The Rawhide Fight, Vernon Parish Louisiana
Submitted by Jane P. McManus
Date: October 29, 2008

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The Rawhide Fight, Red River Republican, 1851-1852

Red River Republican, August 30, 1851 – Fatal Affray:
A desperate and bloody affray took place in the Anna Coco settlement in 
this parish on Saturday last, in which two men, Francis Harris and --- 
Weeks, were killed and a number of others wounded. It grew out of a charge 
that was made against the former that he had set fire or attempted to fire 
a house. Mr. Hardcastle, the Police Jury Man of the Ward, killed Harris, 
and one of the Sweats [killed] Weeks. Several persons were engaged in the 
affray on both sides but we have not heard that any of them have been arrested.”

Red River Republican, October 25, 1851 – Reward
Governor Walker has issued a Proclamation offering a reward for the apprehension 
of the persons concerned in the murder of B. F. Harrison and Charles Weeks some 
time since in the western part of this parish. Two of the persons named in the 
Proclamation, Gardi and Levi Sweet [Gadi & Levi Sweat], are in jail here; the rest 
are still at large. The Proclamation reads as follows: Whereas, official 
information has been received by me, that B. G. Harrison and Charles Weeks, 
citizens in the Parish of Rapides, were on the 22nd day of August, A.D. 1851, 
murdered in the aforesaid Parish, and that Thos. Albert Goings, Samuel Varner, L.H. 
Bolinger, Levi Sweet, Lemuel C. Sweet, Gardi Sweet, Lewis Dial (alias Lewis Jenkins), 
Madison West and William Dial, did assist, aid, and abet one James Hardcastle, in 
the murder of the aforesaid Harrison and Weeks. Now, therefore, I have thought 
proper to issue this my Proclamation calling upon all good citizens of the State to 
lend their assistance in arresting and bringing to justice the aforesaid murderer 
with his aiders and abettors, furthermore offering a reward in the name of and by 
the authority of the State, of Two Hundred Dollars for the apprehension and 
conviction of each and every one of them.”

Red River Republican, November 22, 1851 – District Court
A murder case from the extreme end of the parish, about seventy miles from the 
courthouse, proves a heavy tax to the parish in the shape of mileage and per diem 
for the witnesses.  One of the persons indicted for the murder above referred to, 
that of Harrison and Weeks, is a man who went by the name of Len C. Sweat. He was 
indicted as Lemuel C. Sweat and it appears was sometimes so called. His lawyers, 
however in order to squash the indictment, endeavored to prove that his name was 
Leonard Sweat. One witness was brought to the stand by whom it was confidently 
believed the fact could be established, but when he after being sworn, was asked 
the question he declared his name was Lemuel. Sweat’s attorney upon this cut up 
not a few antics before the court and declared the man had perjured himself. He 
then made affidavit of the fact and had him arrested. The next day the man was 
released upon his giving bond in the sum of $250 and made a voluntary confession 
to the court, stating that the man who had accused him of perjury, had attempted 
to bribe him by offering him ten dollars if he would swear his client’s name was 
“Leonard.”

Red River Republican, November 29, 1851 District Court
“Lemuel C. Sweat, Gardi Sweat, and Isaac Carpenter … indicted by the Grand Jury 
as aiders and abettors in the murder of Weeks and Harrison, were brought before 
Court on Monday. The state requested a postponement and this was granted. The 
two Sweats gave themselves up a short time before the session of the Court under 
the impression that, it is said, they would be immediately let out on bail and 
finally acquitted without difficulty. Many persons believe their case is a hard 
one, and they may be right … Now the murder in which these men are implicated is 
said on all hands to have been a most foul and iniquitous one, two men were killed 
outright and the throat of one of them was cut after he was dead, while some others 
were wounded ….”

May 9, 1852 District Court – the Sweats were acquitted.