The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1876-10-26
State Afairs.
THE STORY OF ELLENTON,
a Herald Account OF the "Three Days
War"
Correspondence Now York Herald.

War"
Correspondence Now York Herald.
ELIENHoN, AIKEN County, S. c.,
October 0~-Your correspondent.
pursuant to Instructions, has given
q patient hearing to every man in
Aiken County who desired to talk
about the late conflict in this county
has tediously evolved fact or con-
ment from those who dill not want
to talk, and has visited every battle
field of this guerilla war, nom the
defile where the first roncontle took
place, past Rouse's Bridge, and\ tho
Double Bridge, the Cowdon SwafAp.
Silyerton, where the brace of blacA
villains committed the first crime !;
Grown NIilla, the point where the
railroad track was torn up: and finds
himself this morning at Ellenton,
the uttermost point of tho conflict.
A WAR THAT WAS wAGED IN TIE DARK.
I have been especially careful to
sift the truth out of the cloud Of
rumors that are flying about, and to
note nothing as trustworthy that
was not supported by sthe affidavit
Of respectable citizen. I doubt if
there has ever been serious con-
hict ut Il point SO accessible to tho
authorities, concerning which SO
little has been reliably published.
There is mystery about the whole
matter that only the most persistent
examination has cleared away. The
estimates as to the killed and
wounded have varied all tho way
from ton to three hundred. A
prominent Democratic journalist
remarked to me quietly that ho was
afraid rs many as two hundred he
groes had been killed. A negro,
who was in tho skirmishes himself,
did not think oycr three negroes
wore killed. Two United States
dnarshals and the district attorney
bave boon engaged q weok taking
testimony, and, when T saw them
last, with n double ream of afTida-
Wits, could not approximate even SO
simple matter as the number of
the slam. They hope to be through
i'll SIX OF eight days, when they will
report officially. The trouble about
the matter is that the fighting lasted
for three days that tho bloodiest
work WAS done Mt night that the
rencontres all took place in or near
impenctrable swamps; that they
covered an area of thirty miles, and
matters have not settled yet. Add
to these difficulties tho fuct That
both races are still very much ex-
cited, and you will sec how hard it
has been to get
THE YRuTH.
When the official report is made it
must conform essentially to what is
written below. The story is q
strange one. On tho 18th Of Sep
tembor tho house Of Nr. Alonzo
Harley, at Silverton, was nnte,.ad by
two negroes with burglalious intent.
Mrs. Harley was sick in bed. Hor
son, little fellow Of tender years,
was her only companion, her hus !oanl
being absent. Tho negroes boldly
entered her room and commenced t.
rob, at which she protettsd. The
negroes then attacked her and bent
her severely, striking her twice or
three times over the upper lat Of
the body with a club. The child
then attempted to flee tho house,
and was caught by tho negroes and
severely punished, he receiving
blow on the back of the neck which
may disable him for life. Mrs.
Harley i'll the meantime had seized her
husbands gun, which she drew down
upon tho plunderers and frightened
them off, although the gun was not
loaded. Shortly afterward her hus-
band arrived, and, collecting u
crowd, sartcd in pursuit of the
villains. A negro, Peter Williams,
was captured under suspicion AMI
brought back to the house. Mrs.
Harley at once and fully identified
him as one of the burglars. Pend
ing her testimony the negro made
sudden burst for the. door, reached
it, and fled precipitately. Several
of his captors rushed to the doors
and windows and fired upon him.
He foil, and was brought back to
the house severely, and it was
thought, mortally, wounded. Ho
then confessed to having committed
the robbery and been privy to
THE ASSAULT ON MRS. HARLEY,
which, however, he claimed was
committed by one Frederick Pope,
colored. He was then properly
taken care of by his cnptors and his
wounds dressed. Williams did not
die, as has been reported, but is
now convalescent. Steps were then
taken by the friends of Harley and
his wife to capture Pope, the accom-
plice, if not the principal, in the
crimo for which williams had suffer
cd The proper af1idavits were
made and Charles Griffin, q colorod
justice of the peace, issued warrant
for tho the arrest of Pope. In the
meantime news had been received, q
yyarv osa,,orol on1 oyoitio n ,r1Oo m. ,,ro