The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-04-24
THE LOUISIANA MASSACRE.
Official .sepsrt Of the Officers Of General
LOngsfrcct's staff.

The official report of Colonels William
Wright and I. w. De Klyne, of General Long
streets staff, who were sent out to Grant Par
ish to investigate the troubles there, appears in
the New Orleans Republican of Friday. 1t full
ly confirms the first reporls of the Colfax
Massacre:
We reached pinevile, opposite Alexandria,
at $50 a. m, on Monday, the 18th instant,
where we were informed that severe action
had taken place at Colfax the day before (Sun-
day.; that from 100 to 200 colored men had
been killed; that two white men named Had
not and Harris. were wounded, the former
MORALLY, and that COlfax, OF part Of it, had
been burned. Upon crossing the river to AL
exandria, we became cognizant Of the existence
of violent, though suppressed, popular ex-
element. Parish officials expressed themselves
as apprehensive of an outbreak in Alexandria,
directed against the colored men and the Off
Gals holding Office under the administration of
Governor Kellogg. We were urged to procure
the presence of troops as speedily as possible.
We left Alexandria at about 11.30 a. m. Dur
ing our stay there mounted men were con-
stantly crossing the river, coming from the di-
rection of Colfax. and, just as we left. a party
Of twenty, mounted and armed, apparently,
with shot-guEs, crossed the river in body
DEPLoRABLE CONDITION OF AFFAIRS
Having secured an ambulance, we Fcrossed
VIC iivUi ih.o urttiit TaflSn early on the morn
ing of Tuesday, the 18th inst, and started for
Colfax. distant about fifteen miles. We found
the path in a most deplerable state The crops
are beng neglected. many Of the residents,
both white and colored, have left their homes,
and general sense ofinsecurity 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
colored men and women carrying away a
wounded coiored man upon sled. At a little
in, Gall tla Joe.1 r.
two colored men. About two hundred yards
nearer the courthouse were three dead bodies
of colored men, and from that point to the court
house and its vicinity the ground was thickly
strewn with dead. We were unable to find the
body of white man, or to ascertain the loss of
the whites. Colortd women assert that two
wagon loads loads of whites dead and wounded,
were carried away, but it is persistently denied
by any of the whites claiming to have knowl-
edge of the actual loss, they asserting that
but one man on their side was killed, and Had
not aud Harris were wounded. We may state
here that Hadnot has since died in Alexandria.
We send herewith plan of the court house
and its defences A space of about 200 yards
SQUARE was inclosed in a slight earthwork,
with ditch inside The ditch was from 10 to Is
inches in depth, and the breastwork in the front
of it from 20 to 80 inches III height, and was
the lower side of the courthouse the greater
portion of the breastwork was composed OF
panking alone, laid in zig-zags, and without
bitches.
THE FIGHT OF SUNDAY.
From what information we could get, we be-
iieve that the fight commenced on Sunday, the
18th instant, between 10 and II a. m. and con-
tinued until nearly dark OF the numbers en-
gagged on either side it is impossible for us to
form any definite idea, though we are satisfied
that the parties holding the court house were
less in number than their assaiIapts II is as
serted by the colored people that the assailants
Ct Parties from parishes Of VIM
kapldle;s! Na Az th Catalonia and Caddo
either unable or unwilling to give us the meae
of any parties participating in the attac i,
statements that we have heard agree snhst All
the attacking party was commanded by G sn q