Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-10-01
General News.
A Record Of Horror,


The Maraeress Career Of The white
League d lssisian~,
From the Boston Giobe.I
GREENSBORO, Lincoln. Parish, La.
September IL. 1874.
HOW THE REBELS WENT TO WORK IN 1866.
Let me state to you few chapters from
the post beiium history of Louisiana. In
1865 an election was held and Legisla-
ture was chosen, none but whites voting,
aud the body being exclusively Democrat
lie. Among the legislation OF that body
was an act combining negroes to the plan
tation of their employer, except absent IN.
on pass from him! Another forbidding
him the use of firearms. Yet another ex-
acting that any negro. who should fail to
contract for the labor of himself aud fam
lily with some reputable planter during the
first ten days OF January In each wear.
should be arrested by the nearest Justice
OF the peace. lodged In the parish jail with
his family, and that said justice should
contract with some planter for their ser
vice during the year for the benefit of the
parish. Others provided for the punish.
ment of negroes by whipping upon the
bare back, etc. During Porter's raid to
Monroe, he burned the Court House OF
ouachita Parish; that Legislature provid-
ed a tax for Its reconstruction. At that
date the proportion OF the races stood in
that parish AS two whites TO five blacks;
the whites owned all the property. the
blacks none; that tax was laid upon the
property. | hear you ssy; net at all, it
was laid upon the adult males, black and
white at s. per head; consequently. where
property paid $40 poverty paid SIS. For
this iniamy John McEnery. then Repre-
tat it-. .,fs hut ,zl,
candidate for Governor of Louisiana was
responsible. aud each Of the measures |
have named received his active support.
The same Legislature created leyee sys-
ten. under which lcvees, which were old
at the outbreak OF the war, were measured
In their ruined state, and paid for out of
The state treasury as new works, iucrcas-
ed the debt of the State upwards of Sl3,-
100000, and finally compelled Congress
10 substitute a military government for
theirs.
THE NEW ERA.
In 1867, under authority of Congress. an
election was held for Constitutional Con-
vention. The rebel whites generally re-
fused TO participate. aud were hardly rep
resented in that body. A Consultation in
harmony with that OF the United States
was formed, which, though open perhaps
To some objection. was u glorious advance
upon any which had preceded it. Under
that Constitution. an election for State OIL
GERS, Legislature and parish officers was
held in April. ls6s. ii. c. warmoth and
all the Republican State officers, large
Republican majority OF the legislature
and Republican officers In = large majority
OF the parishes, were clected-the State
officers By about 1000 majority. This
election was held In the presence of the
military, though without Interference up
on their part, and | conceive Il to have
been the last fair election held in Louis
lana
TIE kr-KLUx BEGIN OPERATIONS.
At once after the election, the x h. X.
aud White Camelia began their awful
preparation for the Presidential campaign
Of that year; that year. a. this. they an
nounccd their determination to carry the
election, peaceably IL possible. forcibly II
necessary. Early in the Summer. the
prowling. drunken murdcrous class began
their labors. Among the first TO die was
william +. Meadow of Claiborne Parish
colorcd man Of Intelligence aud lntlu-
cnce, a member Of the Constitutional Con
vention, and OF great political talent. His
example and Influence were dangerous to
the hn-kluN, he was shot, one evening
IN his door-yard, In the presence OF hi,
family, By men who, after the deed WAS
done, rode of a. coolly a. II from coun-
try trolic.-men who were well known,
and who yet boast OF the deed, and derive
from 1t a: this hour. an honorable i'm.
portance In the community. Single muir
drrs OF colored and white Republicans In
creased In frequency and occurred In near
~ every parish In Louisiana. Still the
negro was not intimdatcd; something
M, -. La,
S'ii<atlon.. Soon came the massacre in
u Landry Parish; Do negroes Inv rot
tIng III tho wood, $50 southern
heart was fred Caddo followed; every
i'ttle neighborhood In the bloody parish
had already It's history of blood and crime,
but she must strike for the proud preeml-
hence In riot and murder. which she has
since enjoyed First the white Republi-
cans, William ). Mudgett, j. IL. McVean,
Charles w. keetlng and others, all gallant
Federal soldiers, were driven out Milton
Fenwick alone remained, and he was driy-
en- 10 dodge and hide with bears and
wolves In the dense cane-brakes where his
prosecutors had not courage 10 pursue
him. When these lnconvenient witnesses
were driven away the carnival began. In
one night, thirty negroes were taken from
about Shreveport, marched TO the bank Of
Red River, tied together with ropes and
shot IN the back As they stood. raft OF
swollen bodies drifted down the turbid
river, until the hungry aliigators gave
them the burial denied by men. On one oc-
caslon seven negroes were chained In an
Old abandoned building, and .iih il burn
ed. From September / 10 November 3,
2f2 men, OF the same feelings, aspirations,
duties and rights as yours aud mine, died
in Caddo Parish, and died deaths of hor-
ror. for the crime OF loyalty 10 their couu-
try and their God. The adjoining parish
OF Bossier strove yet TO surpass foul ST.
Landry and bloody Caddo in the work Of
death, and succeeded On the 3Oth of
September, a drunken bully, while riding
through the Shady Grove plantation, de-
manded Of an aged negro. lying upon the
gallery OF house, whether he was a Re-
publican, and, receiving an answer In the
affirmative, fired at the negro both bar
reis OF shot gun; the negroes near at
hand rallied, arrested the white man, and
started with him for the Jail at BELLEVUE.
This heinous offence on the part of the
negroes was enough. Hundreds of white
men rallied from Caddo, Northern Bossier
and Arkansas; sixty eight negroes, men,
women and children, were killed upon the
Shady Grove plantation. The negroes OF
the parish abandoned their houses and
fed To the swamps; there, the whites fol-
lowed them with blood hounds for DAYS:
the chivalry enjoyed all the peasurable ex-
elements OF "nigger hunt" 200 more
men women and children, were killed i'm
the swamps, shot to death. or torD to
pieces by the horrible fangs of dogs, not
more ferocious than masters.
SPECIMEN OF CAVALRY.
One chivalrous DIR. Whitefield Vance.
accompanied by few more heightened
gentlemen, during the excitement OF the
hunt, met upon the road two colored wom-
en-, riding upon mules to reclaim, il posi-
Bile, the bones of their slaughtered hus-
band. The heightened" doctor, with his
own aristocratic hands, hanged those
women at the side of the road with the
halters of their mules, and went home.
doubtless feeling a calm satisfaction at
having been able to do that much for the
cause of "white civilization" The same
chiyalrOnS Oapfiama ira f-nr