Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Georgia
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands 1865 - 1869
National Archives Microfilm Publication M798 Roll 32
Reports Relating to Murders and Outrages 1865 - 1868
List of Freedmen Murdered or Assaulted 1867

Report of Names of Freed People who have been murdered or assaulted with intent to kill within the sub District of Rome, Georgia from 1 January 1868 to October 1868

Date: February 19. Victim: ELLEN CARLISLE. Attacker: unknown whites. Where: Cass County. Injuries: shot through the shoulder with a gun while setting in the house. Cause: unknown.

Date: February 20. Victim: FREDERICK JONES. Attacker: JAMES COX (white). County: Whitfield. Injuries: struck him with a chain over the head cutting a long gash, leaving the skull bare. Disposition: arrested & bound over to appear in court. Cause: a slight misunderstanding in regard to work.

Date: March 11. Victim: JACOB REED. Attacker: WM. BROWN (white). County: Cass. Injuries: shot in the leg causing a flesh wound. Cause: accused him of entering his garden. Disposition: arrested & bound over to appear at next court.

Date: March 11. Victim: infant child. Attacker: MARY BROOKS (col'd), its mother. County: Cass. Injury: cut its throat with a knife. Cause: the mother lacked sense. Disposition: arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to life in Penitentiary.

Date: March 28. Victim: GEORGIA BAKER, her mother and ELISHA DANIEL. Attacker: MAT THOMPSON & F. R. JONES. County: Gordon. Cause: none. Injuries : fired at them but they escaped and fled to the woods. Disposition: they were arrested at the investigation of the Bureau Agent & bound over to court.

Date: April 3. Victim: JONAS THOMAS. Attacker: F.A. JONES (white). County: Gordon. Injuries: assaulted him with a large stick threatening to kill him. Cause: denying that he told a lie which he was accused of telling. Disposition: arrested & bound over to appear at court.

Date: April 6. Victim: FRANK GUBER. Attacker: THOMAS GUBER (white). Where: Gordon County. Injuries: struck him with a hoe but was prevented from killing him by others. Cause: for denying that he cut down cotton of which he was accused. Remarks: arrested & bound over to appear in court.

Date: April 24. Victim: SAMUEL JOHNSON. Attacker: AMOS(?) MORRISON (white). County: Cass. Injuries: assaulted with a knife & badly cut on the hand. Cause: none. Remarks: party escaped.

Date: May 13. Victim: HENRY GORDON. Attacker: RUSH CANNON (white). Where: Cass County. Injuries: attacked with a large stick. Head badly bruised. Cause: none. Disposition: arrested, tried & sentenced for twenty days.

Date: May 18. Victim: BADGER HAWKINS. Attacker: BILL MCWHORTER (white). County: Chattooga. Injuries: put rope about his neck and hung him to a tree threatening all the time to kill him but let him go without injury much. Cause: to make him confess that he had found some money that had been lost. Remarks: arrested at the instigation of the Bureau Officer, tried & found guilty of assault, simply fined ten dollars & costs.

Date: May 18. Victim: CHARLES WOOLEY. Attacker: B. L. GRIFFIN & others unknown (white). Where: Cass County. Injuries: called him from the house, took him to the woods & shot him in both legs, wounding him seriously. Cause: unknown. Remarks: arrested at the instigation of Bureau Officers & bound over to appear in court.

Date 3 June. Victim: ALFRED WILKEY. Attacker: ROBERT SHEARS (white). Where: Whitfield County. Injuries: drew a pistol and threatened to shoot him. Cause: none. Remarks: arrested and bound over to court.

Date: 8 June. Victim: SAMUEL MILAN. Attacker: JAMES JOLEY (white). County: Cass. Injuries: beat him severely but was prevented from killing him by others, was badly bruised. Cause: because he voted a republican ticket. Remarks: arrested and turned over to court.

Date: 26 June. Victim: HARRIETT BLACKWELL. Attacker: NELSON LADFORD (white). Where: Pickens County. Injuries: beat her at her own house & then fired at her as she was escaping. Cause: she accused him of being the father of her child. Remarks: arrested and bound over to court.

