The Monroe News-Star - J. Wash Wiggins Dies in Penitentiary Date: Dec. 1999 Submitted by: Lora Peppers ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** *********************************************** The Monroe News-Star Friday, October 1, 1909 Page 1 & 4, Column 3 & 3 J. Wash Wiggins Died in Penitentiary Led Reconstruction Fight in Grant Parish Was Captain of a Company of whites During the Colfax Riot- Given Christian Burial by Officials. Baton Rouge, Oct. 1.-Yesterday morning at 5:07 o'clock, J. Wash Wiggins died in the penitentiary, aged sixty-six years. Mr. Wiggins was sentenced from Harrisburg, Catahoula parish, and was received here March 28, 1898, eleven years, six months and one day ago on a twenty-year sentence for manslaughter. In some respects Mr. Wiggins was perhaps the most noted character that has died in these walls for a number of years. He served in the war for the Confederacy under General John McGrath in the Eleventh Louisiana regiment. After the war he was prominent in politics of his section and represented his parish in the legislature for one term. He was also distinguished as a a reconstructionist and was a captain in the famous Colfax riot on Easter Sunday, 1872, wherein the negro government of the newly created parish of Grant was put to rout. In this he was assisted by the late captains W.S. Peck and C.C. Nash. Here in the walls, Mr. Wiggins was a model prisoner. Being in bad health he was never put at any kind of work and for the last several years he has almost continually kept his bed. Being a veteran, Captain B.L. Barrow, in charge of the walls, arranged for his burial in the soldiers' burial ground in Magnolia cemetery, raising the funds by private subscription. Mr. Wiggins served in the war with Captain Barrow's father. Gen. John McGrath and Major Moore gave permission for the site of the grave in the soldiers' plot in Magnolia cemetery. Several days before his death Mr. Wiggins asked the chaplain to publish a statement to the world after his death. He said that he was at peace with God, and had been treated well by all the prison authorities and had nothing against a single person in the whole world. He was told by the chaplain that his body would be interred in Magnolia cemetery and not in the potters' field, and this appeared to please him very much. His funeral was held this afternoon from the walls, the prisoners, Captain Barrow the chaplain and wife, also Mrs. Richard Selzer, Mrs. C.C. Devall and Mr. Mondow, the factory guard, being present. Mrs. Devall officiated at the organ, and Mrs. Selzer sang and the chaplain said the service. After the services the captain, chaplain and the ladies mentioned went to the cemetry (sic), where the last service for the dead was read at the grave. Mr. Wiggins leaves a wife, son and daughter, all residing at Jonesville, Catahoula Parish. # # #