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THE CAMILLA MASSACRE.LETTER FROM GENERAL HOWARD TO SECRETARY SCHOFIELD—CAPTAIN MILLS*DETAILED REPORT CONCERNING THEBRUTAL AFFAIR.Washington, Oct. 9.General Howard, last evening, received from General Sibley the reports and affidavits relating to the Camilla massacre, and forwarded them to the Secretary ot War, as follows:GENERAL HOWARD’S LETTER.“ Hon. J. M. Schofield, Secretary of War:“ Sir : I have the honor to forward you affidavits sent me by General Sibley, with regard to the Camilla riot. The General says that no action whatever has been taken by the civil authorities at this date (October 0) toward bringing the guilty parties to punishment, and no inquest was held upon the bodies, no investigation had, except by the Bureau and Captain Mills, by order of the commanding officer of the District of Georgia, whose report has been forwarded to the commanding officer of the Department of the South. He further says it is not believed possible to bring the guilty parties to punishment through the civil authorities of Mitchell county, they being engaged in the affair, and justifying it, and no unbiased jury could be found in that county.“ The General makes no further remarks which relate to the riot, but simply submits affidavits, together with a private letter from an officer in that county, who makes a special request of him that it be not published.41Very respectfully, your obedient servant, O. O. Howard,“ Major General and Commissioner.”The following is the report of Captain Mills referred to:McPherson’s Barracks, l Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 2S, 1B0S. j Brevet Brigadier General R. C. Drum, Assistant Adjutant General Department of the South, Atlanta, Ga.:General: I have the honor to report that in compliance with special orders No. 44, from headquarters of the South, I proceed to Camilla, Mitchell County, Ga., on the 22d inst., to investigate the occurrences at that place on the 19th inst. I respect-full v renort as follows :vised by any of the white men who ac- | companied them, and who were to address them, either to go armed for defense i or violence; but that, on the contrary, the enclosed affidavits show that Messrs. Pierce, Murphy and Putney all advised and impressed them that they should be peaceable and law-abiding in all their acts, as they were meeting at Camilla in the exercise of their rights as citizens of the United States; that the citizens of the town of Albany were in any way implicated or connected with the occurrence at Camilla on the 19th inst., in no way is proven.It is explained in the affidavit of the Sheriff of Mitchell County, that notice of some colored people having left Albany on the evening of the 18th inst. for Camilla, was received by him through a person living in the adjoining town of Newton ; this is iu no way denied, as by reference to the affidavit of Peter Hines, the leader of the band, it will be seen that the musicians, with other freedmen, left Albany on the evening of the 18th in9t. I herewith transmit the proceeding $ of a meeting of the citizens ot Albany, Ga., held on the 2Cth inst. I will state that information was freely tendered me by all parties.I was accompanied by brevet Major O. H. Howard, Sub-Assistant Commissioner B. R , P. and A L., from Albany, Ga., to Camilla, Ga., and from what I could learn, the colored people and whites were peaceably disposed toward each other. In my investigation of this matter I was materially assisted by Major Howard ; and upon my arrival at Camilla the citizens of that place appeared desirous that the occurrences of the 19th inst. should be investigated.Up to the date of my visit there no action had been taken on the matter by the civil authorities of the county, nor had any inquests been held over the bodies of those killed.Very respectfully, your ob’t serv’t,William Mills, Captain Sixteenth U. S. Infantry.CLIPPINGS AND DRIPPINGS.Personal and Literary,T tannin lxn n IjA M n
Newspaper Details
Oxford Benton Tribune
Oxford, Indiana, US
Tue, Oct 20, 1868
Page 2
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Sarah G.
USA 06 Apr 2019
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