
again. The sheriff returned to Sa-
Iyannah applied TO the military
for as stance to make the arrests,
but this was refused. The sheriff
then summoned a posse of one hun
dred and twenty citizens and went
out to make the arrests, but they were
driven back by the negroes, who were
in much larger force and fully armed,
for it is shown that in the meantime
the negroes in the surrounding coun-
. try had been focking TO the assist
ance of the law-breakers and the
d6iiers of the officers of the law.
The citizens of Savannah and vicin-
lty then commenced organizing three
l&talions for the purpose of subdu-
ing. thSinsurrection and arresting
the guilty. While this was going on
the negroes had driven the white
people away from the plantations
and were destroying everything be
fore them. 1t was at this
point Of time that Gen Sihley
arrived in Savannah by order Of
Gen. Meade to investigate the affair.
His instructions directed him to pro-
hibit the organization OF any arm
ed bodies whatever, whether white
or black, and to aid the civil
authorities if he should find them
acting in good faith, land not as at
Camilla, making the law for the pre-
scrvation Of peace q preteXt for
committing outrages on the negro"
In this last sentence Gen. Meade
goes deliberately out of his way to
pander to ep.aiudices of the Radi-
Gals. On the 4th inst. Gen. Sibley
sent by>telegraph to Gen. Meade,
who was in Philadelphia, report
made by Col Williams. This Col
Williams was evidently prejudiced
against the white people, and there
fore unfit TO make the investigation
lie makes very light of the outrages
committed by the negroes, and both
ridicules and censures the sheriff, his
deputies and posse, charging them
with cowardice and fleeing from the
negroes, who, according to his yer
son, made no demonstration. The
following is a paragraph from Col
Williams report
al ordered Major Perkins to GO
out and see the negroes, and wen
with him myself. We arrived a
night and found the negroes very
much frightened, but we made know
our intentions not to trouble them
when they became satisfied, and CAV,
us their side of the question. w,
found the accounts totally incorrect
There were about fifty men. Thre
guns and one bayOnet on a stricl
were all the arms l saw. Ii the.
had had arms we would have see
them. There are no Notifications
and no hostile demonstrations fur
ther than to watch for their oWl
safety. The negroes against whoI
warrants were issued were anNlou
to come in and surrender themselves
and wanted to come with US, bu
were afraid TO come alone for fear
being fired upon. They deny hay
ing resisted the posse, and l thin
they tell the truth
Now the plain English of all tn
is that the sheriff and his posse a
all liars, and that the authors of I'll
late outragcs are alone to be b.
lieved, that there has been no rcbe
lion againt the lawful authorities, an
that The whole affair on the OgeechC
is mere smoke. There is not Il
slightest intimation in Col. William
report that the negroes had cOmmi
ted any wrong whatever. 1t do,
not appear from anything stated |