The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-02-04
Judge Mackey's Report on the Edgefeld Trou- 'l
81; - : y. - b1cS.

:,JnAdse Mackey,s Report on the Edgefeld Trou' W
,'!ii7 - 7 's bles.
:, Judge Mackey, who was requested py tne 70
Governor to visit Edgeheld anu inVes9iSate tns !;
Sacant .tronb1es;ir that County, has submitted
"a rel;Yninary report to the Executive, of which
4he' following is copy:
sssil;:.9;G.-.a COLUMBIA; s. c., Jau.'2 '25, 1879
20 his Ezeellexcy Gouernor Chamberlain: e
=. Dear SIR-In accordance with tho request
.oontained,in your E1celleneys communication
%of the 10th, instant I, proceeded to; Edgehetd,
arriving at the county seat early on the follow
Sng daY. The object and scope Of my mission
to ShaG disturbed section of the State are ex. @
'sfsssed in in ith that communication, of which the
following isi d copy = -, it,
s4f4sTzp STATE OF SoUTH CAROLINA, e..
ass.aEx.; Chamber; Columbia, JAM, 20, 1875. J. :
Hon. z; j. lNackey, Circuit Judge dc. - 81
DEAR SIR have learned that an armed
.Edge6eld, between white and coloEed citizens:
I fear that, if unchecked, disorder may become
widespread in that county. In the absence of
heChcuit Judge Of the Fifth Circuit in an
other County, / request youto proceed to Edge
field County and exert your influence ana pow
sers in allaying the disoSder and in adjusting
the difficulties out of which the troubles have
sprung. To this end. trust that you will call
.npon all good citizens to aid you In restoring
and preserving the peace, and and in enforcing the
laws of the State. 80. z...,.......;. ,....;. ,
sai !ii' 's.S'- I'D. H, CHAMBERLA1N,
i.-,- 5-! q, a"; Governor of South Carolina:
c%On; nv arrival at Edgefeld Court House
stated publicly the, object Of my visit, and g
courier was dispatched to the scene OF the dis
,turbance to make nay presence aud purpose
known to the citizens of both races. Having
learned that Can't. Edward Tennent, the alleged
leader of the colored citizens in the reported
collision, had arrived in the town, | sent him
a message requiring him to appear before me.
with! which he complied promptly: Alter
had duly warned him that he was not oollged
to- commit himself shemade a statement WHICH
-aceords substantially with his atndaVlt mere
with transmitted. 1T appearing from that
statement that Tennent had, with an armed
force l;x ,..al.'. l,.l. l.,..,,!.-;;,. = .;
:, -. RESISTED. A LAWFUL. WARRANT, i,;. q.
issued for his arrest on the charge of arson,
and that he had made that resistance effective
'by firing upon the posse duly summoned to-
enforce the execution Of such warrant, COM
-,nitted him to jail to await examination, Be
fore committing him he, at rny instance MADE
an affidavit. charging NJ. @. Butler and ten
Other, citizens with assault and battery with
intent to kill, by discharging there firearms
against him, the said Tennent, and the persons
lawfully associated with him, and felonionsly
and maliciously wounding, BY such discharge!
Charles Whitlow, John Morgan, Evans Mitchell
and William Benham, in Merriwether Town
ship, on the 18th day of January, 1870
therefore issued my warrant for the apprehen-
sion of Gen. NJ c.. Batter and the ten other
persons, named in the affidavit. The parties
III from ~
twenty-five miles from the Court House, aEad ss
ives with great difficulty / procured the esarsisss
Of an officer to execute the warrant. .. ~ sSff
-, THE SHERIFF OF TIE COUNTY .. e.E !
appears to be worthy land inofensive man );
but his whole intelligence and sense OF duty
seem TO. have lspsed into strong instinct on
iself.preseryation. BE was afraid to enter thel
Merriwether township, because the black peo-l
nie there didn't know him, and the white people.
did know him. After delay of twenty -four
hours. tie; sheriff obtained a suitable deputy,
who was dispatched with the warrant. The
fsennty sheriff arrested Gen. NJ C.: Butler, and
his eo.defendauts, all of whom, are stated by
the officer to have yielded prompt obedience!
TO the warrant. The defendants having ap-!
peared. I proceeded with the preliminary ex-!
animation. and closed the testimony for the
State on last Saturday night after examining:
numerous witnesses, all of whom sustained the
statement of Tennent, but avowed themselves
.apparties with Tennent in the armed resist
sance 10, the process. On motion of the deten-
ydansis counsel, the. examination OF the W.T.
.nesses for the, defence was set down Tor ihurs-l
day, tho 2Sth inst, and the defendants were re-
cognized inthe sum of S., 600 each, to appear on
that day. Edward Tennent was also bailed in
tbe same sum for his appearance on the same
day:.a Tennent and his associates of the militia
company had fed to Edgefeld village to the
number of. thirty after the armed collision, but
at nv request, and on my assurance OF their
safety, they returned to their homes on Sunday
STT Ts'''s' "a OPENLY AND UNMoLEsrED.
It is iimpracteable for me at present to pre-
sent full exhibit Of the facts in regard to the
condition of Edge6eld County, which facts
are Of the gravest concern to the State, and
should be made known to your Excellency.
They viii be set forth in future report when
the pending examination shall have termlna-
ted, Suffice il now to say that, in my deliberate
Judgment, no snch iniquity as, the county gov
erhment Of Edgefeld has been inflicted upon any
portion of the English,speak!ng race since the
Saxon wore the iron collarot theNorman In
that9case, however, the harsh domination was
that of superior civilization, which elevated
while lC:cnaSteneu. IL Iulo ~ IL oiio io'oo
- THE CONDITION OF EDGEFIELD -,
presents a problem that demands an instant
solution in the interest of the public peace and
the due preservation Of life and property. To
This end I earnestly recommend that your Ex-
cellency will forthwith issue and enforce a an
order withdrawing the State arms from the
EIGHT or ten militia companies now organized
and equipped, and supplied with ammunition,
in the County Of Edge6eld, with the view to
nave the said arms deposited in the State
,-,,.r,,-iet tho ca1itai During the past