The Portland daily press., 1876-12-02

placing rope around their necks or wrists and
tying the other end to the pommei of a saddle,
starting off at too brisk pace for them to
keep up. There were several of these cases.
The names of the men l do not recollect l
sent them in most cases to the sheriff of Baton
Rouge, with their complaints. AS for peace
and order and obedience to the law, l do not
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 l could get from
the people 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 enc occasion
that many violent acts were being done in the
Tne organization of the Democratic clubs par
TOOK OF. as far as could judge and observe, a
military character. My instructions to my
subordinate commanders were to be pre-
pared to prevent disorders collisions or blood
shed in whatever form it might appear. This for
the reason that the civil authorities, especially
in the parishes of East and West Feliciana and
East Baton Rouge, had on former occasions
been powerless to prevent collisions and blood
shed. In most of the cases they were unable
to arrest the perpetrators OF violence on the
part of citizens of the parishes, fearing to exer-
else their legal functions through apprehensions
OF violence to themselves. As an instance COM
ing under my personal observation, 1 would
state that about the middle of June last was
coming down the Mississippi river from Vicks-
burg to New Orleans on the steamboat Katie.
/ observed about $50 O'Clock one morning
body of armed men on the boat. Upon inquiry
learned that it was company going below
Mount Pleasant to flank body of negroes in.
trenched on the hill. The company numbered
about twenty men. and seemed to me thorough
ly organized. They had with them negro
prisoner. They were landed about two miles
below Mount Pleasant and they marched in
that direction. l afterward learned from par
ties at the place that day, think the sheriff of
East Baton Rouge for one. that this was but a
small portion of the force at Mount Pleasant
What they did is a matter of public notoriety
IN Baton Rouge parish, in the town of Baton
Rouge and the two wards next below the town,
on the river, do not think there was any rea-
son why voter could not vote as he chose. In
what 10 called the back country, which includes
tho balance of the parish, L think the system of
threats, whipping and killing, which has ex-
listed for the past ten months, has so complete
ly terrerized the timid blacks that but few o.
them would dare to vote as they pleased. As
to the fact of many black men having been
killed by unknown persons, would say that
know such to be the case from an examination
of the inquests which inquests did not cover
all the cases of men found dead, for the reason,
given to ms by the coroner in person, that he
had been notified to hold no more inquests in
the country, and was threatened with violence
to himself if he did so. In East Feliciana par
ish the record of the vote cast there for the Re-
publican ticket would seem to indicate COM
plete terrorism on the part of the Republicans
of that parish. My own judgment, based upon
the information received from a large number
of black voters of this parish, is that the threats
made and the acts committed by the whites
against the blacks, or in other words by the
Democrats against the black Republicans. were
of such a nature and of such force as to deter
the Republicans from voting as they choose OF
at ALL"
General Brooks was subjected to a severe
cross examination by the Democratic lawyers,
but his testimony was not impaired in any way.