The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-09-26
The EDa{flEnD Tnoubnrs. The

o4uiet VI CFr'toWn was dietnrbed
and the holy reshof last Sabbath de.
seorated by sceneA Of turbulence and
violence which wa\hope never 20 wit.
ness ngain. 1t seema that on SUNDAY
last. one Ned Tenant, colored, cap.
tain of militia company in the neigh.
borhood of Republican Church, soma
fourteen miles below US, called out his
troops, for the purpose of drill and
God knows what else; that about II
O'Clock on the same night, this mil tia
captain got up, commenced bsutiup
Ills drum furiously. called together his
company. and alleged thut his honso
had bsen fired into by whites, aud thut
he wanted his militia for tho protec-
tien ot his own person. The whites IN
the vicinity were naturally alarmed,
and assembled quickly, sendiue out
couriers at the Same time TO vtrions
sections of the country aud to the gar.
rlson OF Federal troops ut this post, to
give information that the negroes wero
assembling for some apparently vio-
lent purpose, aud their assistance was
necessary to quell the riot.
1t was known that Ned Tenuuut. for
years past notoriously mischieyous
fellow, had received aud distributed
ammunition to his company day or
two previous TO this demonstration.
ltumor, with her thousand tongues.
took up the matter, aud when it
reached this place it was very much
exaggerated. Among other things. it
Was reported that three white men had
already been killed, aud that Prince
1slvers was upon the field. with cavulry
aud artillery. Tho quick, short pe.is
OF thunder. with little or no cloud, of
Sunday night, lent confirmation To the
latter report. Negroes aud whites.
armed to tho toeth, aud excited to n
pitch of frenzy. poured to the place Of
supposed engagement. Oar town was
almost deserted Of it's male Inhabitants,
and the screams of women and chill
dren, left. as they supposed. at the
mercy OF the negro; the wild hurrying
to and fro of husbands, sons, fathers
and brothers, mounting in hot haste;
the apprehension depicted in the
cou uatenances Of all, and the dismuy
and terror of the helpless portion of
our community, made up u scene of
terror and distress totally beyond our
ability to picture. Negro women
poured through the streets, urging the
negro men to the strife, and shriekiug
out most ghastly and blasphemous
lmprecdtions against the white race.
Ihe cry was: Death to all white men
VINO have gone to the front, and the
torch this very night for the women
and children who remain behind!"
White women, pale with fright and
anguish, packed up their silver aud
valuables, in the vain hone of saving
some little from the torch which was
SO freely and fierceiy threatened. And
tnere was, indeed, deep cause for fear.
On Sunday afternoon, before the
tnrongs OF men, both white and black,
who left our town, had fairly reached
the scene of action, Tennant had be-
como alarmed and consented to dis.
perse his troops-some $50 or 300 in
number. This he did only upon the
stern and final representation of Col.
a. L. Butler, who informed him that
he tCol. Bntler) could no longer re.
strain his men, and that if he did not
uisperSe In ten minutes, he must take
the consequences, Col. a. p. Butler
IL Captain Of the Cnrryson Sabre Club,
and Wa, by common consent, in com
mhnd OF all the white, WHO had assem-
b'ed under arms. These were priucl.
pally the Cirryton Sabre Club, and
this Horn's Creek Club, under the
leadership of Captnin Ben. Mays.
Iennnns then dispersed his men. THIS
was between 3 and ) O'clock on s;nu-
day afternoon. Large numbers of
"hlfe men and negroes, however,
poured IN upon the scene sub:c-
quently, md spent the night upon the
ground. La fact, SO fast had flown tic
news, tue whoic country, from Moth
to South, and from Il ,st to West, was
swarming with bodies of armed men.
white aud black, on horseback ana on
1905, while women and children were
lying towards the railroad, to make
thor escape to Graniteville, Augusta
and Columbia. During Sunday night
our town was vigiiantly patro!le,l, from
sunset to sunrise, and clubs of white
men aud companies Of negro militia
camped on the outskirts.
On Monday, the excitement was
shifted from the Republican, Church
section to our own midst. From
early morning until late in the after
noon armed whites and blacks poured
into town, and the excitement was in
tense. Tho bar-rooms were closed
early in the day, aud it was only by
the untiring vigilance and wise coun-
sells OF several old and leading citizens
that an actual collision was prevented.
During the afternoon Cain tho co