New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-04-28

ISG-UOW CROPS ARE PLANiED-roLIliCAL
PURPOsEs-THE BLACKS TO BE TURNED OUT
OF OFFICE-MoRE KU-KLUx MURDERS.
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT
CHESTER. s. c., April 23.-It is impossible to
Doubt the existence and constant activity OF kukx
bands in all the northern counties OF South oaroin"
was In Chester that the battle between the WHITES anu
the black militia took place in February last
have been called rather massacre OF the Diaoks ioi s
timd ignorant negroes, after firing one vohey' tno"
away their guns and ran, the whites pursuing .Aen
and killing an they could catch. Many accounts oi
this affair have already been published, but It Is perhaps
well TO give the version have gathered here from 'ns
citizens both white and black They say that the negro
militia we're armed by the Governor just before ths last
election for the purpose OF intimdatng the wn'es'
election passed of In this county without disturbance Inc
whites ran Reform ticket upon which were the
two or three intelligent negroes, who were noninaca
the hope OF dividing tho black vote The Reforners
were confident of success but when 1t came to voting
the negro nominees had not the courage to vote ior
themselves, hut, under pressure or the secret Union
Leagues boted and Joined the Radicals. Inc oiacAs
voted in body, and they had 30 large majority tha1
tile whites were convinced that there had been raua,
and that the baot-boxes had been sufed-a political
crime In every way facilitated by the new Eiecuoh ia"
Ignorant and bad elected to the county efces
among others School Commissioner who cannot read
or write The whites had counted greatly on the success
Of their reform movement and were bitterly oisaP
poined There is doubt that the whipping OF prom
nent negro politicians by masked rufans became ire
auent after the election although the citizens say moth
ing about this and talk the burning Of barns and
eotton-gns by the blacks had been Of common occur
renee throughout the neighborhood. The bad feeling
bewo en- the two increased, and the muster ana
drill OF the negro militia exasperated the WHITES
beyond measure. militia captain, living IL
miles from the town, at place called Carmel hlii
was visited night by gang of Kuklux, VINO broke
10 hQFn "
stationed few men Of his company in anticipation OF
the attack They fired upon the assaants, whe ram fol
lowed for some distance by the blacks The next morn
ing the Captain believing the attack would De renewed
got company together and marched into Cheser 10
get ammunition. to the terror OF the chZens WHO were
afraid that the town would be burned The Sheriff and
the Town-Intendant ordered the militia to leave, and
they marched out and bivouaeked mile distant Inc
citizens picketed the roads and paroed the streets all
nigLt The following day white man named hyster'
militia major, went out and brought the company BACK
and stationed them about his house. They we're again
urged to leave but the Major ordered them 10 remain
having fears for his safety BY this time dispatches
had been sent to neghboring towns, and many armed
white men came in by rail and on horseback. Inc
negroes caInped in a grove the Majors house,
when they were Joined by another company belonging
in the town. party OF armed white men came down III
the night from the railroad some miles nortn
and seeing the blacks encamped near the depot COIN
menced
one was hurt. In the morning parley was held ana
the Carmel Hin company induced to start for home
under assurances protection. They eamped I'VE miles
out Of town. and next morning were attacked by ABOUT
200 whites and routed Meanwhile nothing saved the
Chester company from massacre but the timely arrival
of a company Of United States troops, who found 500
white men fully armed and under the command Of
former Rebel colonel and bent on the determination OF
the blacks The casualties in these AFFAIRS including the
negroes who hunted down and killed through the
country were blacks killed, wounded, and missing, of
whom IL are believed to be deaCb, and one white man
wounded. This ended the militia business In Chester
County. Gov Scott convinced at last OF the folly OF
aring ignorant negroes, directed the companies to re-
turn their guns and few we're collected and sent to
Columbia the greater part having fallen into the hands
OF the KuKlux. The white major, who was also county
Clerk did dare to stay in the town after the fight
and left at with his family Since the arrival of
the troops everything has been quiet but the white cit
zens still keep up night patrol Of Is men to look out for
incendiaries.
Chester is fororn, struggling. slovenly village OF per-
haps 1850 inhabitants. Tue streets center on hill.
where block Of brick stores and courthouse
In the midst Of little bare open square, bell Is hung
on tall post It is rung at o'clock every night when
all the saloons and closed and honest people
are expected TO go home and 60 to bed From this hill
top center the streets descend abruptly running of in
haphazard aimess way, until they lost in the fields
The dllapidated wooden buildings show faint signs OF
having once been painted. Groups OF lazy negroes
lounge along the sidewalks, sprawl at full length
upon the ground in sunny places, looking like bundles OF
old rags Little hafgrown and hafstaryed cattle tell
up the HILL drawing creakng carts They are harnessed
with horse brides on their heads, and bits In their
mouths to which rspe rens fastened and horseco
lars instead of yOkes Knots OF ulen white men hang
about the doors Of the saloons and stores, chewing
swearing, and splitting beautiful rolling upland
country stretches away in all directons-beau-
tiful to look out upon from this enlinence, but
sad when seen closely Never was
naturally rich and productive region 30 abomnably
misused This wretched, ruinous Southern method Of
farming has bghted and cursed with poverty country
that had every natural Advantages fruitful SOIL pro-
ducinp cotton fruit corn and all the small grains pure
running streams, excellent timber, and healthy ell
mate. II might have been prosperous and as thcky
neopled as the Valley Of the Mohawk; and yet the
scanty population scarcely get enough to eat to
keen soul and body together The farming consists In
scratching with a one-horse pow such portion Of the
fields "a the weeds and brush have not overrun
and planting cotton The greater part of every field
Is cut up into deep gules by the rains, and covered
with dwarf pines and brambles that are constantly en-
croaching upon the little tilsble land that remains
Cotton appears be the main the corn and bacon
upon which the people subsist being shipped from dis
tance at great cost. The sale OF farmers cotton
barely furnishes money enough to buy the food for his
family and his negro aborers Meanwhile nine-tenths
of his land lies unused and he grows poorer and
every year. All his misfortunes Of course, charged
TO the "nigger government"
Two men whom met at the hotel yesterday volun-
teered to walk out with TO neighborng plantation,
where they planting cotton. On our
crossed field OF 80 acres which they said had been
cleared worn out, and abandoned since the We
found two negro men, two women and two boys at work
planting. The ground had been powed in the FALL and
earlier the Spring had been thrown in ridges three
feet apart, in the center Of which guano had been
strewn. The final process consisted In seraping small
furrow with wooden pillow along the top OF each ridge
dropping seed and covering II with rude wooden
A.nrr, halh he