New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-04-23

| Courthouse. IDGlng SHtElu ondN E pdIt
| prepared 10 resist them, they retired. Fl
several days afterwaId armed bodies {
men were seen at the approaches 10 tn
town, threatening and intimidating tn
people around. Persons in sympathy Wit
| them, and doubtless aware of their drs gns
and others apprehending not and blood
shed, removed from the town, among then
| d Mr.. Rutland, who removed his tamll
across the river. And here we pause /
correct a falseh0od in relation to the dlleget
| dIst UTbance OF the remains of his EN- baime'
child. We believe it to be true that durin:
his absence lis house was entered by SOM
robber, bnt IL this instance it is more ikel,
that The Inlet was white than black. II Il
not trne, however. that thiE was done b,
any Of Sheriff SLaw's posse, and from TIT
| most reliable sources we learn that III
coffin was not N the least disturbed.
| Excitement and apprehension were p"e
valent and every indication pointed 10 III,
| probability OF an attack on the courthouse
| by the Hadnot party at any moment. Early
N April four men of this party rode int
| town, armed, and desired conference viii
| the parties holding possession OF the court
| mouse and the offices. They were met anC
| conversed with, but the conference was
| abruptly terminated by the report thai
some Of the invading party had shot ano
| killed one Jesse Mckinney, an unohendlnG
| culured man. The next day a number OF
horsemen, armed, rode into town and were
| confronted by some of the sherltt's posse
| cOlored and white, also armed. Some FIR
ing cnsued when the invaders retired. Nc
accidents on either side are reported by any
body. On Sunday, April 6, large mum Der,
estimated az from eighty to lU0 lEen,
mounted and armed, and headed by Had
not, again approached, and the women and
q tIlI teu .4Ia a 6pmurJllZdtlOn
rushed into the town (COlfax). The sheriff s
posse, which had been increased and
strengthened, again confronted these men
and conflict ensued. 1t is believed that
in this engagement, which lasted some tine,
there were persons killed and wounded on
both sides. but no particulars have been
made known. The attacking party once
more retired and LETT the legal authorities
IN possession OF the offices.
TIE condition OF affairs had now assumed
SO important and threatening an aspect, and
II having been known that several OF the
neighb0Tng parishes were contributing
men, arms. accOutTements and horses TO the
assaiiants, I was deemed advisable to dis
patch several of the more prominent men,
enlisted ia the support OF the proper au-
thoIit.es TO New Orleans to lay the serious
condition Of affairs before Governor kel-
logg and appeal to him for immediate and
adequate aid for the protection of the OF
GERS and the lives of the Republicans of
Grant, against the bloodthirsty terocity of
the cruel men who threatened, not only the
overthrow. OF the Republican government
IL the parish, but the destruction of the
lives of the men engaged in supporting and
defending ii. Accordingly, Hon. William
Ward, of the House of Representatives, Il.
{. Register, the parish judge, +. Il. Flow
erS, and others, we've conveyed some dis
tance during the nigh, and by dint Of eau
tiUu7 moving reached New Orleans IN safety
on "Wednesday, April 9.
They lost nc tine II informing Governor
Kellogg and other prominent and interested
Repub. leans OF the critical situation OF
All tirs but whether from the reports indus
t1iously and eX' 'ensively circulated at that
Juncture, that !he Hadnot party had abaI-
doned their jn'entrOn Of persisting in the
capture ui rLe Offices, or from a belief
thar things We're not 80 bad as
represented, or from the difficulties IL the
way of sending Immediate relief, or rom a
combination OF all these and other crcUm-
stances. Il is correct TO say that 40 supper.
was sent 10 the heleaguered defenders oi
the CUltaE courthouse.
The week passed away, as had The pre-
vious one, with ieinrs and attacks and re-
pulses. hut with 10 decisive results, al
j !
henson 70 the colored people. The attack
ing force, in the meantime. emboidened by
the mmun;.v two weeks of unqutlled law
ltssnees and riot had secured them, added
20 their Numbers by recruiting from the
Deighb0ring parishes OF Rapides, VIM,
NatcLitocnes Sabine, Catahoula and Cdddo,
anu prepared for d savage and desperate
attack on Sunday, April l3. Their apollo
gists OF The press all the time endeaVoring
to elude vigilance and allay the suspicion
OF tho authorities by the statement that al
was 0U;et ana no daIger was to De apprC
hended.
On this memorable Sabbath several kun
dred men. headed by HadnOt and c. G.
Nash. mounted and armed, for the most
part with sixteen shooters, and carrying a
small piece OF artillery, which they had
gapturrd from one of the river steamers
entered the town. Two Of their company
advanced in the direction of the courthouse
bearing a white nag on a pole. They were
similarly met by two from the courthouse.
Mr.. G. &. Nash. one OF the invading two,
demanded Of Captain Allen Of the colrt.
house Defenders, immediate surrender, or
he wouid give half an hour to get the
women ana childIe out of the way. 'leclar-
inr his intention 10 come into Colf.,X and
ave the Offices, if he could get them alive,
offering. however, 10 hurt no one i. the de-
tenders would lay down their arms and go
home. lie was reminded that it did not
look much Ike / when they had killed
uncttending cplOred men at differ
nDt tines during their invasion, and further
Informed that the defenders did not teel
safe in putting down their arms. and
proposed 20 hold on: II possible M
til. .try heard from Governor kei-
ogg, 70 whom they had dispatched
l,,t tt,ap rot kIlvs nj "A n
tain Allen to his friends he informed them
If lis position and declarations, and bis
Course received the appreciation OF the
" hole posse. the men all believing ihat the
u: their assailants was ruse TO
Pntrap them into disarraing, that they might
be Incapable of retaliating III case OF
massacre. And too well were their suspl-
cions justified. About midday tue attack.
ing party Greued ire with their field piece
On the rude breastTOrks thrown up for the
protection ot the courthouse. and behind
" hlch the entire garrison was stationed,
with no reply from the courthouse. but,
after firing several shots Intellectually. the
position was changed SO as 10 enable the
attacking party 20 throw shot inside OF the
oreastworks. Several shots were fired, and
one reached the neighbOrhood of the
posse. \ rush was then made by
them fer the courthouse. simultaneous
" with which number of arLed
hOrsemen gave chase and overtaking the
men before more than two-thirds could ct
into the courthouse opened fire on the lee
ur crowd The remnant Of the posse, tail
nL to obtain entrance in time, started down
.ae road. making fer skirt ct wood not
very far Of They were holly pursued and
oyectakeu. Several ran into the RIVER
where all but two were shot while attempt
ing to swim ont Of danger, number rushed
.u.o a cypress pond up to their waists in
W ater and were there shot and killed, and
their bodies lay fostering and decaying
there al last accounts, While those who were
Overtakrn IN the road were trampled and
shot and killed. From one of the few
i. is ascertained TINT about fifty