The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-04
TIE TROUBLES BELOW sArAMxAH.
The Negroes on the oSeechee Reinforced
and Compelling tho Quietly Disposed
to join Thcm-The Latest News from
the Scene Of the Trouble.

| The Negroes on the OSeechee Reinforced
and Compelling tho Quietly Disposed
to join Thcm-Thc --latest News from
the Scene of the Trouble.
The extraordinary condition OF affairs on the
Oseechee plantations, below Savannah, con-
tnues not only without abatement, but with
an excess of lawlessncss and outrage that
promises to make what is already serious most
alarming. The measures adopted for the sup
pressing of the outbreak seem, go far, to have
most signally failed. In the meantime, the
inhabitants, men, women and children, have
all been driven frum their homes, their houses
Quilted or delivered to the flames, and the re-
suits of the entire years labor and capital Of
one OF the wealthiest districts OF tho South
either destroyed or appropriated by the insur.
rectionsts. The following resume of the facts
of the case, from the Savannah Republican,
gives clear idea Of the origin and character
of the trouble:
Disturbances of moro or less fragrant char
acter have existed in the settlement for several
months past, and for more than year the nc
groes, who have been permitted to hire valu-
| able plantations and live upon them with little
or no work, have been organizing and prepar-
ing for some kind Of unfriendiy demonstration.
But the beginning Of the present tt oubles may
be said to be tho appearance, week or ten
days ago, of an armed band at one OF the neigh
boring plantations, the firing upon the senti.
nes. the driving off Of the residents, and the
forcible removal of the crop, consisting Of some
| twenty-five hundred bushels of rice. a num-
bcr OF these dcspcradoes could be identified,
and upon Information filed, warrants We're duly.
issued and placed IN the hands OF the sheriff OF
tne county for their arrest. The sheriff, with
small posse and guide or two, visited the
plantations and arrested small party and
marched them to No. Atlantic and Gull Rail-
road for the purpose of taking the train and
bringing his prisoners to the city. They were
not long ut the place before several hundred
armed negroes appeared, rescued the prison.
ers, and with muskets pointed at The officers OF
the law, took away their arms, money, pa
pers, &C., &C., and with threat against
thor lives If they ever returned, order
cd them to leave on foot. Every manner
OF indignity, except personal violence, was
offered the sheriff and his party. They were
told that no legal processes should be served
in their nelgbborhood, that they had posses
s;ou CT the country aud government OF their
own, and no white man or officer of the State
should lnolest them with impunity. The or
ganization 1t is said numbers from eight hun
dred to q ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS even greater
and all arc thoroughly armed and provided
with ammunition. They have officers Of every
grade, and means of intcrconlmun!cation That
are almost equal to the facilities OF regular
signal corps. The original attack on the plan
tation and carrying off the crop was small
affair. and has become merged in O gene
raj outbreak and the appearance OF hundreds
otarned negroes in tho field ready for action.
The outbreak is of magnitude which the
law never contemplated should be subducd by
O sheriff and his posse, or any other civil
means, and our constitution empowers tho
Governor to call oat the militia in order to
suppress them. Private citizens, unor ,anized
and poorly armed, can mover effect the object
except at serious sacrifice. But the Federal
Government has deprived us OF tho militia,
and upon the regular army now rests the duty
Of our protection, whatever General Meade or
others may think oft.
THE LATEST REPORTS.
From the Savannah papers OF yesterday,
which reached us last night, We gIeau the fo!-
lowing details Of the latest aspects of the dis
turDance.- ------------.-
The latest news which We have from the
scepe of the trouble represents it as spreading,
and that the negroes, by threats and intlmi-
dations, are forcing those who are disposed to
remain peaccable 10 join them. So far their
operations arc confined to the "neck," west OF
the railroad, and between the two Ogeechee
Rivers; but il not speedily checked it is feared
that it will extend into Bryan County. The
negroes, in strong force and thoroughly armed,
we're lying near the railroad, watching the
movements of and prepared to resist the Sher-
ifs posse which went down on Wednesday.
When the train novel oil, he says, somo six or
seven hundred negroes came out on the railroad,
an tho leaders went about cursing and saying {:
''Thc white were afraid to come
and attack US, and have gone back for more
men," He says that thero is a very large force
of the negroes at No. l. and that they are de-
termined to resist any attempt to arrest them.
The negroes from the Augusta road were cross
ing to the Ogeechce in large numbers ycster-
day and joining the insurrectionary bands.
A countryman from Liberty County arrived
here yesterday with produce to sell. Ho re-
ports that the negroes have destroyed the
bridge over the Little Ogeechee River, four
miles this side OF Chapman's house. He was
stopped by five different picket parties, each
gang numbering eight or ten mon. They told
him to tell the white men OF Savannah to come
on, that they were ready for them. After
questioning This man, they. finally allowed
him i come on to the .ity, telling him not to
como back again or they Gould kill him.
On Wednesday. the rioters took John Hogan
(coIored), ono OF Mr.. Middleton's wGtchmen,
and the man who gave shelter to ODonald
and The wives and chillrcn OF the white men
who were bcaton and driven from Southheld,
and led him of. The last seen OF him he was
being driven in the direction OF The railroad
track, at the point of the bayonet, by gang
of the negroes. Nothing has been heard oil
him since, and it was not known whether he
WAS murdered or driven off. Tho negroes have
sacked the barns and mills and carried of the
rice. It appears that they have bscn urged to
their present course Of action by parties who
have Hado them believe that they had been
assured by Radical negroes in Washington that
if the negroes once captured and held the
country, they would be confirmed in posses
sion OF it.
Mrs. Caulker and her family, who reside on
the Ogeechec, arrived in tie city yesterday,
having been dtivon from their home, without
change of clothing, by an armed gang Of ne
groes. They completely sacked The premises,
and tho family aro now here in destitute con-
dltion.
A gentleman who resides at Station Il arr,v-
ed IN the city by the evening train, who in-
forms us that at no time during the day was
there more than thirty negroes az that station,
and that not one of these was armed. He re-
ports that the negroes in Bryan County have
thus far behaved exceedingly well, and that
when he left all was quiet on that side OF the
river. The indications OF trouble, however, were
of such character as to induce him to remove
tho ladies OF his family ID this city. 1t was
evident that the class OF negroes who have
been tampered with and brought undor the in.
1uencc OF the organizers OF what are called
the loyal leagues were passing Overt the river,
with arms in their hands, to join the robbers
residing on this side Of the river, and that yes
n rI,.t Icft n1 n