The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-11-21
THE REIGN OF TERROR.
OUTRAGES IN UNION AND LAWLESS.
NESS IN SPART1NB URG.
The DoIngs of the Negro Militia In
Union County.


The DoIngs of the Negro Militia In
Union County.
From the Union Tlmes.j
The white people of this section are begin
ming seriously to think of organizing themselves
Into solid body OF military, to protect them
selves and families from tile outrages committe
and dangers threatened by the prowling arm ed
negro State militia. The acts Of those ignorant
selr.c concelted and misguided men, for the past
week have been outrageous In the extreme, and
they must be stopped, or Plo0dy work Will be the
result. Every night band OF them are to be
seen prowling about the suburbs Of orr towns,
along the fences and In the woods, with loaded
guns, given to them by the State authorities, and
from dark until daylight In the morning the quiet
of our citizens Is disturbed and the women anu
chi dren Kept under excitement by the sounds OF
firing from these guns. Scarcely an nour IN IN e
night passes that do not hear the report OF one
and sometimes five or SIX In rapid succession.
Emboldened by the fact that the white people
quietly submit to this, they have commenced
condition. On Saturday night last they appear.
ed to have become perfectly wild, and determined
to bring about collision with the white people.
Squads Of these negroes were Ia almost every
kets and cartridge boxes, making threats against
the white people: A squad OF them went to me
able, quiet and RESPECTABLE, citizens In the county
and discharged q vOlley into the house. One OF the
balls struck bed on which was lying o child, q
niece Of Mr.. Gallman, and lodged in the bed
where 1t was fonnd the next morning, and proved
to be ong to the militia guns AM Anoner Shot shos was wa
G. and his wife were lying. but, fortunately
lodged In the side OF tile door. The ball that
entered the bed struck about four inches from
the child's head. Five bullet holes Gun now be
ia, in tbn
time an attack was made upon the mouse OF Mr.
T. L. Hughes, and the night made hdeous with
cursing, firing Of guns, and throwing OF stones.
SIX OF the militia were arrested by an of1cer OF
the Uulted States garrison, but as the captain
had power to arrest any Of the militia, partcu-
lar!y as one OF them was an officer, and sppa-
renlly acting under orders, he could not confne
them, but released them. One prominent Repub-
lcan informed US that as lie was sitting on the
piazza OF his house. just after dark, number OF
these militia passed with guns In their hands,
and shouted, Get into your holes white folks'
the militia Is out t0-nlght.n
Above this town, about midnight, four OF these
armed militia were seen, who on meeting others
were heard to say "have yon Seen anything OF the
While horse ao we oT tem ee Ier eI viii viii
be out In short time" This occurred net great
distance from Mr.. Gallmans house, and shortly
afterwards firing was heard In that direction.
Not long after the firing they came back an ana lone one
I'd have given 1t to him. Firing OF muskets was
heard In almost every direction nearly all night.
But these acts OF firing and threats are not con-
fined to one night, but are OF nightly occurrence,
and our citizens have come to believe that the
negro militia have determined TO Try their light.
Ing qualities by thus threatening aud annoying
them, and mal!ciously firing into their houses,
endangering the lives Of their families.
But let US warn the colored people that II they
do p.eciptate so. horrible state Of affairs upon
u.s. upon them and those who have melted them
to it will fall the responsibility. There Is mo white
military organization now in Union, but there is
military spirit among ns, tried and disciplined In
four years. war. which, II forced into active re.
sstance in defence OF wives, mothers and sisters,
viii face death In its most horrible forms and
carry destruction to the opposing race, rather
than submit much longer to such outrages.
It Is q notable fact that with all the sanderouE
reports against the white people or this sectlon,
no act OF violence against the coored people mas
been trumped up, except those just before the
election, gotten up for political effect, and they
were perpetrdted by men Of their own political
party.
with the cUlored people. Had they desired 1t, the
outrages OF last Saturday night would have been
sufficient provoeation to bring 1t about. Why are
tn. Sc guns, with ammunition, permitted to be
taken from the armorJ ann scattered ah over sne
moves TO another State and takes hlR- gun with
him, as many are preparing to doY We do not
pretend 10 say there has been no outrages CON-
initted by some bal white men, but We do say
that no responsible or respectable white man has
been guilty OF them, or would aid, In any manner,
In committing them. When the vigilant authorl-
ties or Northern cities can drive bad men from
their communities, and stop the numerous hor-
rihle crimes daily committed there, we may ex.
pecs to prevent the few outrages now committed
ut the South. Every respectable white citizen In
Union depores and deprecates such acts, and
stands ready to assist the proper authorities to
arrest those who commit them.
The white people have suffered and will suffer
much from the colored people, but so long as the
in q nj
Ignorant prejudiced and excitable colored militia,
with liberty to use those arms when and where
the prejudice or malice OF any one OF them may
incline him, just 30 long will the white people
feel they have no security In life or property, only
through efficient weapons OF defence, guided by
their own strong arms and stout hearts.
Alleged Lawless Proceedings In Spar
tanburS.
From the Columbia Union.l
We are pained to learn that there is still dis
posltIon In Spartanburg County to keep up these
scenes OF turbulence and disorder We are In.
formed by gentleman whose reliability we can
not call in question, that there Is determination
expressed on the part Of certain men to drive Re-
publicans out Of the county and to set at defiance
the authority Of the State. Thursday night
disguised band OF armed men entered the town
about two O'Clock for the purpose, as they avow
ed, OF rescuing from the hands OF the sheriff q
condemned murderer named WnlCe, VINO was TO
be hung yesterday. 1t appears that this criminal
had been convicted OF the murder Of color
ed man about four months SINCE at q place called
Cherokee Iron Works. This gang Of men demand
ed OF the sheriff the surrender OF his prisoner,
but this demand to his credit be 1t said, the sherir
natly refused TO comply with, and told the ruf1ans
if they wanted to Kill him and his family they
could do 1t, but he was determined to do his duty
and hang the murderer. 1t is supposed that these
men were only deferred from attempting to res
cue the prisoner by being informed that the jail
was full OF armed men, sent there to assist the
sheriff Thlrty-ive men composed the band. After
inquirIng for several prominent Republicans they
finally retired, firing few shots, and yelling the
"Umion League"
we dislike being compelled to believe that the bet
ter class Of the citizens or Spartsnburg counte-
nance and support these lawless men In their bel.
lsh work; bur It does seem to that II the solid
men OF that county would set their faces against
any and all these attempts to set tile laws at def
ance, and would assist In bringing the offenders
to Justice all these outrages would cease. Quite
number OF men are now here from that county,
and all OF them tell the same story OF reign OF
terror In certain localities. The only way to put
81 on to this work Is to arrest the men who en-
gage In It, and mete out to them swift and con-
dien punshment. The peace and welfare OF the
state and of the people alike demand thar this be
done.