East Mississippi times. (Starkville, Miss.) 19??-1926, 1912-03-15
RECONSTRUCTION
I'M OKTIRREHA co MISS
IN OKTIBBEHA C(
BY F. z. BROWNE

plication was that he would only
need it for his coffin.
The little force Of white men in
Starkville had been re-enforced
from West Point by Albert Cot
tell and others, who had brought
a cannon with them. When the
news came that the negroes, in the
face OF all warnings, had said that
they would march through Stark
vile streets if they had to wade
through blood plans, of battle were
quickly formed.
The Starkville cannon, under
Capt. Hub Sanders, and the can.
non from West Point, under Capt.
Cottrell, were loaded to the muzzIe
with buckShot and scrap iron and
planted on an elevation command
ing the streets up which the ne
groes We're to march. After the
first discharge the negroes were to
be charged in front and flank by
the force under Col. Doss and Capt.
Mcdowell.
When the pickets who had been
sent out returned and reported that
the negro column was actually in
motion all was expectancy, excite
ment and grim determination. The
younger element particularly were
spolllng for the fray and could be
hardly restrained by their leaders.
The negroes marched in solid
formation, the drum beating at
their head. Their guns were car
ried in wagons in the midst of the
column. When the head Of the col
umn reached a point near where the
Baptist Church now is and in close
proximity to the cannon mounted
to receive them, Captains Sessums
and Beattie, of the Democratic
Executive Committee, wishing to
avoid If possible a useless slaugh-
ter, suggested that it would be q
good idea to go out and stop them.
Acting upon this suggestion Capt.
Mcdowell, saying that he would
not ask any man to do what he
would not do himself, rode forth
alone and reincd up his horse di
rectIy III front Of the advancing
column Of negroes.
And now cam man Iip haftnT
Than facing fearful odds.
Ior the ashes of bis fathers
And the temples of his Gods"
Ihsi old Confederate soldier
showed himself Horatius indeed
that day, for who could tell what
these semi barbarians would do?
In order to succor Capt. Nc
DoWell III case he was attacked,
Godfrey, Louisianlan, rode up
close behind him. Rhett Maxwell,
jim Gum and Jim Bell and others
also sat their horses near by. Pay
ing little attention to Mcdowell,
the negroes came on, the negro
with the drum beating It violently
at the head Of the column. Seeing
that the white men intended 0 dis
pute their passage the negroes wav-
cred and finally halted. After a
few moments Of il decision negI O
leVelled derringer ut the Captain
as he commanded them to diSperse
and go back. Immediately Il Q
Captain covered him with his pistol,
and the negro, instead of firing,
fell fiat on the ground. The Cap,
tlin's horse having backed upon q
small bridge that spanned a ditch
at that point in the road, the negro
with the drum ran forward beating
it violently. His object was to
frlghten the horse and force the
Captain off the bridge. Then he
would no doubt have been set upon
and dubbed before his friends could
have rescued him. The old SOL
dier was equal to the situation.
Having already foored" the ne
gro with the derringer, he now
leveled his pistol at the drummer
with the stern command; Strike
that drum again and I'll kill you. "
Hearing this the negro with the
drum also fell PROSTATE, At this
juncture an old negro about Is
years old rushed up to the head of
the column and shouted. Beat
that drum, am as ready to die
now as any time. " Keeping the
drummer covered Mcdowell an
swered' We'll, old man, you will
die if he beats it. !" Needless to
say there was no more drumming
just then. The old soldiers hero.
ism had saved the situation. Over.
awed by the GOODNESS and determi-
ton of Mcdowell and those who
had ridden up to his support the
negroes relinquished their purpose
and began to disperse.