The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-09-16
The Clinton, Missv Difficulty
A Former Resident OF
Wheeling an Eye Wit
ness Of the Affair
His Description.

resident of this city where he Is well
known. and rs he was an eye witness Of
the difficulty, his account Of it will be
read with great interest by our people.
He says:
deem it proper to make statement
over my own signature as to what came
under my personal observation at Clln-
ton, and | Shall do so us briefly as posi-.
bic.
1t was Republican. meeting, but no.
tice had been circulated tnat free discus
sion would be allowed, The place for
the meeting were the grounds OF the
former residence of Colonel William
Smith and L. ". Motiett, Esq,
about ole mile from Clinton. There
were on the grounds, at one
o'clock, in the vicinity of the stand,
possibly about 1000 cOlored and 100
| white men. The terms for discussion
were finally agreed upon at the stand,
| and 50 liberal were the Republicans that
and others supposed the meeting would
! be entirely peaceful and pleasant. 1t was
agreed that Judge A. K. Johnston DEM
oerat and ConservatIvc) should open and
speak for one hour; that Captain Fisher
! Republican, should reply in an hour
and "A quarter, and that Judge Johnston
thould then rejoin in fifteen minutes,
when all public speaking should cease.
/ Judge johnson spoke his hour without
interruption. Captain Fisher followed.
W hen he had proceeded quite pleasantly
for about fifteen minutes, rush was
made from the outskirts towards Il valley
perhaps some S0yards from the stand.
on the RAYMOND side. | Immediately,
and without an acquaintance with me,
went forward from where had been
standing. until | had Il full and uEob
structed view of what was going on in
the valley. possibly one hundred yards
distant from me. About six or eight
white men. lamong whom | distinctly
recognized G.. F. +. Thompson, Esq
were facing probably 100 TO $50 colorcd
men. who. Judging from their actions,
were greatly enraged and threatening. |
could not b ara word amid the con-
fusion. Not shot had then been fired
on the grounds. In n few seconds the
/ crowd OF blacks around the six or eight
/ whites had increased to possible 800, and
/ il became dense, surSins throng, many
/ blacks passing me, pistol in hand, rush
ing for the throng. 1t appeared To me
that the blacks were endcavorng To rush
upon the whites, and the whites
,vnre keering tnem "tf with their
hands No whites went down the hill -
only the blacks. could see that the
li.tfc white band was being surrounded,
and | felt that their case was hopeless.
Suddenly, however, they faced from me
and moved Oft, when the mass OF negroes
instantly followed them. A drum then
commenced beating about half way from
where | was standing and the scene OF
| the difficulty. \ half minute, perhaps
| after the first tap of the Drum, pistol
/ fired, aud almost instantly hundred
| ,hots were fired, but from which side the
/ first shot came, or which side continued It,
/ | could not see or determine, IA there was
rush forward rs well Us backwards by
the blacks. As soon Us the firing COM
mcuced. | deliberately walked back
toward the Clinton road. When | had
proceeded perhaps fifty yards, the firing
entirely SuDSlltu. llClV INV "f'"'''
Lake, of the Jackson Times. We eX-
changed a few words. The firing in II
few minutes again commenced, aS 1t APP
neared To me, all over the field, within an
are. nerhaps of 100 to 200 acres. in
s.antiv apprehended the situation. The
firing could not be from the whites, rs
the few whites on the field could not and
would not oppose from 1000 TO 1000
blacks. every one of whom appeared to
be- armed, whereas the whites, excepting
The six or eight young men, were with
out arms. again moved slowly toward
the Clinton road, surrounded ut every
hand by blacks-not Il white man IN
sight. Rapid firing was going on back
OF nae, aud it WAS coming up unpleasant
ly near. or to my right hand IN the
distance, | noticed white man on n
horse, cnJeavoring to escape, while
he was followed by a negro
horseman, the latter firing on him.
When one or two hundred yards, pos
si5lv, from the Clinton road Samuel ID.
Harper came up behind me and called
my attention to six or eight white men
t. our right, who were moving in the
same direction that | was, and sug.
gcsted that he and Join them. As
| was surrounded by negroes and
As | believed that the negroes were
shooting the whites wherever found, |
assented. noticed Captain b. ). White
and Martin Sivley rs OF this company,
but as | commenced moving toward
them company OF negroes came up IN
the rear. possibly from 10 to ~, all IN
line. and with pistols presented. Inc
man on the extreme left of this company
was directly behind me, while their right
extended beyond the little body which l
was about to join. The leader OF the
colorcd party-the man behind me
cried out to his company, "Ihere are
the fellows that done the shooting! l
instantly faced the man who had spoken
and waving my hand at him, remarked,
IL have done no shooting" continuing
to walk directly forward, and not toward
the party that had been approaching.
The little party Of whites stopped, but |
walked on. Between this place and the
corn.Acld on the opposite side of the
Clinton road Silvey was butchered,
White was left for dead, and DR.. Dupree
and sam Harper had their pistols taken
iYom them. Before the butcherY, Silvey
and White had both delivered their pis-
tols (ali unloadedl TO the
negroes, on their positive demands
To reach the road | had to jump into
wash, and just as l did so a Segro
brought his gun down on me. do not
know that he fired, as firing was going
on bri>kly around me. Reaching the
dirt road proceeded down that TO the
railroad crossing, where | saw Judge
Anderson of jackson. Brisk firing was
then gong on, and it seemed to be in
front as well as in the rear, and here a
pistol WAS drawn on me, but, couple of
negro women' passing interfercd /
here turned:to the left and took the rail-