Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 December 1898 — SOLDIERS IN A RIOT. [ARTICLE]

SOLDIERS IN A RIOT.

Two Negroes Killed and Several Whites Are Wounded. Great excitement prevails at Anniston, Ala., as a result of the armed conflict between white and black soldiers, resulting in two negroes killed and several minor casualties. The trouble was caused by a street fight early in the afternoon, when a colored soldier was dangerously beaten by white soldiers on Tenth street. A couple of hours later the negro soldiers iD camp began retaliations. Several white soldiers reported that they had been shot at. Just about dark the wholesale reprisals began, when squads of the Third Alabama regiment (colored) lay in ambush and commenced shooting at individual white soldiers passing by. A squad of the provost guard was ordered out, but the negroes opened fire on the approach of the guards and they were forced to retire. When re-enforcements arrived it was found the negroes had disappeared. When the news spread white soldiers and citizens turned out in great numbers, and begged for arms. Later the armories of the two local military companies werf broken into and every gun and cartridg* appropriated. Gen. Colby, who commands the Second brigade, ordered out two companies each of the Third Tennessee and Third Arkansas. They scoured the city and conducted all soldiers not on duty back to their camps. Several arrests of armed negroes were made, and it was with the greatest difficulty that the prisoners were saved from being lynched by the angry mobs.