The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1921-04-09
[From The colfax (La.) Chronicle. June 8, 1881

[From The Colfax (La.)
The following account of the Colfax
riot contains such a glazing misstate-
ment of some of the occurrences on
that memorable Easter Sunday of
April 10, 1873, and does such injus-
tice to majority of the whites who
took part in that unfortunate conflict,
that, for the purpose of correction,
we publish the article entire. 1t is
from the N. o. Mascot of May ~,
1882:
During the summer of 1873, in the
town of Colfax, parish Of Grant, the
nation was thrilled by one Of the most
frightful massacres ever recorded in
the annals of this State.
According to the published state
ments Of the time, negro ring leader
named Ward undertook to take fore
ible possession of the parish offices Of
Grant, and instill negro incumbents,
claiming to be elected in opposition to
Judge Rutland, and other white parish
officers, who held commissions from
w. P. Kellogg, then Governor Of LOU
isiana.
The testimony elected at the trial
of the case, before the u. S. District
Court in this city, was to the effect,
that Ward and gang Of negroes
claimed to be legally elected officers
of Grant parish, after taking forcible
possession in several instances, were
finally driven by the Infatuated
whites, into building, formerly q
sugar house in the town of Colfax,
which was then used as court house.
This edifce was surrounded and fired
by the whites, and the negroes who
attempted to escape were at once
seized and stood in long line, each
being securely pinioned. After re-
naming in standing position several
hours the signal was at last given,
and the massacre commenced. The
row Of negroes were shot to pieces
where they stood, and the slaughter
becoming general, negroes through
out the parish were shot on sight. II
the writer be not mistaken in the
summary, one hundred and twenty
dusky corpses in one heap told the
dismal story, and for days together
the birds of prey in the parish Toasted
upon negro carton. The individual di-
rectly responsible for this horrible
butchery, whose fiendish brain con-
ceived the murder, and who, with
deliberate deviltry, carried it into
execution, is a person named to The
Mascot by prominent Republican,
who makes not the slightest objection
to the use of his name, and expressed
to The Mascot his entire willingness
to testify under oath to the exact
truth of the revelation he is about to
make. To quote substantially the
gentleman's very words, he said:
Zone day in the spring of 1873,
was sitting in the office of w. p. KEEL
logg, Governor of Louisiana, when
Ward, colored member of the Legis-
lature, and colored political leader
in Grant parish, entered the Govern
or's office, with the commissions Of
the newly elected Republican parish
officers, which had just been received
from the office of the Secretary of
State. / heard w. p. Kellogg direct
Ward to deliver those commissions to
the parties designated, in person, and
say to each of them that he, Kellogg.
expected them to take possession Of
their Offices and exercise their fullest
functions, even if in exerting their
authority it were necessary to resort
to violence. / heard Ward ask KEEL
logg if he were authorized to tell
these men that they would be sus-
tanned by the Executive of the State,
and Kellogg replied: If necessary /
will sustain them with the entire
militia force under my command.
Ward had scarcely left, when Judge
Rutland, parish judge, and the Demo-
cratic leader in Grant, made his ap-
pearance in the Governors office. He
also had an entire set of commissions
issued to white Democratic officers of
Grant parish. Kellogg animated, in
unmistakable language, to Judge Rut-
land, that the Democratic party
claimed majority of the votes cast
in Grant, and that he had commits
stoned them, but that their ability To
retain the office would depend upon
their exhibition of pluck. Feeling
satisfied that a fearful conflict OF
races was about to be precipitated, !
called at the office of the Secretary
Of State. and discovered that two sets
of commissions, one Democratic and
the other Republican, had been issued
for the parish of Grant. When w. p,
Kellogg was expostulated with upon
this exhibition of treachery, he re-
marked sententiously: we must
burn little powder, and spill a little
blood. "The blood of the martyr Is
the seed of the church," and my gov
eminent has not been recognized al
Washington
The statement of the Mascot, in re-
lation to Kellogg commissioning two
sets of officers for Grant parish al
one and the same time, with the view
of precipitating conflict between
the races, is correct in the main, be-