The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1873-06-18
The Louisiana Horror.
Further Details of the Bloody AFFAIR in Grant
Parish, Louisiana.

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parish of Grant, growing out of political differ
euces between the whites and blacks. has at last
come to a head, and from early premonitory
symptoms of serious trouble, circumstances grad
ually led to climax on the morning of Sunday,
the 18th instant, when the white force made an
attack on the negroes entreuched at Calhoun's
! plantation, in Colfax whereupon there ensued a
desperate fight, resulting, after two hours fight,
in the utter defeat of the negroes, many of whom
we're killed and wounded. while the whites suffer-
ed the loss of but one man killed and two wound
ed. From r. G. Hill of Marshall Texas, who
reached town Tuesday at l P. NJ, by the steamer
Southwestern, from Red River, which laid at
Colfax two hours on Sunday morning, we gather
the following information:
The trouble in Grant parish, came to a rather
bloody termination last Sunday, 18th inst, and,
as happened to be one of the passengers on the
steamer Southwestern, l am enabled to give you
some account of the fight.
Sunday night, shortly after dark, the boat load
ed at a wood-pile about mile above Colfax
Grant parish, and young fellow, armed to the
teeth and very much excited, came aboard and
requested the captain to land at Colfax and take
some wounded white men to Alexandria, about
% miles further down the river.
On arriving at Coliax we found about hun
bred armed men on the bank, and most of the
passengers, myself among the number, went
ashore to view the battle ground, for our young
friend, who came aboard at the wood-pile inform
ed US, that if we wanted to see dead niggers,
here was a chance, for there we're hundred or
so scattered over the village and adjacent fields"
and he kindly offered to guide US TO the scene of
action.
Almost as soon as we got to the top of the
landing sure enough, we began to stumble on
them, most of whom were lying on their faces,
and as 1 could see by the light of the lanterns,
riddled with bullets.
One poor wretch, stalwart-looking fellow, had
been in the burning courthouse, and as he ran
with his clothes on fire, had been shot His
clothes to his waist were all burnt off, and he
was literally brOiled
We came upon bodies every few steps, but the
sight of this fellow, who was burned, added to
the horrible smell Of human fesh-the remains
of those who were shot in the courthouse, which
was still on fre-sickeued most of US and caused
general cry of let's go back"
counted eighteen of the misguided darkies,
and was informed that they were not onefourth
of the number killed and that they were scat
tered here and there in the fields around the town
besides several in and around the burning court
house. This, however was probably an exagger-
alton.
FREEZTED BRUTALITY OF TIKI WHITES.
To show how terribly iucensed the people we're
against the negroes, relate the following incl
dent:
We came across the negro whose clothes we're
smoking and who had probably been in the fire.
Some of our party remarked that he was alive
Instantly one of the guides whipped out six
shooter, saying, I" Ill finish the black dog" OF
course we demonstrated, and he put away his
weapon. Some one stopped down and turned
the negro over. He was stiff and cold.
A few minutes afterwards we came on big,
black fellow, who was reclining on his elbow,
and, to all appearances, alive. The man with the
six-shooter hit him fierce kick with his boot,
and then stopped down and examined him, say
ing Oh, he's as dead as h-ll' 1t was so the
darkey had died that way-in a reclining position
When we came back near the landing, the
boats crew we're carrying back the two white
men, Mr.. Hadnot and another whose name
did not learn.
In store-bouse near the landing were some
twenty or thirty negro prisoners, all huddled to-
gether in a corner, with strong guard over them.
l asked one of the guards if / could have some
talk with the negroes, but was rather roughly
refused.
Mr.. Hadnot was wounded in the abdomen |
not seriously, however, for was Informed by one
of the surgeons, who had him CHARGE that he ex-
tracted the ball, and that he did not think his in
testines were cut. The other white man had
flesh wound in the shoulder. Several other white |
men had slight flesh wounds in different parts of
their bodies.
The two wounded men, the surgeon, and son |
of Mr.. Hadnot, came down as far as Alexandria, |
where we landed early Monday morning
INcTDENTs-sETTIHG FIRE TO THE COURT HOUSE.
1t appears that storm had been gathering in |
Grant parish for the past two weeks, and three or
four days ago the negroes got TOO numerous for
the whites, and they were compelled to seek ref
uge in the surrounding country Meanwhile the
negroes plundered the town and threw up rude
Notifications all around boastiDg that they would
drive every white man out of the parish. But
the white men had not been idle all the time, and
had been reinforced from the neighboring parish,
and Sunday morning, headed by the Sheriff Of
Grant parish, they advanced in body toward
Coliax. On arriving there they sent in flag Of
truce asking the negroes to surrender, but at the
same time if they meant to fight, to take care of
their women and children
The negroes refused to come TO terms. and the
whites charged the breastworks, whereupon the
negroes retreated aud took refuge in the court
house, from which they kept an incessant firing
for some time. Finally negro was bribed by
the whites to set fire to the courthouse, which
was successfully done, and after vainly attempt
ing to extinguish the flames the negroes hung ont
a white flag in token of surrender.
Two white men, Mr.. Hadnot, and another
whose name we did not learn, Immediately ad
vancpd and on reaching fha door If the rorr.