1887 New York Times Article about the Trimble - Ramsey Shootout in Farmerville, Union Parish Louisiana 
Submitted by:       T. D. Hudson
Date of Submission: 6 May 2008

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1887 New York Times Article about the Trimble - Ramsey Shootout in Farmerville, Union Parish Louisiana 

From the "New York Times", issue dated 20 December 1887
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                            A DOUBLE POLITICAL TRAGEDY.

  FARMERSVILLE [sic], La., Dec. 19. - The remarkably bitter political campaign now in 
progress between Sam D. McEnery and Francis T. Nicholls, reform candidate for Governor, 
resulted to-day in bloodshed, two of the most prominent citizens of North Louisiana 
being the victims. James A. Ramsey, a young lawyer, and a leading Nicholls man of 
Union Parish, early in the campaign made a vigorous attack upon McEnery and his office 
holders in the parish. This brought out a counter attack in the columns of the 
Farmersville [sic] "Gazette", edited by Col. J. E. Trimble, and charges involving the 
veracity of both parties were made by each other. This morning both parties met by 
accident at the front door of M. J. Stein & Co.'s store. Hot words were spoken, and from 
all accounts both drew their weapons. Some five or six shots were fired and Judge Trimble 
and Mr. Ramsey were both seen to fall back dead. There was a crowd in the immediate 
neighborhood, and Col. Ed. Jones, brother of ex-United States Collector Jones, had a hole 
cut in his coat and shirt by a stray bullet. Both men leave estimable families and hosts 
of friends. The affair throws a gloom over the entire parish. Judge Trimble was an 
officer of the Federal Army, and settled in Louisiana after the war. He was for many 
years a Republican Judge. At the time of the military raids for political purposes in 
1872 he caused the arrest and punishment of regular United States Army officers for 
contempt of his court. He had since been a practicing lawyer and editor of a paper 
in the interest of the McEnergy party. Ramsey was a rising young lawyer of good practice 
and brilliant prospects, and was an earnest leader of the Nicholls element.

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NOTE: It is unclear if Trimble's United States Army service was before or during the war. 
The article is technically incorrect, for Trimble settled in Farmerville to take charge 
of the Farmerville School in 1859. 

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http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/union/newspapers/articles/1887shootout-nyt1.txt


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