The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-09-02
reported Rising ofshe Negroes.


New ORLEANS, August 29.-The
evening Picayune says: kilograms
from Shreveport this morning bring
the startling intelligence that a body
of eight hundred negroes have as
sembled at Coushatts, and that the
greatest alarm and excitement pre-
walls throughout the whole upper
Red River country. The immediate
object of this gathering is not stated
bat there is sufficient menace in the
fact itself to arouse everybody to a
sense Of danger and impending mis-
fortune. The neighborhrod of Cou-
shatta to Colfax suggests the proba-
bility that the notorious Ward has
something to do with the present az
fair. Perhaps we are destined to
hear more of those muskets which
the Grant Parish witnesses took with
them, when they returned after the
trial. The impression in Shreveport
this morning, was that serious trou-
BILE would result, though we trust
more favorable advices will reach
Us tonight"
In response to an inquiry for Off
cial information regarding the above,
the private Secretary of the Governor
in a note to the Associated Press
says that no credenee is given at the
Executive Department, to that
Coushatta dispatch in this evenings
Picayune, which is apparently in
tended to excite the people and bring
about another Parish affair. Ward
is in this city and has not left it for
a year. The only basis of founda-
ton for the statement, is that the
Sheriff at Coushatta has summoned a
posse of sixty-fve persons, fifteen
white and fifty colored, to defend the
parish officers in case of any attempt
to force them to resign.
SHREVEPORT, August pa cour-
Ter arrived here this morning, bring
ing intelligence from Coushatta that
the blacks had risen against the
whites, and threatened their exter-
mination. Letters tonight by cour-
Ter state that eight hundred armed
negroes had assembled below Cou-
shatta, and were constantly receiving
achievements. The town is guard
ed by two hundred whites, who call
for help. A courier has also arrived
at Minden, Webster parish, who
brings substantially the same infor-
nation. Forty men left Cotton Point
at daylight this morning for the scene
of the conflict. Seventy men left here
this afternoon and more will follow
tonight. Reinforcements have also
gone from Minden. A letter from
Mr.. Stringfellow, at Robinson's Place,
states that a conflict is inevitable, and
thinks it cannot be delayed longer
than tonight. The black population
of Red River parish outnumber the
whites three to one. Coushatta is
fifty miles from the nearest telegraph
station, and it is not probable that
further particulars can be had before
tomorrow.
SHREVEPORT, La, August 26, 81
P. MA Courier just arrived from
Coushatta, reports n hundred and
fifty white men there. All is quiet
and no further trouble is apprehend-
ed. The white people have affected
the arrest of the following ringlead-
ers, and have them in jail, under
strong guard: +. S. Egerton, sheriff
Fl. T. Twitchell, tax collector Clark
Holland, register; r. A. Deweese,
ex-collector of De Sofa parish Gil
bert Cane, deputy sheriff; W. F..
Howell, attorney, and six leading
negroes. These arrests left the ne
groes without leaders, and their
camp was Immediately disbanded.
Two negroes and one white man
were killed, and one white man seri-
ously wounded. Great rejoicing is
taking place here over the peaceful
termination Of what threatened to be
a bloody conflict of races.