The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-05
THE MISSISSIPPI SAyAGES
The Story of the War Made On the
Peaceable Blacks of Wahalak.
ALI the Negroes Who Defended Themselves
Have Been Murdered, and Many Others
Who Had Nothing to Do with the Affair.


The Wahalak tragedy was not the result
of race war. 1t was simply an unlawful
attack upon the home of colored man and
the killing of two of the assailants, and the
subsequent pursuit and murder of several
black men by lawless whites. This lawless-
ness was permitted to gather force through
the culpable indifference of an incompetent
sheriff, on whose head the responsibility
must be laid.
Wahalak is little lumber station on the
Mobile & Ohio road, situated in Kemper
county, which is not unknown to fame.
The negroes are said to outnumber the
whites ten to one. On either side of the
railroad, and for several miles back, the
country is level and the soil rich. On the
east side there arises a series of precipitOus
bluffs behind which the country is sterile
and broken. In the valley below live the
white planters most of whom own their
places as family inheritances, while the ne
groes who were their former slaves, live on
the highlands, where they cultivate small
patches. Many of them have bought their
homes and live in an ideal republic of their
own. In the busy seasons they hire out TO
the planters below, and the money thus
earned, supplemented by their own little
crops, enables them to live the year round.
The Maury family is the leading one In
that section of Kemper county. The head
of the family, j. w. Maury, now an aged
man, has large family, who are settled
around him. He was also, before the war,
a large slave-owner, and his former slaves
are among the most prominent among the
black inhabitants of the hills. Mr.. Maury's
two sons Henry and Frank. men in middle
life, married and the fathers of large fami-
lies. live adjoining him. George Maury,
the leader of the colored men. was former
slave of the Maury family land most likely
a blood relation of his master, after whom
he was called, and had the implicit trust
of its members. Some years ago George
married the house girl, who held the Htch-
was one of note. In the marriage of two
trusted servants the Maurys showed the
deepest interest. The wedding took place
from the mansion, and the newly-marrled
cabins, where they have since lived in
thrifty manner, paying for the place and
accommodating something every year.
AS to what led up to the present i'll feel
ing, there are conflicting opinions. 1t has
been stated that few Sundays ago ne
gro preacher in one of the churches read
General Sherman's recent illumination, in
which he referred to the use which might
be made of the torch, dynamite and the
sword, That reading, however, did not
in DeKalb, some miles distant, and there is
no evidence that the Wahalak negroes ever
heard of it. The friends of the DeKalb
preacher deny that he ever read it. Then,
in several Northern papers, which criti-
cised somewhat freely the manners OF the
people and the relations between the races.
As the negroes are not reading people,
and probably never saw either one OF the
obscure papers printing the offensive arti-
cles it is difficult to see how they could
have been melted by them. 1t is suggested
that the personal character of the white
men concerned would throw light upon the
tragedy.
Tom Nicholson and his brother-in-law,
Seth Cobb, are known as hard cases. Many
stories are cold as to their antecedents, their
drinking habits and their association with
negroes. 1t is asserted by many that their
families lived on terms of equality with
those of the negroes by whom they We're
surrounded. Hence, when George Maury
ordered NichOlson's young son to drive out
of the way and let him pass, he was only
carrying out the familiarity which had long
existed. George is man of violent speech,
SO that his language was that to which the
NichOlsons were accustomed. When Tom
Nicholson reached the spot he found the
boy still crying, with the negro still abus-
ing him. A fight took place, in which the
negro whipped the white man. Cobb went
home and Maury drove on. This. then,
establishes the feud, with George Maury,
black, on one side, and Tom Nicholson,
white on the other.
Nicholson sent for his brother-in-law,
Seth Cobb. Soon Others were added to the
crowd, among them being VIM. Vaughn
and VIM. Hare. They claim that their pur-
pose was to arrest Geo. Maury for assault
dence, however, that their intention was to
get George for the purpose OF fiOgging him
and perhaps to kill him if he should resist
too strongly. This theory, would be in
ties. The white Maurys joined in later,
their special object being to punish the ne
gro for presuming to talk impudently to
white boy. Geo. Maury knew what was
coming and prepared for it. His house is
on the highest point of one of the highest
hills in the neighborhood. The smoke
house, the cottOn-pen, and wagon-bed form
triangle, commanding the gate entrance
into the house. George called his friends
together, thirteen in number, and prepared
to defend himself from the attack of the
mob. The party approached Sunday night,
eleven white men composing it, with Seth
Cobb in command, Frank Maury as his
first lieutenant, and Thomas Nicholson,
clerk named Giles. and others. The
party passed within range Of the
house, ha Frank Iaury pushed 't the e. door e%r
open, and found the house perfectly dark.
An inmate told him that George was over
about the cotton-pen. AS the crowd turned
in that direction deadly fire was opened
upon it from the three intrenched out
houses. Giles took to his heels and ran,
never stopping until noon of next day.
Seth Cobb fell mOrtally wounded, and died
in few minutes. Next, Frank Maury bit
the dust. Nicholson was MORALLY wound
ed. William Hare fell between log and
the fence, which afforded him protection
against the fire from the cotton-pen. The
night was bright and clear, and every
movement could be distinctly seen. One
of the inmates of the cotton-pen took spe-
cial charge of Hare who was behind the
log. The negro would work his rifle
through the portfolio in all directions, try
ing to get good aim at Hare, while the
fire would be as promptly returned. Dur
ing a cessation IL the shooting, Hare
jumped the fence and soon made himself
scarce, Half a dozen of the party were
seriously wounded, all of whom retreated,
leaving the dead on the field. When the
party returned next day for the dead they
found that the negroes had evacuated the
place.
The raiders at once took measures to
color the whole affair. The stories sent
out were all of their own making, CORE
spondents from distance were kept at bay
and several were given to understand that
their immediate departure might be to their
interest. The reports which were sent out
under these circumstances conveyed the
idea that it was race war; that the whites
were in danger of determination at the
hands of the Infatuated negroes. Such re-
ports found ready sympathy and immedi-
ate response. The young men in all parts
of the State were ready to go to the defense
of the beleagured whites. Still Sheriff Key