The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-04-26

1@NAJ NAA~ VI u SO ~
burned as to be unrecognizable. There
were inside the courthouse the charred
bones OF one, and other five bodies we
gave to their friends for interment else
where. We saw also twelve wounded
cOlOred men, two of whom will certainly
die, and others of whom are very I'M
likely to recover.
The names of the killed and wounded
are hereto appended, marked B.
We are informed that sinceuthe fight
parties of armed men have bSA scour-
ing the country surrounding COlfax,
taking the mules and other property
of the cOlored people.
Since writing the above report we
have seen on board the steamboat the
cOlOred man Lev. Allen, who cOmman-
ded the party holding the courthouse.
He assures us that not q single colored
man was killed or wounded until after
their surrender, and that then they were
shot down without mercy. We will
obtain his sworn statement hereafter.
On our return to Alexandria yester-
day we were again implOred by citizens
to have troops sent there at once rs
the only means Of aVerting a distur-
banCe.
Very respectfully,
T. W. DEKLYNE,
Colonel, Assistant Adiutant General,
WILLIAM WRIGHT,
Colonel, Assistant Inspector General.
INTERVIEW WITH MIR. NASH.
Shortly after our arrival at Colfax, on
the morning of the fifteenth, IL message
was brought to me that Mr.. G.. G.. Nash
desired to see me, and that he would
meet me out beyond the town. I ac-
cOrdingly went out to see him, and met
him in the open field about half a mile
above COlfaX. Several gentlemen be-
longing to the parishes Of Rapides and
Grant were present at the time.
On meeting Mr.. Nash I informed him
of the purpose for which Colonel
Wright and myself had come there. I
then told him that I had been told by
u cOlOred man, named John Miles, that
on the morning of Sunday he (Nash)
had sent in a flag of truce, and that
Miles, had gone out to meet it; that
Nash said, eco tell Lev. Allen to come
out here - that Allen came in company
with Miles, and that the following con-
verSatiOn took place:
Nash-What do you depend upon
doing in thereq
Alen-We are doing nothing more
than we were before; standing still,
as we've been standing.
Nash-We want that courthouse.
Allen-We sent an answer to Mr..
Hadnot by Mr.. Calhoun. Didn't you
receive it?
Nash-T want you to understand that
Mr.. HadnOt does not command this
company.
Allen-We are going to stand where
we are until we get United States troops
o some assistance.
Nash-Then go in there and say to
your peOplG that I advise them to get
out OF there. / give you thirty min
utes to remove your women and chill
dren.
asked Mr.. Nash if this statement
was correct, and he replied that he did
not remember the reference to Mr..
HAdnot, but otherwise it was correct.
Upon asking Mr.. Nash if he pro-
posed prosecuting any further hostili-
ties, he responded in effect that he did
not, and would use his influence to
prevent any violence by his followers.
I asked Mr.. Nash if he was acting as
sheriff by virtue of a commission from
Governor Kellogg, to which he respon-
ded that he had not received his COM
mission, but had seen a notice of his
appointment to the position in the New
Orleans Republican.
During our conversation, Mr.. Nash
stated that after the colored men got
into the courthouse they displayed a
white flag, that Messrs. Hadnot and
Harris went to see what was wanted,
and on approaching the building were
shot.
This is denied by colored men. Mr..
Hadnot was shot through the stomach
from side to side, and Mr.. Harris in
the back under both shoulders.
T. w. DEKLYNE,
Colonel and Assistant Adjutant General.