The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-05-02

A Tribune Correspondent ut Chester
The Conflict of the Colored Militia
Why they were Observation-Disclosures
Farming-How Crops are Planted
Political Purposes-The Blacks to be
Turned out of OEcc-hore Ku.Klux
Murders.
correspondence Of the New York Tribune.]
| CHESTER, S. c.. April %.
| II is impossible to doubt the existence and
constant activity OF Ku-Klux bands IN all the
northern counties Of South Carolina. 1t was
| in Chester that the battle between the whites
and The black militia took place In February
last It should have been called rather q mas
sacre Of the blacks, for the timid, Ignorant
negroes, after firing one volley, threw away away
and killing all they could catch. Many ac-
counts OF this affair have already been pub
| lished, but it is perhaps well to give the YER
sion have gathered here from The cillzcns,
both white and black They say that the ne
gro militia were armed by the Governor. Just
before the last election. for the purpose of in
| timIdallug the whites. The election passed OH
| in this county without disturbance. The
whites ran a Reform ticket. upon which
| were the names of two or three lntelli-
gent negroes, who were nominated ID
| The hope Of dividing the black vote. The Re
| formers were confident Of success, but When IL
came 10 voting, the negro nominees had not
| the courage TO vote for themselves, out, un-
der pressure.of the secret Uion Leagues, oolt.
ed and Joined the Radicals The blacks voted
In q body, and they had so large majority
that the whites were convinced mat There hau
been fraud, and that the balot-DoSes had
| been slufIed-a political crime In every way
facilitated by the new election law. Ignorant.
and bad men were elected to the county o1li-
ces-among others school commissioner who
cannot read or write. The whites had count
ed greatly on the success OF their reform
movement, and were bitterly disappointed.
There is no doubt that the whipping OF proml-
nent negro politicians oy masked humans oe-
came frequent after the election, although lile
citizens say nothing about this. land talk as II The
burning ofbarns aud cotton gins by the blacks
had been OF common occurrence through;
out the neighborhood. The bad feeling betweenS
the two races increased, and the muster anu
drill OF tho negro militia eXasp""ated the whites
beyond measure. a militia captain, living
twelve miles from the town, at place called
Carmel Hill, was visited one night by gang
of Kl,. .Kluy, who broke into his house. he
retreateG 10 barn, where he had stationed Il
few men of Ills company in anticipation OF Inc
attack. They fred upon the assallants, wne
ran. followed for some distance by the olacks.
The next morning, the captain, believing lne
attack would be renewed. got Els company
|
mHnition, to the terror of the citizens, who
were afraid that the town would be burned;
Tie sheriff and The town inten1ant ordered
The militia 10 leave, and they marched out anu
bivouacked q mile distant. The citizens
pickeled the roads and patroed the streets all
night The following day. While man
named Ryster. q militia major, went out and
brourht The company back and stationed them
about his house. They were again urged To
leave. but the major ordered them to remain,
having fears Tor his own safety. By TINS Time
dispatches had been sent TO neighoorlnS
towns. and many armed white men came IN oy
rail and on horseback. The negroes campeu
they were Joined by another company
belonging in the town. A party Oh armed
white men came down in the night from a Sta
tion on the railroad some miles north, and. see
inr the blacks encamped near the depot. COM
menced firing on them. The fire was return
ed, but no one was hurt. In the morning a
pnriey was held, and the Carmel Hi!l company
was induced to start for home under assur-
ances OF protection. They camped fre miles
ont of town, and next morning were attacked
by about 200 whites, and routed. aeanwliile
nothing saved the Chester company from mas.
sacre but the timely arrlTa! OF company OF
United States troops, who found 500 white
men fully armed and under the command OF
former rebel colonel, and bent on the exter-
pinaLion of the blacks. The casualties III
these affairs including the negroes who were
hunted down and killed through the country,
were nineteen blacks killed. wounded ana
missing, (ot whom eleven are believed 10 oe
dead and one white man wounded; Inls
ended the militia business in Chester County
Governor Scott, convinced at last OF tue iolly
of arming ignorant negroes, directed the conf
panies 10 return their guns and lew were
collected and sent to Columbia, the greater
part having fallen into the hands Of the hu-
kuX. The white major, who was also county
clerk, did not dare 10 stay in the Town alter
the fight, and left ct once win ms ialn.iy.
Since lhe arrival Of the troops, everything mas
been quiet, but The white citizens still keep up
a nirht patrol OF twenty-five men to look out
for incendiaries.
Chester is forlorn, struggling, sloVenly vii
lage Of perhaps $500 Inhabitants. The streets
centre on hill, where there are block OF
brick stores and courthouse; IN tne mlast
Of a little, bare, oper square, u bell is hung on
q tall post. 1t is ruDg ut 3 O'Clock every night,
when all the saloons and stores are closed, and
honest people are expected to go home aud 60
TO bee. From this hilltop centre, The streets
descend abruptly, running of in hap-haZard,
aimless way, until they are lost IN the nelds.
The llilapidated wooden buildings show lainI
signs OF having once been painted Groups OF
I,;, law negroes lounge along the.sdewalks. or
sprawl at full length upon the ground in sun
nv places, looking like bundles OF old rags.
little halI.urown and halt-slarved c tile toll
M the hill, drawing creaking carts. They are
harnp ssed with horse-brldles on their headS,
and bits in their mouths, TO which rope reins
are fastened, and horse-collars instead OF
yokes. Knots OF sullen white men hang ABOUT
the doors OF the saloons and stores, Chewing,
swearing, and splitting. "A beautiful rolling
upland country stretches away III all
irec,ions-beautiiul to look out upon
from this eminence, but sad when seen
more closely. Never was naturally
rich anu productive region so aoomlnaoly
lnisi,:e(. This wretched, rinous Southern
method OF farming has blighted and cursed
with poverty y country that had every natural
adva,ltage-a fruitful soil, producing cotton,
fruit, corn, and all the small grains; pure run
nium streams, excellent timber, and II healthy
clinIaie. 1t might have been as prosperous
and us thickly peopled as the Valley Of the Mo-
hawk; and yet the scanly population Gun
scarcely get enough 10 eat 10 keep soul ana
body ogather. The farming consists in scratch.
illg with q one-horse ough such portion OIL
The fields US the weeds and brush have mol
overrun, and planting cotton. The greater
mart of every field is cut up into deep 2ullles
by The rains, and covered with ,lwalI pines
and brambes, that are constantly cncroaching
unon the little lillab!e land that remainS
Coti on appears to be the main crop, the corn
and bacon upon which the people sllbSst being
shipped .:om a distance al great cost. The
sale Of iar-lers cotton barely furnishes
money enough 10 buy the .ooI lof llis family
and his negro laborrrs. Meanwhile, nine
Nj, loud li.is unpspI and he TrOVS