Year: 1868

1AON4E-AD MASI hAaCOu TO-, Ia,


August 18th, 1868. J
Editor National Republican:


That the whole State, with the auth
critics over the same, may how knows
the eOlored people are treated ia our
eoutny-DOOly-I write this. I am now
out of the woods, where I have been
for week hidden to save my life, not
daring to go home forfOOd or clothing
which is a comfortable home-have a
wife and little ones their with pigs
and chickens, with a good corn and
cotton crop, now neglected, because /,
as a free cOlOred man, saw proper to
aid IN the organization of a Grant and
COlfaX Club near me, with q COnstit-
utiOn endorsed by Colonel Ed. Hurl-
bert, President of the Central Grant
Club of Atlanta. Now, sir, I have
not been charged with any crime for
which forty or fifty men should be
after me, but simply a Republican,
wanting : to see the liberties of my
race secured. These armed men are
Democrats, sworn to kill me and all
men getting UP these clubs; some of
them are officers Of the law, Judges of
the Courts, and SheriffS. They are
prosecuting us under the name of
keeping order and suppressing insur-
rectiOns among my race. They patrol
the roads, as of old, to catch slaves
out after times-they beat US with
sticks--if we have a social gathering
during week days, it's found out soon
the house is surrounded by armed
white men from a distance, and by
order it's broken up-Our women are
taken from us, and abused in such a
way l shall not here relate. Atchurch,
armed white men sit to watch us. We
can not enjoy ourselves, and therefore
our churches are never filled like 9TH
er rsectiOns-wef fearing some difficulty,
and prominent men of color will be
put in Jail. 1 mean Republicans, for
they are always the most intelligent.
Butt must speak futher of our Clubs:
One was organized near Vienna, DOOly
county. All protested before hand
that they intended nothing to the
whites but on the day of meeting fear
ing trouble, they went out of town, to
meet on a cOlOred friends plantation.
Soon after being organized, the place
was surrounded, and the President,
Hugh Dean. forced off to Jail, under a
strong guard of whites, we'll armed.
The Judge of the County Court and
Sheriff of the county swOre they
would not recognize the negro as
having the right to vote and hold
office, and they should not have Grant
Clubs in that county; that if they
cOuldnOt defeat Grant any other way,
they lUO1tLd EitE the last damned negro
IN that county Another of the Club
was knocked dawn for claiming that
the eOlOred people had the right to
meet and peaceably discuss theirrights,
and all the rest were frightened away.
After this success by a hundred and
fifty armed whites, they went up to
where another Club had been organic
ed-this was some six miles off-and
finding the meeting had gone through
with its business, they hunted for
some of its members; ran women and
men into the woods from several plant
atiOns, where they were at work. All
these whites, being armed, were on
horseback. A detachment, with a
Constable with it, came by Mr.. Pitts
mans plantation, late in the evening.
After passing a lot Of cOlOred men at
work, three returned, came up to two
of the men sitting on the fence, and
said to Jerry Brown: ''YOu are one
of the scOundrels who had a gun at
the Club meeting along with
us-dOn't yOn run, or we will shoot
you" Their guns levelled, so he had
to go. Down near Mr.. Wallace's Mill
he was tied to tree, and shot dead
part of his head, was shot away, shot
in the head, back etc. The man was
inquired for next morning, and some
of the same command told US where
the body could be found. When found,
the hogs was hold of it. How many
colored men have been killed and
thrown in the swamps, God only
knows. Be it said, to our races credit,
we have not killed a white man since
we have been freed in this county.
These white citizens are going about
declaring we are not free; are taking
our shot guns away from US. They
all have army guns, most shoot sever
al times. Most Of the cOlOred people
l talk to are going to leave the county !;
but to go now, the whites would have
all our crops, which it seems they
desire. The Jail is full of Grant Club
men, who are persuaded every day to
join theSeymOur and Blair party, but
they refuse; so they are kept in jail
otherwise they would be set free.


A DOOI,Y COLORFD MAN.