New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-03
The OUACHITA BULLDoZERs
ADDITIONAL TESTIMONY
THE EXPERIENCES OF BEN JAMES

THE EXPEklENU6S VI BIN JAMIE
The following portion of the proceedings
before the Returning Board, ON Tuesday
last, was omitted at the time for want o.
space:
Ben James was called and sworn by Gov
ernor Wells.
General Anderson-Here are the interro
Rat0ries to Ben James:
Ouestion-Where do you live! How long
have you lived there and 60 on and state
how old you are, whether you were az
officer of the late election, how often you
have been an election officer before?
Answer-I live in Ouachita; am forty
years old; have been in Ouachita parish
since August, 1865, to this present time, ever
since was q voter; have been an officer
of that poll (LogtOwn) twice; was sent
down there to deliver tickets.
QuestiOn-GO on and state whether you
ha1 charge of the poll box at the late cleo
ton, and what you did with it on the morn
ing of the election; state whether you we're
interfered with going to the polls, and Dy
whom; state ell that was done to you.
Answer-On November Z, in the morn.
ing, at one O'Clock, started from Monroe
with the box for the polls twelve miles be-
low Monroe; when 1 got down about two
miles below the city / was halted at the
end of the lape where the two lanes come
together by two y0nng gentlemen; one by
the name Of Cook, don't know his other
name, but know him very we'll; the other
don't know what they call him; he asked
me where I was going; l told him l was
going down to Logtown to carry the voting
box; he told me couldn't 60; that would
Horo 60 noo NJ uooN. thou oallo6 Mr. Head
and he asked me where l was going, and l
told him was going down to LogtOwn with
the voting box; he said, "Whst you got in
it," saws papers and ink, what they gener-
ally put in it. Well, he says, you can't 60;
we will have to send you down to head
quarters to have the box examined. Then
q couple of young men got on their horses,
and told me to come on, and they started
on, and when We was in the lane that di.
vides Pargoud's and Downs place, and got
about fifty yards, somebody says: "Halt;
who goes there'" The young gentlemen
said, "Scott;" one of them would ride for.
ward and whisper, and ned say, "P ASS on"
We went on again about fifty yards. and
heard, "Halt. who goes there?" and one
of the young men said, ''Scott," and one
would ride forward. whisper, and pass
on; and We went on about the same dis
lance again, and again, "Halt; who goes
thereW "Scottw "Pass on" The time l
got about the stopping place. l
reckon it was at the end Of the lane in front
of Joe Mitchell's dwelling house, and there
was q great log fire, with Q lot of men lying
all around; don't know how many there
was; there was some lying down and sOme
riding about; when l rode up there l got
Young men rode of; after while up comes
Joe Mitchell, and Bob Enderson came
around me, looked, and then I seen all of
them whispering about there; after awhile
they said, "All right" and Joe Mitchell
said to me, "Come to me-" was standing
there at the fire; / wac down, and l says,
must i ride or walk and he says, "YOu
can ride If you want, or You can leave
your pony there;" then Joe Mitchell he
came up, and he says I wish
had double bsrreled shotgun; that was
when he was getting on his horse; then he
told me to march on down the road; then
get that double-barreled shotgun" l just
knew was going to be killed; l hadn't got
ten steps from the fire when knowed they
was going to kill me, when I broke and
went through the woods; just then they
shooting, and | heard Joe
Mitchell boiler, ''dOn't shoot me-" but they
kept shooting, and finally he shot off his
guns, when that arm dropped; l
was then about thirty or forty yards
Of the fence; went to the tence
and jumped over, and there was
q ditch right along it on the other
side and fell; l couldn't lay there long,
but thought it was best to lay right fst:
be said: "Never mind, God damn him, l
they come up to me, and one put the pis-
tol right along here-yOu can see the mark; l
was watching him and he fired; then l was
,peechless for don't know how long; after
awhile, when / come to, raised up from
The ditch; seed no one; l crept over the
bank of dirt and went Oh; after q little
while stumbled again and laid for awhile;
hen picked up my arm and got away; be-
ore I got away l ruined into another ditch
and fell in that, but l crept out and had
another start, and just when crossed the
Dig road commenced throwing up.
General Anderson-Do you mean yomit-
ng9
Answer-Yee, fell and could not get up
10 and went about five feet and fell again,
md there lay and couldn't get up, and
tsyed there until the next day, until nine or
en- o'clock; reckon it was about that time
got up sgain; was near blind; l couldn't
zee as we'll as now on this side, but l knew
7ery we'll where Colonel Pargoud's house
vas, and was near there; took up that
Dad as fast as could, and when I got up
here to the fence back of the stable was
10 tired didn't think could get home by
myself, 40 commenced calling Lawrence,
lawrence, cOlOred man there, and some
# them got the alarm, and when they got
here they said, "This lie Ben James, and he
9 shot," then after that Colonel Pargoud
anne out, and George Henderson asked
he colonel to please carry me home; he
aid he would; he called Lawrence and
le got cart and got an old man and car
led me across the yard next to the river
,ank; they allowed me to ride over the
fridge; they got me into the cart and sent
ne home; they took my pistol also; this
vOung man named Buckmean is the man, if
am not mistaken, that took my pistol;
ook it to be him; don't know what be-
anne of the box, pistol, saddle, horse or
'nything else; some man fetched my hat to
lame was Philip Jackson, q colored man.
Mr.. Casanave-You spoke about pistol
icing put up to your head; was that pistol
hot Off?
Answer-Yes, sir, it was shot off; don't
'ou see the mark here, and it hurts me like
Question-State what your politics are,
md whether you were shot because you
we're Radical.
Answer am q member Of the Repub-
lean party, and was shot for my political
opinion; nothing else that know Of; those
men never had no hard feelings between
ne and themselves; live friendly together;
leighbors together.
Answer-SJate what you know about the
ormation of rifle clubs; whether they forced
he Republicans being kept away from the
POLLS because of fear.
Answer-Yes, sir; and there was rifle
'lubs there; Twas q constable, elected in
S4, and went through the country q great
leal, riding about, and made it my bust
less to talk with them, to tell them how to
get along, how to have meetings.; ever since
his last gone May there has been rifle clubs