Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-04-23
THE LOUISIANA MASSACRE.
EqualIed Only by that Of Fort Pillow
A HOrrid and Inhus,au hatchery.


Tunes from New Orleans, about hostilities
In Grant parish, says not single colored
man was killed until all had surrendered
to the whites, who were fighting when
over one hundred were shot down. tt is
understood another lot were burned to
death III the court house. After the butch
cry the whites scattered in all directions. n
few of them going to their homes. but
many left for the Texas border in hopes of
escaping the consequences of their crime.
The State troops on arriving at the scene
of hostilities buried over sixty bodies OF
the colored men. The Federal troops can
not proceed for want of transportation.
OFFICIAL REPORT.
A Washington dispatch of, the 18th
says:
Attorney General Williams has received
dispatch from United States Marshal
Packard, dated New Orleans, 18th instant.
in which he says that Deputy Marshal d.
u. Klyne has returned from Colfax. where
he arrived on Tuesday following the col
lision of Sunday last, and found the place
almost deserted. except by women He
buried the remains of sixty cOlored men
found on the field. The dispatch continues:
III Is reported that subsequent to the burn
ing OF the court house thirty-four colored
men previously made prisoners, were taken
to the river bank by couples, and there
shot and thrown overheard. 1t is also re-
ported that colored men were shot in
the adjacent woods, where their bodies are
still lying. He found also twelve wound
ed, some certainly mortally. The colored
men present compose q posse which, under
direction of Sheriff Shaw, (white) Appoint
ed by Governor Kellogg, had taken pos
session of the court house, and were still
holding it. Nash, formerly Sheriff by ap-
pointment of Warmoth, and superceeded
by Shaw, led the whites. From all ac-
counts there appeared to have been no loss
on the part of the coloEed men until after
their surrender, when they were butcher
ed without mercy.
After the massacre in the court house.
from which they were elected by setting
fire to the building, Sheriff Shaw was
missing, and is supposed to have been
killed. My deputy found it impossible to
make arrests without the presence of
United States troops. Armed bodies of
WINES are 1Rd 5IbdA in theft possession a six six
pounder cannon, taken, or as some allege,
loaned from the Red river steamer John
i. Moore. Marshal Packard then closes
his dispatch by saying that when the cir
cunastances of this massacre are. fully
knomi M, th ~ Tilsb be found to be equalled only
Attorney General William. has received
the following from the District Attor-
ney: .r..
NEw ORLEANS, March II, 1878.
Deputy Marshal DeKlyne has Just re-
turned from ColfaX. He arrived there the
day after the massacre. The details are
horrible. The Democrats (whitel of Grant
parish attempted to GUST the incumbent
parish officers by force, but failed, the
sheriff protecting the officers with a color
ed posse. Several days afterward recruits
from other parishes to the number of three
h11nHrnH 10 sha to, ~
sailants, when they demanded the surren-
der of the colored people. This was re-
fused. An attack was made, and the me-
groes were driven into the courthouse
The courthouse was fired, and the negroes
slaughtered as they left the burning build
ing. After resistance ceased, sixty-five
negroes, terribly mutilated, were found
dead near the ruins of the courthouse.
Thirty, known to have been taken prison.
ers, are said to have been shot after surren-
der and thrown in the river. Two of the
assailants We're wounded. The slaughter
was greater than in the riot of 1866 in this
city, viii send report by mail.
lSigned) j. r. BECKwITH,
United States Attorney.
The acting Secretary of War telegraph
ed to Colonel Emory on Friday as fol-
lows: ff
WAR DEPARTMENT., WAsH1NGToN, l
April Is, 1873
To ColoReJ w. II. Emory, Coaanauadilg
GuJ Department, .Ne1c Orleans, LOuist-
ana: .'
In case q requisition is made upon YOU
by the United States Marshal to assist the
United States authorities in executing any
judicial process issued on account of the
late reported disturbance in Grant parish,
you willirender the necessary aid for such
purpose. '.
(Signed) GEORGE NJ. RoBEsoN,
r.. Acting Secretary War.
Attorney General Williams sent the fol-
lowing dispatch to District Attorney Beck
with the same day: lH H.....F ....
SIR-You are hereby instructed TO make
q Thorough investigation of affairs in Grant
parish, and if you find that the laws of
the United States hove been violated, YOU
will spare no pains or expense to cause the
guilty parties to be arrested and punished,
and If the military aid is necessary to exc
cute any United States process you will call
on General Emory for that purpose, who
has been instructed to furnish it.
(Signed) GEORGE H. WILLIAMS,
Attorney General