The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-08-31
THE TROUBLES ON COMBAHEE.
Another Strike on the Rice Plantations
Outrageous Conduct Of the Rioters
The sheriff and his Posse Overp0w


The Sheriff and his Posse Overpow-
cred.
From the Caar,eston Ne,rs end Courier, Augas 23rd.
On Saturday last reports reached the
city of another and very serious strike of
the hands on the rice plantations of the
Combahee, but at the urgent solicitation
of leading planters, who hoped that the
trouble might be speedily adjusted, the
accounts of the affair forwarded by the
correspondents of the NeWs and Courier
have for two days been withheld from the
public.
The strike this time began upon the
Beaufort side of the Combahee. In spite
of the last strike which occurred several
months ago, and which was marked like
this, by scenes of violence and lawless
ness, most of the planters had obtained
labor at fair rate. It seems that the
prevailing price of labor during the
planting season was fifty cents task, in
due bills, a task being such as an ordi-
nary field hand could easily accomplish
before midday. During harvest time the
planters agreed to pay one dollar task,
Mr.. Bissell agreeing to pay his hands at
the end of each week in greenbacks.
The day after this agreement the labor
ers, evidently instigated by evil counsel
lors, demanded 81 so task, payable at
the close of each day. The strikers Or
ganized on Friday last, and nearly all the
laborers on the extensive plantations Of
Messrs. Bissell Brothers & Co. struck.
Some ofthem offered to remain at work,
but these were soon intimidated by the
strikers, and were compelled to. seek
refuge in fight. On Saturday when the
strike reached Harbony, one of the Bis
sell plantations, Mr.. Bissell had quanti-
ty of rice cut and threshed and ready for
pounding. Steam was up in the mills,
and it was intended to convey the rice to
Yemassee in time to reach Charleston for
shipment to New York. The strikers re-
fused to allow any one to handle it, and
allowed no one to cross the ferry. After
some parleying, however, the rice wagon
was ferried across, the rice gathered up,
and the wagon driven to Yemassee by
the proprietors of the plantation them
selves. The new rice was then shipped
to Charleston. 80
This is the substance of the advices re-
ceiyed on Saturday and Sunday. Our
correspondent at Green Pond states, in a
dispatch received on Sunday morning,
that the laborers still working on the
Harbony plantation we're driven from
their work by the strikers and forced to
take refuge in a barn. In his dispatch, :
received on Sunday night, he states that:
'"The negro strikers say they intend to
kill all the whites, from the cradle up,
and to harvest the rice crops for them
selves"
On Monday DR.. Bissell went to Beau
fort Court House, and secured the ser.
vices Of an officer Of the law, whose, sub
sequent movements are given below
The rice harvested by Mr.. Bissell, if not
delayed in shipment, would probably
have been the first rice Of the new. crop
in the market. The strikers seemed to
be aware of this, and in order to do as
much damage as possible, would not
allow it to be moved until Monday.
Four of the hands engaged at work on it
were driven into barn and kept locked
up all day. A meeting Of the rice
planters was held in this city on Monday
morning, and q committee of four of their
number appointed to 60 to Columbia to
confer with Governor Chamberlain,
with view of devising some means, not
to compel the negroes to work for the
prices offered by the planters, but to en-
sure the protection of those laborers who
are willing and, in many instances,
anxious to work. Governor Chamber
lain, however, was in Abbeyille, and
communication was opened with him by
telegraph.
A letter from Beaufort states that
while DR.. II. E. Bissell was in that place
seeking protection for the laborers who
wished to work, Mr.. Henry NJ. Fuller,
trial Justice, of Sheldon, came in and re-
ported strike on his rice fields, led by
thirty or forty negroes armed with sticks,
pistols, &C., who forced all laborers to
Join them. He telegraphed information
to Governor Chamberlain of the existing
state of affairs, and received reply from
the Governor ordering him to tissue aoar.
rants and the sheriff to summon posse and
arrest the guilty parties If 1t takes every
man in the co,taty." In obedience to this
order, Trial Justice Fuller on Tuesday
morning, accompanied by Mr.. Barnwell
Sans, deputy sheriff, acting in the
absence of Sheriff Wilson, and posse Of
about seventy-five to one hundred mount
ed men, proceeded to Gardner's Corner
to suppress meeting of rioters and
strikers to be held at that place. Sheriff
Sans telegraphed for an additional posse
from Yemassee, and ten men repaired to
Gardner's Corner to meet him. A num-
Der of citizens from Green Pond and the
Jointly also went to the rendezvous. A
dispatch received last evening from
Yemassee, says: ~, :.
"The sheriff and trial justice, with
their posse, went down near Combahee
this morning for the purpose of arresting
the rioters. They arrested several of the
instigators and placed, them in charge Of
two constables to convey them to Jail.
These were met by a mob of strikers and
the prisoners were taken away. The
sheriff, with his posse, has proceeded to
arrest the mob. These have not been
heard from yet. There may be diff
Guilty"
Later dispatches from Yemassee, re.
ceived at II o'clock last night, indicated
that the situation of affairs was viewed
there with much anxiety. Itwas certain
that the sheriff's posse had proved too
weak, numerically, to deal with the tur-
bulent and excited multitude which they
had hoped to dispense, and for several
hours grave fears were entertained for the
safety of the citizens composing the
posse, as nothing could be heard Of them.
They had gone into the region where the
strikers had everything pretty much their
own way, and it was said that the bridges
had been cut down behind them. At
last accounts, however, courier had
just come in and reported that the posse,
though in a perilous position, had not so
far met with any serious disaster. Ur-
gent calls were made for help to control
the strikers.