The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-10-28

/ publican club met on the 10th, according
/ 10 their custom, but owing to the threat
referred to only twenty.three person
were present. On the 10th throughou
. the day the rifle clubs were assembling a
Matlocks Church, five or six clubs beinl
+ present, numbering not less than thret
, hundred men, a part Of the men beinl
from Augusta, Ga. A little before sunse
OF the 10Th these clubs formed as militar,
companies and marched upon arun dow
to ChayiS Store, where the Republican
club was supposed to be assembled. They
found only about ten Republicans pres
ent. The rifle club leaders demanded /,
sec the leader Of the Republican club
Columbus Roundtree, the chairman o
the club, being absent, Samuel Darby
acted as spokesman. The chief spokes
man Of the rife clubs then told the col
ored members OF the Republican clut
that they must not meet again, that "they
would all be killed off II they did," See
ing one colored man with n shotgun, they
took II away from him, but finding i
worthless they retained his ammunition
and gave back the gun. The co!ored
men we're then informed that "there had
got 10 be q fight between the whites and
the Blacks" and the rifle clubs then de-
manded that the colored men present
should step out in line and slight 1t out
This offer was very naturally declined
Finally, with ceilings and threats Of ven
geance, the rifle clubs marched of, de.
claring they were going to kill Gloster
Holland and Simon C0ker 1.-TWO colored
members OF the Legislature) that night
During the night Of the 10th several col
ored men were killed in this section.
DEcoYINu THE NE0RoEs.
On the morning OF the 18th the rifle
clubs appeared in large numbers at Rou-
SEES Bridge, near which, on the edge Of a
swamp, the colored people-men, women
and children-panic.stricken by the muir.
ders Of the previous night, had gathered,
About 8 o'clock on the morning OF the
18th Sunday the rife clubs formed
across q field in front Of Rouse's Bridge,
threw out pickets, and assumed the posi-
ton OF hostile army. Before moving
forward they sent messenger TO the
leading colored men, who had now con-
cealed themselves as much as possible in
the swamp. This messenger called for
the leading colored men, and asked il
they would compromise. The colorcd
men replied that they had no quarrel,
and did not know what compromise
meant. The representative of the rifle
clubs then said that the clubs had war.
rant for the arrest OF Alexander Pope,
and they wanted him. The colored men
answered that Pope was not with them,
but IL the rifle clubs had warrant for
anyone they could come and search for
him. ...-
The representative Of the rifle clubs
then proposed a conference OF i've men
from each side. Such conference took
place, and it was agreed that both parties
should disperse and go to their homes.
The white men who attended this confer.
ence, on their way back TO the Lines oil the
rife clubs, CHANGED to meet three colored
men retiring to their homes in pursuance
OF the agreement now stated. They in
stantly fired upon them and killed Henry
Campbell and wounded Abram 0yerstrect
IN the head and Nelson Bush IN the
thigh. This demonstration convinced
colored people that the conference was Il
mere trick, and that the purpose oil the
rifle clubs was 10 kill them In detail after
drawing them out OF the swamp, as well
as to learn their number and whether
they were armed. During the conference
the colored men had freely stated that
they had only few shot.guns and
not a round Of fixed ammunition Of any
kind.
COLD FLOODED BUTCitgHY AT ELLENToN.
During the 18th large part Of the rifle
clubs moved of from Rouse's Bridge to
Union Bridge and Ellenton, on the Port
Royal Railroad, and during the day shot
and killed considerable number Of col.
ored men, probably as many as twelve.
At one cabin they found six colored men
who had crawled out OF the swamp 10
get something to eat The rifle clubs sur.
prised them, killed two Of them in the
yard, two more while rnaning to the
swamp, and wounded the remaining two,
Early on the morning of the 18Th The
rife clubs appeared in great force on the
Port Royal Railroad, having been rein.
forced by white men from Augusta. They
moved up and down the railroad, killing
all colored men whom they CHANGED to
End. Among their victims was an old
man OF 90 years, and harmless deaf and
dumb boy.
About 10 o'clock the report was re.
ceiyed that the colored men had Assem-.
bled at Robbins Station, about Is miles
below Ellenton. Thereupon about %
men from the rifle clubs got into box.
car and were takeA down 10 Robbins Sta.
ton. Here they found Simon Coker, al.
ready named, an honest, peaceable man,
we'll known to me personally as a mem.
Der Of the Legislature from Barnwell
county, sitting on the railroad platform
with his wife and q colored female school
teacher. Coker was then awaiting the
train from Ellenton in order 10 60 to
Yemmassee, where he could telegraph me
the condition Of things in his vicinity.
The rifle club men forced him into the
box.car, took him back TO Ellenton, and
after a brief parley shot him in an open
field in full presence OF the passengers on
the train and OF the rifle clubs, robbing
his dead body Of his watch, money, shirt
studs and ring. A number OF colored
men were also killed at and near Rob
bins Station by another detachment OF
the rifle clubs on the same day, but tho
number cannot yet be fixed.
FEDERAL TROOPS ARRIVE JUST IN TIME,
Late in the day on Monday, 18th, the
main body OF the rifle clubs, with large
reinforcements, returned to Rouse's
Bridge, and during Monday night COM
pletely surrounded the swamp In which
the crowd Of colored persons were hiding
To the number Of about eighty or ninety,
throwing outa line Of pickets armed with
breech-loading rifles. Early on the morn.
ing Of Tuesday, the 10th, one Of the lead
ers Of the rifle clubs, prominent white
man living in this vicinity, told his con.
fidential colored servant that "they had
got the niggers in a bunch at Rouse's
Bridge and got them surrounded, and by
God they intended to kill the last one Of
them" .-..-... ...
Ahout 3 ntnloCk the ofirara If tho r;1o