New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-08
A SOLDIERS STORY
the STATE OF AFFAIRS IN 0UACRITA

Official Statement Of Colonel Clayton
hale, United States Army.
The following testimony Of Brevet Lieu
tenant Colonel Hale, of the Sixteenth Uni
ted States Infantry, was filed before the Re
turning Board at its recent session:
Questioa-What is your name, rank and
number of the regiment to which you be-
long!
Answer-My name is Clayton Hale; EN-
captain of the Sixteenth lntautrv. and
brevet lieutenant colonel OF the United
States srny.
Question-Have you ever been stationed
with a company trcm your regiment in
Monroe, Ouachita parish, Louisiana:
Answer-I was stationed and in command
of company III, of tho Sixteenth In
fantry, aud also or a company ~ Of the
Thirteenth Infantry, at ,nrce, lii Ouachita
parish. Louisiana.
Q1estior-On what day did You assume
command of the post at Mouroe, Onachte
parish, Louisiana!
Answer-I assumed command OF the post
and of sli the trocps at Monroe, Ouachita
parish, Lruisisna. on the twen:y-icnrth day
of September. 1876.
Ouestiln-Name the commissioned Off
GERS who served with you at that post ii ON
the time you assumed commspd until the
eighth day of November, 1876,
Answer-First Lieutenant 5. X Manon,
Sixteenth Iutantry, served with NE ut Mon
Eos froDl the twenty-tourth until the TWEEN
tvssventh of September, when l sent him
with O. detachment of twenty men 10 Bas-
1rop, Morehoas parish. at which p'ace he
was stationed with said datacbment until
the ninth Of November, 1876. First Lieu
tenant Henry NJ. McCawley, Thirteenth ln-
fantry, served with me at Monroe frt M the
date assumed command (twen'F fourth of
September until November IL, 1876
Question-What was the special duty
with which you we're charged as command
ant of taat posi-.
Auswer-l was charged generally with
the preservation OF peace in the parishes OF
Ouachita and MOrehOnse; 20 take such steps
and do euch acts as migh ht dt EN- necessary
to prevent collisions between armed men;
to interfere and prevent any act or acts On
the part OF any person or persons that might
result in breach of the peace or the shed.
ding of blood; to the extent OF my ability,
to afford prOtection to all citizens of those
parishes in the exercise OF their political
rights, aud to prevent unlawful interference
by any one in the legal expression Of the
political acts Of others.
Queeti0n-Did you ever, in the discharge
of your special duty, send detachment OF
troops to accompany the Republican speak.
ers in their canvass Of the parishs
Answer-I did not send detachments OF
United States troops to accompany Repno'
llcan speakers in their canvass # the paris h.
did however, send detachments of troops
to different points in Oaachita parish where
Republican meetings were appointed to be
held, and on none of these occasions. when
detactments were sent, did they start with
Republican speakers or with any person or
persons going to those meetings. On sew
eral of those occasions the detachment ts
were overt AIKEN on the road by the Repab-
loan speakers and other persons en- route to
the places OF meeting. My instructions to
the officers commanding these Getachments
were to station the de;acbments near the
places OF meetiBg, but not on or IN vlsW OF
the ground where the meetings were held,
and TO ayoid display OF troops at such
meetings. unless necessary to do so 10 pre-
serve the peace, and not TO allow the de-
tachments to fern part of any political
procession or display; and if, while en- route
10 such meetings, the detacbments were
overtaken by political professions or by
persons making political displays, 20 halt
the detachnents TO permit such procession n
or persOrs 10 pass; wkile Oh such duty not
to hold conversation with any citizen On
political subjects. and to forbid his men
having conversation with any person or
persons on any subject.
Question-It yes, state how many times.
where to and what commissioned officer
was in command of said detachments!
Answer-O0 the twenty first or DC.
touer ultimO q Republican meeting was held
in the courthouse square, in Monroe. On
that occasion all of the troops were strictly
kept in their camp, one milo distant from
the place OF meeting. The arms were in stack
and the men held in readiness to move. L
sent Lieutenant McCawley OF the Thir-
teenth Infantry, accompanied by an orderly,
to attend the meeting, and instructed him
in case unlawful attempts were made to
interrupt or disturb the meeting to exert
himself in the restoration of order by ad-
monition to persons engaged IN such un!aW-
full sttt mpts to desist, and if unable by
his personal efforts to prevent disorder
from occurring, to sent his orderly with
information OF that fact to me in camp.
On the twenty.fourth OF October l sent
Lieutenant McCawley and a detachment OF
eleven men to Grady's schoclhouse, on the
Island. in Ouachita parish, fifteen lniles
from Monroe, where a Republican meeting
was appointed to he held. October q, L
sent Lieutenant McCawley and eleven
men to Dinkgrave schoolhouse, six wlles
below Monroe, On the OuaCnita river,
where public meeting was held. On the
thirtieth of October l sent Lieutenant Ne
Cawley and eleven men to Cuba, in Ouach-
ira parish, twenty miles distant from
Monroe, where a Republican meeting was
held. On the first of November again sent
Lieute ant McCawley and eiaven men to
Grady's schoolhouse, on the Island, here
a Republican meeting was held. Aud on
the third day of November l went in per,
son, Lieutenant McCawley being sick, with
eleven men to St. James Chapel, on the
Island, in Ouschita parish, twenty one
miles distant from Monroe, where Re
publican meeting was held.
OuestiOn-Stare the condition OF affaire
which led you to deem it advisable to SEND
these detachments as above.
Answer-The condition of affairs in
Ouachita parish at the dates referred
to in my answer . the seventh
interrOgatory was vary much unset
tied; strong feeling Of political bit.
terness and intolerance was apparan!
dents of it; complaints were made to me
daily by negroes, OF being driven from theiI
homes, of bsing thre atened, whipped and
treated with other acts of violence, of their
houses invaded at night by masked
and armed white men, OF visits by commit
tees from Democratic clubs and ct Motif.
cations from such committees to join Demo
cratic clubs within stated periods, under
penalty Of death; 80 intense was the mani,
testatiOn of intolerance and so determined
was the threatening attitude Of this lawless
class of white men that the coioreo popnia'
tion of the parish seemed to have been re-
duced to the most abject condition OF ter
ror and helplessness. Mounted ana armeo
ORGANIZATIONS of white men were formed IN
different parts of the parish, and the acts
and influence of these armed and mounted
organizations seemed to have effectuaily
repressed whatever law-abiding sentiment