The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-09-11
THE CLINTON RIOT.
Who Brought it on, and Where the
Responsibility Rests.

JACKSON Clarion.
The primary cause of the difficult
ty between the races, at Clinton, on
Saturday, was the spirit of hatred
and distrust of the whites, which has
been industriously cultivated by
the carpet-bag class Of politicians.
Its mediate origin Will be under
stood from two accounts of the
commencement of the fight, pub
lished in another column. In eth
or case, the negroes were the ag-
gressors. One account is that the
young (whIto) men, after Judge
Johnston had concluded his spe ech,
retired over a branch, in small
clump of trees some three hund.:ed
yards distant, to refresh therIselve g
with a glass of spirits, and were III
truded upon and assailed with vio-
lence by posse of negroes.
Another account is that negro
resented a side remark of a young
white man, upon something the
Radical orator had said, but which
was not loud enough to in
terrupt the speaker that the white
man, to prevent u disturbance, was
carried rapidly off from the crowd,
by his companions, and down the
hill across the said branch, to which
point he had been followed by a
crowd of negroes who were raving
and cursing and that there the fight
began. The white man was push
ed across the branch, the negro still
pursuing, leaped over the branch,
and was in the act of graphing the
white man when
THE FIGHT BEGAN.
The white men drew their pistols
and returned the fire, and two of
the negroes fell dead side by side.
One of them was the leader of the
party. The white blood was up.
They jumped tho branch, crossed
the open place, and charged the re-
treating negroes. The negroes re-
turned vollcy for volley and with
out effect. A pumber OF negroes
were wounded, but how many, is
not and probably will never be
known.
THE STAMPEDE.
AS the charging party mounted
the hilltop, the whole mass meet
ing broke and ran, leaving wagons,
horses, mules, chairs, hats and
coats. They scattered in every
rection, as if a regiment of caval-
~ was coming over that hill.
THE RETREAT.
When the whites reached the top
of the hill, they found that in the
excitement of the charge they had
emptied their pistols, and had no
more ammunition. They bore off
TO the South of the stand and to-
wards the railroad cut. While they
were executing this movement, pro-
firing had begun immedi-
ately around the stand, between the
few white men there and the egroes. |
When the party had gotten direct
ly South of and about so yards
from the speakers stand, they wero
joined by the other white men, not |
more than ten in number. They |
were then moving Il little south of
east to get into the railroad cat and
to the public road leading to Clin- |
ton where it crosses the railroad.
THE RALLY OF TIE NEGRoEs.
When this movement began the
cry rang out among the negroes :
60 Kill tho damned white men, they
are running" Orally, rally, Re-
publicans )" "Charge 'um," etc.
About three hundred negroes re-
sponded to the call, and led On by
the Wilburns, young Caldwell and
others, they pursued, keeping up an
incessant firing upon the whites.
The white men had now reached . |
small open field which skirts along
the railroad. Quite number of
them were wounded. Up to this
time the retreat had been covered
by the few men who Joined the par
iy from the stand, but by the time
they had reached the railroad, these
also had exhausted the loads in their
pistols, except one who had rcserv-
cd his fire.
THE CROSSING REACHED.
The gentleman with the loaded pis-
tel took his stand upon it, and that !
one pistol saved the lives of the .
whole party who We're fortunate
enough to reach there in time.
With it the advancing negroes were
leId at bay until tho others were
we'll on their way at Clinton which
vas OFF about half II mic, by the
mill, ,,ad. Tncy were iuiaCd by