New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-23
PROTECTION OF CITIZENS
WHERE TROOPS ARE REQUIRED
AN ihCi0ENTsDF THE TEXAS DEBATE

Texas border troubles ha d been discussed
in the House of Representatives, for several
days The needs OF the border tor protec
tion we're ably presented by tie Texas
members. TIE question Of increasing the
military force was tas special matter con
Hdered on the fifteenth instant, when, ac
,ord:nz 70 the Record. the following pro
seedlings were had:
MI. Smslle-I offer the amendment which
send to the desk.
The Clerk read az follows;
add to the first section az * Lows:
Provided, that no troops for tne purposes
named in this section sh ali be drawn from
the State Of South Carolina 60 long as the
militia of that State peaceaDly assemblies
are assaulted, d!sarmed and taken prisoners,
and then massacrsi in cold blood by law
less bands of men invading that State from
the State Of Georgia"
Mr.. Smalls-1 hope the House will adopt
that proviso as an amendment to the bill.
As I have only five minutes | send to the
desk letter published il oAe of the news
papers here from an eye witness of the mas.
eacre at Hamburg, and ! ask the Clerk to
read it.
The Clerk read as follows:
THE origin of the difficulty, as learn
from the best and most reliable authority,
is as follows: On the fourth of July the
colOred people of the town were engaged
in celebrating the dav. and part of the cele-
bration consisted in the parade Of the col
ored militia company. After marching
through the principal streets OF the town
the company came to hal. across one OF
the roads leading out of the town. While
resting there two white men drove up in
buggy, and with curses ordered the COM
pany to break ranks and let them pass
through. The captain of the company re-
piled that there was plenty Of room or
either eide of the company, and they could
pass that way. The white men continued
cursing and refused to turn out. So the
captain Of the militia, to avoid difficulty,
ordered his men to break ranks and permit
the buggy to pass through"
Mr.. Schleicher-I rise to point of order.
I wish to know if the proposition is germane
to the bill.
Several membera-Too late.
The Chairman-The Chair desires to say
that it strikes him az being as gernane az
other propositions which have been gener.
ally entertained to make it allowable
The Clerk continued the reading of the
letter, as follows:
"The order was obsyed, and tae white
men went on .heir way uttering threats.
Ths next dag a colored trial justice issued
processes against the officers of the COM
pany, based OF the complaint Of the two
white men, citing the officers to appear and
answer 70 a charge OF ohstructing the pub.
lie highway. They oDeyed the writs, AID
after slight examination the Justice ai-
j0urned TIE trial until Saturday, the eighth
instant. Ca that day. at an early hour, The
town commenced 20 iil up with white men,
armed to the teeth with repeating rifles and
revolvers. The coiorei people bad no idea
&c L. ~.
take place. and cons. quent!y made ~ pre-
parations to resist an attack, and Ters al
most detenseless.
Late in the afternoon Genera. NJ c.
Butler, one OF the mos. maligua.. O.: the
Uureccnstructed rebels, rode into The town,
2seompan:ei by score Of wei.-armei wh:.s
men, and stated TO the leading co.ored IA E
tast rs came for the purpose Of prosecuting
the case on the part Of the two white men,
anG he demanded that the militia CON.
pAny should give up their arms AID
Hso surrender their officers. This de.
u and the militia WAS ready 70 comply
with for the purpose OF avoiding Diff
oulty il General Butler would guarantee
them entire safety trcm moiestation by the
crowd of white desperadoes. This Butler
refused to do. and persisted in his demand
for the surrender of the guns and the OIL
GERS, and threatened that if the surrender
W as NV iiilAloAlslc!y uEub Uc WUuIO .dAS
the guns ana officers By force of arms. This
threat aroused the militia company TO re-
alizing sense OF their impending danger,
and they at once repaired to large brick
building, some two hundred yards from the
river, used by them as an armorv, and
there took refuge. They numbered in all
about forty men and had very small
quantity Of ammunition During this time.
while the militia were taking refuge in their
armory the white desperadOes were coming
into the town in large numbers, not only
from the adjacent county of Edgeheld, out
also from the city of Augusta. Georgia, IN
til they numbered over 1900 well-armed
and rufhaRly men, who were under the
immediate command and direction of the
ex-rebel chief, NJ. G. Butler. After the en-
tire force had arrived, the building where
the militia had taken refuge was entirely
and brisk fire opened upon it,
This fire was kept up for some two hours
when, finding that the militia could not be
by small arms, q messeng ger was
sent TO Augusta for artillery. During all
this time rot shot had been fred by the |
The artillery arrived and was
posted on the bank of the river and opened
Ere or the building with grape and CAMS.
7er.
The Clerk resumed the reading of the |
paper, % follows:
THE militia now realized that it was |
lscessary to evacuste the armory at once. |
they proceeded to do so, getting ont Of a
ack window into q corn field. They were
on discovered by the rutisns, and q rush
Vss made for them. Fortunately, by hid
,g and hard fighting, portion of the com.