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 Freedpeople Murdered or Assaulted with intent to kill in the 2d Division of Brunswick Sub district Georgia during the year 1867.

Date: May 1867. County: Pierce. Victim: JOHN ADAMS. Attacker: HENRY GREEN (col'd). Remarks: Assault with intent to kill, severe wound in abdomen, warrant issued but the party escaped, is not at large, whereabouts unknown. Cause: private quarrel.

Date: May 1867. County: Pierce. Victim: GEORGE WASHINGTON. Attacker: WILLIAM KELLY (col'd). Remarks: Assault with knife. KELLY gave himself up, but the act was shown to be in self defense. Cause: difficulty between WASHINGTON & KELLY's wife.

Date: (blank). County: Pierce. Victim: WILLIS WILLIAMS. Attacker: WILLIAM PORTER (col'd). Remarks: PORTER gave himself up. Case investigated by judge. (illegible) and PORTER discharged on the grounds of justifiable homicide, he is now under (illegible initials). Cause: difficulty about wife.

Date: February 19. County: Ware. Victim: NED TUCKER. Attacker: NED CLOUGH, SR., NED CLOUGH, JR., & WILLIAM GOITHER (col'd). Remarks: "True Bill" found by Grand Jury against them for murder but the parties escaped. The two former are supposed to be at Birge's Mill, Camden County. Cause: Difficulty about the daughter of NED CLOUGH, SR., who had eloped with & married TUCKER.

Date: 25 December. County: Ware. Victim: POLLY KNIGHT. Attacker: ROBERT & SARAH LUCAS. Remarks: Homicide, case not yet tried but parties accused have been arrested and are now held to bail to appear at a special Term of Supreme Court held in Waynesboro, Georgia April 2, 186?. Cause: (blank).

Report of Freedpeople murdered or assaulted with intent to kill in 1st Division Sub. District of Brunswick, Georgia during the year 1867.

Date: 15 September. County: Charlton. Victim: WILLIAM GREEN (freedman). Attacker: B.F. LANCASTER and G. S. NUNGAZER (white). Remarks: B.F. LANCASTER & G. S. NUNGAZER were arrested and tried before R. A. BAKER J. I. C. and JAMES COMER J. P.

It was shown that said WM. GREEN came to his death by a gunshot wound in the left side and back of the head, at EDWARD BUCK's plantation near Camp Pinckney, Charlton County, Georgia 15 September 1867. A copy of the evidence was furnished by request of Lt. RISLEY S. A. C. from which it is shown that said GREEN threatened the life of LANCASTER and fired at and wounded him, but no proof is given who fired the shot which caused the death of GREEN. Court finding no evidence to Bond B. F. LANCASTER under Bond or Bail and there were no charges brought against NUNGAZER, they were set at liberty.

Lt. D. G. RISLEY

S. A. Comr. Sub District of Brunswick

Lieutenant . . . . in reply to Cir Letter of Feby 24, 1868 I have the honor to state, that one Freedman DANIEL TREMLIN, has been killed on this Island within the last year. He was stabbed by another Freedman, name SCOT MASON, who has escaped and is supposed to be near Macon, Georgia.

I am very Respftly your obt. Servt.

JOHN DEVEREAUX

Agent Bureau R. F. and A. L.

Report of Freed People who have been murdered or assaulted with intent to kill, in the counties of Jefferson and Burke, during the year 1867.

Victim: JOHN C. CALHOUN. Place: Burke County. Killed: No. Cause: The freedman being to register, came home intoxicated, and after being warned to keep the peace, which he refused to do, received the wound. Offender: JAMES C. FRANCIS (white). Arrested: August 1867. Punishment: Bound over to appear before the Sup. Court for assault and battery. Remarks: Defendant is now residing in New York. Prosecution whereabouts not known.

Victim: HENRY CLENERY. Place: Jefferson County. Killed: Yes, shot in the breast. Cause: For seduction of a daughter of ABRAHAM TYSON. Attacker: ABRAHAM TYSON (col'd). Arrested: Had given himself up to the civil Authorities. Punishment: not guilty. Remarks: at large somewhere in Jefferson County. The petit jury found him not guilty.

Report of Murders & Assaults in Thomasville Sub District from January 1st to October 1st 1868.

Names: GEO. G. GIBBS (white) killed WM. HARDAWAY (col'd). Injuries: Shot killed dead. Where: Thomas County. Cause: No cause. Premeditated and threatened. Date: About 1 April. Action: a warrant issued but he was not arrested. Whereabouts: not known. Remarks: He was in GIBB's employ & did not want GIBB's to take his son to town & in trying to take him out of the buggy was shot.

Names: WM. DAVIS (white) assaulted JANE RANKINS (colored). Injuries: Not serious. Beat and kicked her. Where: Thomas County. Cause: For telling a Col'd boy to run & get the eggs or she (JANE) would steal them. Date: 1st June. Action: None. Could not get a "bill." Jury would not hear the case. Remarks: Struck her because she would steal. Present Whereabouts: Thomas County.

Names: SOLOMON EVERETT (white) shot ARCHY GUYLER(?) . Where: Thomas County. Injury: in the arm, not serious. Cause: no cause given. Date: 14 August. Action: None. I cannot learn who or where EVERETT is. The Col'd man may be mistaken in his name and meant EVERS. I do think he knows who shot him.

