USA > Mississippi > Newton County > History of Newton County, Mississippi from 1834 to 1894 > Part 12
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Subjoined is an extract from an article published in the Meridian Mercury, Febr'y 8, 1868, giving a graphic account of the tragic events and things that followed in rapid succession after the first blood was spilled. The Mercury says :
" The precise scene of the shocking deed is about midway between Hickory station, Newton county, and Garlandsville, Jasper county. Daniel A. Denis and Edw'd R. Denis, originally from the State of Georgia, but more recently from the State of Alabama, came to the place about ten years ago and settled on a plan- tation, and have since been working together. Indus- trious, honorable and attentive to business, they made themselves a good name among their neighbors. They both served in the late war, passing through battles unharmed. Their ages were fifty-four and fifty-one. The latter only was married.
" There is a family of negroes living near the Denis
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plantation, formerly belonging to the Dyess family. They lived near by when they were slaves. There are four brothers, perhaps five, believed to have been con- cerned in the murderous assault. There names are Prince, Orange, John, Sunny and Joe; all are the Dyess negroes. These were squatted about near by, and with them the difficulty originated.
"The Messrs. Denis had missed hogs. They sus- pected the Dyess negroes having stolen them. E. R. Denis, with W. H. Tucker, went to Prince Dyess' to search. They found Princes' wife cooking fresh hog meat, asked her where she got it ; said she got it from uncle Henry. They went to see " uncle Henry" about it, who said they did'nt. This was Friday ; Prince was not at home. Went after dark and he was not at home yet. Went in the morning and still not at home. Told the woman she would have to go to Hickory ; she showed them the meat buried in the ground, in a box. Started with her; met Prince, her husband, and Orange, his brother ; both had double barreled guns ; a conversation ensued. Prince confessed that he killed the hog, and said as he did it he thought the woman need not be carried to Hickory to appear before the magistrate. Denis told him (Prince), that he must go, and that he was willing to compromise and make it as light as possible, provided he would leave the country. . Prince said he would go to Hickory and start as soon as he got some breakfast. The negroes talked and acted boldly, and defiantly."
"Denis proceeded to Hickory, in company with Tuck- er. He waited until evening, and Prince not coming as he promised, he went before Justice Gray and sued out a warrant and returned. The warrant was placed in the hands of Mr. Gibson as a special deputy con- stable to execute.
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" Officer Gibson with the Denises, Ben. Griffin, Jonas Nelson and Jack K. Horn and Sim. Perry, as a posse, after dark proceeded to Princes' house, not more than a quarter of a mile from Denis' place, to execute the warrant. They did not find Prince at home. Failing in their object and not suspecting a conspiracy, lighted a torch, called up some dogs and turned the hunt com- menced for a hog-thief into a 'possum hunt. They had caught one possum and were returning home. They were in one hundred yards of the house cross- ing a branch, E. R. Denis bearing the torch next to D. A. Denis in advance, others following, when a volley was fired into the party at close range. D. A. Denis it is upposed fell dead ; Gibson, Griffin and Nelson were more or less severely wounded by the fire. The negroes rushed from their ambush. Old John, the father of the five sons, encountered E. R. Denis, who seemed to have stood his ground. The three wounded men retreated in the dark as best they could, as did the ones not wounded. E. R. Denis was heard to exclaim, " Prince, don't kill me !" The voice of little John was distinguished saying, "kill him !" When all was over the report reached the home of the Denis', and Mrs. Denis, in company with some one went to the scene of conflict and hunted up the dead and wounded. D. A. Denis lay dead -- shot twice, front and rear ; his head beaten and crushed in. E. R. Denis lay dead near by, his head horribly crushed, and run through, apparently with a sword, but no sign of a gun-shot wound.
