The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-01-02
scout a. Waffenton foa and sesl4ngssu

the cof0feG Sherttf, was brought there under
arrest by orderof Col. Miller, who was. in com-
maud of the citizens. Crosby was kept there
until everything had become quiet, and was
then sent to jackson. A third fight occurred
on the jackson road. near the Pemberton
monument, and lasted half an hour, but was
principally at long range. This was the
hardest fight of the day. He beard that
thirty or forty negroes had been killed, and
one white man (named Brown killed and
another white man wounded. This was the
last fight. and occurred between 8 and 10
| O'Clock. Brown, the white man killed, was
coming into town from the country, and did
| not belong to our force. sa. ~r<4
| BY Mr.. Conger Were any persons killed
| in the city that day. 81
| Answer: No, sir. Heard that colorcd
man, who refused to leave the street when
! ordered, was shot in the jaw: heard that
early in the morning five negroes took gun
from a man on the street, but did not see 1t !;
| Mr.. Grenada saw it. .a..t TIA Al
By Mr.. Copger: What time was the second
proclamation issued? ...&
Answer: About noon; after the fighting
was over. - ,'' - 2 h,.a
Question: Were these fights in the city
limits? 49,. ISL. ..,r.,...
Answer The first one, on Grove street,
| was just at the corporation line, while the
one at Pemberton monument WAS half mile
outside.
Question: Did you make any disposition
of the bodies OF the killed.
Answer: They were outside the city
limits, but I went to Newton, county treasu.
rer. TO have them buried. He said il would
sign paper to the county undertaken he
would; which did.
J Question /: Did you feel you bad any more
right to Kill them outside the city limits than
| to bury them?
Answer: My instructions to Colonel Mil.
Ter were to defend the city. I.did not tell
! him where to go. ---...-.--
Cross examined by Mr.. Conger: Could
not tell how many were buried; could tell
tomorrow from the official books of the un.
dertakerS had heard OF none left unburied;
had heard of no colored men being killed
since that day, except one named Mack,
killed near Haynes's Bluff, twelve miles dis
tant, where funeral procession was fred
into and Vaughan, a white man, killed.
Crosby was brought to the courthouse
about the time Of the first fight by order of
Colonel Miller did not call upon any of the
county officers to aid him in maintaining
peace, because he believed they were inter-
esed with the negroes in the movement.
When I first saw Crosby that day he was
under arrest had no conversation with him
or any Of his deputies in regard to preserv.
| ing peace.
| Crosby was offered his liberty, but it was
suggested to him that be was safer in Jail
| than in the courthouse. He was not taken
| there till the afternoon of the next day, He
remained there till the following week, when
| he was taken out and sent TO jackson !; had
nothing to do with putting him in Jail !;
| thought had no right to restrain him; had
heard seven negroes were killed in Grove
street fight, thirty on jackson street, and
about twelve or fifteen on Cherry-Street
road.
| To General Hurlbut: Colonel Miller's
command was of armed citizens, without any
regular organization; Captain Cowan also
acted as an officer. / was down on the leyee
when the bells rang. Colonel Miller acted
under orders from me, but was not present
when the command started out. They were
called out under the spur of the moment,
and variously armed, some on horseback,
but mostly on foot. Colonel Baird bad no
regiment. The armed citizens We're from
Flcksburg; about one hundred came from
Louisiana next day, but they had no part in
the fighting. Colonel Baird was appointed
! by the Taxpayers League to take charge of
Crosby, which be did. Colonel Miller's men
we're adopted as part of the police force.
To Mr.. Speer: The last census showed the
population Of VickSburg to be 1000, with
a majority Of blacks. The majority of the
latter in Warren was three to one. The
arming of citizens was to repel attack only
1t was supposed that the negroes were acting
under the orders of Crosby and Governor
Ames. Those on Grove street were COM
manded by Andy Owens. Cannot remem.
Der the names Of other commanders. Those
on Grove street had come from Baldwin's
ferry, twenty-three miles our. In all there
were about ], 400 armed blacks. Those in
the city had arms then and no,c. Some
stated their purpose was to reinState Crosby.
others said to plumber the town-they had
wagons and racks for this purpose. That
was the apprehension of citizens. This
question gave rise to considerable discussion
among members of the committee, but was
finally allowed
The Mayor, continuing 3" Miller's orders
were simply to defend the city +; in all there
were about 225 men engaged 10 fighting.
After the negroes were driven back business
was resumed as usual. There has been no
disorder since. The fight did not arise on
the color line, but from Crosby's resigna.
ton, and the attempt Of negroes to reinstate
him."
TO Mr.. Speer: Governor Ames's state
ment in bis proclamation that the whites
wanted to deprive the negroes of their
rights because of their color was untrue no
such thing was ever even limited at.
To MIR. Conger: The lat@meetug of the
Taxpayers League was to make Crosby
give good bonds or resign.
To MIR. Speer: An Injunction bad been
granted few days before by the Chancery
Court restraining Crosby from acting as
sheriff, but did not know whether notice
had been served on him.
To Mr.. O'Brien: The Tax Payers League
was composed of Democrats and Repuuli-
cans, and the most substantial aud inf1uen-
tial men Of the city. Mr.. Woodruff the
PRESIDENT was Republican. Men who
armed on the day of the fight belonged to
both parties. Prior to the fight taxation and
rascaIlty had forced decent Republicans to
! quit the party.
On being asked to specify the rascals, the
Mayor named Crosby (co!ored sheriff) and
Dorsey (colored circuit clerk). No colored
men Of the city took part in the fight.
General Horace Miller, who commanded
the citizens in the fight, testified, giving SUBJ
stantially the same account as has heretofore
been given.
On cross. examination Miller said General
Packer, of Governor Ames's staff, told him
that he and Colonel Lee had on Sunday night
tried to get horses to send out ard COUNTER
mand Crosby's orders to the negroes, but
failed to get horses; but Crosby had agreed
to send runners on foot until they could get
horses, and then countermand all such or.
ders. Packer had left Crosby believing this