Wilmington daily commercial., 1876-12-02
was the EIecIlon Free?

A PERFECTLY TRUSTWORTHY WITNESS WHO
LIVED IN THE BULL-DozED PARISHES AND
SAW THEIR CONDITION.
One of the witnesses before the Louisi.
ana Returning Board, ON Wednesday. was
Lieut.. Col. John R. Brooke, the U. s. off.
Ger stationed at Baton Rouge. He is from
Pottstown, Montgomery county, gentle
man Of the highest character, and brave
officer during the war for the Union, at
tanning in it the volunteer rank OF Brevet
Major General. General Brooke's tes-
timony is of great Importance. He relates
what he knows, having been stationed in
Louisiana for several years. During the
recent election he had command in the
"bull-dozed" parishes. His evidence is as
follows:
''In the parishes of Louisiana, just prior
to the election, there was complete sys-
tenn or organization of the White or Demo
cratic party, which had the effect of terror
izing the blacks. This was especially the
case in the Parishes OF East Feliciana and
East Baton Rouge, the blacks of which
came to me in large numbers, telling me
of threats made and acts committed which
caused them to fear the consequence of
any free political action on their part. The
threats we're as follows: Discharge, bodily
injury, and in some cases extending to
death, if they (the black men) did not Join
the Democratic clubs and vote the Demo-
cratic ticket. have been told by many
black men of both of the parishes that dur
ing the winter and spring last past many of
THEIR PEOPLE had BEEN KILLED
and beaten by parties to them unknown,
who came in the night disguised and armed
in squads numbering from ten to fifty, who
would surround the cabin, take the man
out, and either beat or kill him This oc-
CURED 80 frequently that they (the blacks)
often for weeks at a time slept in the
woods away from their houses. 1 became
satisfied from the frequency and similarity
Of these reports, that this was the fact
After took command, there were but few
outrages of this kind brought to my knowl,
edge. Among those saw was one Oolman
Brown, a colored man, who was then suf
fering from q bullet wound in the thigh,
which he averred was inflicted by man
named Mansur, who was arrested and
bound over to appear in court. This was
about the 1st Of July. Another man named
Gus Jackson, colored, came to me about
the last Of October, who had bullet wound
in the head, still open, which he averred
was made by one Redus Townsend, on the
plantation OF John A, Riley, in East Felici-
ing was that he (Jackson) would not join
the Democratic club. About the first of
September man named Paul johnson was
taken from his house at night by body OF
armed and disguised men. He has never
been seen since. This was told me by his
father, who said he saw the disguised party
at the house aud traced them to point on
the OomIte river, where he averred many
OTHER MEN had BEEN TAKEN
in like manner and never heard OF alive
afterward. The old man was very much
frightened and feared that he would be
visited in like manner soon. Shortly after
the 1st of September man named Monroe
Beacham disappeared under similar circum-
stances. johnson lived near Atkinsons
store, near the East Feliciana line. Beacham
lived near q. place called Redwood. have
seen men with what appeared to me to be
marks Of rope around their necks and ON
their wrists, and which they told me were
such, and were made by men placing rope
around their necks or wrists and tying tie
other end to the pommel Of the saddle, and
starting off at too brick pace for them to
keep up. There were several of these
cases. The names of the men do not
recollect. / sent them in mOs5 cases to the
Sheriff of East Baton Rouge with their
Complaints.
As to peace and order and obedience to the
law. do no5 think there was much in the
back part of the Parish of East Baton
Rouge, or anywhere in the Parish Of East
Feliciana. This is based, of course, on
what information could get from the peo.
pie OF those parishes and the officers of my
command away from my own station at
Baton Rouge. Many Democrats in the
town OF Baton Rouge, do not now recall
the wards, admitted to me on more than
one occasion that
MANY VIOLENT Aors WERE BEING DONE
in the back country, which they did not ap-
prove Of. The organization Of the Demo-
| cratic clubs parGook of, as far as | could
judge and observe, a military character.
My instructions to my subordinate com-
manders we're to be aL all times prepared to
prevent disorder, collisions, or blOodshed
IN whatever form it might appear. This
/ for che reason that the civil authorities, es-
pecially in the Parishes OF East and West
| Feliciana and East Baton Rouge, had on
! former occasions been powerless to pre-
, vent collisions and bloodshed. In most of
| the cases, they were unable TO arrest the
perpetrators OF violence on the part of the
citizens of the parishes, fearing Co exercise
their legal functions through apprehensionE
of violence to themselves. AS an instance
coming under my personal observation,
would state that about the middle OF
Juue last, was coming down, the
| Mississippi river from Viekeburg 4 70
New Orleans on the steamboat Katie. j
observed about $50 one morning body Of
/ armed men on the boat. Upon inquiry
| learned that it was q company going t
Mt. Pleasant to flank body of neg oes, en-,
trenched on ths hill. The company mum
bered about twenty men, and seemed to me
| thoroughly organized. They had with then
a negro prisoner. They we're landed abou
two niiles below Mt. Pleasant and they
marched in that direction. I afterwArC