Letter from A. Parker to United States Senator Blanche K. Bruce; January 6, 1876

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Letter from A. Parker to United States Senator Blanche K. Bruce; January 6, 1876

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People

Ames, Adelbert, 1835-1933 Bruce, Blanche Kelso, 1841-1898 Hurst, G. H.Martin, Unknown Parker, A.

Events

Crime Crime--Assault and battery Crime--Lynching Crime--Murder Crime--Shooting Crime--Threat Military Events--Disband Military Units Political Office--Appointment to office Political elections Political elections--Mississippi Voting Voting--Disenfranchisement

Military Units

Mississippi. Militia

Organizations

Clubs and Secret Societies Clubs and Secret Societies--Democratic Club Clubs and Secret Societies--Democratic Club. Mississippi Courts and Judicial Systems Courts and Judicial Systems--Chancery Courts Courts and Judicial Systems--Circuit Courts Mississippi--Legislature Political Parties Political Parties--Democratic Party (U.S.)Political Parties--Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )United States--Congress

Occupations

Clerks Coroners Court Reporters Law Enforcement Law Enforcement--Sheriffs Legislators Tax Assessors Treasurers

Places

Louisiana--Orleans Parish. New Orleans Mississippi--Amite County Mississippi--Amite County. Liberty Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson Washington (D.C.)

Social Identifiers

Abolitionists African Americans Unionists (United States Civil War)

Vital Statistics

Death Wounds and injuries

Page 1

Jackson Miss
Jan'y 6—1875 [note] [1875] [/note]

Hon B K Bruce
Washington D C

Dear Sir

As some of our Republican members of Congress especially Mr Martin are en-deavoring to have or Miss—election investigated I believe it to be the prper place for me to make a few statements relating to my (Amite) county I was appointed sheriff in ^of said county^ 1869 was elected Republican Representative ^to state legislature^ in Nov 1869 for two years which position I filled I was elected sheriff in Nov 1871 and reelected sheriff in 1873 and have been sheriff continuously from May 1869 to Jan 1 1876 I believe that I am as fa-milliar withe the affairs & feelings of amite County as any man in the state There had been no complaints except politcal ones until about four months previous to the recent election when it was charged upon as that we elected

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negroes whto office whch would not and could not be borne by the democrats The facts are that we republicans nominated whites for the following named positions sheriff circuit clerk chancery clerk Treasurer coroner and three of five supervisors leaving as-sesor and two supervisors to be colored which was the best we could do in the face of the facts that four fifths of our voters are colored The democrats organized into companies all over the counties and in some instances drilled their elected officers in military style and were around with guns rifles & Pistols They rode around the county at night visiting the Houses of colored men threatening to kill them if they voted the republican ticket assaulting some and beating them killing one in his own house—and wounding his child about 18 mo old They organ-ized a comittee of fifty called the Central Comittee which met at liberty (the county seat) every Monday for a month previous to election day

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to pass resolutions & issue orders On these days it was customary for members of the democratic club gen-erally to come into town such being the orders of the central comittee and they lent strength and effect to the proceedings of the comittee when transacted business in secret session Many of them came armed that being their agreement they passe outrageous resolutions one of whch was to take myself and other county officers and Tar & Feather us and takes us beyond the county borders another one to hang me These measures were prevented from being excuted by organizing a small militia force under G H Hurst who was appointed by Gov Ames and who did his duty faithfully and fearlessly by such measures as stated above and many others The democrats suceeded in driving many colored men from the country On the night before election they the (Democrats) organized parties from ten to fifty men in each party

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procured anvils (which are used as a substitue for cannon) and guns and rode all over the county haul-ing the anvils in wagons and voleys on the road and in the woods shouting & yelling there by so frightening and confusing the col'rd who imagined that they were to be killed that they ran from their houses to the woods where a great number of them passed the night hid On election day every thing passed off quietly except in one precinct where armed men came in from Louisana by invitation (as I believe) and dispersed the voters by firing promiscously and creating panic in which they were joined by many of the people of Amite including some of the militia Genrl Hurst was present at that precinct as we had anticipated trouble there more surely than any other point and used his utmost endeavors to suppress these out-rages but failed and states that it is his belief that some of his militia men fired at him

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[note] 1/6/75[/note]

He immediatly came to (liberty) and dis-banded the militia by issuing an order to that effect It was the night as he had fifteen miles to ride to ~~town~~ town (Liberty) After all of these and equally unlawfull pro-ceedings The Democrats were con-vinced that there was a republican majority of votes in the boxes they sent couriurs to all the boxes with instructions to have all the clubs or companies in the county to meet at Liberty on the following morning at an early hour that they were to hang my self & some other county officers in the court square and they did commence to gather in Liberty soon after night of election day

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In addition to this I have positive information that two of the boxes were emptied upon the ground and stuffed and handed to the county Registrars to make up their report On the day following the election the clubs or companies in military order came into town

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fully armed dismounted and rushed in to court House through doors and windows yelling death to carppet baggers &c but found no prey as we had become ap-prised of their intentions and left about twelve oclock of the night following the election they detacted a guard for the town who posted pickets and remained in possesion during the remainder of the ~~day~~ week They have held meetings in the court house every monday since the election and declared I shall not come into the county again even going so far as to detact men to kill me if I do so. I have not been in the county since the election except once in the night incog and left on the second night after My property is there and I am not even permitted to go there and dispose of it consisting of Real Estate and personal property and money loaned I omitted to mention that the militia organ-ization in Amite County was entirely composed of white men from the Genrl to the privates

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every one of them natives of Miss but one and three fourths of them in fact all but three of them democrats so that the charge that were distast-full to the people was not made in our county as long as the Gn'rl could control this militia the county officers were safe but when the list actually came they were useless & in the case named above tur-ned against their comrades The people of the county still hold possesion of the arms furnished them by the Governor & General Hurst is powerless to recover them On our Republican ticket for the entire County there were but three northern men to wit Chancery clerk who has been clerk for seven years and married in amite county The candidate for representative (Floater) who has been here for some years and married in New Orleans & myself All the others were natves of this County I make this statement of

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residence that you may know How terribly the people were oppressed by "Carpet baggers" Since I left the county of Amite I have recd letters from the leading citizens of the county & Democrats too informing me of the feeling existing there and urgeing me not to return as in their opinion my life would not be safe for a day Of course the count of the vote defeated me & our ticket the majority against me being 51 while I was elected to the same position in 1873 by a majority of 678 many of said votes many of said votes being cast by the best democrats in the county All of the statemnts made by me can be proved beyond the least chance of a doubt and a great deal more that I do not like to trouble you with Similar proceedings were practiced in nearly all parts of the states Please Hand this letter to Sen Morton if you think adviseable & if you should wish any-thing more frome me write to me here

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Very Truly Yours

A Parker