Parish History: Jno. I. McCain Account of Early Winn & Grant, Winn Parish, LA Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From: Emily Vallee, Grant Parish Deputy Sheriff, descendant of the McCain family. Originally written by Jno. I. McCain of Montgomery, in 1927, and filed at the Grant Parish Clerk of Court office February 8, 1961. Looking Backward Young people usually look forward to brighter hopes and anticipations, while the old people are more inclined to look backward to the experiences of earlier days when they played their part on the stage of life. Shakespeare, in a famous poem, represented the world as a stage and us as the actors. So the old have played their part on the stage of life. They really find a thrill in a retrospective view of the days gone by and therefore indulge in it as pleasant memories. So let this be true or not, what I want to say is this: I, being one of the oldest men of the early days of Winn, Grant Parish, now living, have been asked by friends interested in the "By Gone" days, to write some recollections of the formation of Grant Parish, and some of the more important epochs in the history of Grant Parish, I feel justly proud of not only the parish of Grant, but the entire state of Louisiana, which is one of the most resourceful states of the union. Louisiana is a state so abundantly blessed with her great resources of mineral and agricultural wealth, as well as her adaptation to the growth of fruits and vegetables of nearly all varieties, I take pleasure in contributing the mite of what I remember of the organization of Grant Parish to those who are interested enough to read what I have to say. Some may disagree with me as to the name of the parish and parish site, respectively, Grant and Colfax. The only apology I have to make for this is that Grant Parish is in the Southland, and as such, we as Southerners, should honor our heroes. The formation of Grant Parish was born in the minds of some of the best and most loyal citizens that the state of Louisiana had. In 1869 C. C. Dunn, H. V. McCain, Phillip Bernstein, M. Gans (Mike), David Hardy, and J. M. McCain, of Montgomery, Winn Parish, and James Hadnot, Yarborough, T. K. Smith, and others of prominence in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, conceived the idea of forming a new parish our of south Winn, west Catahoula, and north Rapides parishes. To this end they drew up a petition giving boundaries of territory to be seceded from the parishes above. A larger petition was signed by citizens of these territories and sent to the state legislature, then in session, to pass an act forming the new parish to be known and designated as Red River Parish, with court house at Montgomery, which was the river center of the new parish to be formed. This petition fell into the hands of William Calhoun, a republican, then an heir to the large estate of his father, interstate (intestate?), who changed the petition, leaving off some of the Winn Parish territory at the north, thus making the estate of his father the Red River center of the new parish. In this forged petition it was asked that the new parish be called Grant, and that the parish site located on the Calhoun plantation be known as Colfax, a place in habited almost entirely by negroes for miles in all directions. The travesty of this act will be better understood when we recall that this was done in reconstruction days when the state was under martial law, and in the grip of provost-martials (marshals), all of whom were denominated as Carpet Batters and Scallawaggers (scalawags), a class of men who stood for the sponsored fraud, men who were under the protection of the Federal government, to intimidate the white race in favor of social and political equality of the races. These were the men who boosted the negroes to bring on the famous Colfax riot, and when the final issue came, were found in places of security, far from the scene of bloodshed. These were the men who had Needham Walters arrested under a federal charge of crime, thinking that he kept his money on his person in a belt. While a prisoner in Colfax, they feigned his escape, and while he was crossing Red River they murdered him and took his money. They then sank him to the bottom of the river. This is how and through whom Colfax and Grant Parish got their names. The feelings of resentment are within me, and will be to the last moment I live. If it were in my power, I would, as soon as possible, change the name of Grant Parish to Lee and the site of her dispensatory of justice to Davis. Issues are born, not invented, and they come in their own time. It is said we cannot escape the burden of a bad course by making a new issue. The choice made, the situation created must be lived out, its lessons be learned. Then, and only then, a new chance to choose may arise. The following story of crime was the sequel to the quotation given above, which proves that experience is a dear teacher, but criminals will learn in no other. After the formation of the new parish of Grant, with Colfax as the parish site, things moved on as smoothly as could be expected during reconstruction days, or the aftermath of the political intrigue and restriction of constitutional rights under martial law, a clan was formed for the protection of the white people against the assumed privilege of federal constituted authorities in Louisiana, the intent of which was good. However, to oppose an order of things with federal authority behind it, it is a bad precedent, and never ends well. So, this clan, in its operation became outlaws, a wide- spread murderous gang, committing many murders of men, women, and children who were migrating in covered wagons, from other states, moving to Texas. This gang appropriated their belongings as a spoil. This clan became so strong and destructive to unsuspecting and innocent immigrants and so dangerous and defiant to legal authority, so much so, that the best and most daring and courageous men had to keep silent or be waylaid and assassinated in their homes or on the highways at night. As