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3 among the colored people. Many threats and curses were also uttered by the whites. When the colored people cheered several white men myself among the rest went among the colored people to quiet them, and the better part of the white community was trying to quiet Mr Lewis I saw among the colored people but one man who seemed inclined to fight, the rest were expostulating with him. This seemed very much the case with the whites but a moment before when I was observing them. Order was completely restored and the colored people were retiring, when Mr Lewis returned with several white men (some of whom were armed with pistols) who made an assault upon the crowd of colored people, several firing their pistols. Purnel Twiford fired the first shot, then Thomas Lewis, Henry Overton and William Summers fired. Though I saw Thomas Lewis with a pistol I have some doubt about his firing, he said after the affare was over he could not discharge his revolver for the reason he could not cock it, having so injured it by striking men on the head. Simmultanious with the firing other white men were assaulting the colored men women & children indiscriminately, knocking them down and kicking and beating them after they were down. This assault I saw myself, the persons I did not know but learned from inquiry that Revel Twiford, Robert Lilliston, William Twiford, Thomas Benedict and Edward Bird, together with those who done the firing, were among those who were assaulting by striking the
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Reopened for Editing 2023-12-02 17:10:44