"The (Black) Prince wore a sword by virtue of his office as commander-in-chief of the force, and thus it was that the black devil, Prince, "fleshed his maiden sword:" Old John, the old daddy of these young devils, made the onset. He was so near E. R. Denis
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that he caught his gun and raised it so as to miss a man near by. They grappled and an unequal contest went on between the younger Denis and the whole gang. It is inferred that he gave some deadly wounds before he fell. He lay on his pistol and three barrels were empty. Old John, subsequently arrested, had two bullet holes in his body, the wound supposed to have been given by Denis. They were of a deadly character ; and as old John will probably never be at another killing of white men, we will repeat here what he said after his arrest, that "E. R. Denis was the hard- est man to kill that he ever killed," from which it may be inferred that he had tried his hand before. It is supposed that there were about eight negroes in the fight Saturday night, the men above mentioned and some of their friends.
"Runners were sent out that night to spread the alarm. The next morning about twenty men from Garlandsville appeared upon the scene. The negroe's, too, seemed to have improved the time to recruit their forces. Flushed with their victory and confident of · their numbers, they sent a defiant message to the party to come and arrest them where they were, at old John's house. The party of whites from Garlandsville dashed right up to old John's house without dismount- ing. A volley was poured into them from the house, from the woods and from the fence. A Mr. Lyle, a young man from Garlandsville, was severely wounded by a shot from the woods ; less severely wounded Messrs. McCall and Land, the latter but slightly. Their horses were shot by the volley. The fire was returned and it is believed two negroes were wounded. It is negro news that one was killed, but doubtful. The negro party after firing, retired. The whites found old John in the house wounded as above stated,
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badly. Questioned, he said he was sick ; examined, it was seen he was sick of two bullet wounds. Old John was first arrested. He was "sent to Hickory," where we lose track of him and will not attempt to find him again; Daniel Johnson, in the Sunday morn- ing fight has been arrested and committed to the Jasper county jail. Tobe Gentry, in the Saturday night's massacre has been caught and lodged in Newton coun- ty jail. Besides old John, Joe, his son, "Uncle Henry," John's brother, both in Saturday's fight, were caught and "sent to Hickory," which is all we could hear of them. It was said here on Wednesday that the negroes engaged in the war at Newton, had sent here for rein- forcements. A certain restless negro who is well known, has on several occasions shown a disposition to incite his people to violence, was out early on Wednesday morning, the morning after the snow, with an army gun, on the streets, pretending that he was waiting for his crowd to go hunting in the snow. It was not known except to the black Loyal Leaguers that any of the Newton warriors had arrived here, and there was only a suspicion that the aforesaid negro was demonstrating to get recruits to go to the field of operation beyond the Chunkey. The brother of the massacred men, with some friends, got here Thursday evening, still searching for the murderers of the two brothers. He put himself in communication with a few discreet persons and waited until morning and yes- terday, Friday, the city marshal Pelton and Police- man Duke, having gotten a description of the negroes supposed to be about here from certain information of negroes being there, proceeded to the headquarters of the Bureau. There they saw four negroes answering the description, lazily lounging about, sunning them- selves on the wood-pile. They went and informed
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Capt. Thomas that they had come to arrest these negroes.
"They had been here since Tuesday, and had taken sanctuary at the Bureau, and had actually been mak- ing complaints against the whites of Newton and were then waiting for the agent to take steps to redress their grievances. We suppose they thought the Bureau would restrain the white people from hunting and cap- turing them to bring them to justice, and that among their newly acquired rights was the right to kill the white man to suit their pastime and pleasure, and to go about safely with the overshadowing protection of the Bureau. Capt. Thomas concluded to give them up, and it was unnecessary to ask him about it at all if a proper warrant were issued. Some delay occurred, the unsuspecting negroes still hanging about while cer- tain parties were at Justice Bramlett's office getting the warrant issued, as it is reported to us one of the four negroes who had taken sanctuary was sent off by Capt. Thomas to buy bread for the crowd. The arrest . ing party was returning as the negro was going for the bread, and it is supposed that he recognized the brother of the murdered men and has slipped away. Such are Bureau ways. It is justice for us to men- tion that Mr. Denis expressed himself to us quite satisfied that Capt. Thomas was disposed to do the right thing. The remaining three were locked up in the guard-house and a guard detailed for last night. The gun of one of the murdered men was found in possession of one of these (D. A. Denis, shot down at the first fire, carried the gun). The stock had been broken in beating one of the victims over the head. When asked by one of the arresting party where he got it, he said he captured it.
