The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1869-07-29

murderers, still three white men were
arrested by the county authorities upon
suspicion and lodged in the Jail at Edge
field Court House-one of these men an
one-armed Confederate soldier named
Lanier. Despite the prompt arrest and
incarceration of these parties, the ne
groes living around the Court House
were very much dissatisfied, and were
loud in their murmurs that Union men
were shot down like dogs by rebel
bushwhackers, and the criminals were
allowed to 90 unpunished. A white
scalawag named Eisenberger, the Coro-
ner of the county, took the part of the
negroes, and is said to have labored as
siduously to. cause trouble the races
Through the representation of this man,
it is alleged, that four detectives were
sent to the county from Columbia to
work up the case.
Some time after all this had happen
ed, few thoughtless lads of the village
assembled one night, aud, after making
a figure of straw snto some faint resem-
blance of "old Eisenberser," took the
efigy out a short distance from the
town aud made of it a jolly good bon.
fire. When the Coroner was informed
of this act ofa parcel of boys, he pre-
tended to be very much alarmed, and
to fear that his legal life was cndanger-
ed by the Vaccinations of the Ku hluz.
Hastily packing up his traps, he repair
ed, by private conveyance, to Columbia,
and poured forth his grievances into
the willing ear Of the State Executive,
Gov. R. X. Scott, beseechiug that the
latter would grant him protection. 1t
was then decided, we arc told, by the
Governor to order out the safeguard of
the State, ye loyal (colored) militia
Arms were ordered to be furnished, and
the Coroner once more returned to his
home in Edgefeld County. Citizens
of the town state few nights after hir
return he entered the village one night
at very late hour surrounded by
large body-guard of negro militia, and
marched through the deserted streets;
but no encounter with Ku-Klux took
place. Like the famous King of Brent
ford, who,
-"wi.h FULL ten thousand men,
Marched up The hill and hen marched down
again."
Eiscnberger, after this parade of his sa-
BILE vetrans, left the town, without hay
ing an opportunity offered for testing
the mettle of the "Mclish."
A committee Of citizens has been ap.
pointed by the people of Edgefcld Court
House to 60 to Columbia and represent
to the Governor Of South Caroliua the
state of affairs existing in the town, and
protest against the manner in which
the people Of Edge6eld are being treat
ed. The Committee left for Columbia
Sunday morning, but the people do not
entertain much hope Of success Of the
mission, as one Of the State spies also
went to Columbia on the same train
with the Committee, and will, do=bhcss
fill Scott full of lies about the thousands
of Union men, white and black, who
have fallen sacrifices to rebel hate with
in the past month in Edgefcld County.
Among the numerous evils which
have resulted to the people of EdgcGeld
from this invasion Of the county by the
negro militia, has been the desertion Of
the fields by the negro laborers. Many
of the planters have employed negro la
borers for the year, and contracted to
give them a portion of the crop made
instead of wages. As soon as the cap
ture of Edgefeld Court House by the
negro militia was heard of, nearly all
these farm hands left their employers
and crowded into the town for the pur-
pose of joining their colored military
comrades. Many farmers are thus left
high and dry so far as planting is con,
cerned, and many of them are without
a single hand on their plantations. Nice
prospect for crops ahead in Edgefeld
County, certainly!