Oral History?

arms: and that if they wished to hold their meeting we would see that they should be protected, and should have perfect peace and quietness. But in the mean time the white republicans there became very much irritated and provoked, and they declined to hold the meeting at all. When these negrees were advised to go and leave their arms outside of the town, it was reported that this old negro who formerly belonged to me, (Richard Burke, advised them not to do it: saying that “the white people were there with arms. and that they (the negroes) had as much right to stay there with their arms as the white people; that they must not give up their arms, nor leave them out of town.” I do not know that the old man ever said any such thing: but that was the report. A few nights after that, when I was home. I heard rapid firing which ap. peared to be about a hundred yards off, and I supposed there was some trouble on band. My wife was very much frightened. I rose, and called up my servants to as- certain what the matter was, what the firing was about: and they said it was over at Richard Burke’s who lived about one hundred yards from me. There was a path lead– ing from my house to his. I asked them what the firing was for. They said a party of men had gone there after another negro, who formerly belonged to me. whose name was Hayne Richardson, and who had refused to give up his arms at Livingston and in the serimimage was shot by some persons whom I do not know-not killed but wounded pretty badly in the head. He said they were after Richardson, and that the firing was at him: that he jumped out of the window and ran away. I asked if anybody was hurt. and was informed by the servants that there was not. I sent for Richardson’s wife and asked if any damage had been done: she said “no.” I was very much grati- fied and went back to bed. Next morning when my servant came in. he informed me that the old man, Richard Burke, was dead; had been killed about half way between his house and mine, and that he was lying on the path leading between my house and his. I rose and went over as soon as could, and was informed that he was lying there, shot very badly in the head and elsewhere-shot all to pieces some colored friend of his had been there before me and spread a cloth over him. I then called up one of my servants who was in the habit of staying over at Richardson’s house, and asked him what he knew about it. He said he was there when these men came; that he thought there were about twenty men on horseback; that they came and hallooed that he went to the door, and they directed him to open it and raise a light. They asked him if he had a lantern. He said he had: and he raised a light. They carried him out to the gate, and put him under guard with his lantern, and they went in search of Hayne Richardson, and old man Burke. Question. Whom had they carried out to the gate? Answer, My servant, who was holding the lautern. Only two or three got down to go in search of the men they were after; and while he was there he raised his lantern, so that he saw the face of every man distinctly: and he said not one of them was dis- guised, and that, although he was very well acquainted in that part of the country, he had never seen one of those men before. The citizens were very much excited. The mayor of the town had an inquest called to examine everybody, white and black, that was likely to know anything about it. except this man. Hayne Richardson, who had concealed himself or fled from the State. He has never been there since. He was the only person likely to know anything about it who was not examined as a witness: and they got no clue whatever. I heard that about daylight the next morning a party of three or four or five men were seen going in one direction, and as many in another direction, and as many in another-not as many as ten in any one company-all going in the direction of the Mississippi State line. That is all we have ever been able to find out about that. arms: and that if they wished to hold their meeting we would see that they should be protected, and should have perfect peace and quietness. But in the mean time the white republicans there became very much irritated and provoked, and they declined to hold the meeting at all. When these negrees were advised to go and leave their arms outside of the town, it was reported that this old negro who formerly belonged to me, (Richard Burke, advised them not to do it: saying that “the white people were there with arms. and that they (the negroes) had as much right to stay there with their arms as the white people; that they must not give up their arms, nor leave them out of town.” I do not know that the old man ever said any such thing: but that was the report. A few nights after that, when I was home. I heard rapid firing which ap. peared to be about a hundred yards off, and I supposed there was some trouble on band. My wife was very much frightened. I rose, and called up my servants to as- certain what the matter was, what the firing was about: and they said it was over at Richard Burke’s who lived about one hundred yards from me. There was a path lead– ing from my house to his. I asked them what the firing was for. They said a party of men had gone there after another negro, who formerly belonged to me. whose name was Hayne Richardson, and who had refused to give up his arms at Livingston and in the serimimage was shot by some persons whom I do not know-not killed but wounded pretty badly in the head. He said they were after Richardson, and that the firing was at him: that he jumped out of the window and ran away. I asked if anybody was hurt. and was informed by the servants that there was not. I sent for Richardson’s wife and asked if any damage had been done: she said “no.” I was very much grati- fied and went back to bed. Next morning when my servant came in. he informed me that the old man, Richard Burke, was dead; had been killed about half way between his house and mine, and that he was lying on the path leading between my house and his. I rose and went over as soon as could, and was informed that he was lying there, shot very badly in the head and elsewhere-shot all to pieces some colored friend of his had been there before me and spread a cloth over him. I then called up one of my servants who was in the habit of staying over at Richardson’s house, and asked him what he knew about it. He said he was there when these men came; that he thought there were about twenty men on horseback; that they came and hallooed that he went to the door, and they directed him to open it and raise a light. They asked him if he had a lantern. He said he had: and he raised a light. They carried him out to the gate, and put him under guard with his lantern, and they went in search of Hayne Richardson, and old man Burke. Question. Whom had they carried out to the gate? Answer, My servant, who was holding the lautern. Only two or three got down to go in search of the men they were after; and while he was there he raised his lantern, so that he saw the face of every man distinctly: and he said not one of them was dis- guised, and that, although he was very well acquainted in that part of the country, he had never seen one of those men before. The citizens were very much excited. The mayor of the town had an inquest called to examine everybody, white and black, that was likely to know anything about it. except this man. Hayne Richardson, who had concealed himself or fled from the State. He has never been there since. He was the only person likely to know anything about it who was not examined as a witness: and they got no clue whatever. I heard that about daylight the next morning a party of three or four or five men were seen going in one direction, and as many in another direction, and as many in another-not as many as ten in any one company-all going in the direction of the Mississippi State line. That is all we have ever been able to find out about that.