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Baltimore, MD. Sept. 17, 1866

I was at the camp meeting at Shipleys Woods on Thursday evening Aug. 30, 1866, I was sitting about 30 yards from the preachers stand looking in the direction of the stand and I heard firing - in a few moments saw some whites running from the colored portion of the camp towards that occupied by the whites - I then went down towards the stand, then the firing commenced the second time. I did not go into the melee - but took care of some ladies who seemed very much frightened - then I returned to the tent of Judge Baldwin, directly after a negro man in going to the tent of his employer in passing over the ground, about twenty whites attacked him with clubs and pieces of board and injured and abused him, as far as I could see there was no effort upon the part of any to stop the riot. From the time the riot commenced until daylight the rioters had possession of the Camp Grounds, destroying all the negroes furniture, including two tents by burning them. I heard one white man by name Philip Newburn say, "This is abolitionism and the whites are worse than the negroes." Another white man said "This is damn abolitionism." I saw many of the rioters but did not know their names. I do not know who commenced the riot as I was not in a position to see, and was totally unprepared for any trouble. Up to the time of the riot the Camp meeting had gone on quietly and very successfully.

Casper Erek