Viewing page 152 of 282

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Bureau R.F.&A.L.
Hd. Qrs. 4th Div 5 Sub Dist Va.
Eastville Va. Sept. 5. 1868

B'v't Brig. Gen'l. O. Brown
Asst Comr. State of Virginia
Bureau R.F.&A.L.

Sir
I have the honor to report the facts and circumstances connected with a most disorderly riot that occurred at Drummondtown Accomac Co on Monday the 31st ultimo. The information upon which this report is based has been obtained by my own personal observation (for I was part of the time an eye witness) and an investigation of the affare, which I have, after a most tedious effort, just completed.

It appears from rumor that a threat had been made by Thomas Lewis (the principle actor in the riot) that the colored people, though allowed the privileges of a free people in the celebration of the 4th of July, should learn that the August Court day (which was the day on which the riot occurred) was the white mans day. But not to dwell upon this or other rumors. I will proceed to state what actually occurred so far as I have been able to learn from what I saw and from the numerous statements made to me of the affare by both white and colored spectators. Which statements though varied by the ditail of diferent incidents, and somewhat conflicting in regard to the time of the occurence of certain events, are remarkably uniform in regard to the events themselves and the manner of their occurence.

It appears that a gentleman by the name