The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-08-23

EHE GRENADA, Miss, RioT.-The facts
stated in former dispatches are substan-
TALLY correct, but do not convey the
slightest idea OF the excitement that pre-
vailed at Grenada or at tie towns along
the Mississippi and Tennessee and Mis-
sissippi Central Railroads, when the news
OF the raid WAS telegraphed, and spread
like wildfre.
At Ooffeeville, 100 moa gathered in
half an hour, and telegraphed tue Gre.
naaa authorities of their willingness to
start at moments notice. At Water
Valley, 200 men collected at the depot,
where special train was kept standing
upon the track, ready to move rapidly
to the seat of war, should the Grenada
officers send by wire the magic word
come, and along both roads, at the diff
ferent stations, groups Of men collected,
armed in every conceivable manner, and
ready to go; but oil, "a if by mutual
agreement, waited for the summons
from the beleagucred ofllcinls, and the
information Of the reinforcements col
Letting in SO great Q number having in
some manner leaked out, Was communi-
Gated to the mob, and that alone, per-
haps, saved Grenada from destruction
by fire, to say nothing Of the murders
that would have been committed by the
excited blacks.
The origin Of tho riot is ore Price. O
carpet-bag Senator, whose commands
the negroes obey implicitly, and who
would have had thcm hold u conyen.
ton in Grenada but for his sllort-sieht-
edness in not keeping whiskey away
from them, as many were drunk when
they came to town, and one, o captain,
was 80 boisterous that policeman at
tempted to arrest him, aud received for
his effort stunning blow over his head
from a cooked revolver, which the ne
gro held in his hand. Assistance was
then called, ond the negro rowdy arrest
ed, when the negroes rallied. and, over
powering the whites, rc-captured their
head devil aud drove the officer and his
posse several squares, iriDg their pistols
after them, but fortunately hit nobody.
Then It was TINT the entire male portion
OF the city gathered in a body, and,
making sortic, came upon the negroes
and took from them the man wanted by
the police, but only held him few mo-
ments, rs the entire mob threatened all
sorts Of vengeance unless he was given
up; and, upon their request being re-
fused, about 100 Of them gathered
| around the party Of eight or ten who
had him in charge, and, with cooked
guns and pistols, again took him and
| moved towards the woods. It was at
| this iuncture that the kilograms were
sent to the neighboring towns, and the
assistance gotten rs stated nboTe. The
negroes, or the most of them, then left
tho town, many threatening that il
would be burned before another week
rolled around, which SO elnrmed the
citizens that patrol guard was kept in
the street all night before last and last
night.
Price, the carpct-bag Senator, during
the afray, was comfortably slowed away
in his house, and did not attempt tc
quiet the negroes until compelled to dc
so by one or two OF the most influential
men Of the place. lie has said, and i,
is generally belicved by leading men oi
both parties, that there will be trouble
at Grenada, as well ms at other places in
the State, at the coming election, and
several gentlemen with whom your cor.
respondent has conversed regarding the
matter state that the negroes, led by
these unprincipled white men, vii!
sweep everything before them when thc
contest comes; aud in anticipation oi
this, they will all remove their families
aud furniture from the locality several
days previous to the election, unless
measures are taken to prevent al out.
| break or uprising.
|