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

captain, entered the barn yard, and
threatened to kill Baxley if he did
not tell them where Mr.. Middleton,
the owner Of the plantation was.
Ascertaining that the latter was alb
sent, they turned upon the two ne
gro watchmen belonging to the plan
tation, chased them, and shot at
them as they kept up the pursuit.
After, threatening Baxley again with
their guns, this party went off, and
Baxley went to his house. He had
scarcely reached there before a Sc
cond party of negroes, numbering
twenty men, came "right into the
house." presented their guns at
him, and threatened to kill him.
What followed we give in Baxley's
own words. He says:
q raised up out of my chair, and
as / did so they seized and dragged
me outside of the door of my room.
They knocked me down in the pas
sageway with muskets, one struck
me on the back, another on the side
Of the head. / was knocked sense
less. When l came to my senses
they were kicking me. They then
knocked me down the door steps
and took me up before their whole
party, telling me that they would
put me out into the swamp, and let
the buzzards eat ne. They
kept punching me in the back
with their guns, and told me to
prepare to die. They loaded up
their guns and fired at me, the balls
whistling all around me, but none of
them struck me- They then told me
to double quick, and ran. They
fired at me again as l ran. They
halloed at me, 'clear youself, you
- Rebel --. If ever we
catch you here again we'll murder
you Before they let me go, they
took away everything had in my
pockets, and said that if l would not
give them the money, they would go
to my house and make my wife give
it up. After getting away from
them, l hid in q ditch. While l was
there, l heard parties who passed
my hiding place, say that war had
now commenced, and that no white
men should ever live on the Ogee-
chez again
The deposition of Richard c.
Winn, a carpenter on the Southfield
plantation, is to- the same effect.
He saw the armed negroes enter the
barn-yard, as sworn to by Bailey
saw them chase the two negro watch
men and fire at then, and when he
demonstrated, one Rthe negroes
presented revolver at him; and
threatened with an oath to fix him
Off" After this party had disap-
peared, a second crowd" came up
theroad, halted before WINS house,
whittier the latter had gone, and
signaled for him to come away from
the door. Winn's deposition thus
proceeds:
my family were standing in the
doorway, and, fearing that they
would shoot and kill some of my
folks, jumped away from the door.
As / jumped l was caught by two
of them; they took hold of my
arms, and as they did so, another
struck me on the right temple with
the butt Of a musket. l bled pro
fusely. They then asked me if /
was one of the men who made the
report. l told them no. They then
left me and went to Mr.. BaXley's. A
negro came up afterwards and made
my wife give him my two guns, and
said that had better leave there,
that if. l did not they would kill me.
then went off and lay down in the
high grass. While there l saw my
family and Mr.. Baxley's family go
to the negro quarters to ask for pro
lection. Before they reached there
they met a company of negro sol
diers, who turned them back. The
last saw of them they were being
marched off at the head of this gang.
A crowd broke into Mr.. BaXley's
house and carried off his goods. |
could hear them breaking up and
destroying things. They shot Mr..
BaXley's dog in the house. lay in
the grass until dark, when got up
and started for town. / met Mr..
Bailey and we came on to town
through the woods
In the face of these aliidavits,
made five days before Col. Williams
visited the plantation, the latter APP
pears to be totally ignorant of the
fact that any gangs of armed negroes
had been guilty Of excuses on the
plantation in question, that any rice
had been stolen, any dwelling house
plundered, or any white men muir.
derously assaulted and driven off
Even the two negro watchmen, who
came subsequently into Savannah
sorely battered and bruised, and who
confirmed. so far as the incident;
were within their own knowledge
all that had been previously sworr
to by Baxley and Winn, appear tC
be entitled, in the opinion Of Col
, Williams, to rs little credence a
the white men. Now what
do facts and occurrences sine
, the date of the report, (the 18th inst,
: prove? On the 9TH ult. the sheriff
! with one of his deputies and a PoSS
of citizens, accompanied by tn
, military, arrested siXty-seven ne
D groes on the Ogeechee plantations
S but they did not find the principa
!, ringleadcrs, although scouts ha'
T been sent out by Col. Sweeney com
handing the negroes to come in ant
k surrender. The officers visited South