The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-04-19
The Battle of COIfax.

The Battle of COIfax.
We take the following from the New
Orleans Republican, of the 10th inst,
which is principally extracts from re-
ports in the Times and Picayunc. The
fight occurred last Sunday:
Boats which arrived from Red river
yesterday afternoon brought the intel
ligence that the recent turmoil in Grant
parish had resulted in a deadly combat
and the sacrifice of many lives.
Reports that obtained currency were
highly cOlored, and doubtless some time
will elapse before the truth is really
known. 1t is beyond question, however.
that the courthouse at Colfax had been
burned, and a large number Of caOred
men massacred by a party under the
leadership of MI. HadnOt, who was him
self wounded severely in the abdomen.
AS 500 as the news of the terrible af-
fair reached Gen. EmOry's headquarters,
the commanding officer at Baton Rouge
was telegraphed to send a company of
troops immediately to the scene of the
conflict, which order was promptly
Obeyed, and the troops left last evening
ON a passing steamer.
NH H. " KILL VI MD SIIdlg L SA1S, Il
passengerOn the Southwestern, furnish
ed the Times with a written account of
the affair, from which we make brief
extracts:
Sunday night, shortly after dark, the
boat landed at a wood pile about q mile
above COlfax, Grant parish, and a young
fellow, armed to the teeth and very
much excited, came aboard and request
ed the captain to land at Colfax and
take some wounded white men to Alex
andria, about twenty-five miles further
down the river"
"On arriving at COlfax we found about
a hundred armed men OF the bank, and
most Of the passengers, myself among
the number, went ashore to view the
"battle ground" for our young friend
who came aboard at the wood pile in
formed us shat if we wanted to see
dead niggers, here was a chance, for
there were q hundred or so scattered
over the village and the adjacent tields,n
and he kindly offered to guide us to the
scene of action"
almost as sOOn as we got to the top of
the landing, sure enough, we began to
stumble on them, most of them lying on
their faces, and, as I could see, by the
dim light of the lanterns riddled with
bullets"
"When we came back near the land
ing the boats crew was carrying aboard
the two wounded white men, a Mr.. Had
not and another whose name |. did not
learn"
""n a storehouse near the landing were
| some twenty or thirty negro prisoners,
| all huddled together in Il corner, with a
| strong guard over them. I asked one
| of the guards If I could have some talk
with the negroes, but was rather rough
ly refused.
"Mr. HadnOt was wounded in the alb
dOmen, not seriously, however, for | was
informed by one OF, the surgeons who
had him in charge that he extracted the
ball, and that he did not think his intes-
tines were cut. The other white man
had a flesh wound in the shoulder"
Several other white men had slight
flesh wounds in different parts of their
bodies"
"The two wounded men, the surgeon
and a son of Mr.. HadnOt came down as
far as Alexandria, where we landed
| early Monday Morning.
Since the meeting on Sunday week the
party under HadnOt, 1t isstated, hadbeen
reinforced from adjoining parishes, and
Sunday morning they moved on Colfax
in a body and demanded a surrender of
the courthouse, which was refused. The
attacking party opened q vigorous fire,
andfinallysucceededin settingthe court
house on fire: Many were killed in the
burning building, and others, while at
tempting to escape, were shot down.
The following statement of Captain
Jacobs, of the steamer Southwestern, we
copy from the Picayune: 49,.
eve arrived at Colfax on Sunday
evening about eight o'clock, and found
that the white people, and the sheriff,
suppose, at their head, had captured the
town, after having had a conflict with
the negroes. 1t was reported to me that
| about 100 negroes had been killed and
many wounded. seaL
ave saw from the boat about eighteen
or twenty lying around on the banks
dead. One white man was reported
killed, whose name [ did not learn, and
two very seriously wounded, MessrsY
! Hadnot and Harris. Mr.. HadnOt was
shot through the bowels, and it is sup
Fposed that he is MORALLY wounded. We
brought Messrs. Harris and HadnOtdOWn
from COlfax to Alexandria. Three OF
four other white men were slightly
wounded,
About one hundred negroes escaped,
but 1T was reported that the whites were
still pursuing them. All of the leaders
of the riot escaped, especially the white
men. The negroes am~buscaded them
selves in the courthouse, and the whites
finding that there was no other mode OF
attack left them, set fire to the building
The Whites numbered in the neighbor,
hood of one hundred and fifty e The
fight lasted from about12 NJ. until nearly
5P. NJ. The whites are now in possession
of qalfax, aud when ! left, late Sunday
night, everything was very quiet"
As old Van Shroomps was giving hi
youngest, who was inclined to be lazy, 8
gnod eowhiding, the young boy crieG
out: "0h, don't, fadder, it makes ms
smartm "Dat's shOost vat / wants,
said the old man, as he Whacked away
with renewed yigor.
A frue Amariaan ic too nrOHd tn hep