Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-10-26

:umot1on OF 1gf YoM1eal, S0e1at,
J., THURSDAY,
proes issued from the swamp and hurried to
reinforce their friends, who numbered origi
nally about thirty. The whites, fearing the
swamp was filled with armed negroes, retired
precipitately to neighboring open field, and
the first fight of the campaign was over. II
is proven by the afidavits of more than q
dozen men, including the colored Justice, that
the negroes made the first fire, opening upon
the posse in the defle as is described above
The whites then, instead of returning to the
attack, determined to hold parley. They
procured white flag, and sent it by a negro
woman into the swamp, asking for confer.
ence with the blacks. The woman returned
shortly afterward, saying that the negroes re-
fused to hold any communication with the
whites. She was returned to the swamp, with
more pressing invitation for conference
She did not return at all, but negro came
out unarmed, and stated that if the whites
would send forward six men named in list
he held in his hand, the blacks would give
them conference. The whites agreed, and
the six men entered the swamp. This was at
about 5 oclock on Sunday. The whites show
ed their warrant ofarrest, and demanded the
negro Pope. The blacks replied that Pope
was not with them, and had not been. The
whites, upon hearing this, agreed that they
would disperse and 60 home, if the negroes
would do the same thing. This was arranged,
and the conference terminated.
The whites at once dispersed and started
home, Mr. Brown riding off BY himself; Mr..
Stallings and Mr.. John Williams taking
another road, and thirteen members of the
posse riding in scattered groups toward Dou'
BILE Bridge, where they expected to cross.
These thirteen men we're scattered along
the road, Messrs. Ashley and two others r.
ding some 300 yards in advance. When
these gentlemen approached the bridge, wa.
ding through dense swamp, about score of
armed negroes jumped up and seized Ashley
Three or four guns were raised toward him,
when Bryant Counsel, a captain of the negro
company, knocked the guns down with his
sword, crying, "Don't shoot the man-don't t
shootW He succeeded for moment and
then cried to Ashley, "You will have to save
yourself, sir; I can't save you" Ashley at
once put spurs to his horse and rushed of.
He was fired on by several negroes and struck
in the back by several small shot. His COM
panions followed, one of them losing his gun
and another having his trowsers' leg torn of
by negro who attempted to pull him from
his horse.
In the meantime the whites behind Ashley,
hearing the firing, galloped sharply forward.
As they entered the swamp, eleven in number,
they were met with brisk volley, and Jim
Bush, James Cochran, D. w. Crosland and
Sid Hankenson were wounded. Five Of the
whites stood firm and leveled their guns. The
negroes rushed on them, Basil Bryant and
Wilkins Hamilton leading the charge. The
whites fred steadily, and Basil Bryant fell
dead, and Hamilton fell sharply wounded.
The whites then hastily retreated, each one
plunging into the swamp at separate points
Just one.half hour later-this rencontre oc.
curing at about 6 o'clock on Sunday-the
negroes opened the ball in another direction,
some FIVE miles distant, near Silverton. Mr..
John Williams and Stallings. two members
of the dispersed posse, who were quietly riding
home, were fred on by three negroes who were
lying. down under q large 4trea. r., 9eAa-Mii7
liams fell dead on the instant, and Mr.. Stal.
lings' horse was killed. He lesped off and
sprung into the woods and made his escape.
At Just about this time the skies were red
dened in the direction of Ellenton by heavy
and various fires, caused by the burning of q
mill, gin house and barn on the place of DR..
Bailey. These had been fired by the negroes.
Every point of the above is supported by
the fullest affidavits from both whites and
blacks. 1t appears that the negroes, after
agreeing to a treaty of dispersal, which the
whites observed in perfect faith, broke the
peace in three particulars First, by the firing
on the eleven men at Double Bridge, and
wounding four of them; second, by the firing
on Williams and Stallings, by which the for
mer was killed third, by the burning of the
Bailey outhouses. 1t must be remembered
that these events occurred within two hours
Of each other. They covered an area of
twelve miles, proving conclusively that sever
al bands of negroes we're at work with mur.
derous intent. Occurring in the night time
as they did, the scattered members Of the
posse believed that the whole negro race OF
the county were in arms and bent on murder,
rapine and arson. They sped in different d.
rections, rallying the white people and calling
for aid. This movement commenced at l!
o'clock. By 2 o'clock possibly 200 mounted
white men were hurrying toward Silverton,
where they were massed at about daylight
Col. A. P. Butler and Capt. G. W. Croft were
at the head of affairs.
At daylight Monday morning, the white
column commenced moving briskly toward
EIlenton. As they were passing through the
Cowdon plantation, they were met by a very
excited courier, who announced that the ne
groes had wrecked the train on the Port Roy
al Railroad, hard by, and we're around the
wreck in great numbers. They charged down
upon the point of the wreck, being covered by
high grass hedge, until they were fairly upon
the negroes. They fired in upon the armed
men standing around the train and killed one
negro wounding none. The negroes fired
few panicky shots and scattered.
News then came that the wreckers had re-
tired on Elenton, where they had been met
by company of Barnwell negroes, under 81
mon Coker, and were in full and dangerous
possession of the town. Upon reaching the
town they found that the negroes had just left,
one party going toward Rouse's Bridge and
the other, under Coker, going toward Penn
Branch Swamp, where they expected to am.
bush white reinforcenents that we're coming
from Barnwell county, under command of
Gen. Hagood. The whites-it then being
about 4 o'clock on Monday-pushed on to