The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-12
THE CALEDONIA AFFAIR.
HOW the Negroes Fired Upon Unarmed
Men with Fatal Efect-

Yesterday we met Mr. W. B. Mcneil. who was
a deputy sheriff appointed and selected sne.
clally by the Radical sheriff of Caddo to attend
the polls at Caledonia during our last election-
Regarding that affair he made the following
| statement
,,a inc election Doll was Mt was Caledonia. and
was quiet and there was no disturbance of
| oclock .. IN. Nov s. Atabout that time or verv
shortly alter. was called upon by the commits
sdonefs t oi erection TO go to negro cabin and
request the negroes to cease their demonstra-
| llons with arms. The distance between the polis
ana thls cabin was about seventy i've yards. /
ing It was my duty to do so. [ was enfireIv nm
armed. W. b. Crowder and a man bv the name
OF NorW2od, who lives on Mr.. j. H. Boards
place. Cross Keys" and also a young man by
70. NE name o. Calhoun, followed behind me 10
thls cabin My intention in going there was 10
disperse "''' W
AN UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY
gathered near poll, manruvering with arma
desired to get them to come out. As / Tap-
proacned the door of the cabin saw about NJ
teen negroes drilling inside, going through the
nahual OF arms. AS soon rs they saw ma they
brought their guns down on me- As soon az +
saw THIS made a side step TO the right and It
WAS mere that Mr.. Norwood was shot He was
struck full In the chin and neck with n lood of
buckshot. which tore away the lower law After
saw saw hat HAT h yo9y Wa dad red q through the door
ana passed around to close it. so that might
CAPTURE THE rARTY
During oil this time there were about Gftv
negroes sitting on the fences and board piles in
front, of this negro cabin When had Got hall
way back around the building firing recon-. %
menced In my rear. Not understanding the
diuse i OF the firing. as all Of us were unarmed.
was was the reason OF It.. As did 50 the first load
OF sh0t strock me The charge was about No
- dnok tha shot shot Two struck me the right side
ol Inc mead and ono on the left three under
my my ltH arm, knowing that another volley
would surely. follQw. threw myself on the
ground, bleeding all the while profuseJv As
soon as say the negroes were r4treating into
me cotton field in the rear Of tho cabin they.
continuing to hre as they retreated pre-
dlateiy rose from tho ground and ran TO the
polls saw one negro fall to the righr and one
ia dront ot me as Was going towards the polls.
ana In my opinion
HE WAS KILLED
by the fire from the negroes retreatipg in the
,9tton held. There were mono of tho twelve or
4 rrlteHn whites who Were present In position to
1re IN his direction, as they were all behind the
,hurch. If any other negroes wore killed r
1.nt know who did it. At the commencement
y the firing there were present On the snat
about seventy five negroes and fifteen whifes
ND no DISPOSITION had been shown on the part
y any person during the day to prohibit any
pleased. This watched carefully. | saw num-
@ 'er? OF negroes at the polls voting and election
eprng a l9r the ticket After the firing
ut told them not to- as the field
WAS FULL OF NEGROES,
no they wanted the baIlot-box and we ought
IuhTu lI. MY orders We're Obeyed and wa
yayed at the polls all night until reinforce
rents came to us. When the firing had caase1
% went and searched the negro cabin. which
elongnd to one Reams. who was candidate
1r justice OF the peace on the Radical ticket
10 found there four United States nnskets and
lree double barreled shotguns In the bouse
g g found canister powder and bags Of shot of
u sizes u 2 to the largest buck There was also
loked rations prepared, as if it was the inten-
on 10 prepare for u cam pagn In the rear Of
10 cabin. in the board piles and along the
Iice piles, we found about q dozen s1uirreI
Hes hidden. /. after tn disturbances antInn
deputy sheriff. ordered the polls closed and
, voting was done after that. About dark wa
7re reinforced by ten men. commanded nv r
Athens Of Athens Landing Bossier parfsb
OUR NEXT EEiNFoRCEMEsTs
ere fifteen men from Riverdae Caddo narisb.
xt. twenty five men under Capt PhflIina
ln Coushatta; and the next day some came
)m shreveport. | sent request. az denutv
erin, to the sheriff Of Caddo and he also sent
3 Gaddo Rifles. About 10 o'clock on Wednes
y L. With the commissioners. went to Shreye
rt with the boxes. | was kindly treated hv
) commissioners at Caledonia which ia ahont
enty miles from Shreveport. and NV once
s respected. Ia my opinion the reason the
groeS organized there was that thew had
IN lnhamed by the incendiary Radical
'eches OF the cam paign, and the causa thew
80 on me was because / was going there IN
pe!Se an unlawful assemblage