Date: 28 June. Victim: EMMA & SAM MILLER. Attacker: DAVID VAUGHN (white). Cause: Accused her of striking his child. Remarks: arrested and bound over to court and a peace bond.

Date: August 2. Victim: SAMUEL SAXTON. Attacker: DAVID VAUGHN (white). County: Cass. Injuries: pulled him from his horse and fired at him as he escaped. Cause: because he took out a warrant against his son. Remarks: arrested and bound over to court.

Date: August 19. Victim: SAMUEL SAXTON. Attacker: GREEN SCOTT (white). County: Cass. Injuries: attacked him with a knife and threatened to cut his throat. Cause: because he took out a warrant. Remarks: arrested and bound over to court.

Date: August 27. Victim: ISAAC FINLEY. Attacker: JAMES SMITH (NEWTON TALLY crossed out). Where: Pickens County. Injuries: badly beaten about the head and left for dead. Cause: none. Remarks: warrant issued, parties not arrested yet.

Date: August 28. Victim: JOSHUA ARP. Attacker: JAMES BRADY (white). County: Cass. Injury: shot through the shoulder. Cause: none. Remarks: warrant issued, arrest not yet made.

Date: September 17. Victim: DUE HEARD. Attacker: VAN CAVES (white). County: Gordon. Injury: struck him with a rock, when he tried to escape fired three times at him. Cause: none. Remarks: Agent BLACKER was present, arrested the man, gave him in charge to the marshall who allowed him to escape.

Date: October 28. Victim: SPENCE WOFFORD. Attacker: JOHN STEPHENSON (white). County: Cass. Injuries: attacked him with a hatchet. Cause: (blank). Remarks: warrant issued, arrest not made as he is lying out.

Report of Assaults committed upon Freedmen with intent to murder them in the Division of Cuthbert, Georgia from the first of January 1868 to the 31st day of October 1868.

1. Date and Place: January 31, 1868, Early County. Victim: DAVID HUTCHINS. Injuries: killed by a shot. Cause: quarrel about work. Attacker: GEO. CHANCY (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment. GEO CHANCY at large, whereabouts unknown.

2. Date and Place: February 3, 1868, Early County. Victim: MOSES ALEXANDER. Injury: killed by a shot. Cause: unprovoked. Attacker: BENJ. CHANCY (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment. BENJ. CHANCY supposed to be in Dade County, Alabama.

3. Date and Place: 22 February 1868, Early County. Victim: JNO. T. GIBSON. Injury: killed by a shot. Cause: colored radical and preacher. Attackers: DR. POWELL & WM. BUCHANON, white. Remarks: arrested by civil authorities, held to bail at insistence of military authorities.

4. Date and Place: 4 March 1868 Calhoun County. Victim: WM. HENRY JORDON. Injuries: killed by pistol shot. Cause: quarrel about work. Attacker: JAS. EDMONDSON (white). Remarks: no arrest, JAS EDMONDSON at large, reward offered by governor.

5. Date and Place: 10 April 1868 Randolph County. Victim: PETER GRANT. Injuries: stabbed with a knife. Died: 19 April 1868. Cause: political quarrel. Attacker: BEN HOLLAND (Negro). Remarks: arrested by civil authorities, held to bail.

6. Date and Place: 11 April 1868 (Randolph?) Stewart County. Victim: ISHAM (JOHANN?) HARDEN. Injury: killed by shot gun. Attacker: BEN MATHISON (Negro). Cause: refusal to give countersign to sentinel of "Royal League." Remarks: arrested by Civil Authorities under bond $1,000.

7. Date and Place: 10 July 1868, Stewart County. Victim: ABRAM HOLMAN. Injury: Shot at and wounded. Cause: unprovoked. Attacker: JNO M. CAIN (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment, JNO. M. CAIN resides in Stewart County, Georgia.

