The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-03
The Grant Parish Troubles
STATEMENT OF A RESIDENT PLANTER.
GRANT PARISH, April II, 1878.

GRANT PARISH, Apfll II, 1873.
Editor Republican:
The causes which led to the unparal-
leled butchery of the citizens Of the
parish of Grant by the citizens of the
surrounding parishes Of Rapides, Winn,
N~atchitoches, Sabine, CatahOula and
the remote parish of CaddO, and a
few citizens of Tensas, seems not to be
fully comprehended by either the press
OF public.
Interested, as l am, in the agricultural
pursuits of the parish of Grant, and I'M
willing to permit the p%erversiOn Of
truth for the purpose Of justifying the
greatest outrages ever committed upon
any civilized community by a people
claiming to be civilized, | deem it, in
justice to the murdered dead, impera-
tive upon me to give you a true state
ment of the occurrence.
RetrOspection followed back to the
year 1860 will give both the immediate
and remote causes of this most fatal
blow to law and order and the future
labor interest of Louisiana.
Mr.. D. W. Shaw, q citizen of the
parish of Grant, and for over thirty
years a resident of the parish Of Rapides,
was appointed to the Office of sheriff OF
JIG PARISH VI O4dut3 HuO. OO1L1WCO NY
the Senate, was commissioned by Gov
ernor Kellogg and gave his bond OF
office, and had entered fully upon the
duties of that Office.
James Hadnot, a Fusion legislator,
with a dozen or more of his friends
armed with revOlvers, visited COlfax
some time in early part of April for the
purpose of interviewing Sheriff Shaw
and the other officers, and ascertain
what they intended to do about the
claimsfOf other parties to these offices
HadnOt said to Sheriff Shaw-Are you
determined not to surrender your Office
to c.. C. Nashq In reply, Sheriff Shaw
stated that he held his office by virtue
of a commission of Governor Kellogg,
approved by the Senate, and if the
Governor wanted him to surrender his
office to any one, the Governor mus
communicate with him in person; thai
he intended to hold and discharge the
duties of his Office until such an inter.
view was had between his e~xcellency
and himself.
Jim HadnOt, as he is Familiarity called
replied: "HOld yourself in readiness
Shaw, You will find out in a few days
that we will take not only your Office
but that of tax collector and parish
iudge.n The parties here separated
and two or three days thereafter Sheriff
Shaw and others were permitted tt
read a circular letter written by judge
! Rutland, calling upon the whites
throughout the surrounding parishes
to rally to the assistance of Jim Hadnot
in dislodging Sheriff Shaw and all off.
| GERS appointed by Governor Kellogg
| Upon this information Sheriff Shaw
| and his deputy commenced summons
| ing the people; but before they cOulC
| be fully collected about the courthouse
Jim Hadnot, with his command Of
| some 300 men, made upon Sheriff Shaw
near the courthouse, an unsuccessful
attack. Immediately after the discom,
| future of Hadnot, Sheriff Shaw dis
| patched a messenger to Governor Kel
fogg to send him assistance, which
would have been given, and would have
| reached COlfax in time to have prevent
ed the massacre had transportation
been furnished him, so I have been in
| formed. HadnOt, after his discontinue
with Rutland and others exerted them
selves to secure a large force from thu
surrounding parishes adequate to carr,
out his purposes, while Sheriff Shaw
was restricted by the limits of his owl
Jurisdiction to the parish of Grant TO
aid. This necessarily involved a larg'
colored force, aided by a few law-dbid
ing white citizens, as well as colored
Hadnot with his followers returned OF
Easter Sunday, and renewed his assault
unon the Sheriff Shaw in his oficl
with over 400 armed men mounted ant
well equipped in every particular
against about $50 badly armed citizen
Of the parish of Grant, who manfull,
and successfully resisted the assaultinI
mob, without the loss of a single man
from about ten o'clock In the morning
until five in the afternoon Of that day
when they Gapitulated, because of til
firing of the courthouse by the moi
who violated the capitulation and pu
to death every man within the wall
of the courthouse, in order, I presume
that no tongue might be left to unfol
the horrors of the tragedy. Mr.. D. W
Shaw was the commissioned sheriff an
in the discharge of the duties of th
office. Is there, then, any palliation flo
this butchery by Hadnot and his fol
lowersq IL there is, I would be but to
glad to know it. | challenge contra
diction, founded in truth, of this state
ment,