A Just and Lasting Peace: A Documentary History of Reconstruction (44 page)

(1872)

The Ku Klux Klan was the best known of various white secret terrorist groups across the South during Reconstruction. Its members intimidated the freedpeople and their white supporters by threats and by violent actions to prevent them from voting, from organizing politically, from establishing churches and schools, and from engaging in behavior that white conservatives deemed inappropriate. The Klan originated in Tennessee in 1866 as a fraternal club among ex-Confederates but quickly took on a political agenda, terrorizing those who opposed Southern Democrats. Night-riding Klansmen whipped, raped, and murdered those whom they sought to control, not only freedpeople and white Republicans, but also preachers, teachers, state legislators, and federal law enforcement officers. Klan activity contributed to the fall of Radical governments in several states, most notably in Georgia and Mississippi. The third Enforcement Act (often termed the Ku Klux Act) authorized the president to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in counties threatened by Klan violence. This came to pass in October 1871 when President Grant declared nine upcountry South Carolina counties in a “condition of lawlessness.” In some cases, he dispatched troops to suppress Klan violence. In 1871, the U.S. Circuit Court convened in Columbia, South Carolina, and recorded extensive and detailed testimony about Klan activities in the state.

T
ESTIMONY OF
A
MZI
R
AINEY.

Amzi Rainey, a witness for the prosecution, being duly sworn, testified as follows:

Q. Where do you live?

A. On Mr. Gill's place.

Q. In York County?

A. Yes; in York County.

Q. How long have you lived in York County?

A. I have been born and raised there.

Q. How old are you?

A. About twenty-eight years old.

Q. Have you been a voter in York County?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Have you voted?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Nobody has ever questioned your right to vote there, have they?

A. No, sir.

Q. Did you vote at the last election?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Vote for A. S. Wallace?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Vote the rest of the Republican ticket?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Now, will you tell the jury whether the Ku Klux raided on you, and what they said and what they did to you? Tell us all about it?

A. Well, on a Saturday night, about ten o'clock—

Q. When was that?

A. It was about the last of March, as near as I can recollect. I was laying down—I laid down at the first dark—and was laying down by the fire. The rest done been abed, and, about ten o'clock, my little daughter called me, and said: “Pappy, it is time we are going to bed; get up;” and just as I got up, and turned around, I looked out of the window, and I see some four or five disguised men coming up, and I ran up in the loft, and they came on; come to the door; and when they come to the door, they commenced beating and knocking. “God damn you, open the door! open the door! open the door!” and commenced beating at each side—there is two doors—and they commenced beating both doors, and my wife run to one of the doors, and they knocked the top hinges off of the first, and she run across the house to the other, and again that time they got the two hinges knocked off the other door, and the bolt held the door from falling, and she got it open—that is, she pulled the bolt back and throwed it down, and when they come in, they struck her four or five licks before they said a word—

Mr. Johnson. We object to all this, may it please your Honors.

The Court. Let him go on.

A. They asked her who lived here. She said, “Rainey—Amzi Rainey.” “What Amzi Rainey? What Amzi Rainey?” And she said, “Amzi Rainey,” and he struck her another lick, and says: “Where is he? God damn him, where is he?” And she says: “I don't know.” And one said: “O, I smell him, God damn him; he has gone up in the loft.” He says: “We'll kill him, too,” and they come up then. This Sam Good, they made him light a light—

Q. Who is Sam Good?

A. It is a black man, that lives on the same place.

Q. You say he had come on with them?

A. Yes, sir. And he lit a light, and they made him and my wife go up before, and he followed them up there, and I was in a box, and they said: “Oh, he is in this box, God damn him, I smell him; we'll kill him!” and the other says: “Don't kill him yet;” and they took me down. This man that struck my wife first, ran back to her and says: “God damn her, I will kill her now; I will kill her out;” and the one that went after me, he says: “Don't kill her;” and he commenced beating her then; struck her some four or five more licks, and then run back and struck me; he run back to her then, and drawed his pistol, and says: “Now, I am going to blow your damn brains out;” and the one by me threw the pistol up, and says: “Don't kill her.” He aimed to strike me over the head, and struck me over the back, and sunk me right down. Then, after he had done that, my little daughter—she was back in the room with the other little children—he says: “I am going to kill him;” and she run out of the room, and says: “Don't kill my pappy; please don't kill my pappy!” He shoved her back, and says: “You go back in the room, you God damned little bitch; I will blow your brains out!” and fired and shot her, sure enough—

