The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-12-18
THE yICKSBURG MAssAcRE.
A Plain Statement of Facts by one
Who was There.

, That a false account of the slaughter
of colored men In the neighborhood OF
Vieksburg has been spread over the
2 country, by those who are sympathizers
with the aggressors, guilty of needless
and most wicked bloodshed, we are not
lat liberty to doubt. We have, from a
, source that commands confidence, a
statement that is due the country. Our
information is that the active whites of
Vicksburg had some time since deter
: mined to "clean out" the present Office
, holders. Three Of those office holders
were indicted at the last term of the
grand jury. Crosby, the sheriff, was
the one especially aimed at. It was de-
ter1nined that he should be put out Of
office. The papers insisted upon the
board OF supervisors meeting on We'd
! nesday of last week, and requiring
, Crosby to give good bond. A meeting
of that body was called and it is known
that the intention was to require Crosby
to give good bond.
7 But the citizens, headed by hot
HEADED and irresponsible set of men,
lput out an incendary circular calling
Injecting of the citizens of the county on
the same day the Board of Supervisors
were to meet. And every one knew full
! well that it was the intention that the
Board should be forced to do what was
wanted, or personal violence used. So
the country members failed to put in an
appearance. But the citizens held their
injecting. It was attended mostly by the
younger men and irresponsible parties
lspoiling for row. During the session
committee of five lawyers were ap-
pointed to report if all legal means to
oust Crosby had been exhausted. A
majority of the committee reported that
all legal means had not been exhausted.
| A minority report was made by two
young limbs of the law saying that all |
legal means had been exhausted, and
that the time for action had come. BY
faction" they meant force, and by force
they meant the rope. No coneealmentI /
was made in their talk about hanging, /
etc. A committee was appointed to /
wait upon certain officials and demand I
their resignation. The meeting ad-
Iiourned to wait report. The officials
who could be found begged time to con-
suit their lawyers, but failed to reply in
the time gwen them. On the reassem-
bling of the meeting in the afternoon,
and hearing the report of their commit
tee, they resolved to adjourn IN a body
to the court house and demand the !
resignation of the officers. On reach
ing the court house all the officers fed
but Crosby. He signed a resignation.
No one concealed what his fate would be
IF he had not done so. He would have
been hanged on the spot. As soon as
he got out Of the clutches of themob he
wrote letter to Judge Brown, of the
circuit court, stating that he took back
his resignation, as he was compelled to
sign it to save his life. He was then out
In the country, on his way to Jackson.
The morning after this row, Judge
Brown tried to hold court, but the par
ties left IN charge of the court house re-
fused to let the deputy enter the court
room, and so court has been adjourned
from day to day since then.
On Friday rumor got abroad that
Crosby was about to make good bond,
by placing his Office In the hands of ]
some person or another acceptable to
the people and retiring, leaving all con- .
troll to such deputy. Two or three good
parties agreedto take the position, and )
arrangements has been made with their {
friends to make a bond that would be
ample and beyond dispute. When this
was heard meeting of citizens In the I
city was called, which resolved to frown !
down any such effort. The next morn
ing the papers contained notices warn
ing white citizens from going on the !
bond, and this, too, IN the face Of re-
peated assertions that no charge was !
made against Crosby except his failure
to give good bond. On the streets the !
threats were numerous that no mans :;
life would be safe who went on such Z
bond. :
Crosby returned from Jackson on !
Friday, with instructions from the Gov o
ernor to take possession of his Office, and
10 call In the aid of the militia to sustain I
him. He sent news to the country for
he negroes to come in Monday and re-
port to the court house. They came,
we're met at the city limits and slaught- e
sred-simply slaughtered and butchered. /
They were chased through the woods !
md fields and shot down like dogs. Il
Many were shot after they gave up, and 81
Iome were shot on their knees while n
begging for mercy. Thefury of demons .
vas in the people It was not safe for =
nv one not in full accord with them to b
,e on the street. One poor old negro "
" the name of Ambrose Brown was f,
,rdered off the street by Captain Cowan, \
former rebel battery commander, and =
,eing tardy in going, Cowan deliberately q
hot him. Many prisoners were taken
nd kept in the court house, and taken
,ut in the morning. With winks and
lods and laughter and jests, it was re- N
ported that three of the most obnoxious =,
lad made their escape, which means they IL
AVE simply been murdered while pris- W
ners. cI
This is unquestionably the truth of &,
ne massacre, and the people of the ma a:
ion should fully recognize all its enormi- II
les. The worst of it is that the persons fr
Tho have been guilty of this wholesale NJ
murder fully Justify themselves upon the hi
tatement Of facts that we have given,
nd we are bound to add they are ami Il
mated by the conviction that there has m
cen a political revolution in the North, ba
nd that the time is come.-Cincinnai
commercial.