New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-24
THE GRANT PARISH PRISONERS


ordinary way, the witnesses testifying to
nothing new in particular
Levi Nelson a man who was actively en-
gagged in the troubles and who saw cOnsid-
cradle during the Colfax strife, was put on
the witness stand. His statements were
about the same as he told on the first trial,
but candor compels us to say that his testi-
mony has little weight, as he contradicted
himself in some material points. The de-
Tense availed themselves OF this, but went
a step too far tor their own good. Ascer-
tanning that Nelson was unable to make
his story on the first trial agree with his
present statements. defense, unaware, made
him their witness and then tried to impeach
his testimony. This brought Judge Woods
into action. and he tod counsel that such
plain violations of law would not be toler-
ated. You can not prove thing by this
witness and have tie jury believe him on
that point and disbelieve MIN on another.
Having once made MIN your witness you
can not impeach him.
After some ross-questloning OF witness,
the court took a recess OF halt an hour,
which being over, Mr. Ellis offered an atfi-
davit for new witnesses tor the defense and
asked for an attachment Tor one OF the wit
neSses summoned.
Levin Allen was next swOrn-Was at
Colfax at the time of killing Jesse Mcken-
new; saw armed men mounted about eight
or nine o'clock coming to COltax from
Rocky Island; John Myers told me Nash
wanted to sec NE, and he Myers guaran-
teed l wouldn't be hurt; l went and met
Nash in Smlthtield quarters; he said if we
put down our guns we would not DE hurt
| said it didn't look like it after killing one
of the men, | didn't order the men away or
tell them to stay; ] saw Shaw In the court
house yard he went away toward Cuny's
Point after saw Nash IN the Smithfeld
quarters it was about three quarters of an
hour till the fight began; there were about
two hundred of these men the
fight opened by big gun fired from
Nash's party; they continued firing the
cannon and stretched skirmish line; this
line fired rifles, think, being out of reach
of shOtguns; this firing was heavy-singla
shots, not volleys-and drove back some
bows to the intrenchments; the cannon tir
ing did not take effect, and they moved ii:
the first shot then skipped along the ill.,
trenchments: the firing with small arms
kept up; the colored men remained i'll the
works, and when they broke made for the
back end of the courthouse; as many as
could got in, and others made for the
woods; l got on my horse; portion of
Nash's men was in the courthouse yard;
they shot the last man near the wOnds:
COT into the woods and turned my horse
loose: remained there during the night: the
firing kept up at Coltax till near midnight:
in the fight knew DR.. Compton, William
Irwin, Mr. Cazebat and Mr.. Hickman; Mr.
Denis Hickman shot this young man Byans;
this was near Mirebeau place; when | re-
treated from the courthouse DR.. Compton
was behind me on a white horse. firing all
the time: there was no advance until alter
the men retreated from the breastwOrks;
the first day l went up l knew Mr..
Cru;kshank. William Irwin and the Had
nots in the crowd; saw them passing while
in my field and followed them to COifax-
good piece behind them; it was about three
o'clock when started home from Colfax:
Hadnot and his party went out ahead OF
me; saw nothing of the affairs at Colfax
after Tuesday after the fight: the men in
Colfax were afraid to lay down their arms
as Mr. Nash wanted them to do they were
willing to go away with them Mckinney
was a peaceful man, taking no part IN
meetings; he was about thirty or forty
years old; did not see Crozier or Croziet Oh
Easter Sunday.
Cross examination-I did not belong to
the army: l went to Colfax. of my own
will: l was in the courthouse yard when
the white men came; they came up the
road. not in the field; the line seemed to
be 300 or 400 yards; they were all mount
of them, one about 300 yards from the
other: the line when facing me was con-
sderably longer than this courtro0m
they faced in double line. the front line was
the longest, and appeared to be 300 or 400
yards long; they dismounted after they
faced, and stood between their horses:
think altogether there were 500 or 900 men;
l knew of nothing to prevent Shaw from
going away; don't know why he spoke TO
fhor hay of AID. -
a thick canebreak near my house. and one
in Hyams place; it was all quiet when
saw Irwin in the ranks: he had a gun OF
some kind l saw him when | was arguing
with Mr.. Nash; never saw him any more
till Sunday.
Andrew Graham swOrn-I was in Coltax
on the day of the fight and on the hrst day
the men came in; the day of the fight it was
about twelve or one o'clock; they fired first
| with artillery; about seventy-tive or eighty
| of us went into the courthouse; l was arm
| ed; carried my shotgun with me; as many
| as had guns carried them with them; some
| one or two OF the icolored men shot out of
the window; Jack White. Lindsey Il dom
know his namel Levi Nelson, Frank John,
| Dick Phipps, Martin Johns, Tom johnson.
| William Williams, Barmore Nelson. John
| Carter, Alabama Mitchell. Guilty White.
Barney - and others; know Alexander
Tillman, James Ramel. Levi Randolph all
went into the courthouse with me; we were
in about an hour before it was fired:
the white men kept up their firing; in
wall; Jack White followed out sur
render" after he was shot in the
neck: the white men said then: Put down
your arms and come out" the house was
then on fire; every man OF us put down our
arms; when Jack went out, he started to
run, for he saw they were going to shoot
him; they shot all they could, and fol
lowed up and shot others in the field; | fell
down by the door, among the dead men
After it was over, the men said, ''Old man,
you amt hurt and they sent me to the
pecan tree; they put all they found wound
ed by me; they told me to go into the court
| house, there were others in there, and save
them; l got them all to come out-some
| fifteen or sixteen-except one yOungster
who said he was afraid to come out
we were put under guard in a cotton
patch till after sunset: Mr.. Nash came up
one said: Captain Nash. here are your
prisoners Nash had us taken to the
boarding house prison; kept US there
you loose will you stop this ID foolish
ness e. One of the whites said, ''1t we dc
they will kill us before morning. big
white man on white horse came up and
took two of them when he called out by
name, telling the others to do the same
and take them to the sugarhouse: the mar
who took me out was chunky mill: when
they got us ready the big man said, Have
you got your beeves fxedW after while
heard two guns and l got iuberous: the
man having me in charge said, go on. W,
won't hurt YOU presently | heard pisto
snap, and prefently bullet struck me, ant
they left me wounded, but when they came
back they shot me again; think the same
man shot me; they went then as if theI
were going to the sugarhouse: Bap Mills
who was with me at first. fell as II he wa
shot, and got away when | got able
crawled away into the cotton patch ant
| GOT into house, where | saw Gully Gal