The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1876-09-28
Bloody Riot on the Port Royal Railroad

The following account is taken from the
Augusta Chronicle and Sentinel:
There was intense excitement in Augusta
Sunday. night, when the news of the trouble
reached the city. This was not allayed yes-
terdoy morning. Several young men went
down to Elleuton on the morniug train of the
Port Royal Railroad and number of others
rode on horseback TO Silverton. About 10
o'clock the Port Royal train returned and re-
ported that the negroes had torn up the track
near, Jackson Station, fifteen miles from Au-
gusta and ditched the way freight train
which left here yesterday morning. 1t ap~
pears that two rails were displaced and a
portion Of the cross~tos burned. The train,
fortunately, was running rather slowly, and
no one was hurt. The locomotive and four
cars were thrown off and turned completely
over. The telegraph was cut near Elenton
by the negroes but was repaired during the
day by an operator from Augusta. During
the morning it was reported that three white
men, Captain w. J. Wood and Messrs. Elmore
Ashley and James Bush, had been killed. aud
that Ellenton had been buruod TO the ground
by the negroes. This added to the excitement,
| and crowds Of men congregated on the streets
discussing the situation.
1t Icing understood that an extra train
| would leave for Ellenton at IL o'clock, about
| fifty men armed principally with muzzle load
ing rifles, assembled near the Port Royal
Railroad office, where the train was waiting
In the meantime, Captain Fleming, Superin-
tcndent Of tho Port Royal Railroad, tele-
| Graphed to Gov. Chamberlain, Of South Caro-
| lima, asking him to order the squad of Fedc-
raj troops at Hamburg to proceed to the scene
| Of the break in the Port Royal Railroad, in
| order TO protect the laborcrs while repniring
the track. Some time afterwards, Lieut.. Barns
hardt, in command of the squad, received
| telegram from Gov. Chamberlain. 1t was
understood on the streets that the Governor
had ordered the Lieutenant to do as Captain
Fleming asked. Lieut.. Barnhardt immedi-
ately tclegrlphed to his immediate superior
officer, General Ruger, for instructions. He
soon afterwards received n reply and rs he
did not go it was generally understood that
he had been ordered TO remain at Hamburg,
In the attcrnoOn, two kilograms were re
ccived from Ellenton, stating that no white
men bad been killed, and that Elcnton had
not been burned DR.. a. W. Bailey's mill
and Plantation buildings, two miles from Ell
lentoh, had, however, been destroyed by fire.
The same dispatches stated that between
200 nnl 800 negroes, armed to the teeth, had
Csscmblcl in Ellcnton, and that trouble was
npprehen ted last night.
The passenger train sent from Augusta at 3
o'clock returned at s last evening with the
transferred passengers from the up train. We
learned that force Of hands, under the spe-
cial direction of Captain Fleming, was at
work, and that The track would be repaired
in about two hours. The negroes removed
| bolts from Two rails over II small stream, and
| when thc locomotive of the freight train
reached the spot the rails spread, throwing
| the engine and seven ears from the track
| The locomotive was turned completely over.
The cars were not damaged to any great cx-
tent. few minutes after the train was
dilchcd crowd of negroes on either side Of
the road fired into the train Capt. Jurkins
remained by his train.
When the transfer took place last ever ing
| there were no negroes at Ellenton or Jackson.
Their forces had retired to swamp between
the Port Royal and South Carolina Railroads,
and force Of whites, under Co, "A. P Butler.
had gone i'll pursuit. ...
When the two messengers from the consta-
blc's posse Sunday were Surrounded by the
negroes the latter icvced their guns at them
and were on the point of firing, when the
negro captain, IIankerson, ordered them to
! dcsist, intOrming them that they would have
to Kill him before they could shoot the two
white men.
Several rifle clubs from Edgcfed and Aiken
County went down to the scene of the troubles
Sunday night and yesterday:
We learn that as the train on the Port Roy
al Railroad was coming to the city yesterday
afternoon squads of negroes were seen in the
bushes on each side of the road watching the
train. They were all armed. ..r,a.,
The scene of the troubles is near Rouse's
bridge, about eighteen miles from Augusta.
"A young man from the Bath Paper Mills
called at the office Of the Chief of Police yes-
tcrday, stated that it was expected that 500
negroes would attack that place the coming
night, and requested Chief Christian to fur
nish him with arms for the white people
Chief Christian replied that he mad no author
ity to furnish the arms. ....
telegram received here last evening sta
ted that ono white man was wounded and five
or six negroes killed in the fight last Sunday.