Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1914-12-23
NO. Al.

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men approached, driving in the
middle OF the street, instead of
throwing his men into column of
fours" or column of platoons,"
or wheeling them out of the way,
Dock Adams gave the order
"Charge!" with yisw no doubt oil
showing off before the assembled
negroes and to compel the young
white men to turn their horse around
and flee. But they were not of that
kind, and knowing that they had
lbe right to the highway, as the ap-
preaching line of leveled bayonets
came forward they stopped the bug
gy, and reaching for their pistols
shouted: We will shoot the first
man who sticks a bayonet in that
horse" There were more than one.
hundred negroes armed with Spring
field rifles and cleaning bayonets,
and several hundred others looking
on. The negroes knew that they
could butcher the two white men
with great ease, but they felt GER
tain one or more of them would be
killed before it could be done. The
captain shouted Halt and opened
the ranks so that the buggy could
pass, and in little while dismissed
his company and went to General
Prince Rivers and swore out a war
rant, charging Getzen and young
Butler with interfering with his
company at drill. Butler went on
home and told his father what had.
happened, and Mt. Robert Butler,
whose plantation lay above Ham
burg and who had great deal of
trouble with negro thieves and was
in every way very pugnacious,
man, hurried TO the same trial JUS
tice and swore ont warrant for
Adams for obstructing the high.
way. The trial was set for, tbe5suc-
ceedings Saturday. July s. Theinci-.
dent was noised about all over the
counties of Edgefeld and Aiken in;
Ia very li,tle while and excited deep
Il It had been the settled purpose
of the leading white men of Edge-
field to seize the first opportunity
that the negroes might offer them
to provoke riot and teach the ne
groes a lesson; as it was generally
believed that nothing but blood
shed and good deal of it could an
swer the purpose of redeening the
state from negro and carpet bag
rule. Mr.. Robert Butler sent to
Edgetield for Gen. M. G. Butler to
defend his son and son-in-law and
prosecute Adams at the trial. Col.
A. P. Butler, the captain of the
Sweetwater Sabre Club, summoned
our company to meet at Summer
Hill, three miles from Hamburg at
twelve o'clock. 1t was our purpose
to attend the trial to see that the
young men had protection and, if
any opportunity offered, to provoke
a low. and if one did not offer, we
were to make one. We did not go
in uniform and were expressly or
dered to leave our rifles and car
bines, so that when assembled we
were only armed with pistols. Va
rious schemes were presented and
discussed but nothing definite was
arranged except that we would go
to Hamburg in a body at o'clock,
the time for the trial, and see what
would turn up. The fact, however,
that we had assembled was made
known to Prince Rivers, and when
the company reached Hamburg we,
were informed that the trial had.
been postponed; ard it appeared
fora while that all of our trouble
and pains as well as the schemes we
had formulated would come to
naught. Dock Adams had assem-
bled his company in the armory
over the Sibley building, two
story brick structure on the corner
of Main and River streets. General
Rivers had disappeared from town.
There was much talking and
planning among the leaders, the
two Buffers and others of the lead
ins citizens. At about O'Clock 1T
was decided that the demand
should be made of Dock Adams to
surrender his guns and notice to
that effect was sent him by Gen. M.
Q. Butler. He was told that he had
shown the militia with guns were.
menace to peace and good order,
and tha, the whites having lost all
patience were resolved to put an end
to his outrageous aud insolent con.