the voice of the people is usually the voice of God, so as this clan lived, so it died. "An issue that was born, not invented, came in its own time, the choice was made and the situation lived out, its lesson was learned, and another chance never came." So the command came, "Get ready. Take aim. Fire." Thus was the end of one of the most dreaded clans that ever existed. I will now undertake the task of giving an account of the Colfax riot, which occurred on Easter Sunday, April 13, 1873. Some of the publications of this "race riot" contained glaring misstatements of some of the occurrences on that memorable day and did so much injustice to a great majority of the white men who took part in that unfortunate conflict, that I feel as if I should in this contribution, make mention of some of the occurrences that are as fresh in my memory as if they were transactions of yesterday. I will take for granted that in 1873, William Pitt Kellogg was elected governor of the state of Louisiana, and at which election we also elected parish officers. At this time there was a Republican and a Democratic ticket voted on, the democratic ticket being supported almost unanimously by the more respectable white tax payer, while the Republican was supported largely by negroes dominated by designing white man. This election, while close, was carried by the Democrats, to which end the Democratic ticket was declared elected, and so promulgated as follows: A. Cazabat, Judge, C. C. Nash, Sheriff, and Ruffin B. Walker, Clerk of Court, all of whom qualified and were inducted into office. About this time, one Ward, a negro, member of the legislature, and local political leader, went to New Orleans, then the capital, and on his own responsibility, declared that the Republican ticket had been elected. Upon this, Kellogg ordered the Secretary of State to issue commissions of election to the Republicans also, and he, William Pitt Kellogg, ordered the negro, Ward, to deliver those commissions in person, to respective persons, and to say to each of them that he, Kellogg, expected them to take possession of offices, to exercise their duties as officers, and if necessary to resort to violence, with the promise that they would be sustained by the Executive of the state. In relation to commissioning two sets of officers at one and the same time, for Grant Parish, Kellogg said that he did it with the view of precipitating a conflict between the races. The Democrats, or white officials were in possession of their offices and functioned as such for some days, but were soon forced out by a mob of armed negroes, who installed their officers. A meeting of the white Democrats was called about the first days of April, to consider what was best to do in order to gain possession of the parish government. On that day also, some three hundred armed negroes assembled in Colfax early in the morning, making play of their weapons, making open threats of violence, and the white people disbanded. This action of the whites seemed to give the negroes more confidence and they began to make open threats to the effect they would kill all the white men and appropriate the women and girls to fiendish desires. At this junction, when the negroes became more violent with threats, the white families left their homes, by night or day, as opportunity offered. Then the negroes broke open the stores and residences and took everything of value away. In the home of Judge Rutland they found a casket containing the remains of their baby, awaiting shipment for burial in their family plot, somewhere in north Louisiana. This they throw into the back yard with face downward and the cover nearly off. Besides this, they committed robbery, rape, and other crimes that have escaped my memory. The white people were so alarmed at their atrocious acts that they called for help from adjoining parishes, which was liberally responded to. These me, together with citizens of Grant Parish, encamped at a spring three miles from Colfax. C. C. Nash, the sheriff of Grant Parish, took command of the white forces, in all about two hundred fifty men, and made a demand of the negroes, numbering about five hundred, to surrender, or disband and go home, giving up the record of the parish. This they refused to do, and went to work making breastworks, making threats to fight to the finish. Nash, the sheriff, from day to day, sent them proposals that would settle the matter without bloodshed, all of which they insultingly refused. Thus things went on until April 13, 1873, when the negroes were notified to disperse, or else to remove their women and children, for an offensive move would made on them. Then the negroes sent their women and children away. At this juncture a well-to-do negro, by the name of Steve Kimbrell, went into Colfax and made a speech to the negroes, begging them to disband and go home, telling them of the necessity of white supremacy, and that he would vouch for the white people giving them immunity from persecution. All of this they made light of, so he told his relations and close friends good bye, that he never expected to see them again and went to his home, where he lived to a ripe old age and was ever a good and loyal citizen to the day of his death. So on Sunday morning, the 13th of April, the whites marched into Colfax, and all the forenoon those having long range guns, and with a little twenty-four inch cannon, sent to the white people by Capt. Bill Boardman, owner and captain of the large steel hull steamboat W. F. Moore, kept up an effective fire until afternoon. And here I must say that the cannon mentioned above was manned by a man named Sid Sherman, from the state of New York, and belonged to the artillery of the Federal army during the Civil War. During the engagement in the forenoon he was wounded but stayed by his little gun until victory was won. This northern soldier endeared himself to the people of this parish and was loved and honored for his bravery and patriotism ever after. This little cannon is now at Melrose, in the possession of Mrs. C. G. Henry, who prizes