The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-10-26
MORE ATROCIOUS WORK.
White Citizens Ambushed and Shot
Down In Edgefield. !.
Special Dispatch 10 the Ner, ond. .6urssss.. 81.

Special Oitpaseh 10 the feirs ond, ,Curitr
COLUMBIA, S. c., Octobefts, 1876
The Democratic meeting atlEdgefeld,
yesterday, was said to be the largest ever
held there. The crowd was estimated at
between five and six thousand persons,
including about two thousand horsemen,
all uniformed in red shirts, and many of
whom were coiored men. Hampton and
his party were met at the Pine House by
three or. four hundred mounted men, and
escorted to the village. All the stores
were closed in honor of the occasion. A
new stand was erected in the Academy
grove, with seats which were occupied by
several hundred ladies. Many carriages
from the country, also filled with ladies,
were near the stand, which was beauti-
fully ornamented. The procession was
formed near Gen. Gary's residence, a
mile from the town, and marched through
the streets to the grove. The speaking
began at II o'clock a. m. Hampton,
Simpson, Cooke, Noise, Judge Mackey,
Gibbes and Lipscomb addressed the
meeting. The speeches were all mode
rate and counselling the utmost forbear-
auce. At 4 o'clock, Gen. Gary con-
cluded with brief address, and the meet
ing adjourned, 1t. was about ten times
as large as the Radical affair on Saturday,
and passed off without single disturb
ance or case of drunkenness. l returned
by the afternoon train, which was de-
layed on the road until too late to tele-
graph last night. -
:: From Judge Mackey, who arrived this
afternoon, I. learn that as party of six
whites were quietly returning home about
6 o'clock, on the Liberty Hill road, and
when two and half miles from town,
they were fired into by negroes concealed
in ambush one hundred yards from the
road, and John Gilmore was instantly
killed, and Edward Yelldell wounded in
the arm. They then saw negro come
out into a field, one hundred yards off,
who raised his rife and fired at them.
They returned the fire from their pocket
pistols, all they had with them, without
effect. The negro fed. Yelldell and
one other of the party returned to the
village with the tidings, the others re-
naming with the corpse of Gilmore.
Major Kline, United States army, with
several army officers, Gen. Gary and
others at once repaired to the scene of
the killing. Mr.. Outsee was then dis
patched to the village for the coroner,
and when mile from. town was also am
bushed. Several shots were fired at him,
his leg was shattered, and his horse badly
wounded. The greatest excitement pre-
vailed, but Gen. Gary, Gen. Butler and
others, prevented pursuit and retaliation.
The first ambush occurred within. short
distance from settlement of negroes on
a tract of State land, who have had an
organized militia company for two years.
They. have recently paraded with new
rifles, and are supposed to be the guilty
parties. No. further particulars have
been received UP to this hour. 1t will be
remembered that Capt. Preston Black
well was ambushed in the same manner
and wounded, while returning from the
last Democratic meeting on August IL.
: Governor Chamberlain states that: he
has been informed that CHS party ofwhites
referred to engaged in a quarrel on the
road, which led to an armed collision, in
which two negroes were killed by the
whites, and Mr.. Gilmore was killed and
two others wounded by the negroes.
Judge 1[ackey brands this statement as
utterly false, as the gentlemen who were
in the party attacked stated the facts as
above given to Maj. Kline, and gave as
reason for their being surprised that they
did mot suspect that there were any
negroes on the road and they had had no
previous quarrel with. negroes on that
day. The statement here given is con-
frmed further by the fact that up to 9
O'Clock this morning no complaint was
made that any negroes had been killed
or wounded, nor was the statement of
Messrs. Yelldell and Outsee,. as above
given, contradicted in any respect. Nor
does Governor Chamberlain pretend to
give the names of the negroes alleged to
have been killed, although the scene of
the pretended conflict was so near the
courthouse. John Gilmore, the man who
was killed, leaves widow and six chill,
dren. ....-.-.i...l .lrs.,t..,-a e.