New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-28
THE GRANT PARISH PRISONERS.

ErtR1 In Inc tHilSd Sthtcs AHcuit touTt'
Fifth day. proceedings in the trial Of
J. y. Hadno: and others. charged with con
spiracy and murder in Grant parish. in
April Of last year:
Levi Nelson. sworr-iiye at New Hope
plantation. Grant parish: was . slave in
Grant parish before the war: belonged to
old Mr. Calhoun: was in Coltax last April:
wen, to Colfax. as | understood Hadnot's
men were going there to take the court
mouse: we remained at the courthouse: Old
man Hadnot and his sons, Luke, Gilly and
.,ohnnywere there; the men were armed;
was close to them; did not know the other
men with them; remained in ColfaX ten or
twenty days: at one time | saw 49, armed
men at Colfax: there were 500 colOred meE
at the courthouse; One-haf the colored
men had no arms; they assembled at the
courthouse because they were too fright.
ened 20 remain home; saw A. Tillman there:
On the evening of the fight saw him about
:hree o'clock: that was Easter Sunday: the
first white man saw that day was old man
Uadnot: he was within 300 yards of the
courthouse: he had men with him: the col
ored men were lying down when the shoot.
ing began: shooting began about Il. NJ;
bullets struck where | was lying; one hit
:ny hat, and one my shoulder: they were fir.
.ng al us three hours before we got up: some
OF the colored men fired back: twenty-five
colored men were outside the fort: the
white men first put their cannon on pair
of cart wheels; they fired at US SIX times
from the first place where they located it
on the bank; the bullet was slug of iron:
this one in court is not like those l saw;
the slugs struck the courthouse: knew some
OF the white men at the cannon; john
Green was at it; Bill Irwin was there; Bill
Cruikshanks and his brother also; this one
81. tL,.,vy l-ar,f lnn tsrhf oil II
they told us to stack our arms and they
wouldn't hurt us, and tor Us to march out;
Shack White held up white leaf. and
asked them not to kill him; Irwin shot him
down; the colored people stayed in the fort,
LAYING down; we left the fort because We
did not dare to remain; some went into the
courthouse and some ran away; the first
thing the white men did was to shoot the
gun at lis; after we went inside the
courthouse they shot at US through
the windows; then the set the court
house on fire; | was inside then;
when | got chance to run OH | made an
attempt, but a man was about TO shoot me,
when another man saved me, telling me to
save burning building; l did az directed.
and when through j asked if might go; he
cursed me- saving he did not come 400 miles
TO kill niggers for nothing; did not know
him; they made me go among the the prise
ners: the white men then took the coored
men around the corner of a cotfeehOuse and
shot them; there were thirty-seven priso-
ners there with me; the white men said
thew had a good mess of beeves and would
have good time of it; Nash said it would
not do to take prisoners and then kill them;
Hickman said to Nash, "Unless these mig.
gers are killed we will Kill you;" they stop.
ped killing colored men then to wait for
night; DR.. Compton. Clement Penn.
Oscar Given. Prudhomme Lemoine.
Bill Cruikshanks. Bill Irwin, John Hadnot.
Clement Penn, Denis Lemoine. Tom Hiek.
man. al: now in court. and George Marsh.
Willy Marsh. NJ. Roberts. -. Sloan. Ben
Ballet. Jr., ID. Hickman. William Hickman.
James Hickman and j. Buckland were in
she killing party: they kept me prisoner
until midnight: they took me and another
.nar out 10 shoot us; one bullet struck me
in my neck. stunning and dropping me: the
other man was killed: they shot him five
Zines: one man told somebody to shoot fne
again, saving that was not dead: they did
80. shoe: IN. again: laid on the ground until
morning, fearing to move; dead men al!
around me: heard the men talking about
killing niggers: | craw!ed off the field. not
daring 20 get on nav feet: l finally stood
Nh an. walked off. after seeing that
:he !a.H had gone Oft: this is the
scar made by the bu!le. which: .tvucl. my
heck: when they first came up with their
cannon they halted about 800 yards from
;he courthouse: one of US tore OFT a shirt
siee-c as "a white flag. and shook in tire
window; firing did not cease then. but col.
Ored men were shot down az they left the
courthouse, after the white flag was shown:
- took me an honr to pull down the burn.
ing gutter: there were 300 white men around
shere then: some OF the colOred men fired
from the Courthouse: saw the white men
:yy to sc: the courthouse on fire: they fred
something from tn. cannon. which was
buYning: it WAS mop with oil on 1t: the
north end was set on fire: they made col.
Ured man set the building on fire: \. Tillman
was killed by Che white men alter the
surrender: one man. inside the court.
;ouss was shot and disemboweled. and
y. VA, Nuraed no alive in the courthouse:
III. name wa. Allen; | know the names OF
severa. persons who were in the courthouse:
the coloved people assembled at Coltax for
safety. 80 they had been told that they
..oulG be hurt: was a voter.
conHso! tor defense took n commission TO
ssosseSamine witness. but did not meet
with more success than partly confusing
witness. Had witness been in free com.
manG Of language it ma: be that the ccun.
eel woU.i have been confused. IL was cyl
dent that Levi knew exactly what he was
saying. although he ia: a hal.ir. way Of
himself. Questions as 20 dis.
$aupe. time. locations. num- oefS ana sucH
would prove difficult. fov almost any one to
answer under the circumstances: when
man's life IS in great danger hi. mind is not
likely ~ closely observe things generally.
20 as 20 fix circumstances :ii his brain 20
make him "a fluent witness.
Cross examinat'OD--Two .: the Hickman
Brothers look very much alike: think Tom
i the Oldest; heard a man say that it was
best 30 kill the niggers "a: once: saw vii.
:am Cruikshank before shutdown: there
was :. small shower az dusk: saw both
brothers lCruil1shank) there a. one time.
End think can't be mistaken: saw Pvud-
:lomme Lemoine after was take, prisoner:
ssT him about five o'clock: didn'. see him
after that: he had gun; saw him guarding
prisoners; he had a double-barreled gni! on
his Shot der: saw Denis Lenoine there: OF
these prisoners here | saw only Bill Crulk'
shank and his brother: did not see Mr..
Lewis there at ali. Nash spoke to Denis
Hickman when he talked of not killing the
niggers; Nash said that TO Hickman: the
man who took me out at midnight was
stranger to me: the man whe was taken
out with me to be killed was Mac Brown;
he and | were side by side; the man who
shot at us stood about fifteen feet from us;
he said he was going to shoot us through
our heads; when he fired we both fell. on
my face; laid there until daylight; when
crawled off did not feel of Mac Browns
body; can't say what time it was when
crawled of; the bullet that wounded me