Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-08-18
GREAT EXCITEMENT.
Big Greek Iavadss jefferson Street.--The
Avalanche Office ~BeIeaguered.
The Negroes Of Big Greek Determined 10
Defend their Fair Fame.
Barbour Lewis and GeneraI W. ]. Smith
at the Bottom Of the DeyIltry.

On Tuesday the Avalanche spoke In its
local of expected trouble out IN the Big
Creek n~eighborhood between the whites
n the blacks, and stated that the white
people, apprehensiveo of danger, had many
| Of them, left their homes and were COM
ing 70 Memphis for safety. On applying
to the Office of the Chief of Police, and the
| Sherif's Office, we were informed
that there was no information OF
the sort there. We so stated
yesterday morning. 1t seems, however,
that we were mistaken, and that there
was a basis for the rumors published by
our cotemporary. This fact was made
apparent to the naked y about 3 o'clock
yesterday afternoon, in a most decided
manner. Passing along Main street, near
Jefferson, at that hour, we found the lat
ter street, in front of the AVdlanche build
ing, blocked up for q considerable dis
lance, with a large and motley crowd of
whites and blacks, the latter largely pre-
dominating. In b center of the throng,
and directly in front of the Office
OF our contemporary, were a half
dozen or so negro men mounted on
horseback, and armed with guns
and ~revoFVers. Officer Kelly, seeing that
there was some excitement among the
crowd, and not understanding the object
of the visit of these apparently hostile
| Africans, thought it best as a precaution-
airy measure to disRrm them and take
their weapons down TO thu Adams street
station-house. They submitted to this
without a murmer, and an old and quiet
looking darby, who gave his name as
Wash Dickens, accompanied the officer
with the weapons down to the station.
Our reporter thinking that that would
be the best place to hear what the row
was about, followed them thither, and
there learned from "Uncle Wash that
he and his party were simply a posse
| cOmitdtnS of our friend Squire Moncrief
of Raleigh, who had gone to the AUGLGRehe
office to obtain certain information. Be
tore he could explain what that was,
Squire Moncrief himself hove in sight,
and gave us the following suecinct state
ment of the object of his visit to town,
and the events which lei to it:
On the afternoon of Monday of this
week, Just before the school of Miss Nan
ME Means was dismissed for the evening,
a Mr.. Rogers rode up ard requested Miss
Means to tell her scholars to warn their
parents that he had information that that
night 1.-THE 18TH, had been set by the
negroes for a general massacre of the
White Inhabitants of the Big Creek region.
The children hurried to their homes with
this information, which of course pre-
duced the widest excitement and utter
dismay among the entire population.
Heads of families quickly gathered their
WAho6 I'LL llbL1b JIG LO6ObAbAf dlAh 1AONCu
them to the nearest place OF refuge. Five
or six families gathered in one house for
the sake of mutual defense, and numbers
of families took to the woods, remaining
in the open air allnight. The next morn
ing many came to Memphis. 1t was
from one of these, we may remark en-
pGSSdnt, that our neighbOr got its original
informstion.l The negroes, meanwhile,
acted as usual during Monday night, ana
on Tuesday several of them, "Uncle
Wash" at their head, having learned
what the excitement was all about,
went to Squire Moncrief and asked
him what they should do to reassure the
white people, and to ferret out and pun
ish the ringleaders of so atrOcious a con-
spiracy, il such existed.
A plan of operation was soon formed,
and they went systematically to work.
The first thing to be dom was to hunt up
Mr.. Rogers, who had given the alarm.
He stated on being questioned, that he
got his information from one Jack Hall,
who works with DIR. w. B.. Winston. On
going to DIR. Winston they found that
Jack was in this city; they learned, how
eYer, that Tom Dodson, another negro,
was in possession of all the facts in the
case. On searching for Tom they found
him absent from home. They hen
made an appointment with his wife
for him to meet them the next morn
ing yesterday at his house. Going
thither, at the appointed hour, they
found that he had not been home and was
then also in Memphis. Alter a short con-
sultation, and having in the meantime
learned that the AVdLdnche had published
something about the affair, they deter
mined to come to town and learn where
it obtained its information. With this
laudable resolve the Squire with his posse
comitGtts of faithful negroes started for
r. asf n. ~, rm- 49, |
the very man they were hunting for, Tom
Dodson, and immediately halted him.
Tom said hat he had heard the rumors
but denied having given the information
to the AUGIdnche. His replies being some
what confused the col0red men took him
prisoner, made him turn around and
march back to the city with them.
1t was while on this errsnd that we saw
them at the office of our cOtemporary.
We learned further from the Squire that
he was told there lat the AUdLancbe office
that Tom was not their authority-mueh
to that individuals relief, for threats of
lynching him had been freely made by
the negroes in case he had done so, and
would not make a clean breast of the af-
fair, in order that the ringleaders might
be caught and punished. The Squire, on
applying to the police, had the arms of
his posse returned, and they forthwith
back to Big Greek to continue
their Investigations.
Since writing the above, we learn by
conversations with prominent citizens of
Big Creek and that vicinity, that the
whole affair is directly tracesbIe to
made by General w. j. Smith
Barbour Lewis, at John Bottoms
store a few days since. 1t is said that
,hese men there made the most in1sm-
natOry declarations, and advised the ne
yroes to commit the most outrageous acts.
are also informed that the negroes
who desire peace, chief among them
Wash Bolton and the posse with him yes
erday, are advised of this fact, n are on
he track of testimony duplicating Lewis
md Smith in the plot. If our informa-
ion is correct, the shrift of these two
worthless viii be very short if they fall
nto the hands of the Big Creek COLOred
Vigilance COmnittee.,, This VoUld be Acaet-
n torn by his hounds with a vengeancei
we await further develop
nents.