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had rested for the night on our way home from a Union
meeting that had been held in Winston County to appoint delegates to the 3rd of September Philadephia Convention.

I have strong reasons to believe that Mike McNiel and Thomas Rutherford, both living in the vicinity of Arkadelphia were either instigators or participants in the affair. Jack Rice who has been engaged in negro killing lately and who has since absconded is another upon whom suspicion rests. George Legrand George Rice and Charles Dronin, all negro haters are supposed to be either instigators or participants.
These men are all living in the vicinity of Arkadelphia
and some of them are supposed to have been guilty of some negro murders that have been committed in that locality quite recently.

After my return home my wife was informed that if I attempted to go to the Philadelphia Convention I would never be permitted to return. Under this condition of things I have determined at a great sacrifice of my property to leave here and seek a home further north.

Having  lived  over twenty years in this county and having served over three years in the U. S. Army in the late over two of them under your command, I think it is rather hard if I cannot get protection from the government I assisted in defending.