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Title
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"White men shot down in cold blood"
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Source Type
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Newspapers.
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Author
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N/A
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Publisher
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Huntsville Weekly Democrat
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Publication Place
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Huntsville, AL
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Publication Date
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10/01/1874
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Transcript
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When the party was fired into, Mr. A. Robinson was mortally and Mr. Thos. Little dangerously wounded; the others reported results in Forkland. The citizens met and sent out scouts who found the negroes (some 200) dispersed. About daylight they were found re-assembled and marching on Forkland; the whites made a charge, killing a negro leader, (Granville) and capturing another leader, (Skinner), with eight others. In the charge several whites were wounded, among them Mr. Barton, whose horse was also shot. During the day, Capt. Cole arrived with the sheriff posse, and made a search for the negroes. In the evening about 40 were found in the edge of the Warrior Swamp. Capt. Cole dispatched a negro, (Cato Jackson), into their midst, with orders to come forward and surrender to the Sheriff of Greene county. About a dozen negroes met Capt. Cole and Maj. James Bullock, who were some two hundred yards in advance of their men and promised to surrender, but on returning to bring their men, fled with them. The posse was then ordered to advance, which they did in an orderly manner, and scoured the woods through without being able to overtake the negroes. That night about fifteen negroes attempted the life of Mr. Samuel Dufphey, but he was too old a soldier to be caught off his guard, and reported back to Forkland. Wednesday the whites searched the entire county but failed to find the negroes who had gone into the adjoining counties, Hale, Sumter and. Marengo, for reinforcements. During the day another negro met and surrendered to the scouts at half-past three p.m. Capt. Cole started to Eutaw with the ten prisoners, who he lodged in jail. They were scarecly disposed of in their cells before a carrier came to Eutaw reporting the negroes recrossing the Bigbee into Greene. Captain Cole and posse went immediately to meet and arrest them, and today (Thursday) at noon we get the following from Capt. Cole: 'Forkland, Sept. 17, 1874. Mr. Jas. A. Steele:--All apparently quiet. A body of negroes were in force on the Sumter side, at Darden's Landing. They were quite violent in threats, but there is none on this side. There are many reports, and under circumstances I will remain here until evening. Glover has sent to Demopolis for the five prisoners arrested in Marengo, and I will bring them up if all is right when they come. G.H. Cole.' One of the prisoners has turned State's evidence, and discloses the entire plot of their leader, who is also a prisoner and slightly wounded. The negro who discloses is an old man and when his statements are fully known to the public, they no doubt will be credited and he excused. The leader is a shrewd young fellow who, we learn, is an aspirant for the Legislature, and we are also credibly informed that Cockrell says that he fully believes Skinner's sole object in exciting the negroes to incindiary movements was in hopes that Witherspoon, a rival for legislative honors and a leader of the party, might be killed off.
