St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-08-29

candidate for sheriff, has eliminated In
the shooting of Dixon by James II.
Barksdale,. candidate for chancery
clerk. Dixon was shot three times, and
died at d. m. to-day. The conflict, it
is said, grew out of the present unfortu-
nate state of political affairs in Yazoo
county.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20.-The first in
formation of the murder of Capt. Hen
nv M. Dixon of Yazoo Mississippi,
reached Washington early this morning
in a despatch to his mother from a
brother who was with him. The moth
er, with other members of the family,
has resided for some time in this city.
The despatch which she received from
the remaining son in Mississippi was as
follows:
"Henry was shot between nine and
ten o'clock this morning. Died at TWEEN
ty minutes to five o'clock this even
ing"
A subsequent despatch stated that
the murder was committed by j. III.
Barksdale, a candidate for county
Office on the regular democratic ticket.
The following facts in regard to Captain
Dixon were obtained to-day from mem
bers of his family who reside here.
Captain Dixon's father was Virginia
Union man, whose loyalty was ungues-
toned. In the face of threats against
his life he voted for Lincoln in Alexan-
dria, when few men had sufficient cour-
age to do SO. He was an officer in the
Union army during the rebellion, and
his family were compelled to seek a
refuge in this district. He was subse-
quently assassinated in Alexandria by
a rebel Virginian. Captain Dixon,
murdered, yesterday, was a student
in the Georgetown college during
the first years of the war, and when
only fourteen years old was enticed
away to join Mosby's gueTrillas. He
remained with. this company three or
four months, when his relatives induced
him to return within the Union lines.
Soon after the close of tho war he
married daughter of one of the oldest
and wealthiest citizens of Yazoo county
and removed to Mississippi Some ma
terlal facts regarding the late attempt
OF the democrats to drive him out of
YazoO and compel him to withdraw
from the independent movement are
known to his family here, but have not
heretofore been published. He had the
largest plantation in Yazoo county, sit
uated few miles from the county seat.
One day, shortly before the mob COM
PEELED him to withdraw fIOm the cam
paign, he visited his plantation and
was expected to return that night. He
was unexpectedly detained at his plan
tation until the next day, and the plot
failed. A few days after two of the ne
groes who had been hired to assassinate
him made him acquainted with the whole
for his murder. A short
time after his enforced retirement from
the independent ticket he was called
upon privately by number of promi-
nent citizens of the county and urged
to retract his withdrawal Eight or ten
OF these gentlemen, who are among the
most influential and wealthy in the
city, and who are democrats, assured
him that there would be no further op-
position, and told him that in case of
danger they would protect him and his
family from harm. His mother received
a letter last week i'm which he an
nOunced his determination to remain
on the ticket. He detailed these assur-
ances of protection and safety which he
had received, and stated that he fully
confided in them, and begged her to
dismiss all fears on his account. The
next intelligence which she received
regarding him was the telegram of to-
day announcing his murder.
THE ATTACK ON DIxoN's HOUSE.
WAsrrrNcrnN, Ang 2I.lThe cores
pendent of Boston paper WAS to-day
shown number of letters from the late
Captain Henry M. Dixon, shot in Mis-
sissippi; also letters written by his
wife to DixOn's mother. One of them,
which was dated before the mob visit
ed his house reads as follows:
81 am in a state of constant anxiety
for Henry. His life is daily threatened
by men who are on the opposing ticket
to him. 1t seems that the democratic
party (as they call themselves) say he
shall not have the sheriff7s office. They
know he will be elected if he runs, and
they are organizing militia companies
TO prevent the cOlored people from
registering and voting. They say if
Henry does not withdraw they will
make him leave the country or put
him under the ground You can I'M
lgine what my constant anxiety is"
The following is an extract from an
other letter which was dated July %,
and was written a few days after the
attack by the mob. Mrs. Dixon refers
to the dangerous illness of her babe,
and says: =
''But my heaviest trouble, to which
The burial of all my little ones would
be nothing, is about Henry. An armed
mob of five hundred men from all parts
Of the country came after him on Fri
day last, and at first ordered him to
leave the country, never to return. He
told them he was as good n citizen as
any of them and would not leave. They
then started into our house, trampling
over me and my little babe, which we
was dying. When Drs. Moore
and Gadbury, Myers, Hudson and Kel-
~ proposed to the mob to spare him if
he would withdraw from the canvass,
some said: ''NO, mol" "Rope him y
others said "Run him out of the cOun-
try" A great many speeches were
made to the mob by the most inf1uen-
tlal citizens, who were opposed to Hen
~, and they finally agreed to spare his
life if he would withdraw, which he
had to do or be murdered. Now you
can understand his feelings under the
to be compelled to
knuckle down to vile mob, headed
by men of wealth, position and infu-
ence, who ought to be the best friends
to us, just because Henry would run
Independent of the convention. No one
knows the end of this. Henry's friends
are influential, and wish to raise an in
dlgnatlon meeting and demand his
rights; but | am unwilling that he
shOld risk his life in any such way. We
would leave the state this minute if we
could possibly get away"