The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-08-25
big TUESDAY" ON SECESSION HILL.
THE RADICAL LEADERS ROUTED, AND
SENT HOME, AUGUST %, 1876.
The .'NIississippi PInn'' Captures the
Radical Meeting and Brings Vic
tory for Honest Government and
Homo Rule.

Radical Meeting and Brings Vic
tory for Honest Government and
Home Rule.
ccssion IIill' that will not be forgotten.
day. i august % is76. On that pay pay D. II.
Chamherlaiu and other Republican nominees
to speak, Chamberlain and his crowd had
had rough days In Edgetield and Newberry.
Abbeville WINS their third appointment, but
they had KEPT thgr htc COMING Onns Pots"no
ty, though it was known perhaps to
every negro in the county.
TO re rliZe the situation, and to account for
the intense feeling between the races, IL Will
be necessary for the reader to remember that
the Republicans had been in power for near
ly eight years, and that in that time they had
violated all our ideas OF Justice, had gradual
~ increased the taxes, and mad raised the as
sessmcnt of our property, to such an extent
that our people were really unable longer 10
pay them. To add further to the indigna-
tion OF our people the Republican Legisa;;
aliens, had elected Il .pro0igate negro to tho
office Of Circuit Judge The antOgonism OF
races, was being intensified daily. Besides
in every county Of the State, the Republican
officials clandestinely shipped arms and
ammunition TO the negroes In various towns In
the State; some boxes Of which were marked
"shoemaker's tools" Bloody riots were of
weekly occurrence and the torch OF the in
cendary did its destructive work ut the bid
ding of mean white men. The people were, If
determined than in 1860. They had organ.
lied In every county In the State with the de-
termination to meet and overthrow the cor
rupt bandits who were, under the forms OF
law, running riot over The State, and who, us
organized mobs, were shedding blood and de-
stroying property. With this condition Of
affairs the white people were compelled to
keep secret their movements, and each Dem
ocrnt felt in honor bound not to divulse to
the negroes any contemplated movement OF
the party.
Under these circumstances the Democracy
Of this county was organized under the lead
ership Of Col. ]. S. Cothrun, with hundreds of
men, ready at a moments notice, TO do his
bidding. Hundreds Of old soldiers who had
undergone the harllshlps and training of war
were ready to obey the wishes of him in
whose judgment they had explicit confidence.
SO completely were the people aroused and so
cxasperated were they at the indgnities that
brave "Red Shirts" would have put Chamber
Ialn and his crew to death, Il Colonel Goth
ran had so advised. Our people had learned
somewhat as public enemies, and it required
wise counsels Oh the part OF our leaders to
prevent violence to them.
1t was suspected that Chamberlain would
come to Abberillc and every ear was open to
hear the first breath Of veritication OF the
belief. Arrangements had been made with
the telegraph operators along the line OF the
Grccnville and Columbia Railroad to inform
Col. Cothran If Chamberlain should be on
any train coming this way. About midday
of Monday, August q, lT6. the news WAS
| flashed over the wires that lie and his asSo-
ciatcs were coming. Col. Cothran Immediate
county with the Intelligence OF Chamber
! lains coming, and with the request that the
presence Of every Red Shirt (red shirt being
Synonymous with DemocraD In the county
was .iccded at Abberiila Court House by
nine O'Clock next morning, Tuesday, August
%. lSIG The newspaper report next day es-
Shirts were, at the app0intc hour. Quartered
! In The outskirts Of The village, ready TO move
at q mo"lcuCs notice. Excitement was III.
tense, and each Side nIarshaed the full orcc of
! Of his following. Col. Colhran had his head
quarters in Law Range Governor CbaInbcr-
lain had his at Senator Hollsn.Shead's house.
After consultation and holding council rs
To the best and most advisable mode
n,amd u division or time with the Re-
publican speakers that day In their dis
cuSsion Of the issues Of the day. Capt. j.
! y. King, \. b: Ward!aw, B. W. BaTnwcll. j..
NJ sanders. ]. p. Phillips were appointed
| commissioners to bear the request to CEam-
! berlain with the further instruction. If re-
fused, to demand the right, and to inform him
that we would insist upona division of time.
! with force, If necessary. The request for di-
vision of time was finally granted. At ten
o'clock the Democrats and Republicans re-
!
cceded by IL band OF music and flying ban.
ncrs. The Democrats were mounted. The
negroes moved first, marched de1lantly to
! the stand, took position in front of the
the Democrats marched through the streets
to martial music, with up-lifted banners.
The immense columns OF determined men
which extended further than the eye could
see formed an imposing scene for the i'm
menSe thrOng of ladies, old men, and chill
dren that thrOngcd every balcony and window
on the public square and along The entire
route Of the procession, which was formed,
| in part, as follows:
| Foremost among them was the Ozark Cor
ncr' club of Edgcticld, commanded by Capt.
! J. G. Blackwell, with banner carried ny Mr.
| J.. W, Lyon-on one side Of which was the
name of the club and on tho reverse side
"Bloody Shirt"
| other clubs followed:
! The Due West club, by Capt. Samuel Ag-
new.
The Greenwood club, by Capt. c. A. C. Wal
The Cokesbury club, by Capt. NJ. G. Zelglcr.
! The bordeaux club, by Capt. j. B. Hol-
! loway.
The Bradley's Mills club, by Capt. Dora Jay.
The lebanon club, by Capt; ): >; Gihcrt;
! The Nincty-Six club, BY Capt. Luther Broad-
dus.
/ 10 say nothing OF the hundreds Of Red
Shirts that came from all parts Of the county
without organization, but Joined the process
| sion, all of whom were well mounted, unu
made Il brilliant dis play.
Arriving at the stand the Democrats found
! the place dcnscly packed by u great cloud of
negroes who occupied the seats. AS the col
umn of Democrats, who were on horseback,
came near the crowd Of negroes, they opened
| ranks one side going the right and the 9TH
or TO the left, and completely surrounded the
stand and the negroes by Gordon of as de.
tcrmlncd horSemen Us ever met an enemy.
| Upon the stand were seated:
| On the Republican side: Governor d. IL.
Chamberlain, Congressman 5. l.. HOge, State
superintendent of Education $. ]. Jillson.
| On the Democratic side: Hon. ID. Wyatt
Aiken, General $. MCGOWAN, Colonel j. s.
| C0lhran.
Above the speakers floated the United
States flag, and the various Democrntic BAN
| ncrs The Abbcyillc Silver COrnet Band and
, the Due West Band on behalf OF the Demo.
Gratis, and The AbbeviIla colorcd Band Oh be-
half of the Republicans, furnished music
which had bccii prepared for the occasion.
| Colonel COthfalI, the Democratic County
! Chairman, In beh;tlfof the Republican speak
crs invoked perfect order and Il f;lir hearing,
! plcIsing the ability of his friends to answer
at various times manifested inpaticncc at
the speeches of the Republicans and each
! time Colonel Coihran spoke to them In such
! Il way as to restore quiet.
! MIR. Il. y. TOlbcrt, the Republican County
! Chairman called the mcting TO order, and
introduced Governor Chamberlain, the first
speaker. His speech was conservative ana
lrmpeiate. During its delivery, an Edge.
field man stood on the scat of the platform
behind where Chamberlain was standing,
and constantly answered the JccrS OF the
hurscmrn with Il whOop and the wave OF Il
great but"cun which he passed above his
head, and so near to his scalp that the stray
hairs on his bald head wcro waved BY the ar