The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-03
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE.
Ninth Days Proceedings.
Badgers Evidence.
Beckwith Tells Of the Negroes
Slaughtered at Colfax.
Rebutting Evidence.
NJ. ii. Twitcllell.

NJ. ii. VWltcheH.
To Mr. Frye-Is from Vermont. Came tx
Louisiana soon after the surrender of Gen
Lee and settled in Bienville, now Red River
parish. Witnesses brother and other New
England men settled in that vicinity. Buil
mills and engaged in planting. They gave
employment to a large number Of men.
These New Englanders represented capital
of about 100000. The community before
the advent of witness and his friends was a
most thriftless one. 1t was very peaceable
community until last summer, when the
White League was formed.
There was no disturbance really until the
meeting was held in Nltchitoches, when the
people of Red River parish We're told by the
Natchitoches indictments that if the Radical
stronghold, Coushatta, was no, cleaned out,
they (the Natchitoches people, would 60 up
there and do it. Shortly alter this, Dickson
and a companion fred at negro one night,
and were fired upon in turn by the
negroes Dickson was wounded. 1t was
after the wounding of Dickson that the peo-
pie forced the officials of the parish to resign,
promising to give them safe escort from the
parish.
MIC. Willis, Clark Holland W. F. Howell,
r. A. Devices and - Edgerson, were,
while being escorted to Shreveport, MUIR
dered, and their bodies horribly mutilated.
Witnesses brother before this was highly
esteemed by the whole community. Witness
and his Republican friends had been in the
habit Of ferreting out the crimes perpetrated
in the parish, and assisted, invariably, in
bringing the guilty parties to justice. Wit
ness has endeavored to ascertain who partici-
pated in the Coushatia massacre, but his OPP
portunities have been limited He returned
to the parish with the troops, but did not dare
go beyond their protection. Thinks it is gen
orally known among Democrats Of the parish
who the guilty parties were.
The only reason for killing the negro VIM
and his companion could have been for no
other reason than that he refused to act with
the Democratic party. Anegro named Allen,
q bold man and promin ent Republican leader
was taken out of his house and led to the
woods, where, after having his legs and arms
broken by bullets, he was burned to death
These outrages had most intiinidating effect
upon the negroes, and caused many of them
not to register.
Witness left Coushatta about two weeks
after the election and felrs to return. viii
not return until the murdererS are arrested.
No jury in that parish would convict these
people. The people did not claim that their
dissatisfaction was because the parish officials
were dishonest. Tho people up there are
loyal to the General Government like they are
in New Orleans; shat IS when they stand in
fear Of its strong arm.
They would make poems Of the negroes If
they had the power to do 50. A Republican
who held the Office of sheriff there was forced
to resign, by both Republicans and Demo-
Gratis. He was bad man in every respect.
If the perpetrators of crime in this State
could be punished, there would be no lawless-
ness in Louisiana. 1t is all done by set Of
desperate men who appear to control the ma
jority, who are Conservatives. They are
afraid to resist the measures which they con-
denim.
To Mr.. Hoar-Does not know that the
White League was military organization be-
fore the Coushatta massacre.
To Mr. Frye-This Coushatta affair and the
proceedings subsequent to it caused not less
than seven white Republicans to leave the
parish; White Leaguers killed the post-mas-
ter and took possession OF the office.
To Mr. Marshall-Went to Coushatta in
1865 as provost marshal, and remained there
in command until the troops were withdrawn
from the State
Witness was instrumental in getting the
parish formed. Commenced investing in the
parish as soon as he retired from the service.
This state of bad feeling and disorder COM
menced last July. Before the establishment
of the Kellogg government the races got along
very amica5ly together. Early in June b. W.
Marsden endeavored to form the negroes into
not say.
The reason for placing pickets around
Coushatta, witness supposes, was because it
was rumored that the negroes were rising.
The two negroes who fired on Dickson and
his companion, while they were on picket
duty, were hung on the 31st of August. They
con essed having done the shooting Does
not know, only from hearsay, who killed the
Coushatta officials Was informed by one of
<ho cd hat tba 1aof1 dor IF ha 10
League claimed to have five thousand armed
men subject to call.
Witnesses kno Wedge Of the Coushatta affair
was derived by Investigations made in his
capacity of United States Commissioner.
Threats were made that by the LIST of January
there should not be a Republican left in the
Red River Valley. If any remained at that
time he would be hanging to tree.
Republicans in the parish are in the pro-
portion Of three to one to Democrats, yet they |
canno. control the Offices or enforce justice.
Democrats procure assistance from other
parishes and are well armed. They have re-
ceived arms from New York Some Of the
offices are held by natives; most Of them
are filled, however, by carpet-baggers
Doubtless the opinion that the Kellogg Gov
eminent is a usurpation has relaxed the con-
sentative sentiment TO some extent. Cannot
say the Kellogg Government is weak and
inefficient, but 1t Is too weak TO cape with
reorganized army. Witness refers to the
White League.)
Never saw the White League drill in Red
River parish. Can not say positively that it
is an armed organization, but imagines from
the various orders which appeared in the
papers that it must be Of that character. The |
negroes in the parish were disarmed by the
White League
A. 5. Badger.
To Mr.. Frye-Has been Superintendent of
Police for the past four or five years. Has
been in Louisiana since the close of the war.
Was Colonel in the United States army and
after retiring from the service settled in this
city. Married here.
The organization of the White League began
abnnf thu 1St Of Last Inly II was nrpanized