New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-05
THE CoUsEATTA MASSACRE
THE ?afilM!nkRIES OF THE BLOODY WORK
LETTERS FROM THE VICTIMS
4 Statement from Senator Twitchell

spFiNSO ANt DctuoCfdtS UtSdA d CduipoASu
by indirectly Il nos directly. bringing in
the parish An improper person. who had
formerly been sheriff. for che purpose OF
splitting the coiored yo.e. The colored
people refused 20 follow the leader which
she Democracy had chosen for Shelns and
sejeeted w!:a eauas spirit the B.acE League
Platform sens shem by the White League
leaders. ali Yiai:s ;os dividing: the Repub'
i!ean party Of Ghe ?a::s:' had saifedo No
Gau!t. Was found ssiti. the parish govern.
i.a:.. No charge os corruption Or InisniaE'
age6aea. was made. Recognizing she pros
geg:ry OF tue people ar compared with
surrounding parishes. all this. with their
little minority o: :!sgee hundred voters. WAS
.er~ si.s:oIrag.ns TO the Democracy.
Whe: :he:s votes bcgais 80 leave them
nineteen i: one day-the desperation oi
s:.eir case satisfied the surrounding Dc.
! mocsacy shat only desperate remedies
ccuii save their party in Red River parish.
Nothing :i;ors D! th. exteymination OF the
Republican leaders would enable shem 20
overcome tie 400 Republican voters with
less shan 800 Democrats
II consultation. before !e!t, It was de.
cjiea by the Republicans shat the most
extreme caution should be nse:, and thus
MAKE !: an ;mposs:biiicr :os the White
League 20 &c: up difficulty. hoping that
:he temporary insanity D; the people would
sooE pass awa:. How carefully they
!:.boyed for this purpose. s,irrenierlng rights
guaranteed 20 every American citizen. TO
carry out tae plan and aver: the disaster,
we may partially understand from the fol.
lowing extracts Of letters :ecesvsd from the
murdered part:esS
Sheriff Eigegtoa writes:
On the nigh: o.: the tifteeatf: CT Angus: r..
W. A0ney. Joseph Piersol. c. D. Bullock
and :welve others demanded that Frank
Commodore should os arrested and lodged
in Jail. ! had lot seeE Commodore that
! dag. knew ct no charge against linn. ou.
eGii them 20 make az affidavit and he
Should be arrested forthwith. This. :,ft.!'
| consultation. the: refused 20 do. and again
| demanded. dis iIIIueisate arrest. ! aska4:
! t.laI: 10 consider ;he matter. They said i:
!: was considered. and that they must haze an
: Immediate answer. forming & circle around:
! :ne and my deputy. Judge PENN. 10 sa:e 2
: ;.s;rder. as he says. ordered the arrest. and
! oOe.eus SoIic a.. lHe party Ldu p.Stc!s.
! some had shotgulis. and from their remarks
: OF war :" she knife ana; the knife 20 tas
hills" am certain :heg would have
mu?Ciei-i ia had we nor made the -.
iegs! arrest iemaEded. A white man
"A st:.;nser-who. wicG others mad been
! hanging around town hoast,ng that lie was
there 80 kill Republicans. became :utoxi.
aa:ei. and. 20 p:eTeni disturbance. was
locked up. TIE next morning T. w. Abney
j
if won.d let the nan ont :ner would see
tia. ne LETT town. Being satisfied that the
strangers were in the employ of the League.
! ans. shat they could control them. | Te.
leased the man and the strangers left.
In another letter Sheriff Eaee:tcn says:
.Aoney and Pierson are back from Natchi.
! toch-s. ard say tney are Tor var. PIersoE
: "a 4 public speech says: 1--WE are stalking
eu. az. Il ". win. we gain wha: we want:
! :! VIC Jose. we lose az. We have taken up
; our march. corn down our bridge behind Us.
| and we Gan nos go BACK It we would. To
! the :oiored voters he says most emphatic.
| ally: 81: you support. :0te for or attempt
| 20 sustain any Republican in office. it w;ll
COS: yoa your lives" Expression is
too strong for Is 20 doubt taelr
! meaning. 1t is siniDiy determination Of this
white Republican element with the black
| men who' have the necessary ability and
education to become leaders. You know
how we are situated here. The coioreG
elemen! vii! supporG us 20 a man. but unless
we have arms and ammunition so that we
car hold out Unit! Crited States troops can
reach ns il would be useless 20 involve
ti.u 20 y conflict which wovii only De q
second EoifaX, thanks to Justice Bradley.
shal: organize picked force Of sixty col.
Ore6 men, but will not use shem unit: ::
becomes strictly necessary TO maintain
peace and order. Shall first make the at.
tempt With what white men we have, whici.
Is sufficient :o- this parish. but with the ar.
rival .! the batta:ions from the other par.
:shes will have 20 call them out. ] ami
certain :ha: we are oi. the verge o: civil
var. 4 drunken Of crazy man is liable 20
star: il az anr moment.
w. +. Howell writes.
The excitement :E thls place !s running
very high. and il iny opinion we are. as j:
we're. an The very verge of civil war. White
League demands are out OF al reason.
They say shat withon: the aid Of United
States troops. Kellogg ear no: hold the
election. Strange Tuttians are often in
sown. saying that they are here TO kill Re.
pIbl!caGs. am taking tho position of
Oeacemaker. but Go not know how long it
vii; be allowed. We may ne able to avert the
storm Uati! protection can be sent here.
But as sure as you return without United
STATES SrOOH5 ~ Will SoiulHtuCcs 4UB anu
Devices will he killed by unknown assassns.
Do at once what yoE cano and 1t nothing
can be done let us know at once. That
you may not be deceived about the position,
cell YOU that it is not the fault with the
administration of affairs here They hardly
claim it. The ability and general character
of the Republicans of Coushatta make it a
White League necessity, that they should 5e
killed or driven oute ....
sheriff Edgerton, in his fass letter. says:
isshe government wants cases Of murder
seS act upon there are plenty IN DE Soto.
where they have murdered seven colored
meno just to see them kicko 1t che women
and children were out of here, or the next
bluff OF the White League, we would SLOW
o..em the material we are made cfo
From letters, kilograms and other knowi'
edge in my possession, am certain that
the officers of the parish surrendered to save
defenseiess women and children, and after
promise OF personal safety Many Of the
barbarous tribes of the world give their
prisoners, after capture in open warfare, an
other chance for their lives; the treacherous
Mod0cs prefer to shoot their enemy with
arms in his hands, but it has been left for the
refined treachery of the White League, call
ing themselves the chivalry of the South to
play upon the sacred feeling which the son
bears his mother, the husband his wife, the
young father bis infant son, to tempt the
arms irons the hands of their victims and
ti,eH murder them like dogso
Esom large portion Of the people OF :he
parish OF Red River ! would wish, It pos
sibies TO withhold public opinion until more