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"The sheriff of Newton county was expected to -
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arrive to-day to take charge of the prisoners, to remove them to Newton county. We do not hear of his arrival. All the negroes here had guns; one of them, as stated, the gun of one of the men killed. Captain Thomas, Bureau agent, before he would deliver them to Mr. Denis and party, required them to pay $13.00 which amount he said had been pawned for provis- ions advanced."
The young man Lyles, (brother of J. M. Lyles, of this county) died of the injuries received in the charge on the ambushed negroes. It will be seen, when the men found one of their number had been brutally mur- dered from ambush, that a third (Mr. Ben Griffin's leg being broken) had been badly crippled, were deter- mined to punish the parties who did it regardless of consequences.
The brave charge made upon the fortified house of the Dyess negroes on Sunday morning was the style of a charge that some of the old soldiers were accus- tomed to. They did not think of the consequences. and when the word was given the old rebel yell rang out, and it was only the work of a moment, and the capture of those in the house was accomplished. Pun- ishment was at once dealt out to those whom they found. The law was not troubled with any trials of those assassins that were caught and known to be in the conspiracy to murder the Denis'. The vengeance of the white people was speedy. But they did not long enjoy the rest of their quiet homes. As soon as the facts, doubtless greatly exaggerated against the whites and mitigated on the part of the blacks, were carried to military headquarters by negro runners, sol. diers were dispatched to the locality of the murder and lynchings to arrest all who were engaged in the punishment of the negroes. Hundreds of white men
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had gathered, some from Jasper county, and many from Newton county, had joined in the search and capture of those engaged in the murder, and to arrest those who had resisted the officers in the service of the warrant.
The Federal authorities received their information in reference to the particulars of the difficulties from the negroes. These informers did not always confine themselves to statements of fact, and many, no doubt, made reports upon doubtful surmises. When the military came into the county, many who had taken an active part fled the country, while others, who had only taken the part that every man ought, to catch the guilty parties, were arrested and sent to jail. Doubt- less some who had but little to do with the arrest and punishment of the negroes were among the punished.
The arrests that were at once made were Sim Perry, Dr. S. G. Loughridge, R. L. Sanders, Dr. W. D. Bragg, F. M. Lewis, David Richie and Mr. Heath. Of these there were only three tried, namely : Sim Perry, Dr. S. G. Loughridge and R. L. Sanders. These gentlemen were tried before a military commission, with General Adelbert Ames as president and Jasper Myers as judge advocate. This trial took place at Vicksburg. The parties were detained there for three months. They had Hon. Wm. Yerger, Hon. Fulton Anderson, Hon. H. F. Simrall and T. B. Manlove, Esq., to defend them. They paid their attorneys $1500, and after a patient hearing were acquitted. These men were kept in a military prison, and were very well treated by the commission trying them. The four last named, who were not tried, had their cases decided favorable to them after the trial of the first named.
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While these citizens of Newton and Jasper counties were in prison the times were very trying. The pro-
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tection now given to the negroes made them very in- solent and much harder to manage on the farm. The white people were intimidated. Knowing what their neighbors had undergone, and did not know at what moment they would be immured in a Federal prison, on the mere report of some negro who might have a spite at them, and with no way to get proof of their innocence; and even if the military authorities knew the accused innocent, they might be detained indefi- nitely, in order that others might be restrained from doing what the negroes did not like. Many who had taken some part in arresting the assassins were fugi- tives from home, or on the scout, so as not to be caught by the ever watchful Federal soldiers, who were on the lookout for them. A greater part of the year, the citizens who had escaped arrest immediately after the sad occurrences in the county, were com- pelled to stay from their homes.
