Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-11-30
SHOT AT FROM AMBUSH
Negro Soldiers Fire on White
Squad of Provost Guards.
NO BADGER MEN HURT
Vengeance by Mob Law Threa tened
aud was Narrowly Averted
by Officers.

Admission, Ala, Nov. 25.-Negro SOL
diers, members Of the Third Alabama regi-
ment (colored), lay in ambush last night,
shot at individual white soldiers, and
forced squad of the provost guard to
retire after an armed conflict When the
squad returned with reinforcements the
negroes had disappeared. The casualties
are not fully known. One negro soldier
has been brought IN dead and another IA
tally wounded Two members of the
provost guard are missing and may be
dead.
A member of the Fourth Wisconsin is
SAID to have been shot, but the report can
not be verified. One negro soldier, while
under arrest, was shot in the arm by a
citizen.
A negro soldier was dangerously beaten
by some white soldiers on Tenth street
yesterday afternoon, and this incident is
supposed to have caused the riotous &C
lions on the part of the negroes, who are
said to have slipped out of the camp
through the guard lines.
Shortly after dark Private Gildhart of
20. b, Second Arkansas, while going to-
ward his regiment camp from town, was
shot IN the head by negro soldier, who
also stabbed him in the back. Gildhart
was taken to the regimental hospital
"A little later member of the Fourth
Kentucky is reported to have been shot.
Negroes Open Fire.
Firing was heard in Liberia, the negro
quarter Of the city, which is not far from
walnut street, and q squad of the provost
guard was sent to investigate AS it
turned the corner of Fifteenth and Pine
streets large crowd of negro soldiers,
without warning, opened fire upon the
guard with Springfields, the gun in use
by the regiments.
The guard returned the fire. but had
few cartridges and soon had to retire.
Relntorcements and more ammunition
were sent for. but when they arrived the
negroes had disappeared.
The number of negroes in the mob was
variously estimated from SO to 200 In
the engagement Sergt. Dodson, Third
Tennessee, was shot in the arm and Pri-
vate Graham, Third Tennessee, received
a painful, but not necessarily fatal, wound
in the stomach
When the news of the trouble became
known white soldiers who were in the
city gathered around the provost guard
headquarters and begged for guns and
ammunition, crying like children because
their requests were not granted.
Lynching Narrowly Averted.
Several negro soldiers, one with a
Springfield which had just been fired, were
arrested in various parts of the city and
locked up, though it was with difficulty
that the lnfuriated white soldiers and citi-
zens were prevented from wFeaking sum-
mary vengeance upon them.
The armories of the two local military
companies were broken into and every gun
and cartridge appropriated by unknown
parties.
Gen. Royal T. Frank, who is in COM
mand Of the troops here, came out and
was on the street until a late hour Gen
Colby, commanding the Second brigade
ordered out two companies each of the
Third Tennessee and Second Arkansas,
and brought them to the city for whatever
service might be required. They secured
the city and conducted all soldiers not on
duty back to camps.
All saloons have been closed by order
of Mayor Hight.
The city has quoted down after last
nights rioting and it is believed that the
full extent of the shooting has not been
learned. Two negro soldiers were killed
and three wounded, and six or eight white
enlisted men were more or less seriously
hurt. The two members of white provost
guard who were missing last night report
ed for duty today.
Dead:
Dead-Prfvate Ed Caperton Third Alabama; a
member of the same regiment unidentified.
Wounded-WiIiam Bowie, Third Alabama shot
through the body, will die.
The names of the other wounded ne
groes viii not be known until night as
the commander has not yet made up the
list. Among the whites injured were:
Private Gi1dbait, Co. B. Second Arkansas, shot
in head and stabbed in back dangerous
Sergt Frank Dodson, Third Tennessee, shot in
Private Jack Graham Third Tennessee, shot
in stomach.
Private VIII Bison, Fourth Kentucky, shot in
shoulder
Gen. Leroy T. Frank, commanding at
Camp Shipp has instituted an investiga-
ton.