The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-02-15
Tried by Court Martial at Camp
Jackson for Crime Commit
mitted Last Summer.
ATTACKED OFFICERS AT
PISGAH FOREST CAMP
Twenty-Five Members Of Labor
Battalion Were Involved in
Serious Violation Of Military
Law.

(roluiI1D Dill, r GU. ~ 'AAi> NNN 49,
nouncament has been given out. 1t IS
understood in military circles mere
that twenty-five negro soldiers from
North and South Carolina, mostly sta
tone It Camp Jackson, have been
triedr ecently on q charge Of mutiny
and fond guilty. It is probable that
no public announcement Of the find
ings Of the courtmartial will be made
until the records have been reviewed
and approved by the war depart
ment at Washington.
The negro soldiers who We're tried
were:
Simon Radley of Dillon; Monroe
Winged. Of Aiken; Tom Nelson of
Augusta. Ga; John Love, Of Drake,
IS. c.: RichaGl Phoenix, Of Miami,
Fla; Fate Pits, Of Clinton: Thomas
Riley, OF Burton. S. c.; Matthew Sim
mons, OF Beaufort; Lee Williams, OF
Bennettsville; Talmage Williams, of
Cades: Paul Warren, OF Goldsboro. n
c.: Peter Skinner of Woodwar0s, n.
C.: John Thomas Little, r. F. D. No.
l, Aorven, n. c.; Sam Richardson, OF
BoyRin, S. c.: Robert Murry, Of AL
Icolu; Ed Young, of Winnsboro; JACOB
Sease, Of Bamberg; James Berry OF
Langley: Ponerey jackson of Win
'ston salem, ". c.; Samuel Simons, OF
Hopkins: Headley Braveboy. Of Lake
City; Len1ville Inabilett, of Bambers-
The men were charged 7vith, viola
ton of the 66th article of war in that
while members of the 444th Reserve
Labor Battalion, re the Quartermas-
ter Corps, acting Jointly and in pur-
suance Of a common intent they dld
attempt 70 create a mutlny at the
camp Of the battalion at Pisgah For
est, n. c., on July II. The men are
alleged to have urged their COM
rades 70 refuse to obey orders of their
superior officer, Capt. Cyrus G. Wood
ans their superior officer Second Lieu
tenant Aaron 3. Cronkrite.
It is alleged that the men refused
to go to their tents under arrest and
that they brandished clubs and stones
and assaulted and threatened the life
of their superior officers.
It is further alleged that the men
assaulted Sergeant Milton Floyd,
striking him on the head and about
the body with knives, stones, sticks
and clubs.
Pisgah Forest is small numbering
town in the mountainous district OF
North Carolina 1t was about four
miles and a-half from Avery Creek,
where the camp was. to Pisgah Forest
There vas no telephone or telegraph
communication.
1t seems that, the trouble started on
he night of. July II. 1918 at supper
mess. Headley Braveboy, the ring
leader, came back three or four
times for lemonade and the last time
got in the line ahead Of some others
when ne was supposed to fall IN be-
hind. He was placed under arrest
and taken to guard tent and later
chains placed about his neck. A crowd
Of negroes gathered about shouting
",urn him loose" Finally they dis
persed.
That same night Lieut.. Conkrite
and Top Sergeant Milton Floyd start
ed for headquarters four miles away
to get detail to help them out. They
went down to the sheds to saddle the
mules hut the negroes headed by
Hraveboy and others prevented them
from saddling. SO they started out
on foot. and when. part way caught
a logging train. The negroes had
started in pursuit however and climb
ed onto the cab Of the engine and
forced Floyd off. He was grabbed and
pleted with sticks, stones. etc. While he
was trying to hold them back another
logging train came moving past and
they shouted to throw him under the
wheels Of the train. But Floyd was in
a dugout and the negroes being un-
able to get behind him could not
force him TO the tracks TO carry out
th.i~ threat of numbering him. They
grabbed hold Of him and took him
back to camp, on the way hauling
him through river and threatening
to drown him.