The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-01-08

veterans OF the war between the North
and the South. AS was too young
to serve IN the war, have no expc-
rienccs to give. But l had several
shaves in the ku-klux times, one of
which | will now relate. Before | go
into my story, perhaps it will be best
to give the uninformcd public an idea
OF the origin aud mission Of this or
ganization, for it is passing strange
how many people, even Southcrncrs,
who have grown up with mistaken
ideas Of the ku-klux.
When the war had ended and the
negro was freed from his bondage, he
was like wild beast brought un-
changed from dungeon Of darkness.
When at first his bonds were broken.
and the sunlight of freedom burst
upon his simple vision he could hard
ly realize that he was a free man.
But when carpet baggcr5 came into
the South and prcycd upon his icnor-
ancc, he soon learned to believe that
he was no longer slave. but master Of
the situation. The tools Of labor were
taken from his HANDS and the ballot
placed th"rcin-hc was no longer
property but citizen. BY unwisc
laws and unjust administrations, he
was taken from the plow handles and
placed in the jury box, and he was
looscd from the chain gang to adorn
the ha'ls Of the legislature. Our
judges we're dcthroned, our courts
abolished and the will of the negro
was the law of the land The pent
up ignorance and viciousncss Of gen
crations were looscd upon us, and the
negroes unrestraincd and protected
freedom and authority led to every
phase and description Of crime, for
which We had no redress, and thus
condition more alarming than the
darkest days Of the war confronted us.
Thus, the ku klux became a necessity.
From Washington to Texas and from
Missouri to Florida, the best men of
the South were banded together to
secretly defend and protect our rights,
and to quell the negro in his madness.
No man was ever tried or sentenced
rashly, and no innocent men ever suf-
fered thereby. But | will get back TO
my story.
1t was in the year 1870. a negro
in this, Wilkinson County, had made
himself very conspicuous by his
numerous crimes He wa; tried by
us, as we had no other courts, and
convicted Of a crime for which many IL
negro has since been spirited away.
y very severe sentence had been pass
ed upon him by the supreme lodge in
Georgia. We realized here at home
that the judges ut headquarters did
not fully understand the character
they were dealing with, but the orders
were executed as given. The negro
left the colony aud was not heard
from again for about two weeks. But
he had not been idle all this time.
lie went to Savannah and reported the
case to the federal authorities, who
consisted of few toughs from the
North and crowd Of negroes. One
night while our village was asleep
company of Yankee and negro soldiers
slipped in upon US and ere the town
was aroused, about twenty-five of our
best men we're federal prisoners. The
company was tho roughest kind even
for those days. We were treated like
q baud Of cut throats.
One of our men was taken from his
wife with her babe just horn to spend
the night alone. Another was snatch
cd away from the bedside of his little
child which was being shr"uded. And
our women and children were left un-
protected, at the dead hour of light,
in the midst Of band of lawle.s me-
groes. We were carried to Savannah
and placed in Jail. And had We been
dropped in the darkest CORNER uf
Africa, we could not have been more
under the control and authority of
negroes. We were the only white
men who seemed TO be connected with
this establishment. And you may
imagine our feelings when I tell you
that only three white men sat upon
the grand jury before which we were
taken to be indicted And one of
these men was fellow who had served
sentence iE the pcnitentiary for
stealing horse in this county. The
negro, jeff Long, who died in Macon
Il few months ago, was foreman of this
jury. We did not stay in jill long,
however, before onr friends at home