The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1876-11-03
THE KILLING OF PRIMUS JOHNSON
AND WOUNDlN6 OF EATON
LOCKWOOD.
Official Repor. OF an Army Oi6eer.

| The following report, forwarded from
this department to the headquarters of
the Military Division of the Missouri,
is copied from the Chicago Tribune of
the twenty-fourth
| HEADQUARTERS U. S. TROOPS, \
Monroe, La, October IL, 1876.
| Assistant Adjutant General Headouarters
department. of the Gulf:
! l have the honor to report that at or
about seven o'clock yesterday morning,
the eleventh instant, mt their residence
on the island eight miles above Monroe,
Primus johnson, II colOred preacher,
was shot and instantly killed, and
Eaton Logwood, also colored, shot and
Very dangerously wounded, by two dis
Guisei white men. At the time of the
shooting johnson was standing on the
gallery of his house, holding his infant
girl in his arms. Eaton Loswood was
employed in front of the house (the two
men, johnson and Logwood, being
joint occupants of the ho1se) in loading
seed cotton on his wagon for the ptlr-.
pose of hauling it to Il neighbor's gin.
| The two disguised and armed white
| men appeared from behind the bank
of bayou near the road, and advanced
| to IL picl>et-fence in front of, and about
fifteen yards distant from, the house,
Resting their guns across the fence, one
of them addressed Logwood, saying ::
'' Eaton, old fellow, is that you: God
| damn you, I've got you now!" aiming
his gun while saying so. Logwood
attempted to escape by running, but.
was shot by the disguised man referred
to, as he Qogwood) was about to run
around the corner OF the house, u full
load of buckshot entering his back, neck
and shoulders, inilicting very danger
GUS wounds. AT about the same time,
or an instant later, Primus johnson,
standing on his gallery, and still hold,
ing his child in his arms, was shot by
the other disguised white man, and
died in Il few moments. The two dis
Suised whites, after saying that if they
had not tiXed it all right they would
return and finish it, walked slowly
along the road, crossed into field,
went down to the bayou and crossed on
Il log, after which all trace Of them was
lost. A number Of wagons loaded with
| cotton passed the house short time
before, and just after the shooting.
Those passing just before the murder
was committed were stopped by three
armed and mounted white men at
Shovan bridge, which is some distance
beyond Logwood's house, toward Mon
| roe. The armed men thus picketing
| the road interrogated the driver Of the
wagons, asking whose were the teams,
and on being informed that they
belonged to Mr.. Tidwell and Mr.. Swan,
two white planters On the Island, per-!
mitted them to pass. Two physicians
living on the Island: when sent for,
refused to visit Logwood.
The brother of Logwood then started
an fHr md hi he
way was stopped by two mounted
white men and questioned as to his
business, and his person searched for
arms and papers, and when he told
them he was going for a doctor they
asked him whether it was for Eaton
Logwood, and told him if it was he
could not go. He succeeded in getting
away from them and reached town, but
! none Of the physicians there could be
induced to go out. Logwood had also
sent Il message to Mr.. John II. Dink-
grave, Deputy United States Marshal
and attorney-at-law, that he wished to
sec him as to matters pertaining to his
property, but Dinkgrave, considering
| the mission too dangerous, declined
| going. These facts were communicated
| to me at about two o'clock in the after
noon.
After consultation with Mr.. Hardy,
| the District Attorney, who considered
| it important to obtain LOgwOod's dying
declaration Che was then thought to
be morta!Iy woundcd,) 1 deemed it
necessary to take such steps as would
enable him to dO SO in safety, and at
s p. NJ, l sent Il detachment of eight
men, under command of Lieutenant
McCawlcy, Thirtict!t Infantry, accom-
panied by the District Attorney, to
Logwood's house, transporting them in
the government wagon belonging to the
post. They reached Logwood's about
10 L. NJ, and found n large crowd of
colored people there, all of them COM
| plctely cowcd and suhjugated, and in
constant apprehension of the return Of
the murlcrcrs TO carry out the threats
made in the morning. Logwood in
formed the District Attorney that he
had no hope of living, and had no other
expectation than that Of dying, and
made what he pronounced to be his
dying declaration, which was duly sub
scribcd by him, sworn to and witnessed.
The facts as herein given are taken
from that declaration and from the tes-
timony of the two women, the wives
| I nd In nfx ,I,f,v,