The Portland daily press., 1876-07-20
THE HAMBURG MASSACRE.
LETTER FROM GOV. CHAM-
BERLAIN.
Six Negroes Shot Down i'm Cold Blood
Full Statement of the Horrible Affair
ns Given by the Executive of the star

WASHINGTON, July 1S.-Governor Chamber
lain makes the following perspicuous state
ment concerning the affair at Hamburg, S. c.,
few days ago:
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
COLUMBIA, July Is, 1876
The Hon. e. j. Robertson, United States Sena-
tor, Washington, ID. g.
DEAR SIR,-YOur request for statement
from me Uf the recent bloody affair at
Hamburg in this State was duly received L
have waited before replying until official re-
ports and statements should be received
There are now before me official reports of the
Attorney General and the Adiutant and In
spector Generals, the testimony taken at the
Coroner's inquest, and the written statements
of several other persons who were present and
witnessed the whole or part of the affair. /
will present to you as briefly as possible the
leading facts as they appear from the evidence
to which have referred.
On the 4th of July instant company of the
State militia (colored) were marching along
one OF the streets of Hamburg. The street vas
over one hundred feet wide, and the company
was marching in columns of fours. While so
marching it was met by two young white men
in buggy, who insisted in keeping their course
in the street without regard to the movements
of the militia, and drove against the head of
the column, which thereupon halted. Some
parleying took place, which resulted in the
company yielding opening their ranks and al
lowing the young men to proceed on their
course. On the following day the young men
referred to took out warrants of arrest against
some of the officers of the militia company,
who were brought before trial justice for trial.
The trial was afterwards adjourned till D. m.
Saturday, the Sth instant. Before that hour
arrived on Saturday many white citizens from
the country around Hamburg began to gather
in the town, armed with guns and pistols. The
militia company, in the mean while, had as
sembled at their armory in the village, and at
the hour set for trial the defendant did not ap-
pear, At this point it has been stated in dis
patches and newspapers that the militia Off
GERS, having defed the authority of the trial
justice, the citizens were called on to assist the
trial justice by acting as his posse. Nothing of
the kind. in fact, occurred. The militia failed
to appear because of their fear of injury at the
hands of armed white men. and the trial JUS
tice, after formally calling them, took no fur
ther steps to caase their presence in his court,
on account of the excitement and the evidences
of an impending conflict.
While affairs were in this condition, there be-
ing, according to all accounts, from 200 to 300
armed white men from the surrounding country
in the town, demand was made by the whites
for the surrender to them of the arms of the
militia. An hour or two passed in negotiations
concerning this demand, the whites informing
the militia company that if the arms were not
given up in a short time (most of the witnesses
say in half hour) the whites would open fire
on the militia The militia refused to deliver
up their arms, saying that the demand was
wholly unwarranted and illegal, and that they
had reason to fear for their lives if they gave
up their arms. A brisk fire was then opened
by the whites upon the building in which the
militia were assembled, and soon after one of
the attacking party was killed by shot from
the militia in the building. A piece of artil-
lery was thereupon brought across the bridge
from Augusta, loaded with canister and fred
several times at the building. This had the eff
feet to cause the militia to endeavor to make
their escape from the rear of the building.
The town marshal of Hamburg-a colored man
who was leaving the building, was instantly
shot by the attacking party. While thus en-
deavoring to escape from the building, twenty
or twenty-five of the militia were captured by
the attacking party and kept under guard for
several hours. Finally about two o'clock on
the morning of the 9th OF July-Sunday-afte
consultation among their captors, and with
complete apparent deliberltion, five of the cap
tured militiamen were marched out, one by
one, and shot to death in the presence of a
large body of their captorS. The rest of the
captured parry were either turned loose or
broke loose and ran. They were fired upon as
they ran, and three of them severely wounded
one of them mortally.
Attorney General Stone thus succinctiy re-
a. T. Attaway out of the ring He and his
| mother begged for his life but in vain. He
| was told to turn round aud was shot to death
| by the crowd. David Phillips was next taken
| out and was similarly killed. Pompey Garry
bystanders Henry Getzen and DIR. Pierce But
| Ter, and called on them to keep the other men
| from killing him. He ran, and was shot as he
ran, one bullet striking him in the leg below
| the knee. Afterwards Albert Myniart, Moses
Parks and Hampton Stevens were killed
| Stevens did not belong to the company"
The Attorney General, who has personally
| visited Hamburg, thus concludes his official re-
| port to me: making due allowance for errors
| in minor details, these facts show that the de-
made by persons without lawful authority to
| enforce such demard, or to receive the arms
| had they been surrendered; that the attack on
the militat to compel a compliance with this
| demand was without justification or excuse /;
i and that after there had been some 20 or %
prisoners captured and completely in the pow
/ er Of their captors, and without means of max
! ing further resistance, five of them were DELHI
i erately shot to death and three more severely
/ wounded. Such was the affair at Hamburg.
If you can find words to characterize its atroci-
4 ty and barbarlsm, the triviality of the causes,
| the murderous and inhuman spirit which
| marked it in all its stages, your power OF Ian
! guage exceeds mine. 1t presents darker pic
ture OF human cruelty than the slaughter OF
/ Custer and his soldiers, for they were shot in
/ open battle. The victims at Hamburg were
murdered in cold blood after they had sarren.
i dered and were utterly defenseless No occa-
/ sion existed for causing the presence of a sin
| gle armed citizen in Hamburg ON the day oi
this massacre. No violence was offered OF
threatened to any one 1t is indeed said, as
usual, that "the niggers were impudent," but
the evidence shows that all the actual physica
/ aggression was on the part OF the whites; that
i they made demand which they had no righ
/ to make, and that when that demand was re
| fused, as it should have been, they proceeded
| to enforce it by arms, and crowned their sue
| cess in enforcing their demands by brutal muir
| ders
Shame and disgust must fill the breast Of ev-
| ery man who respects his race or human nature
| as he reads this tale. To me in my official ca
| pacity. wherein as you will testify have done
| my utmost, at no little risk of personal or po
litcal detraction from my political friends, tt
remove abuses and restore good government
and harmony to our people, the occurrence ol
soch an appalling example of human passion
/ and depravity comes as deep modification
| ard discouragement. What hope can we have
| wheu such a cruel and bloodthirsty sp irit wait
| in our midst for its hour of qualification? i
| our race SO wantOuly cruel? Such acts call TO
| condemn. alton and punishment-for condemna
| tion as bloody blot on the record of your rac'
| and mine, as q cruel affront to race who's
| long-suffering, patience aud forbearance chal
| lenges the adm uatlon ana gratitude OF th'
| of South Carolina; i'or punishment as q viola
| tiou of the laws of the state and wanton blow
| at the peace and happiness OF our state. am
| glad to testify to the horror which this even
has excited among many here who have moi
been won't to heartily condemn many OF tine
past bloody occurrences at the South. Nothing
however, short of condign and ample punish
| ment can discharge the obligation OF soclet.
| and our state towards the authors OF such .
causeless and cruel massacre. Very respect
fully, your obedient servant,
| ID. III. CHAMBERLAIN,
~