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The Freedmen's Bureau Online

Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Louisiana
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, 1865 - 1869.
National Archives Microfilm Publication M1027 Roll 34
"Miscellaneous Reports and Lists Relating to Murders and Outrages Mar. 1867 - Nov. 1868"

List of Murders and Other Outrages reported to Headquarters Bu. R. F. and A. Lands, District of Louisiana during the month of November 1868.

When committed On whom committed By whom committed Nature of outrage Remarks
Orleans L. B.
November 3rd James Mason 'c, James Johnson 'c Unknown Shop broken open, contents destroyed. Estimated loss $350. 2 shots fired in shop.
October 26th or 27th P. M. Williams 'c Armed mob House sacked &c. Estimated loss $2083 c. cur.
St. Bernard and Plaquemine L. B.
November 26th Gen'l Taylor 'c
William Brown 'c
John Smith 'c		 Civil authorities Long incarceration without bringing them to trial or examination Taylor in confinement 6 months, Brown in confinement 7 months, Smith in confinement 1 month.
November 3rd Arnald Lewis 'c 6 Spaniards Murdered Referred to civil authorities.
St. Helena and Livingston
Reported Nov. 15th Mumford McCay 'c Armed white men Life threatened Has fled parish.
Thendle and West Baton Rouge
November 6th Col'd Baptist Church Unknown mandianes Destroyed by fire.
East Feliciana
November Mort 'c Parties unknown Assault & battery For political reasons.
November Daniel 'c Parties unknown Assault & battery For political reasons.
November Henry 'c Parties unknown Assault & battery For political reasons.
November Henry Jandon 'c Life threatened and notified to leave parish &c. For political reasons.
November 6th Louisa 'c Dr. Felix De Lee Assault & battery Referred to civil authorities
November 6th H. E. Barton, Bu. Agt. Dr. Felix De Lee Life threatened &c.
September 26th Prince Orange 'c DeWitt Carter Assault & battery &c. Referred to civil authorities.
Reported Nov. 16th Smith 'c DeWitt Carter Threatening to kill, "Shot at twice Referred to civil authorities.
Reported Nov. 16th Freedman (name not given) DeWitt Carter Threatening to kill. Referred to civil authorities.
November 10th In this Parish freedmen complain of being ordered to leave plantations where they have been working----and it is reported that some outrages have been committed by disguised men ?calling themselves Ku Klux.
St. Mary
Reported Nov. 13th Washington Smith 'c Names not given Life threatened &c. For political reasons, has fled parish.
November 10th Charles Nelson 'c Joseph Mallon (w) Shot, wounded in left leg. Freedmen intended to make affidavit in Justice Court. Nothing since heard regarding same.
November 10th John Neivell 'c Joseph Mallon (w) Shot, wounded in leg and arm severely. Freedmen intended to make affidavit in Justice Court. Nothing since heard regarding same
November 17th George Johnson 'c Joseph Geary Life threatened &c. Referred to civil authorities.
November 13th Mr. Mentz, Sheriff KKK Life threatened &c. 18th inst. coffin, with inscriptions &c, placed at his door.
St. Martin
Reported Nov. 10th Eugene Jackson 'c Don Louis Pellein "Driven from plantation by force of arms" about July 15, pay refused for labor. Case referred to parish Judge.
Vermillion and Lafayette
October 30th Two freedmen Persons unknown Murdered (In Lafayette Parish near the St. Landry line, a coroners inquest held, no clue to murderers, the two freedmen were leading colored republicans).
Natchitoches, Sabine and Winn
October 28th Dennis Lyle 'c
Randall Lyle 'c		 Armed white men Life attempted
Shot and wounded		 Came to house at night asking shelter at time of committing deed.
November 10th Many freedmen make complaints of being compelled to vote under compulsion, that they are threatened and fearful of personal violence and other complaints of a similar nature----no action taken.
Aroyelles
Reported Nov. 10th Freedmen complain of being discharged &c. for voting contrary to wishes of employer &c.
Ouachita and Jackson
November 3rd Freedmen party of White men Not stated Near Filhoils plantation, accused arrested & under bond.
