Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-10-01
WASHINGTON, Sep. 7. 1874

Hon. Joseph r. Hawley, Hampton, Va.
My DEAR SIR: y our letter of even
date with this is before ME and / hast.
en- to reply, for am anxious that the
true condition Of affairs in the state of
Alabama should be known as soon as
possible to the people of the whole
country, in order that they may begin
to realize the fact that the spirit of
rebellion against the laws and gov
ernment of the United States, to ex-
tlnguish which so many brave and gal
liant men laid down their lives, ,sSliilH I
people: Nffey embrace every oppor-
tunity to commit deeds Of lawlessness
and crime, that are everlasting stig>
mas upon the fair name of the nation,
and an open insult to the flag of our
country, which many of our people are
vainly patriotic enough to believe is an
@gis of protection wherever it floats.
had fondly hoped that the "reign of
terror" in the south was over, and that
peace, good will and prosperity might
henceforth reign supreme. In this
hope, am sadly disappointed, for
candor compels me to say that to-day
riots, murder, assassinations and tor
turings for the purpose of terrorizing
the true friends of the government are
more common than they have been at
any hour since Lee surrendered to
Grant, and unless the strong arm of
federal power can avert the calamity
| can see nothing in the future save
gloom and despair to the loyal men OF
the south, ruin to the material inter
ests of the country, and death to those
of US who uphold the honor and in
tegrity of the nation, and counsel sub
mission to the laws of the United
States. But | need make no appeals
to the patriotism or the sympathy of
northern men, who, like yourself, have
barred their breasts to the battle storm
in the dark and bloody days of the
eventful past. The bare recital of
proven facts shall be my only appeal.
That will cause the heart to shudder,
the cheek to blanch, and the mind to
wonder how such dastardly outra9es,
such unprovoked murders, and such
6end like conduct can be tolerated for
an hour. / shall be particular to mar
rate no rumors, to color no atrocity, to
"set down naught in malice" but SIM
ply to give you well authenticated
facts, with dates, names and localities,
so that every man in the land may
himself verify the accuracy of my
statements, if he deems it necessary,
These then proceed to give you, with
the deliberate opinion on my part, that
the half cannot be told, and that to
day many victims of hellish murder
are sleeping in unknown spots and Sc.
cluded places from which they will
never be Weakened until the final iudg
ment day.
| THE CAsEs-sUMTER COUNTY.
On or about the first day of August
1874, in Sumter county, Ala, abou
one mile from his residence, neal
Ramsey's station, on the Gainesville
branch of the Mobile and Ohio rail
road, Captain W. p. Billings, son
in-law of ex.United States Judg
Wells, of Missouri, and formerly res
ident of Brooklyn, n. Y, was brutal
| ly murdered. When discovered h
and his horse were both lying dead ii
the public road, his body pierced wit
buckshot, and that of his horse riddle,
with bullets. The "hidiBg place" Q
the assassins was found, but the core
nsr's jury returned the usual verde
"that he came to his death by gunsho
wounds, and that the parties FIRM
were unknown" Captain Billing
was republican, and had that da
addressed republican meeting a
Abraham's plantation, some fiftee
miles distant from the spot where b
!, fell. He had about a twelve mont
since purchased cotton plantation i
the county, was man of unimpeaehs
BILE character, and did not know b
had an enemy in the world. His vic
owed wife and orphan children ar
now in Jefferson City, Missouri, "dri'
: : en- from their adopted home" Sh
can furnish to the incredulous man
narrowing details of this reyoltin
murder. from which my pen turns
loathing and disgust His only Grim