Q. Did he hit her?

A. Yes, sir; he hit her; and after he had done that, she went back into the room, and they commenced shooting over me—two shots over me, and two shots over my wife; they shot about fifteen shots; and I had a sleeve jacket on; it was woolen, and they set fire to it—just in a light blaze of fire—and after that was done, they hollered to me: “Put out that fire, I would burn up, and damned if I wouldn't go to hell.” Then my little daughter had catched her hand full of blood, got to the door, and just throwed it out; and they looked around and see that, and see her; and then they took me—

Q. Where did they hit your daughter?

A. Hit her on the forehead; the ball glanced off from her head. Then they took me right off.

Q. Off where?

A. Off up the road, about a hundred and fifty yards; and they wanted to kill me up there, and one said, “No, don't kill him, let's talk a little to him first.” Then, he asked me which way did I vote. I told him I voted the Radical ticket. “Well,” he says, “now you raise your hand and swear that you will never vote another Radical ticket, and I will not let them kill you.” And he made me stand and raise my hand before him and my God, that I never would vote another Radical ticket, against my principle.

Q. Did you swear so?

A. I did raise my hand and swear. Then he took me out among the rest of them, and wouldn't let them shoot me, and told me to go back home.

Q. Did they make anybody else swear right there that they wouldn't vote the Radical ticket? Was Sam Good there?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. What did they do to him?

A. They asked him which way he voted. He says the Radical ticket, and they asked if he would ever vote any Radical ticket, and Sam told them “No, sir.” And that was all that I heard passed 'twixt them and Sam.

Q. What did they do when you went home?

A. After I went back, my wife, she hobbled out—

Q. When you left them, what did they do to you?

A. Told me to run; and throwed two big rocks after me, about the size of my fist.

Q. Did they hit you?

A. No, sir; one went one side into a wood pile, and the other struck the chimney.

Q. How many of the Ku Klux were there?

A. It looked to me like there was about twenty-five.

Q. How were they dressed?

A. Had on—some of them had on white gowns, and some of them had on red ones, and had on false faces and something over their heads.

Q. Did you know any of them?

A. No, sir.

Q. Didn't know any of them?

A. Didn't know any of them.

Q. What time in the night was this?

A. About ten o'clock—'twixt ten and eleven o'clock.

Q. Do you know what they did to your daughter in the other room?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Did you see it yourself?

A. I didn't see it; have only her word for it.

Q. I won't ask you that then.?

A. I didn't see that.

Mr. Corbin. You may have the witness.

Mr. Johnson. We have no questions, may it please your Honors. . . .

T
ESTIMONY OF
D
ICK
W
ILSON.

Dick Wilson, a witness for the prosecution, being duly sworn, testified as follows:

D
IRECT
E
XAMINATION BY
M
R.
C
ORBIN.

Q. Where do you live?

A. I live in York District, sir.

Q. On whose place, in York County?

A. Dr. Lowry's.

Q. Did you vote at the last election?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Which ticket did you vote?

A. I voted the Republican ticket.

Q. Did you vote for Mr. Wallace?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Have you voted there before?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Nobody questioned your right to vote when you did vote?

A. Not particularly, at the ballot box.

Q. Now tell us whether the Ku Klux visited you, and where?

A. Well, they visited me on the 11th April, about two hours before—well, about, 'twixt two and three o'clock in the morning. I had been up till it was light, and laid down and got into a sleep, and I woke up, and these men were in the yard; two of the men came to the house, and the other four went to my son's house.

