New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-22
OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE RIOT.


BETWEEN $50 AND 200 CoLORED MEN KILLED-THE
BEsIEGED PARTY oUTNUMBERED AND SHOT
DOWN WITHOUT MERCY-GENERN FEELING OF
INSECURITY.
tBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNEl
WASHINGTON, April 21.-1he Ne,c-O Orleans
Republican of Friday received this evening. contains
the official report Of Coils. VIM. Wright and T. W.
De Kyne of Gen. LOngsreets staff, who had been sent
to Grant Parish La to investigate the troubles there
They say
We reached PnevIe. opposite Alexandria, at about
o:9n A. M on Monday the 14th inst where we were ln-
formed that action had taken place at CoaX
the day before Sundays that from $50 10 2O9 eolored
men had been killed. that two white men, named Hadnot
and Harris were wounded, the former mortaly, ana
that Cofax part ofn had been burned Upon cross
ing the river to Alexandria, we became cognizant OF the
existence Of violent, though suppressed, popn-
"f Rsnides had participated in the struggle
and were now returning to Alexandria. Parish
of ap Outbreak in Xiexandra directed against the
ored men and the officials holding office under the
administration Of Gov Kellogg We were urged TO pro
cure the presence of troops as speedily as possible
Attempts bad been made to induce Mr. De Lacy the
sheriff Of Rapides TO go to Grant Parsh ana; ialng,
the person claiming TO have been elected SherH on ne
Fusion ticket accompanied the party that went vent rom
During stay there mounted men were constantly
crossing the river coming ron OF 5ng onte and armed
apparently, with shOtgn crossed the river IN body
into Grant Parish early the morning OF Tuesday the
18th aud started for Cofax distant about 10 mIss
We found the parish in most deplorahc state. Inc
cronS being neglected many of the residents, both
white and colored, nave hft Their homes ana Eeca
only be removed by the presence OF troops ABOUT one
third of a mile below the Courthouse we came upon
party of colored and women carrying away
wounded cOlOred man upon sled Az lltte distance
in tbe 9eid were the dead bodies Of two coored
About 200 yards nearer the Courthouse were
three dead bodies of colored men ana IRON
that point to the Courthouse ana us vicinity
the ground was thckly strewn with dead We were IN
able md the boly OF single white man. OF 10 ascer
tain the loss Of the whites ColOred women assert tnat
two wagon loads whites dead and wounded were car
ned away, but 1t is perslsteny denied by any OF Tue
whites claiming to have knowledge OF the aetual loss
thew asserting thai but one their side killed.
ana Hadnot and Harris were wounded We may STATE
here that HadnOt has since died III Alexandria We sehu
herewith plan OF the Courthouse and It's detehses "A
space about 200 yards square was meosed ID sght
Is inches in DEPTH and the breastwork IN front OF nom
20 to 80 inches IN hight aud was protected III f0nI Dy ~
inch panking On tue lower side OF the COufJhouse te
greater portion of the breastWork was composed Oh
plankng alone, laid in zigzags and without bitches
From what Information could get. We believe lnat
the fight commenced sunday the 3tl inst, between
10 aud II a. NJ, and continued until nearly dark Ot the
TO form any definite idea though are satisfied that
the parties holding the Courthouse were less IN mum
Der tnan their ASSISTANTS IL Is asserted ny me Cooteu
people that The assalans consisted ot parties from the
fdIsnes OF mlnn h4Piues, , tG, 80 ,i,, 49,
CaddO, in addition 10 those IRON Grant Dut they were
either unable or unwilling TO give US the names OF any
iOn however, VIII doubtless be obtained hereafter
All statements that have heard agree substantially in
party was commanded by c. G. NASH and the assailed
10y man named Lev Allen; that surrender WAS de-
minutes TO remove their women aud children, and that
expiration Of that time the fight was commenced
by tue assaing party. Appended hereto' anu MARKED
A. is the statement OF a meeung between Columbus G.
Nash and Col. Dc Klyne The attacking party had in
their pOssAsson small cannon, taken from the steam
boat James T. Moore from which they hred bolts, a
sample OF which we deposit IN your once me Des,eRea
mad rugged up couple OF guns by fastening lengths OF
gas-ppe rafter umbers, DOcKlng up one euu WIN
pine Plug and drilling touchhoe; one Of taese was
bursCed while trying H. some days before the hSht ana
the other has not the appearance Oh Vng Geen useu.
some time during the afternoon the beseged were
fba Tirut
The Courthouse One end of this building was without
tnT 49,, nor had the besieged prepared loophoes.
