Report of the Joint select committee appointed to inquire into the condition of affairs in the late insurrectionary states, so far as regards the execution of laws, and the safety of the lives and property of the citizens of the United States and Testimony taken.

1786 CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN THE SOUTHERN STATES.
Qucestio. That is our deputy sergeant-at-arms, Mr. Maguire?
A4nswer. Yes, sir. He had picked up1 his hat and walked out.
Mr. MIAGUIRE. The man with the blue pants must have been the man that attends
to the room here.
By Mr. RiiC,:
Question. Have you ever seenany man in disguise in Greene County`?
Answcr. Yes, sir; I did once.
Question. Tell the committee the circumstances.
Ansuwer. Well, sir, I was arrested once. I was a prisoner about half an hour by sun,
ablout eleven miles from the county-sent.
By Mr. BLAIR:
Queslion. Arrested for wha't?
Ansiwcr. I was arrested; the offense was murder-said to be.
By the CHAIRMAN:
lQuestion. Arrested on a charge of murder?
Answer. Yes, sir; about half an hour by sun, I guess about eleven mliles from
Eutaw, and traveling on the Gainesville road, from Gainesville to Eutaw, I got to a
man's house, and met the sheriff. There was a man deputized to serve a subptnna on
me, and he carried me about three miles, and met up with the sheriff. Then it was
after night. We staid there a long whiloe-live hours, I think. I asked them if they
were going to take me to town that night. They said, "Yes." I said, "Let's travel
on; I am tired of waiting." I wanted to get to jail. He told me I was in his charge.
and not him in mine. I said, "Yes." We started about half after 10 o'clock. We
were about eight miles, I think, f;iom where he arrested me, and there was a couple
just riding ahead of me, a white man and a black man, side by side. As I was ridin-,
along (we were all riding) I heard somebody say, "Halt! " I raised up my head and
looked, and we were in a lane, thirty feet wide, I reckon. The lane was just filled up
with men; I don't know whiat. It didn't look like men merely to lme at the time when
I first saw them. I don't know what sort of shape some of them had, with great lonl
hats, so long, [indicating,] scalloped all around, and shrouds, or something of the
kind, hanling all around down to the feet and on the horses, and some had sheets on,
spotted, anll a ll kinds of clothes. They asked whose command was that. They told him,
"The sheriff" "What sheriff?" "The sheriff of Greene County." "Where is tlh
sheriff?" "He is back there." "Tell him to come forward himself.:7 Says he, "I'll do
it, sir; here's a bottle of whisky."
Question. Who had it?
Answier. The sheriff had a bottle of whisky in his hand, and le told him he would forward himself with a bottle, and he did it. They staid there eight or ten minutes, and
he asked what was the prisoners charged with. "Who is that you have got?" "Prisoners," he said. "What are they charged with?" IHe told them "Murder." The sheriff said to us, " Ride on ahead," and he told him to "Halt!" The sheriff says, "I want
to take my prisoners to jail." He says, "You are all my prisoners." Then they all commenced charging, and riding, and whirling, and cutting about in the lane in front of us
with pistols out. The moon was shining bright. Finally they stopped again, and the
Aheriff staid there a few minutes and he rode off.
Question. The sheriff rode off?
ARswer}'. Yes, sir; he rode off forward and left us in the charge of five or six others
tnd about ten disgutised men, and I reckon he kept us there about an hour, as well as
I recollect, as well as my mind serves me, I think. Finally a man came down the road
and asked the names of these prisoners, and they commenced telling him there was
five-: two of my younger brothers, Ben Leonard, and Willis Leonard, and Sam. Leonard, and the old lady, Lucy Breathitt and Stokes Breathitt. That's what they told him.
He says, " I will take that girl and Stokes, and you can take them three and carry them
on to jail.' And they did so, antheyh delivered us back to the hands of the sheriff. I
didn't see him no more till I had been in jail two or three hours. They took that old lady
aqd her son; that was her son; the old lady was riding behind my brother. They made
him get down and get on the pony Stokes was riding, and made him get up on the mule
before his mother, and they started off with him, and we all went up the lane a little piece.
I don't suppose we went a hundred yards with Stokes before he jumped off of the mule
and I suppose he got away; I have not seen him since, but I have heard he got away.
I heard pistols fired, and I raised my head and saw the fire just streaming. They fired
a good long time and ran up and down, and the old lady had time to jump off of the
mule and she undertook to run. I saw her, but she didn't run to do no good. She run
off for a little piece and stopped, and they went aad got her and brought her to jail
about an hour or two hours after I was in jail. I never saw her no more till next
morning. We were taken out and had a trial, and Stokes, I have not seen him since.
Question. Were you taken out next morning?