Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1870-12-16


+, for sixty days to guard the State prisoner
r and the penitentiary. In default of an
other provision for supplying this necessar,
l service, this guard has ever since been con
tinued, and paid from the contingent fund
This condition of things ought not longer t.
exist. Provision should be made for til.
, organization of a suitable State guard
which [ am satisfied can be maintained at ar
expense very little in excess of the cost o
!: our present guards. And I am inclined t.
believe that the State guard shall form a
part Of the militia organization of the State
to be organized, armed and uniformed, aud
be subject to the same regulations, and tc
receive the same compensation, as the mill
tia when in active service.
The ninth article of the constitution is
mandatory upon the Legislature to provide
for the organization Of the militia and, un-
der the second section of that article, there
can be no difficulty in framing a law which
Will fully meet the wants and necessities of
our peculiar situation
J On the 24th of March last, in response to
resolution of the House of Delegates
transmitted to that body communication,
from which l quote the following language !:
During the late war, by authority of the
freedmen's bureau or other Federal authori.
ty, large number of colored people were
settled, and have ever since continued to
reside upon, a plantation known as Taylor's
farm, in Norfolk county, and upon plan
tation known as Celey Smiths farm in Eliz.
abeth City county. When the functions Of
the freedmen's bureau ceased, these people
were left in possession Of these properties,
supposlng, as they claim, and no doubt
honestly, in their ignorance of right and
law, that they had a right to the same be.
cause Of the authority by which they had
| been put In possession and they were not
dlsabused of this idea, as they ought to have
been, by these authorities. Several unsuc-
cessful attempts were made to peaceably re-
move these people and restore the possession
Of the property to the righsful owners
Finally, ejectment suits were instituted in
the civil courts, and judgments rendered.
prior to the restoration of the State to repre-
sentation in Congress in January last but
for causes to me unknown, writs of posses
sion were not executed, aud an attempt
lately made to execute such writs by the
sheriff of Elizabeth City county was met
with armed resistance by these colored peo.
pie These occupants declare that they
were put In possession Of this property BY
the United States, and that they will yield
Possession only to the United States govern
ment, or by its authority. | am inclined to
believe, from information l have received,
that any attempt to enforce the writs of the
courts BY State forces might result in blood
shed, which | have no doubt that the officers
of the law will have no difficulty in perform
ing their duty, and will avoid bloodshed, if
small force Of United States troops De
placed at their disposal In view of these
facts. it would appear to me- desirable that
the General Assembly should, in the mode
prescribed by the constitution and laws of
the United States, request of the President
of the United States such military force as
will enable the sherlffs of the counties named
to execute the legal process of the courts in
these cases."
On the next day, the 25th of March, the
General Assembly passed joint resolution
in accordance with the foregoing recomman
daton, and the same was promptly trans
mitted to the President of the United States.
In due time an order came from the War
Department to General CANDY, then com
mandins this department, to furnish the aid
requested. AT my suggestion, General
Candy ordered troops to the assistance of
the sheriff of Elizabeth City county first,
who, with the aid thus rendered, successful
ly executed the process of the courts. l
entertained the hope that the example thus
set would have beneficial effect upon the
illegal occupants of Taylor's farm, in Nor.
folk county, and with this view, advised
some delay in the latter case; but in this
was disappointed. In the meantime this
State had been attached to the Department
of the East, and to its commander, General
lrwio Mcdowell, Iapnlied for aid for the
sheriff OF Norfolk county, on the 31st of
May last. In response to my application,
troops were ordered from Fortress Monroe
to the assistance of the sheriff of Norfolk
county on or about the 2lst day of June
following On the 22nd day of June l re-
ceived from General Barry commanding at
Fortress Monroe, a telegram, of which the
following is a copy:
EFT. MONROE, June %, 1870.
To his EScelency Gilbert G. Walker, Governor Of
Virginia.:
In obedience to telegraphic order from
she honorable, the Secretary Of War, have
this day recalled the detachment of troops
sent by me to the Taylor farm to protect
the sheriff of Norfolk county.
WILLIAM f. BARRY"
Aud at about the same time I received
from the sheriff of Norfolk county the fol-
lowing telegram:
''NoRFoLK Va, June %, 1870.
To his Excelency Gilbert c. Walker, Governor
of Virginia:
Captain Piper, commanding United States
forces, sent to assist me, has been ordered
back and not to render the sheriff any fur
ther assistance What must [ do-carry
out the law and execute the balance of the
writs! I have displaced two thirds and torn
| down the buildings. Troops left at $50
A, NJ.
T. W. MAYHEM,
Sheriff, (Taylors Fsrm.)
1 at once telegraphed the sheriff to hold
Ills positlou, oul Hilhou1 plooQsheu, II poS-
sible. And at the same time sent a tele-
gram to the Secretary of War, of which the
following is copy:
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA., J
EXECUTIVE CHAMBERS,
Richmond, June %, 1870.
The Honorable, the Secretary of War, Wash
ington, D. c.;
| have received this morning the follow
igg kilograms:
eft. MONROE, VA, June %, 1870.
To his Excellency, G. c. Walker, Governor of
Virginia:
i Tn obedienee to 4 telepranhic order from