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Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Tennessee
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1869.
National Archives Microfilm Publication M999 Roll 34
"Affidavits Relating to Outrages Mar. 1866-August 1868"
Nashville Tenn.
January 14, 1868
My name is Frank Dickerson, white, I live at Lynnville Station 12 miles this side of Pulaski, Giles Co. Tenn.----have been farming on my own account since the termination of the War. I was born and raised near Lynnville and have not done anything to hurt or molest any of my neighbours, but attended strictly to my own business.
On Saturday night last the 11th Inst. I was visiting a neighbours house named Jack White, col'd, about one quarter of a mile from my own home. While there about 16 white men with masked faces & armed came to said White's house and took me from there together with Eph Johnson, Judd Grisby, Tom and Jack White (col'd), they then selected Jack and Tom White (col'd) and myself---stripped down our pantaloons---laid us on logs---tied our hands behind our backs and then whipped us severely with beech limbs, four of them whipping Jack White at the same time. They kept us in this condition for nearly two hours off and on, threatening at the same time to kill us because we belonged to the Union League and voted the radical ticket. Three of the party who attacked and punished us in this unmerciful manner belong to the "Ku Klux Klan" and named respectively---Tom Mitchel, McDougherty and Henry Frey. The balance I could not recognize. After beating us they made us march up a lane about 200 yards. They then stood for some time threatening us---what they would not do to us if we did not immediately leave the state. At this time Mr. Kellis Dickerson, came up and remonstrated with them for their cruel treatment to us---when they abused him also and said were it not for his being an old man they would not take any interference from him. They then let us go but made us take a solemn oath that we would never say or report what they had done to us. All this occurred about 300 yards from Jack Whites' house.
I understand that Bob Mitchell is the Captain of this murderous Clan and my solemn conviction is that their intention is to break up the Loyal League and drive both white & black Union men from the county.
Frank (X) Dickerson
Witness
W. M. M. Chin
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