it very dearly as the only relic of the Colfax riot known to exist. In the afternoon it was very tactfully decided to send a party of riflemen down the river, under protection of the river bank, to a closer range to the Court House, (formerly a sugar mill) and breastworks, with the protection of the Red River banks, and open fire on them. So successful was this ruse that it demoralized the negroes. At the first volley they were terrorized and broke and run. Some took the highway down the river and made their escape, but something like one hundred and twenty-five negroes took refuge in the court house, which was a two story building, where they kept up a continuous fire, wounding three white men, Sid Sherman of New York, Harris of Grant Parish, but the third I do not recall just now. Then a bundle of fodder was tied to a long pole and a negro prisoner was made to go to the building, light the fodder and hold it to the roof until it blazed. Orders were given to fire a hot volley of bullets in the roof to prevent the negroes from extinguishing the fire. So in this ruse the Yankee and the cannon played a conspicuous part, because he put a bullet from the cannon to the spot every time. In a little while a flag of truce was displayed from a window, so at once the firing ceased. At this instant, Mr James Hadnot, with four other men, went up to capitulate for peace, and here one of the most cowardly acts on the part of the negroes occurred. When they got close to the door of the building, a volley was fired at them from inside, mortally wounding Mr. Hadnot and wounding Frank Moses and others. After this act of perfidy, the negroes attempted to escape in the confusion that followed. The whites were confounded at this treachery, and as the negroes rushed out of the building, they were shot down in their tracks, and those that escaped the first fire were run down in the field and were shot down by men on horseback. The wounded whites were taken to a house near by and treated by a surgeon who was at hand for the emergency. Very soon the steamer Southwestern came down the river and landed at Colfax, taking Mr. Hadnot aboard, who was then in a dying condition. The other wounded men were also taken by the steamer to their homes below Colfax. Various estimates have been made as to the number of negroes killed in this riot, but the exact number will never be told in this life. In round numbers it must have been about a hundred. But where were the white Republicans who advised and boosted this deadly conflict? Shaw, Payne, Harvey, Terry, Brantly, and the leading negroes, Ward and Flowers? Why, they read between the lines and knew just when and where to go to places of safety, under pretense of seeking relief from Kellogg, while the poor deluded negroes bit the dust. All of this is chargeable to one nefarious and treacherous William Pitt Kellogg, when he issued two sets of official commissions, to opposing political parties, and to put it strong, the one set of commissions to the negro, and ex-slave, against the Caucasian, the ex-master. As a sequel to this unwarranted procedure, I will say that many of the best men that ever lived were indicted before a Federal Grand Jury, some of them old men who were not in ten miles of the deadly strife. At the trial an ignorant negro who knew not that an oath had a single syllable of sacredness in it, at the dictation of a prejudiced federal prosecuting attorney, this ignoramous of a negro was allowed to point his thieving finger in the face of an innocent old white man who had lain in a Federal prison for months, and say that he saw him in Colfax on the day and date of the riot and that he saw him with malice aforethought shoot down and kill negroes in that provoked riot at Colfax. This is enough to make hot blood flow with leaps and bounds fifty- four years after it happened. I have written this from memory and every word of it can be substantiated by only a few living witnesses who are now old and decrepit men. P. S. The five who were arrested were put on trial for their lives in the United States Courts, charged with violating the "force bill" under style of suit United States versus Crankshank (Cruikshank) and others, and it attracted national attention. The accused were represented by the best legal talent in the state, all of whom served without pay. This case, which was tried before Judge Woods of New Orleans, was vigorously prosecuted. The defendants in this case were Crankshank (Cruikshank), Hadnott, O'Quin, Lemoine, and the others I do not remember. (95 men from Winn and Grant Parish and perhaps other parishes were indicted; not sure how many actually were tried). The case was taken to the Supreme Court of the United States and the decision was that the "force bill" was unconstitutional. The prisoners were set free. The press of Louisiana, including the Shreveport Times, Natchitoches Vindicator, and others, denounced the arrest of these citizens as Federal tyranny. This was especially referred to by President Grant in his special message to Congress with the view of making north Louisiana into an armed camp. The decision of the Supreme Court, declaring the "Force Bill" unconstitutional, broke his power to back William Pitt Kellogg, and thus Grant was compelled to abandon a policy of force toward the South and adopt a policy that would conform to the requirements of civilization and the rights of the South. The struggle at Colfax was one of the most important events in the history of the nation, and in 1877 the first term, as I recall, of the District Court was held in Colfax. After this things took on normal conditions and with our present civilization, the past, especially Easter Sunday, 1873, seems like a dream of yesterday. Then in another sense, it was a long, long time ago, I, for one, do not believe in celebrating and keeping alive that most unfortunate tragedy, that had come, and is now in the past, only a page of history. Jno. I. McCain Signed: John Irving McCain Filed and recorded February 8, 1961 Artie M. Hataway Dy. Clerk and Ex-Officio Recorder 1, 1927