November 5th Two freedmen Not stated Murdered Suspected parties arrested, in Jail awaiting trial.
November 5th One freedmen Not stated Wounded Suspected parties arrested, in Jail awaiting trial
Catahoula
Reported Nov. 10th Freedmen Planters "Defrauding of wages and share of crops," many complaints of this nature made.
November 4th Emanuel Right 'c Jones Grange & 5 others "w" Over 500 lashes & shot. Near Henry Greens plantation.
Reported Nov. 18th Freedmen (na not stated) Not reported Lives threatened &c. Freedmen are fleeing from parish.
The ?sum of these acts is the refusal to vote as the whites demand. These acts occurred in the portion of the parish known as Sicily Island----"no action reported----
Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana
December 1st One Freedman A supposed white man Killed Warrant issued for his arrest Dec. 5th
Union and Morehouse
November 22nd Green Foster 'c William Tucker 'w Shot and badly wounded Tucker arrested under $2500 bond.
November 20th One Freedman
L. Hubbard 'w		 Unknown
Freedman		 Killed
Seriously stabbed		 Freedman killed had a difficulty with Hubbard a few days previous in which Hubbard was stabbed. No evidence could be found that he Hubbard committed the murder.
Bossier and Caddo
October 31st R. L. Faulkner 'c Armed white men Violent assault & battery For political reasons, no action reported.
October 31st One Freedman Armed white men Beating, lives threatened &c. For political reasons, no action reported.
October 31st Alfred Hazen 'c Armed white men Killed For political reasons, no action reported.
Other reports state these 3 cases as committed Nov. 2 '68 near Allen in Natchitoches Parish.
November 5th One Freedman Unknown Murdered About 2 miles from Shreveport.
November 5th Teacher, Bureau School Not stated Life threatened Has left parish.
Reported Nov. 10th That dead bodies continue to float down the river from Bossier Parish.
October 27th Charles Stokes 'c
Henry Williams 'c
Frank Dupree 'c		 Disguised white men Murdered Were alledged participators in Bossier Riot. Were in charge of civil authorities at the time of them being killed.
October 14th Solomon Thomas 'c Charles Wasson 'w Life attempted At time of murder of Robert Gray 'c
September 25th William Ewell 'c Fry 'w Shot and killed About 2 miles from Shreveport.
October 17th Solomon Thomas 'c 5 white men Life attempted, house broken open. Has fled from parish.
October 10th Four freedmen. Calhoun, Johnson & about 10 others, 'w Murdered Were taken from Shreveport in day to Reube Whites Island and killed.
October 11th Henry Dixons 'c Peyton Ward, Mr. Cox, Jacob Willard, John Arnold and 4 others. Murdered At Four Mile spring west of Shreveport.
October 12th Forceman 'c
One freedgirl 'c		 Wright, ex Deputy Sheriff and others (w) Lives attempted. Forceman not killed for fear of recognition as they were identified.
October 14th One Freedman White men Supposed murdered In 4th ward near Shreveport, was tied & taken from home, not heard from since.
Reported November One Freedman Unknown Murdered "Body found 9th inst. about 7 miles from Shreveport, a paper attached to body warning "Death to any person who removes the body---
Reported November One Freedman Unknown Murdered Found dead in woods near Lawyer Looney's place in woods apparently shot and dragged off the road.
November 11th Statements in regard to the riot in Bossier Parish corroborated resulting in the murder of fully one hundred freedmen and one freedwoman on Sept. 30th and Oct. 1st. States one instance where 9 freedmen were taken to Parish of Red River and told to swim for their lives, that they plunged and as they rose to the surface were shot not one escaping again. 3 freedmen while engaged in making a coffin for one of their friends who was killed were brutally murdered.
Reported Nov. 20th Squire Jones 'c Armed white men Life threatened. "Has been in woods since time of riot, has been hunted and pursued by armed white men intending to kill him."
Reported Nov. 30th That the District Court is in session, that two white men have been found guilty of murder for the killing of two freedmen immediately after the election at about 2 miles from Shreveport. Sentence has not yet been passed upon them.