8. Date and Place: 17 July 1868, Stewart County. Victim: ANDERSON PERSON. Injury: shot and cut. Cause: unprovoked: Attacker: WM. AUSTEEN (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment, WM. AUSTEEN resides in Stewart County, Georgia.

9. Date and Place: 29 July 1868, Early County. Victim: JEFF SMITH. Injury: shot at, wounded and beaten, life saved by friends. Cause: unprovoked. Attacker: LUN GARNER (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment, LUN GARNER resides in Early County.

10. Date and Place: 5 August 1868, Clay County. Victim: CARRIE RICHARDSON. Injury: knocked down and beaten with club, eyes gouged, life saved by friends. Cause: unprovoked. Attacker: ALLEN DOSIER (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment, ALLEN DOSIER is either in Calhoun or Randolph counties.

11. Date and Place: 21 August 1868, Stewart County. Victim: DOCK PORTER and others. Injuries: shot at and wounded, life saved by flight. Cause: unprovoked. Attacker: JOHN M. CAIN (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment. JNO M. CAIN resides in Stewart County, Georgia.

12. Date and Place: 24 August 1868, Quitman County. Victim: CHAS. JOHNSON. Injuries: beaten with a club and cut with knife, life saved by flight. Cause: unprovoked. Attacker: WM. JACKSON (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment, WM. JACKSON resides in Quitman County, Georgia.

13. Date and Place: 25 August 1868, Quitman County. Victim: DANIEL BROWN. Injuries: Knocked down and beaten with stake, life saved by friends. Cause: unprovoked. Attacker: DR. CHRISTIAN (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment. DR. CHRISTIAN resides in Quitman County, Georgia.

14. Date and Place: August 27, 1868, Randolph County. Victim: ALLEN THORNTON. Injuries: shot and assaulted with an axe, life saved by flight. Cause: unprovoked. Attacker: VALENTINE SMITH (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment. VALENTINE SMITH resides in Randolph County.

15. Date and Place: 31 August 1868, Randolph County. Victim: GEORGE & MINNIE CASSIDY. Injuries: cut with axe, lives saved by father of white man. Cause: unprovoked. Attackers: BENJ. JAMES & DEWEY JAMES (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment. Both parties still at large in Randolph County.

16. Date and Place: 1 September 1868, Clay County. Victim: JACK JONES. Injuries: shot at, badly cut with axe, saved by flight. Cause: unprovoked. Attacker: ALLEN DOSIER (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment, DOSIER at large in Calhoun or Randolph Counties.

17. Date and Place: September 1868, Early County. Victim: W. T. WALKER. Injuries: killed by shots. Attacker: unknown white. Remarks: no arrest, no punishment.

18. Date and Place: 8 October 1868, Quitman County. Victim: VIRGINIA SMITH. Injuries: beaten with club. Saved by friends. Cause: unprovoked. Attacker: JNO. MOORE (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment, MOORE in Quitman County.

19. Date and Place: 16 October 1868, Stewart County. Victim: HENRY JONES. Injuries: shot at, saved life by flight. Cause: unprovoked. Attacker: JNO. TURNER (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment. TURNER resides in Stewart County.

20. Date and Place: 19 October 1868, Randolph County. Victim: JESSE WARD. Injuries: tied up and beaten and attempt made to shoot him. Cause: unprovoked. Attacker: R. H. WARD (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment, WARD in Randolph County, Georgia.

21. Date and Place: 22 (16?) October 1868, Calhoun County. Victim: HENRY WADE. Injuries: shot at and stabbed. Cause: unprovoked. Attacker: ALLEN DOSIER (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment, DOSIER at large either in Calhoun or Randolph Counties.

22. Date and Place: 31 October, 1868, Randolph County. Victim: HENRY PRESCOTT. Injuries: badly beaten with club. Head cut open to the bone. Cause: quarrel about work. Attacker: CHAS. STANLEY (white). Remarks: no arrest, no punishment, STANLEY is in Randolph County.