The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-11-20
A FOOL IN sHOULDER.sTRAPs.
The Conduct Of I4ieutenant Of the United State
Army in South Carolina.


[Laurens c. H. Letter. in the Charleston News
and Courier
On the day after the election an afffay oc-
cured at this place between two young men
from an adjoining county and two colored
men from Columbia. The difficulty bad
nothing to do with politics and was altogether
of a personal character. The facts are as fol-
lows The two young men were standing In
the door of a picture gallery, when negro
gave them an awkward wave OF the hand as q
salute. They were amused, and asked him
jestingly if that was Radical sign. to which
he replied in the negative, and said he was
only trying to be polite. The. negro passed
on, and the young men went into the gallery.
In few minutes the two negroes from Col
umbia came into the street from house near
loud as to attract the attention OF the young
men in the gallery, who again returned to the
door. On reaching the door they found one Of
the negro men with a rock in his hand, and,
after listening to his foul oaths for some little
time, they asked him what was the matter.
He still continued to fume and swear, and
from his manner they thought he intended it
for them. They asked him if such was the
fact, and he answered in the affirmative. He
cursed them personally chara s;s the them
pistol he would shoot them down. Words led
to an exchange Of rocks. The two negroes
were knocked down some two or three times,
when they concluded they would fight some
other day, and took to their heels.
About this time some third party fired
pistol, but if fired at the negroes it had no
effect. Immediately upon the report Of the
pistol Lieut. Anderson, in command of some
twenty-five or thirty United States soldiers,
rushed to the scene with loaded guns. The
young men made no effort to escape, and
were arrested by the military and thrown into
the county Jail. Lieut.. Anderson did this
upon his own responsibility, and even before
the civil authorities had time to act. No
warrants were issued, and the sheriff Of the
county will testify that the arrests were made
almost before he was aware that an ARRAY had
taken place. While the military were en-
gagged in this formidable assault, young man
was seen riding away at gallop. Immedi-
atelv the gallant Anderson rushed to the front,
fred upon him with pistol, and ordered his
men to fire.
They did SO, but fortunately without effect.
The firing took place in our Streets to the
great danger of citizens who had gathered on
the streets, and spread terror and dismay
among the women and children in the neigh
boring houses. 1t must be remarked further
that no warrant had been issued against the
rider, nor did Lieut.. Anderson know at the
time, nor does he yet know, that the rider had
anything to do with the affray. In addition to
the above, a young man who was some $50
wards from the scene of the difficulty, who
was restrained by his friends, was arrested
without warrant by order OF Lieut.. Anderson,
and he is nov lying in the county Jail. We
have no comment to make. We only propose
to give the plain, unvarnished facts of this
unfortunate affair. To show the outrageous
character Of this whole proceeding, it is only
necessary to state that the negroes who were
engaged in the difficulty were not arrested.
What right had Lieutenant Anderson to sup
pose that the whites alone were at fault, and
why arrest the one and not the other? What
right had he, under the circumstances, to
make the arrests at all? It is nonsense to
talk about preserving the peace, for he did
more to disturb it by his riotous and unwar-
proceedings than did the parties who
were engaged in the affray. 1t is to be hoped
that Lieutenant Anderson's superiors will
investigate his conduct on the
occasion, and hold him to strict account.