Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-04-16
RIOT IN LOUISIANA.

S, Southwestern, which arrived about l:2O this
afternoon, brings stirring and important news
#, m Grant Parish The whites have lcakcn
Coliay, AID there is not negro to be found Tor
miles around From passenger on the South
western We CLEAN the following:
The negroes had strongly cntrenched thcm-
selves in the Court House, and built breast
works three and four feet high. There were, it
is said, about four hundred men around, and
equipped thoroughly. On Sunday, about !
u'cluck, about one hundred and fifty men, who
had gathered from the surrounding parishes,
made an attack on the breast works, and Il brisk
fight was kept up until somewhere near 5
o'clock The breastworks were then storncd
and captured, the negroes tlklng refuge IN the
Court House, the doo.s Of which were barrlcad-
ed. After some further fighting, the negroes
threw cut flag OF truce, and several detach-
meuts Of men advanced Oh it., when they were
fired on by the bes:eged party, woundlng sever
all of whom was Captain lladnot, who vas shot
in the bowels, and it is feared fatally wounded
They retrealed on the outside OF the breast
works and as the only means of dlsIodglng the
negroes the Court House was ret on hire, and
they we're shot as they came iron The burning
building. 1t is reported that between eighty
and one hundred negroes were killed, and t;lclc
were noue 10 be found Tor miles around.
The Captain OF tue steamboat Southwestern
makes the following statement: We arrived at
CoIfax Sunday evening about clock, and
found that the white people, and Sheriff. sup
pose, at their head, had captured the town after
having Il conflict with the negroes. 1t was re-
ported to me that about one hundred negroes
had been killed and many others wounded.
We saw from the boat fifteen or twenty lying
around on the bank, dead. One white man was
oI llnI wi | did no
and two very seriously wouudcd-AlcSsrs Had
not and Harris. Mr.. Haduot was shot through
the bowels, and supposed to be MORALLY wound
cd. We brought Harris and Hadnot down
from Cofax to Alexandria, Three or four other
white men were slightly wounded. About 100
negroes escaped, but it wills reported the whites
were still pursuing them. All OF the leaders OF
the riot escaped, especially the white men.
The negroes having amtu caded themselves
in the Court House, aud the whites finding
there was no other mode of attack left them,
set fire to the building. The whites numbered
in the ueighborhood of 100 men. The tisht
lasted from II clock until nearly p. m. The
whites are pow in possession Of CclfaX, aud
when left, last Sunday night, everything was
very quiet.
Tie Franklin Mo) Painters Banncrof We!
nesday gives the following account Of the origin
of the difficulty:
On "Wednesday last crowd Of negroes, arm
| cd with double. barrel shoguns and headed by
a colored man named Ward entered the town
of Coax took possession Of the court house,
and ou>tng the parish officers assumed their
functions. 1t appears that after the election
two sets Of officers were appointed, one by
Pinchback and the other by the McEnery gov
eminent. The parish is conceded to be white.
These appointments led to disagreement,
and few days ago delegation, headed by
Mr. Rutland on the fusion side and Ward on
the other visited Gov. kellogg. High words
ensued between the contestants, Rutland say
ing that they had the offices and were deter
mined to keep them, and Ward rejoining, in
eff, ct, that there would be no trouble about the
colorcd men seating themselves when once
they made up their minds.
Both left for home, and, as before stated,
Ward opened the ball on Wednesday. After
having secured possession, Rutland's house
was attacked, sacked, aud himself and family
driven from the parish. Ward is described as
negro Of most insolent manner, and, if re-
port is to be credited, lie has been the ring
leader in several disturbances.