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.

ALABAMA —SUB-COMMITTEE. 1985
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Did you hear of any mischief inflicted that night?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. You don't know on what errand they were?
lAnswer. No, sir; I never heard. Well, there were other parties-I heard of the
party-I heard of others who saw them; but I do not think they did anything tiat
night. I never heard that they did.
Question. Did you hear that they united with any other party?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Did you hear of any visit they made that night to any house?
Ansiver. No, sir. It is about six miles off, and out of my neigborhood, and between
there and my neighborhood there is not much communication. The next day in the
village, near where I lived, I heard of other parties who saw them.
Question. Were they armed?
Answer. No arms were exposed.
Question. Their horses were disguised?
Answver. Yes, sir; there was a little sheet over them, about like a blanketed horse.
Question. You had heard of disguised men riding through the country at night before
that?
Answer. I had heard a great deal of Ku-Klux and bands of that kind; but in my
section of the country there had been nothing of the sort.
Question. Had you heard of any Ku-Klux parties in Tuscaloosa County before that
night?
Answer. None other than I have given here.
Question. Had those all occurred before that night that you have given?
Answer. No, sir; the most of them had occurred-the raid had occurred; the Crossland difficulty had occurred; the Miller difficulty had occurred. They were at an
earlier day. Maybe Simpson was killed before that. I am sure he was.
Question. Is that the only time you ever saw men in disguise?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Did you ever see them afterward?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Did you hear of them afterward parading through the country?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Or out on expeditions?
Answer. No, sir; it was after that-after I had seen these men down in Hale Countythat those negroes, now living with me, moved out of their cabins. Two cabins were
burned up; they were up above there about the Hale County line.
Question. You heard of similar Ku-Klux outrages in Hale County?
Answer. In Hale I heard much about the Blackford difficulties-the probate judge.
Question. Was that the only difficulty you heard of in Hale County?
Answer. Last spring, not a great way below me, a man's house was assailed one
night-I cannot give his name-but he fired in the crowd and there was a negro dead
there next morning in disguise. I heard of that case.
Question. You say the negro was in disguise?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. In Hale County?
Answer. Yes, sir. The Blackford difficulty or matter is connected with a good many
cases. They went Ku-Kluxing there once, I understood, for Blackford. I do not
know much about that affair. He was run off, or resigned and went off.
By Mr. BLAIR:
Question. We have heard all about it.
Answer. I do not know a great deal about it, but I understood the Ku-Klux went
in there after him.
By the CHAIRMAN:
Question. You have now stated all the cases of Iu-Kluxing you have heard of ir
Hale County?
Answer. Yes, sir. I do not pretend to give the particulars of Blackford's case. 1
heard of the Ku-Klux going in there once or twice.
Question. But you have heard of no other persons being the objects of their vengeanlce
in Hale County except Blackford?
Answver. I mentioned those negroes that lived with me, who were burned out. I
know of no other cases than those I have mentioned.
Question. Your county, Tuscaloosa, corners on Greene?
Avnswer. Yes, sir; the river divides us.
Question. Ever heard of Ku-Klux disturbances in Greene County?
Ans ier. I have heard of a good deal of disturbance there. There w'ts a political
meeting disturbed, and pistol-shooting, in which Hays and others figured.
125 A.