The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-08-03
Governor Chamberlain's Letter.
STATE OF SoUTH CAROLINA,
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,

EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
COLUMBIA, July l3, 1876.
Hon. t. ]. Robertson. United States Senator,
Washington, ID. C.:
DEAR SIR Your request for a state
ment from me of the recent bloody affair
at Hamburg in this State, was duly re-
ceived. / have waited before replying
until official reports and statements
should be received. There are now be-
fore me the official reports Of the Attor-
ney General, and the Adjutant and In
spector-General, the testimony taken at
the Coroner's inquest, and the written
statements of several other persons who
were present, and witnessed the whole,
or parts, of the affair. l will present to
you, as briefly as possible, the leading
facts, as they appear from the evidences
to which i have referred.
STATEMENT OF THE AFFAIR
On the 4th of July inst. a company of
the State militia (colored) were marching
along one of the streets of Hamburg. The
street was over one hundred feet wide,
and the company was marching in col
umns of four While so marching they
were met by two white men in q buggy,
who insisted on keeping their course in
the street without regard to the move
ments of the militia, and drove against
the head of the column, which thereupon
halted. Some parleying took place, which
resulted in the company yielding open
ing their ranks and allowing 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 afterward ad-
iourned till p. NJ, of Saturday, the Sth
inst. Before that hour arrived on Satur
day many white citizens from the coun-
try around Hamburg began to gather in
the town and armed themselves with
guns and pistols. The militia company,
in the meanwhile, had assembled at their
armory in the village, and at the hour
set for trial the defendants did not ap-
pear.
At this point it has been stated in dis
patches and newspapers that the militia
officers 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 the armed white men, and the
trial Justice, after formally calling them,
took no further steps to cause their pres
ence in his court on account il the excite
ment and the evidences of an impending
conflict. While affairs were in this condi-
ton, there being, according to all ac-
counts from 200 to 300 armed white men
from the surrounding country in the
town, a 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 il the arms were not given up in
q short time-most OF the witnesses say
in half an 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.
BRISK FIRE.
was then opened by the whites upon the
building in which the militia was Assem-.
bled, and soon after one of the attacking
party was killed by a shot from the mill.
tia in the building. A piece of artillery
was thereupon brought across the bridge
from Augusta, loaded with canister, and
fred several times at the building in
which were the militia. This had the
effect to cause the militia TO endeavor TO
make their escape from the rear of the
building. The Town Marshal of Ham.
burg, q colored man, who was living in
the building. was instantly shot by the
attacking party while thus endeavorinp q
to escape from the building. Twenty OF
twenty-five of the militia were captured
by the attacking party and kept under
guard for several hours. Finally, about
2 o'clock, on the morning of the 9th oil
July, Sunday, after consultation among
their captors and with complete appa
rent deliberstion, five of the captured
militiamen were called out, one by one
and shot to death in the presence of Q
large body of their captors. The rest Of
the captured party were either turned
loose or broke loose and ran. They
were fred upon as they ran, and three o
them severely wounded, one of them
probably mortally. Attorney Genera
Stone thus succinctly reports this part o
the affair.
DETAILS OF TIE KILLING.
A.. Six men took A. T. Attaway out of the
ring. He and his mother begged for hii
life. but in vain. He was told to turr
around and was shot to death by the
crowd.
David Phillips was next taken out ano
was similarly killed.
Pompey Curry next called out. He
recognized among the bystanders Henry
Gotten and DIR. Pierce. Butler called or
them to keep the other men from killing
him. He ran and was shot as he ran, one
bullet striking him on the leg below the
knee.
Afterward Albert Myniart, Nose,
Parks and Hampton Stevens were killed
Stevens did not belong to the company
THE ATTORNEY GENERALS REPORT.
The Attorney General, who has person