The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-01-19

public service. am, sir. very respectfully
ISignedl E. D. BURNSIDE,
Adj't. General.
A copy Of the above letter was furnished |
to Gen. Mcdowell, commanding the mill
tary division of the South, or Jan. 5, 1878.
HEADQ'Rs MILITARY DIv. OF MISSOURI,
CHICAGO, Dec. 26, 1874.
To Gen. w. W. BeIknsp, Washing on, ID. C.:
Your letter has been received. All right.
(Sgned) p. H. SHERIDAN,
Lieut.. Genera
HEADo'Rs ARxy OF THE UNITED STATES.
81. LOUIS, Dec. 80, 1874.
GENERAL: have the honor to acknowl-
edge the receipt OF your confidential COM
munication of Dec. 26, with the inclosure.
w. T. SHERMAN,
General.
To W. ". Belknap, Secretary of War.
Next appear the kilograms of Sheridan,
dated Januery 3, addressed TO the etiry
of war, relating to the terrorism. bandiIt;,
etc The kilograms Of General Sberidaia 90
the secretary of war, and those from the lat
erto the former, heretofore published, apr pear
in the correspondence, and alse the fol lows
ing telegram:
New ORLEANS, Jan. 10, K15.
To the Hon. W. W. Belknap. Secretary of War,
Washington:
great majority of whom were cOlored men,
have been killed and wounded IN
this state. In 1868 the official
record shows that 1854 were killed
and wounded. From 1865 10 che present
time no official investigation has been made
and the civil authorities in all but few
cases have been unable to arrest, convict and
punish the perpetrators. Consequently
/ there are no correct records to be consulted
| for information. There is SIMPLE evidence,
I L.
so1s have been killed and wounded during
this time on account of their political sensi-
ments Erightful nassacres hSve occurred
/ Ia he parishes OF BOssier. Csdd0, CatahOula
saint Bernard, SAINT Landry, Grant and
Orleans. The general chsraci er OF the mas
s2Aes IN the @Jove named parishes Is
50 well known that it is unnecessary to
describe them. The isolated cases can best
/ re illust -atsd by the following instances,
which I take from q mass OF evidence now
/ living before me, Of men kiiledon account OF
| tbeir political principles. In the parish OF
/ Bienviiis the number OF men killed Is 80;
| in Red River parish the estimated
cases Of men killed is "a; in Winn
parish ths number of isolated cases
| where mon were killed is Is; IN Jackson
parish the nCmoor killed IL 70.
/ In Catahouta parish the number of isolated
cases repc-ted where men were killed is So
and most ef the coEntry parishes through
out the state viii show corresponding state
of Sffars. The following statements Will
| illustrate tue character aud kind OF these
outrsges: on the E0th of August, 1874, ia
Red River parish six state and parish officers
named TWitcbell, Divers, Holland, Howell,
Edgerton and Willis were taken, together
with four negroes, under a guard
to be carried out OF the state, and
were deliberately murdered. On the 18th OF
August, 1874, the White League tried,
sentenced and hanged two negroes. On the
2ssh OF August, 1874. three negroes were shot
and killed at Brownsville, just b5tore the
arrival of United States zroops in the parish
Two White Leaguers rode up to negro
cabin and called for dTiEk of water. When
an old colored man turned 70 draw it, they
shot him in the back and killed him. The
courts were all broken uF in this district,
and the district Judge driven out. Ia the
parish of CaddO, prior to the arrival % the
United States troops, All of the ON
GERS at Shreveport were compelled
to abdcate by the White League, which
took possession of the place. Among those
, obliged to abdicate were Walsh, the mayor;
Rspers the sheriff; Wheaton, the clerk o.
court; Durant, the recorder, aud Ferguson
and Renfro, administrators. Two colored
men who had given evidence in regard to
the frauds committed in the parish were
compelled to flee for their lives
and reached this city last night, having been
smug2led through in cargo OF cotton. In
the parish Of Bosser the " bite League have
altempted 10 fOrcS the dDu1cAllOu OF Judge
Baker, United States commissioner and
parish judge, together with O'Neall, the
sheriff, and Walker, the clerk of court, and
they have compelled the parish and
district courts to suspend operations.
Judge Baker states that the White Leaguers
notified him several times that il ne became
candidate on the republican ticket, or if
he attempted to organize republican party
be should not live until the election. They
also
TRIED TO INTIMIDATE HIM
through his family, by making the same
threats to his wife, and when told by him
that he was a United States commissioner
they notified him not to attempt to exercise
the functions OF his office. In but a few of the
country parishes can it be truly said that a
law is properly enforced, and in some of the
parishes the judges have not been able to
hold court for two years. Human life in
this state is held 80 cheaply that when men
are killed on account of their political opin-
ions, the murderers are regarded rather as
heroes than as criminals in localities where
they reside, and by the White Lesgue ano
their supporters. An illustration of the os-
tracism that prevails in the state may be
foun6in resolution which states that they
pledged themselves, under no circumstances,
ef.er the coming election to employ, rent
land 20 or in any other manner give aid,
4 comfort or credit to any man, white or black,
who votes against the nominees of the
white mans party, Safety for individu-
ais who express their opinion in isolated
| portions OF this state has existed only
when that opinion was in favor of the prin-
c;ples AID party supported by the ku-Klux
and White League organizations. Only
YESTERDAY Judge Myers, parish judge OF
ths parish OF NstehitOohes, called on me
upon his arrival in this city and stated that
in order TO reach here alive he was obliged 70
leave his home by stealth and alter night
tall, and make his way to Little Rock, Ark,
and come 10 this city by way of Memphis.
Hefurther states hat while his father was
lying at the point of death in the same viii
lsge, he was unable TO visit him for fear of
assassination, and Yet he is native of the