Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-03-10
TWENTY-EIGHTH OAK.
SENATE CHAMBER, March 3. 1871

SENATE CHAMBER, March 3. 1871.
George a. Brown, a witness for respond
eat, testified
I am % years OF age. reside in Wilkes
county / an Superior Court Clerk of the
county. l know the general character of
Col. Geo. W. Kirk. l was an officer 10 bis
command during The late war in l864-G5.
K ow nothing Of him before Or since. de
vas ColoueI of tie 81 regiment n. &.
Mounted Infantry, y. S. trnops. They
were regular troop. His character in his
command was that he war an honest, high
minded man, aud brave, daring soldier.
be was o kind, humane officer 10 his sol
diers and the prisoners he captured. [
was first sergeant-major, then first lieu
tenant, and served at times as adjutant. l
belonged 10 the Confederate army, and
deserted and went over to Tennessee and
Joined Kinks command. l went to Kirk
about the first part of 1864. There was
no charge against me for stealing IL trunk
of citizen. I did not do it, nor did not
compromise by paying for it. [ was con-
scripted into the Confederate army in 1862,
and not feeling that I was under any obi.
cations to stay, I left soon after reaching
the command whereI was sent, in the army
of Northern Virginia. Alter left the army
[ staid about in Wilkes until ga, when l
Joined Kirk.
spondent, testified
I live in Alamapce, am u years old
About one year ago seven disguised men
came to my house one night and dragged
me and my wife out of bed. They carried
me a short distance and gave me fifteen
| lashes. They were dressed IN white clothes,
streaked with horns and some with shouts
on their mouths. 7 was hit fifteen ticks On
the naked skin. Q. What they whipped you
I 2 i kIop A
said my wife had it done, but I don't know
whether that was so or not. They didn't
say any more than that she had it done.
j. G. Ringstaf, witness for the re.
spondent, testified
I live in Alamance county. In October
1869, some disguised men came to my
house, broke open the door, came in
asked me my name. 1 told them; they sale
I was the man they wanted. They theI
said that they heard I was going to Poll!
Gappin's, and if so, must stop it. Al
dressed in white and had horns. Abou
22d December, 1869, they came again.
wont Al home. They went in the hous
and carried some things out, bat did r.
damage to anything. They left notice
eff you don't leave the county in invent,
days you will pass as if it was from life t.
death" My gun was carried off, IfounC
the pieces in William McVey's yard
} About the 9th January, 1870, they cam
| again. I vas from home again. The.
left notice, eff this house is not cleared O
? all persons IN three days not log will la
on the other" [ soon after left the coun
9 ty and went to Mcdowell. l thought
Y knew some of them. Daniel Foust, Gee
Barbee, and others. got out warran
t for these men, had them before magis
D trate and bound over to court. 1t wa
/, then dropped, at least never heard any
y thing more about it. L had been going t
: Polly Gappins'. She kept bad house
1 have been there great many times.
went there to see the women. Il We
. guilty OF one of the women" l kept u
4 the visiting about three years. live
t about half mile from there. [ went
Q Court and talked with Solicitor Bnlla, bu
never went before grand jury.
= VIM. McVey, witness for responder
}. testified:
!. I live in Alamance, am fifty-three veal
g of age. I 1--we about quarter of a mi
}, from J. C. Ringstaf's. The disguise
{ men came to nay house one night, abor
s the same time they went to Ringstaff'
j. and told me to tell Ringstaf If he did nc
It leave in twenty days, he would be deac
q dead, dead, dead. They were dressed
= long white gowns, with high heads c
things, wish horns-they looked way u
I yonder. I found the gun it was in m
?. yard. broken. The women went out door
e that night and found it. didn't go out