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of 18 men under Lieut. Crosby arrived on 16th of July and remained for a week. Upon their arrival the rioters hid themselves and none were caught. After the Departure of the detachment the same robberies were renewed in a different locality — the upper part of Accomac County. It is believed that in all, about one hundred Negroes were robbed of their arms, most of those Negroes being returned United States Soldiers. At this last time there had been a warrant issued for the arrest of the Colored man Cranch, and it is asserted by those in Sympathy with the band of robbers, that they acted under the orders of a Constable named Bird who directed them to break into the houses of the Negroes and take away their arms. This is denied by the Constable. I do not see that it adds much to the defence in behalf of the Citizens, that the illegal acts were performed by the order of an officer of the law. There was an old section in the Code of Virginia authorizing a patrol, on the warrant of a justice to that effect, to enter the houses and seize the arms of Negroes — who were liable to be punished with stripes for the arms being found in their possession. This was however repealed [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] by the Act [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] of the Legislature, of 27th Feby last, [[strikethrough]] nor [[/strikethrough]] and indeed there was [[strikethrough]] there any [[/strikethrough]] no warrant issued [[strikethrough]] to that effect [[/strikethrough]] for the search or seizure of arms but simply for the arrest of the Man Cranch. The proceedings therefore are without any passible color of Justification.
 
Upon the renewal of the robberies and burglaries Maj French again procured a small force consisting of a Corporal and Six men from Fort Monroe, and was successful in arresting four of the Criminals. On his arrest of the two first caught, Judge Pitts of the Circuit Court issued a writ of Habeas

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-07-15 11:23:02