Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-22
THE LOUISIANA TROUBLES.
Additional Particulars of the Grant
Parish Riot.

Additional Particulars of the Grant
Parish Riot.
From the New Orleans Picayune, AprilIS.
STATEMENT OF A CITIZEN.
Previous to the engagement they had en-
trenched themselves and thoroughly forth
fedtheir position.
The battle with the people of the adjoin-
ing parishes lasted about four hours. At
one time it was most severe.
1t is believed that there were about ten
while men killed and wounded.
The whites before the fight took place,
endeavored to avoid bloodshed. They
raised flag of truce. Dir. Nash, the sheriff
of Grant parish, sent L. Allen-a leader of
the Degroes-and begged him to dispense
them. The reply Oft latter was that they
would fight to the last.
The white people then gave them an hour
for the women and children to retire from
the place of confic:, which they did.
Whilst the negroes were in possession of
the town Of Colfax, they committed many
cruel acts against people of their own color.
They sent different bodies of armed men to
the plantations throughout the whole parish
to compel the negroes to come into town
and assist the revolutionists in defending
the same. When resistance was made, the
leaders of the mutiDy and their followers
did not hesitate to resort to violence. In
deed, many of the poor, inofsnsiVe field la
borers were numerically beaten.
The postmaster of ColfSx-one Sam
Cuney-a negro, formerly member of the
Legislature, was driven out of the town,
and not allowed to attend to the duties of
his Office. The hostility against him arose
from the fact that he would not assist the
negroes in their work of violence.
All the negroes who sympathized with
the whites were compelled to fee from the
parish-their lives were threatened.
In the adjoining parish of Rapides the
eD nifty of the negroes against the whites
was so great that war of races seemed to
be inevItabl'. The most serious difficulties
would have occurred there, had it not been
for the defnat of the revolutionisls at Col
fax.
The negroes, since the reduction of this
place, have confessed that hey had full
military organization in Rspides. They
were prepared to assist their friends in
Grant parish. They even gave the names
of some of their leaders.
Since the fight all the negroes belonging
to the plantations in Grant parish have re-
turned TO work
EXTRACT Of a Private letter.
"ALExANDRIA, April ID, 1S72.-Thiuk-
ing after the exaggerated rumors you must
have heard concerning the difficulties in
Colfaz, that you would like TO have true
account of the riot and how it was quelled,
l will endeayor to enlighten you to the best
Of my knowledge. On Monday week, the
negroes of Colfax and vicinity collected in
force and took possession of the town and
invested the Courthouse, declaring that the
officers elected should not hold court in
Grant. Even the Sheriff elected by us and
ny Kellogg was order
ed with all the white citizens to leave
the parish. They formed themselves into
armed lands and rode over the country,
killing stock belonging to the whites and
insulting and threatening the lives of the
whites and of peacefully disposed negroes.
They sacked the houses of those they COM
PEELED to leave and acted as only an infuri- |
ated mob could. They fortified themselves |
in the Courthouse and threw up breast |
works in front. There were between three |
and four hundred negroes, all armed, and |
insOlent and defiant. They refused TO dis |
band unless they were permitted to hold |
entire possession of the court and Court |
house. The white families all left |
and came down here, and the men in
he neighborhood collected, bit were
n too small force TO attack. They sent
here and to other places for reinforcemenss,
which gathered to about force of 125 men.
The attack was made on Easter Sunday,
Ind after some pretty effective shooting the
courthouse was taken. A large number of
negroes and one white man, Shaw, who
vas with them, were killed. The negro
escaped from the courthouse be-
ore the flames burst out. We lost two men
-one killed outright, and poor Mr.. Hadnot,
our Representative from Grant,) who was
brought to Alexandra severely wounded,
md has since died. There were some four
" five wounded, but none dangerously, ex-
epting piny woods man, who is still in a
ritical condition"