The negroes, encouraged by the presence of the mili- tary in the country, became more bold, insulting and unbearable to the white man. It was not uncommon for them to meet and drill, and so bold did they be- come as to appear openly in day time on the streets of Newton and form lines and go through awkward movements of military drill, more to provoke the whites than anything else. In one or two instances a loaded gun was presented to a white man while the negro abused him. A point of desperation had then been reached, but much to the calm forbearance of the white man, this insolent conduct was borne with for a time. They proposed at one time to meet at a given point west of Newton, and march through the town, armed and commanded by military officers of their own choosing. A memorable occasion presents itself in that connection. A large body of negroes were in
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Newton to hear what the white people had to say about their marching through town. Judge Watts, a very conservative man, willing to meet any emergency for the good of his people, mounted a stand in the streets and told them the impropriety of such a thing- . what it might bring about, and there was no necessity for it. His speech was well received. After he closed, G. W. Cheek, a plain farmer, not accustomed to mak- ing speeches, rose and in a few sentences told them not. to come, dared them to come, told them the conse- quences-they did not come. All praise to both men, but they looked at it from different standpoints.
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CHAPTER XIX.
SECRET POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COUNTY- ARREST OF PROMINENT CITIZENS OF THE STATE- ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT OF A PROMINENT CITI- ZEN OF NEWTON COUNTY -- HIS FIRMNESS IN RE- SISTING THE FEDERAL INQUISITION-REVIEW OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES AND THE DOMINATION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN THE STATE-EXPENSES OF CONVENTION OF 1868.
IN the year 1870 there was a secret political organi- zation in the State, well known to most of the promi- nent citizens. This organization had for its purpose nothing more than the good of the country and the ad- vancement of the Democratic party. There was noth- ing disloyal in it to the United States Government, nothing that would have been detrimental to a party if it had had anything like a fair showing with its great adversary, the Republican party. That was in the ascendancy all over the country, controlling every branch of the government. This secret society of Democrats, who were white men, had for one of its main features the ruling of the country by the Anglo- Saxon race, and by well concentrated action, bid fair to do a good work, and had it not been that this polit- ical organization shrouded itself in secret meetings, thereby exciting suspicions and giving excuse to the military power to thwart the plans, much might have been accomplished. If they had not concealed their
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existence and purposes, but declared an open hostility to the Republican party, their actions would not have excited such suspicion, and no pretext for arresting its members. Yet the Radical party in the State wanted some excuse to punish any respectable person found opposed in any such way to them. Prominent men were arrested in different parts of the State on the -supposition that there was something treasonable in the secret meetings of the order. Newton county had more than one of these organized societies and was not an exception in the arrest and punishment of its members.
Prominent among the number was Mr. T. M. Scanlan, a popular citizen and merchant of Newton. A file of soldiers arrested and conveyed him to Jackson, to be tried in the Federal court at that place. This court of inquiry required Mr. Scanlan to make a revelation of all the facts connected with this secret political order to which he belonged. He did not deny that he be- longed to it himself, stating that there was nothing treasonable or disloyal in its teachings, but he would not tell the small number of pass-words, grips and signs of recognition, etc., connected with it, nor would he tell who else in his county were members of this order. Upon such refusal he was placed in jail and kept for three months. A part of the time he was in prison an epidemic of yellow fever prevailed in Jack- son. Had it not been for that they may have con- tinued his confinement indefinitely, or until another term of the court.
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Under all this force of circumstances, and the heavy . demands made by the Federal Court, Mr. Scanlan was very firm and would rather remain in jail, unpleas. ant as it was, than to divulge the names of his asso- ciates and the secrets of the order. He nor his friends
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considered it any disgrace to be put in jail for such a cause. His friends sympathized with him and had cause to congratulate themselves that such a man would not betray them. He bore his imprisonment with the heroism of a brave Confederate soldier."
