The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-09-29

were invited to attend, l, in compan
1 with several others, attended, reacfin
i the town Of Clinton about II Ok clock A. NJ
$ We got TO the place of meeting ABOUT /.
. O'Clock n where we found large humbe
: Of negroes aud very few whites. Ate
we got there a large processiou--sald L
? be from Edwards Depot-came IN. Afte
they had all dismounted, Judge } ohnsteI
took the stand and commenced speaking
| walked around through the crowd II
different directions. | found the negroes
very turbulent on every part of the
grounds, making threats and declaring
they were going 10 have their way there,
that day. They frequently rubbed against
me, seeming to be trying to provoke a
!. difficulty. Some of the white boys had been
drinking. / went to them and told them
not to touch any more whisky, saying 10
them that there was an immense crowd OF
negroes there, and very few whites, and it
WAS manifest to me that the negroes were
eager for difficulty, and they would use
any pretext for beginning it; that if a
shot cracked it might begin. Just before
Judge Johnston finished speaking, went
among a crowd of negroes gathered on
the south side of the speakers stand.
heard one negro say, "Who Is that
speaking ?" Another said, Johnston, l
believe" The first then replied Il did
not come here to hear any such damned
stuff as that; | want him to gel down
from there want TO hear Fisher
speak" Another said, "Well, | reckon he
will soon be through, then We will have it
/ all our own way" | went back to where
had left the boys. Two Of them were
going off down the HILL | called to know
where they were going; they said, Eve
have bottle a whisky down here. |
then made them come back; telling them
to remain where they were, near the
speakers stand. just before Johnston
closed, the negroes had become so bolster
Gus and dissatisfied, and seemed 50
determined to prevent any one from
hearing him, that | remarked to friend
that Johnston had better quit, as the
negroes seemed so much dissatisfied; that
| was sure he was doing no good. They
were very restless, walking about and
making all kinds of noises, disturbing
every portion of the crowd. Pretty soon
Johnston closed speaking Fisher was
then called for, who at once responded
and all was still. The negroes saying, now
we will near something good. Johnston's
speech was very kind and conciliatory
The best speech [ ever heard him make to
the negroes, so far as [ could hear it,
Fisher had been speaking some eight min
utes when some personin the upper part of
the crowd made some remark-I could not |
hear what it was. Immediately there was
rush Of negroes in that direction. l went
there and found Il young man, who, | /
was told, was McNeal. | told him he /
must make no remarks in that crowd |
that the young men from Raymond had i
agreed to put themselves under my orders, /
and as he had gotten with them he must I
do the same thing, and | would have no |
talking in the crowd | then returned to
where | had left the Raymond boys-near
the stand. Pretty soon | noticed rush of +
negroes to bottom about hundred yards /
north of the stand | told the bows to re-
main and | would go and see about it. | I
ran down and jumped into buggy; | saw
large crowd of negroes surrounding two I
OF our boys and trying to get something |
from them. Neither of these boys was
Martin Sivley or Thompson; | left both Of
these young men at the stand. Thompson /
was then talking to Capt. Lake, of jack
son, aud | told Martin Sivley to keep the
boy sat the stand until Ireturned. | called +
out to the crowd to stop that fuss, and o.
the negroes to let the boys alone. They /
seemed to heed me, and all would soon
have become quiet, but just at this time
negro from about Edwards Depot,
wearing yellow epaulets, called out III a
loud voice. " We did not come here to .
let no God damned white trash run over
us; this is our day" just at this time
Chas. Caldwell, ST., came into the crowd,
" Stop this damned fuss here | am
going to have it stopped" Pushing his way
through the crowd he reached the whites
here, you damned rascals, and stop this
noise. One of the white boys said, =" We
are interfering with nobody; we do not
wish to disturb anybody, nor create any
disturbance; but we will not be run
over" just at that time the firing be-
gan. | cannot say positively who fired
first but | sincerely believe that the first
shot was fired by the negro from Edwards
Depot, with yellow epaulets before spoken
of. | was standing in buggy above the
crowd where / commanded a good view of
all, and | saw the smoke rise from Il
pistol in his hands. Just before the pistol
fired | heard drum beat. By the time
the firing began the crowd of negroes had
become very dense around the boys As
the negroes came they were brandishing
their pistols. crying. Run over the
whites kill the damned whites run over
them, God damn them; run over them.
| think | saw not less than three hun
bred negroes with pistols in their hands.
As soon as the firing begun, the negroes
commenced falling back rapidly and III
few minutes the bottom was cleared.
Immediately then an immense crowd of /
negroes came rushing down from the hill I
firing indiscriminately into their own /
people. By this time the boys We're +
making for the stand, leaving me alone.
| called to them to fall in ON me and {
reserve their fire, as we must get ont of
there. At this moment a negro ran up
to me, CRYING, There is one of the
damned rascals-kill him. | turned !
and faced him telling him to get away
as | did not wish to kill him unless it was
necessary He stopped, and one of the
boys asked me to let him shoot him; |
told him, ''No, do not shoot unless it is
necessary" We then moved on toward
the prairie = southeast of the stand-I
telling the boys to keep closed up
aud fall in on me- As We got
to the edge of the prairie, saw Morris
Ward, and called to him to fall in with
us /; asking him could We not get ten men
together as | had just seen some twenty
five negroes, followed by about $50 with
pistols, coming across to cut US off, and
CRYING out, There are the God damned