Claiborne
About Sept. 26th Tom Anthony 'c KKK Murdered
About Sept. 26th William Wallace 'c KKK Murdered
About Sept. 26th Moses Ferguson 'c
J. Bishop 'c
Isaac Bradley 'c		 Not stated Driven from parish. About the last of September.
Reported Nov. 11th One Freedwoman Peter Harwell 'w Shot and wounded Harwell took pistol and chased freedman about town, shot freedwoman in leg, snapped 2 caps at others, was arrested and fined 12 dollars.
Reported Nov. 11th Nathan Hodges 'c James Keener 'w Ill treatment Compelled to leave his home and his crop, will not be permitted to return unless he submits to a punishment of 100 lashes.
Reported Nov. 11th Green Hinton 'c Not stated Supposed murdered Was taken from his home in September, head shaved, shot at, not since heard from.
October 20th A. Brown 'c Not stated Shot and wounded. Wounded in hand at his own house but made his escape.
October 31st Henry Shelton 'c Disguised white men Shot through lungs Wounds considered fatal.
October 31st Ben Johnson 'c Disguised white men Assault & battery Nearly beaten to death.
October 31st Freedwoman Disguised white men Assault & battery And severely beaten.
October 31st Freedwoman Disguised white men First ravished then nearly beaten to death.
The parties committing the above consisted of four men armed and disguised they stated from Haynville about 12 miles from town and travelled south in the direction of Minden stopping at all cabins in their route committing violence and maltreating women---the freed people will not divulge anything even acts committed against themselves for fear of death---no action taken by civil authorities.
November 5th Printing office of J. W. Blackburn Persons unknown Destroyed, no clue to perpetrators.
November 5th Not stated Not stated Murder 2 cases reported no definite information received.
November 10th Information has been received that the freedmen are in complete subjection to the will of the whites by whom they were compelled to vote, subject to their dictation, under penalty of death from KKK &c.
Natchitoches, Sabine and Winn
October 31st Anderson West 'c Disguised white men Hanging & beating For political reasons. (Supposed to be identical with case of freedman under heading of Bossier & Caddo. See 2nd case on page 4 of this report.
October 31st Benjamin Watson 'c James Wiley 'w Lives threatened For political reasons.
October 31st Joe Smith 'c Dr. Addison 'w Lives threatened For political reasons.
October 31st Thomas Alexander 'c Pete Meyers 'w Lives threatened For political reasons.
October 31st Benjamin Harrison 'c Eugene Jordan 'w Killed In August last. (Supposed to be the same as case Benj. L. Vardon reported in August last).
St. Martin
Reported Dec. 1st Joe 'c Arthur Barras 'w Shot and killed About the middle of November. No coroner inquest or examination made by civil authorities at time. Warrant since issued and case to be examined Dec. 3rd.
Lafayette
November 21st Laura Cerina Perkins 'c
Samuel Perkins 'c		 White men Shot in arm
Life threatened		 Both have fled parish, no clue to identity of perpetrators.
Reported Nov. 30th Marcel 'c Parties Unknown Killed On plantation of Madame Ralph Forman, no clue as yet discovered of the murderers.
November 21st Pierre Jean Louis 'c Ralph Forman 'w, James Tollis 'w, Lee Smith 'w, Durecur Smith 'w, Frank Plaisance 'w, and others. Shot, badly wounded, supposed mortally. On night of 21st his gun and 2 horses taken from him by a gang of armed men, of whom the above parties were recognized, the accused were arrested. Judge A. F. Moss visited Pierre and took his testimony as he was supposed to be dying. Pierre states that Tollis snapped 2 caps at him, that Ralph Forman then shot him. 25 inst. Forman escaped and went to Texas, the other (4) four examined before Judge Moss, an alibi proven & were discharged.
East Baton Rouge
November 30th Sid Rice 'c Nat Magruder 'w Shot, wounded in head, no action taken.

?Thoms. H. Warren
Bvt. Lt. Col. USA Capt. 39th Infantry
Acting Asst. Adj. General