Names: HOUSTON supposed to be W. H. HOUSTON (white) attempted to rape JENNY WYCHIE. Injuries: Overtook her on the highway, drew a pistol and drove her out in the woods (illegible). Where: Thomas County. Date: 13 August. Action: None taken. Whereabouts: Thomas County. Remarks: HOUSTON's friend who was with him tried to dissuade him but H. would not stop until he was told that other parties were coming.

Names: JOSHUA M. JONES assaulted JANE MC CULLOCK. Injuries: was beaten seriously in the head with a club. County: Thomas. Cause: short-work. Date: August 15. Action: Bound over to court. Whereabouts: Thomas County. Remarks: to drive this woman to work.

Names: DAVID STRINGER assaulted MARY MC INTOSH. County: Thomas. Date: August 26. Injuries: Stomped her in the breast and beat her. Probably serious. Cause: Wanted to drive her off and take the crop. Action: none. Whereabouts: Thomas County. Remarks: STRINGER is in the habit of doing such tricks.

Names: T. PERRY (PERNY?), white, whipped the child of HECTOR MITCHELL, col'd. Injuries: severe. Where: Thomasville. Cause: for telling P.'s wife that he was in a gambling saloon. Date: Sept. 7. Whereabouts: Thomasville. Action: none so far as I could learn.

Names: HORRACE PARAMOUR (white) assaulted JACK BRIGITY (col'd). Where: Thomas County. Injuries: Beat and threatened to kill him if he did not leave the place. Cause: To get his part of the crop & drive him off. Date: September 23. Action: none. Whereabouts: Thomas County. Remarks: This is beginning to be very common.

Names: THOMAS E. SPROIT (SPRAIGHT?) (white) killed LINDSEY WELLS (col'd). Where: Decatur County. Injuries: Shot through the back, died in 48 hours. Date: 16 February (14 Feb.). Cause: Freedman struck him with a club. Action: SPRAIGHT gave himself up. Whereabouts: Fort Gains, Clay County. Remarks: Grand Jury found "no bill." Freedman no doubt felt he was being unfairly dealt with in the crop.

Names: W. Y. BRANNON killed ISAIAH WILLIAMS. Injuries: Shot, killed instantly. Where: Bainbridge, Decatur County. Cause: politics. Date: 22 April. Action: arrested. Whereabouts: State Prison. Remarks: Tried by a military commission.

Names: NED WILLIAMS, NELSON JOHNSON & SAM HILL (coloreds) assaulted JAMES WAITER (col'd). Injuries: whipped, beaten and killed. County: Decatur. Cause: a dislike for him. Date: August 13. Action: No arrest. Whereabouts: supposed to be in the neighborhood. Remarks: AGNES CLARK tried to get the Sheriff after them but he could not succeed. "A most brutal murder."

Names: Y. S. BICKETT, white, assaulted SUSAN WHITAKER, colored. County: Decatur. Injuries: Beaten on the hand. Cause: Disagreement about the crop. Date: August 24. Action: no arrest. Whereabouts: on Chattahoochee. Remarks: not very aggravated.

Names: ________ THOMAS (white) assaulted HENRY CLAY (colored). Where: Decatur County. Injuries: shot twice, 5 caps exploded. Cause: Altercation. Action: Arrested and bound over. Whereabouts: Fowltown, DC. Remarks: Not yet decided. Case to come up in Court.

Names: W. LOT (white) assaulted BEN CORBETT. Injuries: whipped. County: Decatur. Cause: for alleged shooting. Date: 25 August. Action: warrant taken out. Whereabouts of attacker: Decatur County. Remarks: a remarkable case Freedman was whipped in the day time without being tried and took it without resistance. Hickories, was struck in the face with bits of hickories.

Names: Unknown white assaulted ADAM GAINS. Injuries: whipped in the night. County: Decatur. Cause: no reason assigned. Date: 31 August. Action: no arrest. Whereabouts of attacker: parts unknown. Remarks: several cases of this kind have occurred.

Names: "ROSES" DICKERSON (white) assaulted ZIPHA JACKSON (colored). Injuries: Beaten with a rail. County: Decatur. Cause: Dispute. Date: 3 September. Action: Complaints to Civil authorities, no arrests made at the time. Whereabouts of attacker: Decatur County. Remarks: to be tried in civil court.

Names: WILLIAM & WARREN DONALDSON, WOOD COX, WM. BENTEN, WM. ERWIN (GUNN?), Y. E. LASSITER & JOHN KING (all white) shot SANDY LNEERAGE (LWIRAGE?). Injuries: killed & murdered, shot and kicked. County: Decatur. Date: 12 October. Cause: alleged resistance to an officer. Action: One man makes confession. No arrests. Whereabouts of attackers: (illegible) D. G. & the rest left. Remarks: a dreadful murder. WM DONALDSON was constable & says that he had a warrant. Freedman 70 years old. To be investigated.

Names: WM. STRINGER & two others (white) kidnapped PRIMUS HATCHER (colored). Injuries: carried to Koone Bottoms Florida. Where: from Thomas County. Cause: Rape (it is said with a bad woman). When: January 20. Action: no arrests. Whereabouts of attackers: Thomas County. Remarks: it is publicly known (illegible) and the civil authorities. is reported that he was taken to Koone bottom & tortured to death in day light by citizens.

There are a number more of cases of Assault that I can hear of but can get nothing full. Several very bad cases have happened since Oct. 12 but have not yet got the particulars. But one Criminal case has been tried in the civil courts in Thomas County in near two years & that a Freedman.