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.

1962 CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN THE SOUTHERN STATES.
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. You were born in North Carolina?
Answer. Yes, sir; and came here when a boy, and have lived here, except when I
was at school at college. I went back to North Carolina to prepare for college, and
from there I went to Princeton, New Jersey,
Question. What was the population of this town when you were mayor or intendant?
Answer. I do not remember. I suppose eight hundred or a thousand.
Question. What is its population now?
Answer. About the same; but I cannot be accurate.
Question. Did the negroes, whom you describe as having marched into town with
flags, fifes, drums, and arms, ever commit any violence here?
Answer. They tried to once.
Question. What violence?
Answer. They had a meeting down here, just out of town, (southeast,) at a spring.
There was a large number of them, and there were two or three democratic negroes,
and they fell out with them, and said they were going to duck them in the river or
something; and they came back in town and got into a store-house, and they were trying to get to them, and I went out and made them a speech myself, in my shirt-sleeves.
It was warm. I was taken by surprise, and I made them a talk.
Question. We do not care about the speech. Did they commit any violence at the
time?
Answer. No, sir; but we had to guard and protect them.
Question. Is that the only act of violence you can lay your finger on?
Answer. I do not remember any. other act.
Question. How many times did they come into town in this way-in military order?
Answer. I can't say. Several times.
Question. Try and tell us.
Answer. I suppose five or six times, or more.
Question. In what numbers?
Answer. Several hundred.
Question. About how many hundred?
Answer. It is a hard matter to estimate numbers in a mass of people in that way.
They extended from this court-house, I think, on some occasions, clear up to the female
academy-several hundred yards.
Question. Two or three hundred?
Answer. More than that.
Question. Did they ever go in the style you have described except when attending
republican meetings or when they come to vote?
Answer. Sometimes when they had Loyal Leagues they would come in in large numbers.
Question. Were those the only occasions when they came into town?
Answer. Yes, sir; they said then that they were ordered.
Question. By whom?
Answer. They said Mr. Price sent them orders.
Question. Did they not say it was purely for the protection of themselves that they
came armed to protect themselves from violence?
Answer. I do not remember. They may have made that statement.
Question. In point of fact, you do not know of a single hostile demonstration that
they ever made on these occasions except this attack on the democratic negroes?
Answer. That is all I remember in this town.
Question. How many times did they attend the Loyal Leagues in this military style?
Answer. I don't know. They came at night, and sometimes I would see them from
my office pass in large squads.
Question. Are you testifying from what you have seen, or been informed?
Answer. I have seen them pass. At one time they used to come in early at night,
and they would come in large numbers.
Question. Were you ever present at one of their Leagues?
Anstwer. No, sir.
Question. And you were not cognizant of their proceedings?
Answer. No, sir; I never heard an expression.
Question. You never knew any violence to be inflicted by. reason of any counsels in
those Leagues?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Have you an idea, sir, that these men, in coming to town in the manner
they did, had any other object than to protect themselves from attack?
Answer. I will tell you about that. I do not think the negroes themselves desired to do any violence, but they fired off their guns and made threats. They said if
there was any disturbance they would burn the town.
Question. Whom did you hear say that?
Answer. The negroes in the crowd. I couldn't tell who they were.
Question. How many did you hear say that?