New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-04-18
AN INTERVIEW WITH NASH
TbE KILLED AND WOUNDED


back 70 the city Colonel T. w. Dehlyne
and Colonel William Wright, of General
Ioncs,reet's staff. who had been sent on the
Saturday previous to investigate the trou-
bles in Grant parish.
We publish below the official report Of
these officers to the Adjutant General OF the
STATE:
louisiana State National Guard, :
New Orleans. April II, 1873.
3r'na.Y.Y General Henry Street. Adiutant General
GENgRAL-In obedience to special order
No. 90, current series, Adjutant Generals
office. the undersigned officers left New
Orleans on Saturday, April II, instant, to
proceed to CoIfax, Grant parish.
We reached Pineville, opposite Alexau-
dria, at about $3.50 A. NJ, on Monday, the
fourteenth instant. where we were informed
that a severe action had taken place at Col
fax the day before Sunday; that from $50
to 300 colored men had been killed; that
two white men. Damed Hadnot and Harris,
we're wounded, the former mOrtally, and
that Colfax, or part of 1t, had been burned.
Upon crossing the river to Alex.
andria we became cOgnlzant OF the ex-
istence of a violent, though suppressed
popuiar excitement. Numbers of men from
the parish OF Rapides had participated in
the struggle. and were now returning to
Alexandria. Parish officials expressed
themselves as apprehensive OF an outbreak
in Alexandria, directed against the colored
men and the officials holding Office under
the administration of Governor Kellogg
We were urged to procure the presence of
troops as speedily as possible. Attempts
had been made to induce Mr.. De Lacy, the
sheriff of Rapides, to go to Grant parish,
and failing. the person claiming to have
been elected sheriff on the Fusion ticket
accompanied the party that went from Al
eXandrid.
We left Alexandria at about 1880 a. NJ
During our stay there mounted men were
constantly crossing the river. com ing from
the direction of Colfax, and jus. as we left
a party Of twenty, mounted, and armed
apparently with shotguns. crossed the river
N body.
Believing that Colfax was destroyed. and
as we could not reach there before dark,
on our arrival at Cotiie we deemed if expe.
dent to remain there for the night. Every
thing in this vicinity appeared perfectly
quiet and peaceful.
Having secured an am mbulance. we crossed
the river into Grant parish early On the
morning of Tuesday, the fifteenth instant,
and started for COltax, distant about fifteen
miles. We found the parish in most de-
Dlorable state. The crops are being neg
iected. many of the residents, both white
and colored. have left their homes, and e
genera! sense OF insecurity prevails, which
we are satisfied can only be removed by
the presence of troops.
About one-third OF mile below the
courthouse we came upon party Of col
a.ed men and women carrying away q
wounded colored man upon q sled. At q
little distance in the field were the dead
bodies Of two colored men. About two
hundred yards nearer the courthouse were
three dead bodies of cOlOred men, and from
that point to the courthouse and its Vicini-
tv the ground was thickly streTn with
dead. We were unable to find the body of
a single white man, or TO ascertain the loss Of
the whites. ColOred women assert that two
wagon loads of whites, dead and wound
ed, were carried away, but it is persist
entity denied by any of the whites
claiming to have knowledge of the actual
loss, they asserting that but enc man on
their side was killed. and Hadnot and Har-
RI, were wounded. We may state here that
Hadnot has since died in Alexandria.
We send herewith a plan of the court
house and its detenses. A space OF about
700 hundred yards square was inClOsed in a
slight earthwork. with ditch inside. This
ditch was from ten to eighteen inches in
depth. and the breastwork in front Of it
from twenty 10 thirty inches in height, and
was protected. in front By two aud half
inch planking. On the lower side of the
courthouse the greater portion of the breast.
work was composed of planking alone, laid
81 zig zags and without ditch.
From what information we could get, we
believe that the fight commenced on Sun
day. the thirteenth instant, between 10 and
Il 4. NJ. and continued until nearly dark.
OF the numbers engaged on either side it is
impossible for us to form any definite
idea. though we are satisfied that the par
ties holding the courthouse were less III mum.
Der than their assailants. IL is a. serted
bv the colored people that the assa lants
consisted of parties from the parishes OF
VIM, Rapides, NatchItOches, Catah0ula
ald Caddo, in addition 10 those from
Grant, but they were either unable or IN
willing to give Us the names of any parties
participating iu the attack. This informa.
ton, however, will doubtless be obt lined
hereafter.
All statements that We have heard agree
substantially in the main particulars. 1t is
agreed that the attacking party was com.
manded by c. G. Nash, and the assailed by
a man named Lev. Allen; that surrender
was demanded and refused; that the be-
sleged we're given thirty minutes to remove
their women and children, and that ut the
expiration OF that time the fight was COM
menced by the assailing party. Appended
hereto. and marked \. is the statement of a
meeting between Columbus {. Nash and
Colonel DeKlync.
The attacking party had in their pos
session small cannon. taken from
the steamboat John T. Moore, from
which they fired bolts. q sample of
which We deposit IN your office. The
besieged had rugged up couple OF guns by
fastening lengths OF gas pipe on rafter
timbers, blocking up one emu with a pine
plug and drilling q tOuch-hOle. One of
these was bursted while trying il. some
days before the fight, and the other has not
the appearance OF having been used.
Some time during the afternoon the be-
sieged were drawn from the field and from
their breastWOrks into the courthouse One
nd of this building was without windows.
nor had the besieged prepared loophoies. 4
CoiUred man named Isaiah Atkins informed
;ls tnat Mr.. Nash had forced eOlored man
called Pink to come TO this end of the
building aud hold II pine torch to the edge
OF she goof until il caught fire. II il our
uDlnou that f. w of the coloret men had
teen killed up to this time, but that when
forced by the are 70 leave the courthouse
fhev we're shot down without mercy. The
posi- ion and condition of many of the
!, dies gu tar ~ proVs this. Under She
v arehouse, between the oourthOl use and
the liver. were the dead bodies Of ak col
pred NE: who had evidently csept under
for cyucealment, and wer" there sros ike
iogs. Many we're shot IL The back nj the
"a i aud ueek; one man suA lay with hls
lands .laSped in suupllcatloDi the !2ca of
another Va. completely ddttened b. a.ows
lroIn Il goa. the broken stock Of d dD'.tie
paIre..I i shu.gnn being on the ground nea@
hin, another had been cut across the
stomach with a knife after being shot; and
almost all had from three to dozen