Vicksburg weekly herald., 1870-08-13
The Raee VVar In sumter, Ana.

day, but there 1t was difficult to
get the straight Of the situation at
Belmont, seventeen miles away.
The facts about the shooting of
Collins, we gather about thus: A
young man, we believe on Friday
night, intoxicated as we have here
tofore stated, for some reason,
whether excusable or not we could
not obtain facts to determine, was
shot BY a negro and painfully
wounded in the leg. From this
circumstance and others of an
alarming character, the citizens of
Belmont and vicinity became pain.
fully apprehensive of q negro
mob, and sent out courlers asking
help. The Sheriff summoned a
posse and went down there; many
citizens collected there besides.
Arrived there, upon consultation,
it was determined to obtain war
rant for the arrest of certain ne
groes. The papers were drawn up
by Mr.. Cockrell, an attorney, who
was present, and sent two miles to
q Justice, the affidavit to be swore
to, and the warrant to be signed.
What the particular charges in the
affidavit we're we did not learn. The
papers were returned late. The
officer was disinclined to serve the
paper that night, and Collins and
a party of young men volunteered
to do it.
There are two plantations near
by, in the river swamp, with a
large number of negroes, and
from these proceed the danger
which the community felt itself
threatened, and on them lived the
negroes named in the warrant.
Collins proceeded with his party
to the house of one them. He
opened the gate, one of his party
preceded him, and as he entered,
a rapid fire was opened upon them
by negroes in ambush behind a
fence. Collins was killed instantly.
The fire was returned briskly, but
the negroes maintained their po'
sition, and the whites soon retired
leaving Collins body in the hands
of the enemy. A young man il
the skirmish told US that a CUR
was emptied at him seemingly ter
PAGES of. He returned the fire
: stepped behind q tree, reloaded
= and fired again, directing his ain
: by the enemy's fire.
+ On Monday, q large party col
lected at Belmont TO look afte
S matters, and particularly to re
S cover the body of Collins. 1t wa
}, ascertained that they were in pc
e siuon in strong force in th
n swamp. Upon consultation, it wa
:. determined to send two men in t
1t parley,. and to ask for the body I
l. be delived up. The negroes n
e fused the request, saying tn;
=. their leader had gone to DemopC
n lis, and if they got it before b
came back and ordered it, the
e would have to fight for it," On
d of the negro party said to one
o the flag Of truce that he "was
is good mind TO kill him any how.
They were permitted to retur
70 whole skinned, and report. I'll
? young men wanted to be led in
3 once, but the leaders were prudeI
i and declined to lead. The youn
men were generally disgusted
II what they deemed ill.timed pr,
y, dence, and some were saying tbs
ii the Belmont people might tai
re care of themselves, attributing
them, chiefly, the discretion whic
- restrained them from acting upo
n their impulses.
~ Thus matters stood when W
: arrived at Livingston yesterda
- morning. While we were ther
- only q few hours, armed parties {
" men were continually passin
10 through Livingston, taking Il
-, road TO Belmont. In some case
90 commissary wagons attended the
II and haversacks were general
:, hung to the horns of saddles.
or This morning news came by Il
- way Of York, that yesterday Il
~ Sheriff of Marengo county wei
- into the lines of the negro can
~ with q few men, and parleyC
~, S about delivering up the body
80 He, too, was refused, but after
" ~ left, q message was sent after hil
" reversing the decision, and sayin
ss If he wanted it, he might send +
ho it The negroes retain Collir
%o effects about his person, mono
Ho arms, DC, as captured propert
~ 1t is reported that the Sheriff
,ld Marengo saw some white men
'5S M the enemy's lines, which, if trl
~ verifes a suspicion we heard {
,ic pressed yesterday, at LivingstC
80 that white men were in the cal
md of the enemy, leading and dire
be ing.
the From all the information
could gather, the negroes drew
is first blood, and may be the ID
be when they killed collins, but Il
ted is uncertain. There is no dol
Gus that hot blooded young men HI
rty done some rash acts; at least,