Q. What is his name?

A. Richard. These men came to my house. First words I noticed them saying was, “Open the door.” Next word was, “Make up a light; make up a light.” I immediately then jumped up and drew on my pants, and by that time the door fell in the middle of the floor. They commenced firing under the door and around the house. I stood still then. They stopped then for a minute, and asked me to make up a light again. I jumped to the fire and made up a light. The next question, “Who lives here?” Says I, “Dick Wilson.” “Is this old Dick?” I told them, “Yes, sir.” “Where is your son?” “I don't know, sir, where he is.” “You are a dam'd liar, sir; walk out here; I have a word with you, sir.” “Very well, I will come out.” “Come out; come out right now; come out.” I walked out. “Go on down here before me, sir, to the other house.” And there was four men in there; a big light in the house; a good knot of pine on the fire, and they went searching cupboards and trunks, and looking everywhere. I could see them as plain as I can see you right now. Well, they searched the house all over, and they could not find him. They said, “Look under the floor.” Well, they tried to get up the floor, but the floor was so well nailed they didn't get it up. One of the men, in the middle of the house, turned around and says, “What G—d damned rascal you've got there?” Some man says, “That is old Dick Wilson.” “What are you going to do with that damned old son-of-a-bitch?” “Well, we haint determined on what we'll do with him.” They still searched on, and couldn't find him.

Q. Couldn't find what?

A. Couldn't find my son, and they came out. After they came out, then the question is put me, “Where is your son?” Says I, “Gentlemen, I don't know.” “Your son; don't you call me any gentleman; we are just from hell fire; we haven't been in this country since Manassas; we come to take Scott and his ring; you damned niggers are ruining the country, voting for men who are breaking the treasury; where is your son, I say?” “I don't know, sir, where he is.” “You are a damned liar, sir; and I will make you tell where he is. Don't you rather the men of this country would rule it, sir, as these men as is ruling it?” Says I, “I didn't know there was any other men ruling but the men of this country.” “Is Scott a man of this country, sir?” Says I, “I don't know; I never seen him.” “Then, why is it you don't go to some good old citizen in the country who would tell you how to vote?” Says I, “I went to men who I thought knowed and ought to know.” “Who were they?” “Well,” I says, “that was Mr. Wallace.” “Yes; just as damned a rascal as you are.” “I went to Mr. Wallace, and I went to several other gentlemen that I did name out.” “Well, what about the League?” I told him that I did belong to the League.

Q. What—the Union league?

A. Yes, sir. “I suppose, then, you are a good old Radical?” Says I, “I don't know whether I have been; I have tried to be.” “Yes, and damn you, we'll make a Democrat of you to-night.” That was the next word. Another little one jumped up there, with some horns on his head, and says: “We'll take the damned rascal off and remind him of what we have told him before this; we have told him this long ago, and we want to be obeyed; now we will take satisfaction; walk on here, sir; take the road before me.” I walked on. “Drop your breeches, God damn you.” I just ran out of them. “Stretch out; we want to make a Democrat out of you to-night.” I stretched out full length, just as long as I could get; I would have got a little longer if I could.

Q. Did you drop your pants?

A. Dropped them down—just fell out, full length.

Q. And then what?

A. One went that side and two on this side. Well, they commenced whipping me; I commenced begging them so powerful. “Don't beg, God damn you; if you beg I'll kill you.” One of them said, “Stop this whipping right off. One of you gentlemen take that pistol and go to his head, and t'other to his feet, and if he hollows or moves I will blow his brains out.” Then they commenced whipping me; they just ruined me; they cut me all to pieces; they did do it, and I wouldn't mind it so much if they had scattered the licks, but they whipped all in one place; that is what they done; they stopped on me then for a while. “Will you vote the Democratic ticket next time?” “Yes, I will vote any way you want me to vote; I don't care how you want me to vote, master, I will vote.” Says he, “there now, put it to him; God damn him he has not told us yet where his son is; we have got that much, and we will get the balance.” They commenced whipping me again. I told them at last I did not know where he was, and I didn't know where he was. After they got done whipping me, they ordered me to get up as quick as I could; I couldn't get up very fast; quick as I got up, I drawed up my pants; couldn't button them nohow. Had them in my hands. “Now let's see how fast you can run.” Well, I was going to strain every leader that was in me, because I was hurt so that I could hardly move; but I intended to do my best. The other says, “I have a word or two to speak to him. I will give you ten days—you and your son both—to go and put a card in Grist's office, and show it; and let it come out in the papers in ten days from now, to show that you are done with the Republican party, Scott, and his damned Ring; and if you don't do it, I will come back for you both again; and if I can't get you at night, I will take you in daylight. Go off in the house, and shut the door.” I went off in the house sure enough. I shut the door. I was lying down on the floor. I wasn't able to go to bed. I got worse after I got to the house.