VILLA man named Isaiah Atkins informed that Mr.
S had forced coored man called Pink to to this
bnJinr and hold pine torch 10 the edge of the
emu S ~ canp6t fire IL is our opinion that few OF
ti u, men had been killed up this time, but
that when forced by the fire to leave the
mercy The position and condition OF many OF
the 69dies 20 far prove this Under the warehouse
11Vcen fbe Courthouse and the river were The dead
bodes of six cOlOred men. VINO had eNueny gone undef
for coneeament, and were there shot IKE dogs Many
rre sbot i'm the hack OF the head and neck. One man
sf lay with his hands casped III euppcdtOn tne lace
OF another was completely 1attened by blows from a
i,roken STOCK of a doube-barreled gum lying on The
ground near him; another had Deen cut across the
stomach with u knife, after being shot and almost all
bod IRON three to "a dozen wounds Many of them had
their brains literally blown out ~ Is asserted by the
people that after the hght 81 prisoners who were
ken before the burning OF the COurhou were taken
to the bank two by two executed and hurled INTO
the river We caused 10 be buried III the dch near be
nns of the Courthouse. the remains OF 81 coored men,
three Of so badly burned as TO be unrecOg
ulzable. There were INSIDE the te enailtu
bones OF one other, and five bodice we gave TO their
friends for mterment elsewhere. We saw, alSO II
wounded colored men. two OF whom VIII certainly de,
and others OF whom very unlikely To recover We
are informed that since the 1ght parties OF armed men
nave been securing country, surrounding Cofax TAX
ing the mules and other property oil te coIOreu people
Since writing the above report we have seen on board
the steamboat the cOlOred man, Leo Allen, VINO com
handed the parties holding the Courthouse. He
assures us that single cOlOred man was killed OF
wounded until after their surrender ana tnat then they
were shot down without mercy. We VIII Obtain ms
sworn statement hereafter. On return TO AeXan-
dria Yesterday again mplOred by citizens TO
have troops there at once as the only neds Of
,tqerting disturbance
Very respectfully,
T. W. DE KLINE Col, Asst Adjutant-General.
WILLIAM WRIGHT, Col, Asst lii~pectOr-Generdi
COL De Kyne makes the following report OF an inter
view with c. c. NASH who is said to have commanded
the attacking party:
the 18Th, 8 message brought 10 me that Mr.. T. &.
Nasn Cesred 10 and that he would meot me out
payOnd the town. accordingly went ont 10 see blm,
MN In the open Held, about nan mile apOVe
Cofax Several gentlemen belonging 10 the parishes Cf
Ripdes and Grant present at tue time. On meet
Iur Mr. Nash informed him OF the purpose which
Col wright aud myself had there. then told
him that had been told by cOlOred man, named John
Miles, that, tie morning OF sunday lac NashJ mad
sent ~ flag OF true aud that Miles had gone QUITO
meet II; that Nash said: Go tell Leo Allen to come out
Lert:" that Allen IN company with Miles, and thai
tie following conversation took place;
/ Nasl-Wuat do you depend upon doing In there
Alen-Me are doing nothing more than We were
! hstore, standing still as we've been standing
/ hash-We want that courthouse.
Allen-Ne sent answer 10 Mr. HadnOt by Calhoun
/ didn't you receive itl
Nash-I want yOu TO understand that MI HadnOt dOes
! not command TINS company.
! Aieu-We're gong 10 stand where we are until we
J get United states troops. some assistance.
Nash-Iheu ~ IN there ana say 70 your people mat
advise them 10 get out OF there; gave you 80 minutes
| 70 remove YOUR women and children.
anked hf. Nash tls statement was correct, ana ne
|