After Mr. Scanlan was released and came home, he was never called upon to appear in the Federal Court any more ; the case was so settled that it was thrown out of court. There were many other arrests of the members of the order from Newton, as the names of all the members were given by some one to the author- ities at Jackson. The arrested parties would plead guilty and pay the fine. The writer, a member of the order, was never arrested, but anticipating such thing, plead guilty through attorneys and paid the fine. Thus ended the secret political order that was intended only for good. Though it was broken up, yet it paved the way for further resistance to radical rule and strengthened those who were oppressed to make a more vigorous fight in a way that could not be attacked nor its members arrested and imprisoned ; and only a few years and a Democratic victory was gained all over the State.
After the war the old Whig and Union parties were broken up. There were two great national political parties ; there was the Republican party North, and by the success of that party in the results of the war, it claimed a large share of the most prominent men in the Northern States. This party was made up of the old anti-slavery elements-the ultra abolition party and the freesoilers of every class. The Whig party had largely gone to the Republicans and also some Union Democrats had gone with this party, and warmly participated with them in the suppression of the "rebellion." The party in power having conquered
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a peace, had put an end to the secession idea, and thousands of no very stable politics went to that party and caused it to be able to control the whole country. Backed up by active military operations all over the South, what could not be made law by the party could be enforced by the bayonet. A large standing army was now kept that presented a continual menace to anything that would hinder the prospects of their . cause. Another important factor, as a political contin -. gent, now added to their numbers, was the negro, who by the passage of the XV amendment to the Constitution, allowed all the Southern and Northern negroes to vote, and, as a natural consequence, they voted the Repub- lican ticket. This great party North, who held com- plete control of all the Federal Government and com- plete control of the army and navy, was confronted by the solid South as far as the white vote went. There was an influx of foreigners, that is, adventurers from other States to the South in search of "assignment" to places of profit, together with the few scalawag elements, usually men who had held no office in the State ; they with the carpet-baggers and negroes, op- posed the Southern white vote and while, the military were in possession of the State, everything went the way that the party then in power wished it to go.
All the elections just after the war were carried for the Republicans-many of the best citizens were dis -. . franchised for the part taken by them in the rebellion -and in this condition the Convention of 1868 was called to make a new constitution for the State of Mis- sissippi.
This convention met on the 7th day of January, 1868, and is called the " Black and Tan Convention," composed largely of negroes and carpet-baggers. There were some very honorable exceptions of distin-
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guished and patriotic Southern men who were in the convention, but they were powerless to do anything for the State of Mississippi. For reckless extrava- gance and waste of the people's money, this conven- tion has no parallel in our State.
An extract, giving some of the main features, some important facts, with the expenses and time occupied, and other interesting matter connected with this con- vention, is taken from Lowry and McCardle's History. This extract thus states the particulars of the conven- tion :
" These servile tools and trucklers to military power basely surrendered the right of all deliberative assem- blies in America to judge of the election and qualifica- tions to membership of their own body. The conven- tion declared that it was not within its own province to determine, in cases of contest, who were the dele- gates to the convention, and that such contests could only be rightfully decided by the major general com- manding the fourth military district. In the case of Benjamin H. Orr, who claimed to be elected from Har- rison county, a committee reported that Orr became a candidate for delegate to the convention with the express consent of the military commander of this dis- trict, contained in 'special orders 196,' and the conven- tion awarded the seat to Orr. So shameless an aban- donment of all right and power, so disgraceful a trav- esty of deliberative proceedings, was never before or since exhibited to the admiring gaze of the world.
" The corrupt carpet-baggers, the ignorant negroes and baser renegades, who had tried their 'prentice hands' on the work of constitution making, for the few citizens of intelligence and decency had but little part in the construction of that instrument, completed their labors on May 15th, 1868, after having been in session 12
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four months and nine days. Each member of this multi-colored aggregation of ignorance, insolence and imbecility, including negroes, renegades and carpet- baggers, drew twelve hundred and ninety dollars ($1290) pay for his individual services, to which may be added the pay of 'Buzzard Eggleston,' the president of the convention, of twenty-five hundred and eighty dollars ($2580). The entire pay of the members alone aggregated the immense sum of one hundred and twenty eight thousand, seven hundred and ten dollars ($128,710).
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