Trouble in Greene

Title

Trouble in Greene

Source Type

Newspaper

Publisher

The Marengo News

Publication Place

Demopolis, AL

Publication Date

September 18, 1874

Transcript

On last Monday was Dr. ROB. Minor was returning to Forkland, Green County after visiting a patient, he encountered an armed body of negroes at or near the Rowe place 6 miles from Demopolis. Their number was variously estimated from 150 to 300. They all had arms and were marching the beating of a drum.-It will be remembered that about two weeks since, at this same place, these negroes assembled in arms unlawfully, with the avowed purpose of seizing the government bacon then being hauled to Forkland.-Dr. Minor on reaching Forkland, reported the state of affairs to the citizens and warned them that trouble was brewing. - The constable of the beat, with three citizens, all unarmed, rode down to inquire into the disturbance and to pacify the negroes if possible. Upon reaching the point where the blacks had been seen, they were suddenly fired upon without notice, and one of their number was severely, if not, fatally wounded. The negroes were in ambush and the first intimation of danger to the unarmed peace officer was the firing, accompanied by yells from the negroes of ""shoot the damned whites"" &e. The constable and his companions returned to Forkland, leaving the wounded white man in the road. Next morning about day-break, twenty or twenty five citizens; having procured a warrant for the arrest of the offenders, went with a constable to execute it. In the neighborhood of the former murderous assault on an unarmed peace oficer, the party wore waylaid and fired upon by about fifty negroes, a detachment of the main body, and four white men were wounded, one of them perhaps mortally. They returned the fire killing one negro, when all the rest of the blacks fled. The posse pursued and captured nine, two or three of whom were wounded. A messenger had been sent previously to Eutaw for aid, which arrived about 11 o'clock, after the fight was over. Meanwhile intelligence reached Forkland that the main body of armed blacks, some 200 in number, were drawn up in line of battle on the Cole place about a mile south of the scene of the former fights, and that armed negroes were assembling from all quarters. Intenso excitement prevailed and the deputy sheriff, Capt Cole with twenty five men who had just arrived from Eutaw, reinforced by 15 or 20 citizens of Forkland, started for the scene of the disturbance to arrest the armed lawbreakers and assassins. Upon roaching the Cole place, he found a large number of armed negros who fell back a short distance to the edge of a dense wood, and formed in line of battle. The Sheriff sent a negro to them to request a parley with their leaders, and five of them came out. Cole showed them his warrant, read it to them, and offered it for any of their number to read, and assured them that no violence should be offered them if they would lay down their arms. They refused, saying they intended to fight and retiring to their lines. The Sheriff dismounted his mon, and advanced into the wood, firing several shots.
The negros scattered in every direction, pursued by the Sheriff's posse, and in a short time not a negro could be found except a few friendly ones, who remained at their homes through the whole difficulty. Later in the evening there was a slight skirmish near Phillips, out in the swamp, the negroes again flying upon the first fire. So far as ascertained, nobody was hurt in the fights between Capt. Cole's men and the negroes. Before the arrival of the deputy Sheriff and posse, W. B. Jones, U.S. Commissioner, went over and tried to induce the negroes to disperse but they refused to do so, and defied him, threatening his life. They told him that they intended to kill every white person on that side of the river, and warned him to leave at once if he regarded his own safety. It is needless to say he left, as there were not less than 200 armed blacks engaged in this difficulty. The largest force of whites sent against them was the sheriff's posse, consisting of 88 men all told, and every fifth man a horse holder. This is a brief and accurate account of the trouble in Greene.

Sources for

063-18740909-001