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[[stamp]] THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE UNITED STATES [[/stamp]]

Statement of Bernard H. Roberts

Was Born in Richmond, was lately a student of Wilberforce College, Ohio, and at present keeper of a Restaurant, aged 21 years.

On Wednesday, June 7th saw a white and colored man fighting, after the fight was over, a white spectator observed that if the white man had not been drunk he would have whipped the colored man.  I replied that no drunken man could fight as hard as he did, whereupon he assaulted me, and after striking me three times, I knocked him down, and made my escape, was pursued by the Provost Guard, who overtook and arrest me, and took me before Capt Snider a a Provost Marshal.  I stated to him the facts as here related, adding that if I had not defended myself, I would have been beaten to death.  After my statement the man who assaulted me, told the Provost Marshall, that he had been assaulted by two colored men, and had he not been protected by his friends, would have been severely beaten.  No other witnesses were examined, and the Provost Marshal ordered me to be tied up by my hands, in which painful position I remained for more than 20 minutes. when I was taken