Ellsworth American., 1876-12-07
GEN. nRooks,s STATEMENT.

Lieut.. Col. John r. Brooks of the Third Unit
ed States Infantry was examined by the Louis
lana Returning Board IN reference 10 the dis
puted parishes. Gen. Brook L has been station
ed in Louisiana for a number OF years and dur
ing the last election had command Of the
troops in the "bulldozed" parishes, The Dem
ocrsts do not attempt to deny or question his
evidence which is substantially as follows:
Z In the parishes OF LOUIS ana. Just prior 10
to the election, there was complete system
or organization of the White or Democratic
party. which had the effect Of tcrroriZng the
blacks. This was especially the case in the
parishes Of East Fcicana ami 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 co.,
sequence OF any free political action on their
part. The threats were a. follows: Discharge.
bodily injury. and in some eases extending TO
death in case they (the backs) did not Join the
Democratic clubs aud vote the Democratic
ticket.
| have been told by many black men of both
OF the parishes that during the winter and
spring last past many Of their people had bcen
killed and beaten by parties 10 them unknown.
who came Ia the night disguised and armed,
IN squads numbering from ten to tty, who
would surround cabin. take the man out
and either beat or Iii him. Thi, occurred 10
frequently, that they tthe h'acks). often for
weeks at a time, slept in the woods away
from their houses. | became ,Ii fed from
the frequency and similarity of thesr report :
that this was the fact, Amer ! took G. n nand
there were but two outrages Of thi. Kind
brought to my knowledge. Among those !
saw was one Colmas Brown, = colore.l ma n
who was then suffering from a bullet wound
in the thigh. which he averrcd was inflicted
bv man named NanSur. who WAS arrested
aud bound over TO appear In court. THIS was
about the lst Of July.
Another man, named Gus. Jackson, cpIorr f.
came to me about the last of October. who had
bullet wound in the head, It'll open. whtcl
On ihc rIantshoR dde b}ape II lBeiai FoWg'f9,Ilt f9,Ilt
fcltriaua. The reason he gave for the shoot
| ing Wa that be (Jackson) would not jlin The
! Democratic club. A bout the ist OF SrptrmD,r r
man named Paul johnson was taken from
| hl> house at night by b ,dy OF armed and dt,.
| gui>ed men. He has never been seen since.
hi> was told mc BY his father. who said ~
saw the disguised party Al The house. and ,rsc.
| ell them 10 point on the Comite river. wh,rt.
| he aNcrrcd many other men had been taken I'll
Ike manner and never heard Of alive alter
/ ward The old man was very much frishtcn-
en. And feared that he would To- VISITED "a lrAc
manner soon.
shortly after the first u( September A man
/ named Monroe Bcacham disappeared under
| similar circumstances. Joha.un lived near
! Aikusou'S storr. near the the Eat Felici,nl
/ line. BcachAm lived near place cIlled Red.
Q -
y to mc 10 bc marks ot rOFe around their
( ncck- and ON their wrists, aud whlrh they
4 tod me were such. aud were male hy men
Y placing rope around their nrck. or wrists
ani tying the other end To the pommcl of
I saddle. starting oil II brisk pace far then
To kecp up. There were several Of these cases.
| The names Of the men do not recollect.
[ sent them in most cases To the sheriff Of r A.,
! Baton Rouge would their complaints.
~ to peace and order asd obcdiencc to thr
I n NJ .tnL fft4tHa
! back part OF the parish Of Fast Baton Rouge
4 o. anywhere In the parish Of East Frhriani.
} This = based. 81 course, on what information
/ could get from the people Of those pari.he-
snd the otlser- of my command away from my
| own station Al Baton Rouge Many Democrats
! In the town OF Baton Rousc, do not now r..
{ call the words. admitted 90 me ON more than
\ one occasion that many violent avt, were b,.
I lnS done IN the back country, which they did
! not approve Of
The org anixttion of ia. Democrats clubs
I partook o. a far A. | could judge and observe,
I military character. Ms Instructions 10 nv
I subbor,iinaic commanders were 10 b. at al
4 times prepared 70 prevent disorders, collisions
Y or blopd~hcdln whatever form il might appear
Z Thi, for the reason that the ciVil autHurIti,.,
( especially Ia the PAri,he, II last AMI West r..
v liciana and East Baton E"ugr. hid on fprmrr
/ occasions been pow"rl",s tn prevent collisions
I aud h!oOd.hei. In most OF the casr- they were
unable 10 arrest the perpetrators Di violence Oh
The part ot citizens OF the parishes. trIrinl Ia
exercise their legal functions through apprr'
I hcu-ion. ~ violence To thrm,rise-.
~ An instance cUmip- uader my person a
+ ohsrrS ation. | would tale that about tn mil.
/ Ill, oi June last wa- coming down the Ml.-i-,
! sippi riycr from NtrksbuTg to New Oricln. on
the steamboat Katie. | observed about o.
/ O'Clock one morning body OF armed men on
the boat. Upon inquiry learned that il wa-
company going btluw Mount PleA-aut lo
nlnA body oi negroes luiTeuched on the hill
4 The company numbered about twenty men ana
I seemed to mc thoroughly organized. rhrT
had with them negro prisoner. They wert
! landed about two miles below VI Dunt flrI> mt
and :hey marched in th1t direction. ttrr
MAX To- vti'1 Iii "a ri>l IAtpi Rouge iuF one
/ that TINS VA, but small portion II the force 81
Mount Pleasant. What they lid i a matter ol
I public notoricty.
Ia Baton Rouge parish ID the toan u Baton
y r. and tAr tNJ Wani> nr. below the town
( On ihe river. do not think there VS., any rr4-
] son why voter could not vote A. hr chose.
! In what j. called the ba.'N country. which lr-
Siudcs the ba' iti.r Of the parish. | tAiuA tin
J system oi thrc4t-t whipping and killing, whc.i
/ has eAl,ted tor the past ten month, .hA, 80 com
( plctcly tcrrorlzeI the timid blacks that but lew
/ u them would dare 10 vote a, they pleased. 4,
| 70 the fact OF many black mcn having been
( Killed by unknown persons, would ,iy that /
/ know such 70 BE- the case, from Al examination
oi the inque-ts which inq nests d,d not cover all
| The cases Of men found dead. fgr tie reason
gwen L" me tS tl.e cns-ner IA peg-ou, that h.
had Deen notified 70 hold no more inquest, ia
thr country. and was threatened y Ith violence
I To himself II he dil 50.
In East feiiciAna parish The record Of the
vote cat there fDr the Republican ticket would
seem 10 indicate complete terrorism on the
part ofthe Republicans OF that parish. Nv
Judgment, based upon the Information rec ige!
from large number of bi.c, voter, ui this
parish, i THAI the threats Iaal- aud the act,
committed by the whit, sIIust The hIatAs,ur.
~ other words. hy the Democrat, against the
I baok Republicans, wcrr 0f such nature and
OF such iorce u TO deter the Republicans from
voting as they chose or al all