The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1876-12-21

and order and obedience to law 1 do not
think there vas. muck in the back part of
the parish of East Baton Rouge, or any,
where in the parish of East Feliciana. This
is based, of course, on what information 7
could get from the people of those parishes
and the officers of nv command away from
my own station at Baton Rouge Many
Democrats in the town of Baton Rouge, I
do not not now recall the wards, admitted
to me on more than one occasion that many
violent acts were being done in the back
country which they did not approve Of
The organization of the Democratic clubs
partook of, as far as could Judge and OBJ
serve, military character My instruc-
tions to my subordinate commanders were
to be at all times prepared to prevent disor-
ders, collisions or blood shed in whatever
form it might appear This was for the
reason that the civil authorities, especially
in the parishes of East and West Feliciana
and East Baton Rouge, had on former oc-
casions been powerless to prevent collisions
and bloodished. In most of the cases they
were unable to arrest the perpetrators of
violence on the part Of citizens of the par
ishes, fearing to exercise their legal func-
tions through apprehensions of violence to
themselves. As an instance coming under
my personal observation, | would state that
about the middle of June last / was coming
down the Mississippi river from Vicksburg
to New Orleans on the steamboat katie"
| observed about 30 o'clock one morning
a body Of armed men on the boat Upon
inquiry | learned that it was company
going below Mount Pleasant to flank body
of negroes, intrenched on a hill The COM
pany numbered about twenty men, and
seemed to me thoroughly organized They
had with them negro prisoner. They
were landed about two miles below Mount
Pleasant, and they marched in that direc-
ton. | afterward learned from parties at
the place that day think the sheriff of
Of East Baton Rouge for one that this was
but small portion Of the force at Mount
Pleasant. What they did is matter of
public notoriety. In Baton Rouge parish,
in the town Of Baton Rouge, and the two
wards next below the town, on the river,
do not think there was any reason why a
voter could not vote as he chose In what
is called the back country, which includes
the balance of the parish, [ think the sys-
TEN of threats, whipping and killing, which
has existed Tor the past ten months, has SO
completely terrorized the timid blacks that
but few of them would dare to vote as they
pleased. As to the fact Of many black men
having been killed 10y unknown persons, [
would say that | know such to be the case,
from examination Of the inqucsts, which
did not cover all the cases found dead, for
the reason, given to me by the coroner in
person, that he had been notified to hold
no more inquests iii the country, and WAS
threatened with violence 10 himself if he
did so. In East FeIiciana parish the re-
cord Of the vote cast there for the Republi-
can ticket would seem to indicate COM
plete terrorism on the part Of the Republi-
cans of that parish. My own Judgment,
based upon the Information received from
large number of black voters of this
parish, is that the threats made and the
acts committed by The whites against the
blacks, or, IN other words, by the Demo
Gratis against the black Republicans, were
OF such nature ANA Of such force as to
deter the Republicans from voting as they
chose or at all
Gen BrooEe vas subjected to a we're
cross-exan,ination by the Democratic law
yers, but his testimony Was not impaired in
any way.