New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-04
THK CRANT PARJsH PRISONERS.


| Eighth days proceedings in the trial OF
| w. j. Cruikshank and others, charged with
conspiracy and murder last April in Grant
| parish:
! Charles Thomas cross examined ames
| Terry planned the breastworks, ana we all
| assisted; there was no one IN cOnimahu, ~
| drilling and no officers; purchased ammu
milton in Alexandra, and took part OF IL 10
an attack made by white men near smith
field quarters; the day before the light there
! were about $50 colOred men assembled al
| Colfax. I think; they were not all armed;
was with about twenty-f five colored men
| 900 wards back of the quarters Saturday
when the white men appeared; they were
| 200 or 400 wards from us; cOlOred men were
| scattered ali around the field; was among
| the coIored men: the white men were
| f,rmed in line: our side fired at them; we
did not see them until they had formed;
| thew were mounted; as soon as We got
near enough to be killed they fired
on AS: the firing lasted about ten minutes,
and we ran off; can't say how many shots
| were fred on either side; was not concerned
| in another shooting between blacks and
whites before the thirteenth; was armed
that day with d navy six, but did not fire
| it; had gun at Colfax; no one gave orders
but Mr. Shaw in the Saturday fight; be SAID
we had right to 60 and see what the
white men intended to do; did not see MT.
| Register in that days scrlmInage; llilman
| and Levin Allen were there; do not know
| who of our people fired that day; Flowers
| was not there; some in my squad free, out
can't say who fired: know of one messenger
| sent from Col1ax, and that was dir. Cal
| houn: know nothing of messengers sent to
other parishes for coiored men to go to Col
fax, only those sent Tor by Mr.. Shaw; Shaw
sent for me, saying that he feared there
| would be trouble, and he wished to have
tba courthouse guarded; my wife furnished
| me royisions: do not know when Flowers,
Register and Ward left. or why; l made no
| speeches, and heard no one make any;
heard no threats made against the
white people; know OF no plan to
capture old Mr.. Hadnot, and know
of 10 reward offered for him or for
Mr.. Nash; ] considered myself safer ii
Colfax than at home, as there had been
killing in that section; Captain White and
Jessie Mckinney had been killed. Sunday
morning | saw Oscar Givens and tue LIE
MONIES, before the firing began; was ST.
GREETED behind the quarters about Ten
minutes when 1 saw them; saw Clement
Penn, DR.. Compton and Crulkshank ina!
morning, and saw ID. Hickman later; dld
not see Tom Hickman until next DAY; oooh
particular attention Of Denis Lomolne: saw
Mr.. Hopkins and Johnny Hadnot, j. +.
Hadnot and Others near the quarters; say
some of them drinking whisky
Direct examination resumed-I bought
bucksbOt in Alexandria; kept soE.e and
left some at house; the house was hiding
behind is about two feet from the ground
I also peeped around the corner to see the
men have named; Shaw lett me at Smith
field quarters; he oroered us 10 go ana See
| what the white men were doing alter they
formed in line; Shaw did not remain at the
quarters long on the evening before the
big fight: did not see him Sunday morning
BENJAMIN Brim sworn-Last April was
living about seven miles below Ccltax;
was in Coltax, about the time Jesse Nc
Kinney was killed, to see about II, and &c
be among the people; was afraid to remain
| at home: our people in Coltax talked of the
scary times: was in Colfax Easter Sunday
and saw the fight. This witness des
| cribed the situation of things Sunday morn
| ing lust the same as other witnesses have.
Heard Shack White call to Bill Irwin and
cay that we surrendered; none OF oul
people were shooting then. on account OF
the fire: firing outside had ceased 10Y Ihe
| time: some one told US TO stack our arms
we went to the door. having laid down oul
| guns: when our people went out tho white
, | men commenced shooting az us. saw oni
men falling. and fell. though not wounded
I O. man saw was not hurt. and told me +
I get I'D aud 90 10 q tree where prlssner
were placed: remained there fifteen o.
twenty minutes .hnr. ver: no nan or. As ,nst
in the courthouse: be told me TO 20 il
and get them out: che" We're under ths
floor: all left except one. and We went haci
! prisoners: one man under the ;ioor sad h'
would as soon be burned as shot down; the
prisoners were marched into field and or
; dered to 81: down: there were many deat
men near the court house: we remained nn
! der guard until dusk; one OF the guards
| said to CAPTAIN Nash. ''IIere are your pris
! oners, what are we to do with them" Nast
I told him 20 take Ia down to the boardInS
| house: the wounded were also taken There
> there were eight or nine wounded men; W'
| sat in the yard until after dark: there we:i
twenty-eight prisoners; kept us IN the yar'
during the rain; the wounded were permit
ted to lie on a gallery: Nash came anu sac
he would send us home if we would g
| home to our cotton and sugar: another MAJ
said, Mash, have you no better sense thai
TO send them old niggers home! 9ou won
| live to see two WEEKS" Nash went to th'
river with o large crowd of men; after tina
a stout man asked me where tina
yellow fellow was who had beer
with me: it was William Williams; Il want
! YOU and G. Nelson; l want two, and II yoy
| run | will shoot hell out OF you;' Wlll1am
! and Nelson said they did not intend to run
I he told them to march on before him; Mel
! son said be would tide behind him, bat tn
| man told him no: the stout man said II
others to get their own men and let then
walk side by side; SO all the prisoners wer'
taken away: the stout man. when all wal
ready, asked if all the beeves were yoket
up, and then said march Oft: my partne
was Baptste Mills; the foremost men dix
not 90 more than fifty or sixty yards, wheI
| heard shooting; when l heard the firing
| stopped the man who had he SAID he wa
to carry me to the sugar house, and that h
was not going to shoot me; l stopped again
| and nv captor cooked his pistol; turned
around to look at him and the bullet struci
T nv nose close to my eyes just as turned
fell and laid there some time: Baptist'
Mills fell as | fell; was shot afterwar,
as / was on the ground: the bulle
entered my back and passed out OF my side
Mills was not wounded; we finally got "
and left; man who had charge OF tn
wounded said he could not mind them all
some one told him TO shoot them; goot
| part of the wounded men escaped; "hel
the whites were hunting them was on th
ground, nv nose full of blood. and as
| blew it out they heard me and shot N
! again, saving, THAT will do him, and tbei
thew left: after everybody was. gone 60
ND and tried to walk, but could not stand
| bled freely. but finally ! began to crawl
| twenty feet at a tlmes was All NJ h g"!iit
two hundred yards; got 10 road as ia,
! was breaking and tried TO walk. but tailed
I crawled into ditch among weeds and Re
| manned there all day: at night went abou
five hundred yards, 10 q house: the rail-
helped me: Mike Bgarnon lived 10 the house
remained there q long time: when tirs
went out of the courthouse saw Ban irwin
Dennis lie nome, Prudhomme Lemoine. u
Hickman. Willy and George Marsh
Hopkins. Oscar Lacour. and Gus La
cour. Witness pointed out the hrs
| II, M. ,Nnn.l,- 4 Nhn,, l md my u o