Louisiana Democrat [Alexandria, LA], January 4, 1860
The annexed statement is abbreviated from that furnished us by a gentleman who is a resident of the vicinity of the occurrences narrated:
An account of the late affray on the borders of our Parish, and near the plantation of Mr. Calhoun, is perhaps of sufficient importance to entitle it to a place in the columns of your paper.
We, therefore, give you the particulars as we are informed.
About four years ago a family by the name of Peavy settled in the pinewoods, in the rear of Mr. Calhoun’s and J. A. Bynum’s plantations. They soon commenced trading with the negroes of the neighborhood, also killing the stock which ranged in the vicinity of their settlement. They had, as was said, been driven from the Parish of Jackson, for theft and plunder. Accordingly three years ago citizens told them that they must leave the neighborhood. They did not fight on this occasion as there were only four fighting men of their “crowd,” but they promised to leave.
Sometime afterwards they did leave, and settled on Rocky Bayou, within a few hundred yards of the upper end of Mr. Calhoun’s upper plantation. Here they have lived ever since, increasing in strength by matrimonial alliances and otherwise, until sufficiently strong, as they thought, they not only lived in continual violation, but in boastful defiance of the laws, trading with negroes and stealing generally through the country. One of them had married the daughter of Richard Davis, of this Parish. This one a short time since was advised by his father-in-law who furnished him with money, to enter the land of his (Davis’) neighborhood, on which a man by the name of Gorham had settled. Another son-in-law of Davis, by the name of Waters (who was killed in the late affray) also entered land in the same neighborhood, and commenced building a house. The whole number of this lawless band was now about fifteen and they openly bid defiance to law and everything that should oppose them. They threatened some of the best citizens with inevitable death, and the whole country with Calhoun’s negroes. There was a general feeling of anxiety and uneasiness felt by all. To cap the climax, on the night of the 20th December, a company of eight of them went to the house of one of the neighbors, and drove the lady of the house from her bed of accouchement, and destroyed a considerable portion of their furniture and other effects. In her weakened and enfeebled condition this woman had to stay nearly half the night in the woods, in rain and sleet, till these demons left her house. Forbearance had not ceased to be a virtue. Accordingly, runners were sent to different neighborhoods to call on all good citizens to unite and drive them from the country.
On Friday the 23d ult., they had about forty men but owing to some misunderstanding the attack was not made on this day. This gave the Peavy crowd more time to prepare for them. A man named Browning left the citizens party on Friday evening and gave information of all that was going on. The Peavy crowd had, therefore, twenty-four hours to prepare for the fight. Though they had only seven men in the fight, these fought with savage desperation.
About four o’clock on Saturday the citizens appeared in sight, but on the opposite of the bayou. There were forty three of them, some armed with rifles, others with double-barrelled shot guns. So soon as the citizens appeared in sight, Peavy hoisted a red flag, and with savage yells and horrible imprecations defied all whom they saw. Most of them had two guns each. Citizens had divided their company into two parties, so as to attack in front and rear. The Peavys left their houses and came fearlessly forth to meet their opposers. So soon as the citizens appearing in front ascended a hill about a hundred and twenty yards from where the Peavys had taken their position, a fire with rifles was immediately opened on them. Two men, John Hensen and Hutson, each received a rifle ball in his thigh and fell. The women now discovered the rear party and screamed the alarm. Most of the Peavy crowd turned and ran to meet their new opposers. They fired as soon as they got near enough and one man named David Collins received a rifle ball in his thigh. So soon as the first fire was made on the front party, they charged upon the assailed, and one man of the assailed, Waters, (Davis’ son-in-law) fell mortally wounded, having received in his breast two rifle balls. The firing was now general. Old Arch Peavy having shot two guns, was himself dangerously wounded, a rifle ball having fractured his thigh, while several buckshot took effect in his body. A man by the name of Murphy having received two rifle balls fled. Bill Peavy was so wounded as to be unable to get away and it is supposed was dragged in the house by the women during the fight, as he was not seen on the ground. The others of the Peavy crowd escaped, and it is not known whether any of them, except Anderson Peavy, were wounded or not. Murphy ran about a quarter of a mile in the woods and fell. He was found dead next morning. About the end of the fight N. Griffin received a rifle shot in his right side. Thus ended the bloody affray.
The wounded of citizens were carried to one of Calhoun’s quarters where they received surgical aid. No one went to attend the wounded at Peavy’s till Monday night, when Dr. Anderson, more than fifty hours after the fight dressed Old Peavy’s wound. He found him lying on a dirt floor in dirt and filth with the same bloody clothes he had on when wounded. One rifle ball and twelve shot had struck the abandoned reprobate. The Doctor dressed his wounds, had clean clothes put on him, and left him.
In this fight no man was shot in the back. This shows the courage of both parties. We understand that there was a general feeling of insubordination in some of Calhoun’s negro quarters, and that the negroes expressed their confident belief that the citizens would be whipped.
In Peavy’s storeroom were found beef hides, with different brands, whisky, sugar, molasses, corn, shucked, unshucked and shelled.
Here the matter at present stands. Peavy’s that have been wounded promise to leave. The citizens are determined to drive their band from the country.
Alpha.
P.S.—Since writing the above, one of the Peavy party who was engaged in the affray, a man by the name of Carlisle, brother-in-law to Bill Peavy, has come in, given himself up to the citizens party, and made voluntary confession to the effect that the various charges alleged against the Peavys are true. He says positively that a portion of Calhoun’s negroes had been engaged, and paid, to assist Anderson Peavy in dispossessing Gorham, and turning him out of house and home. To what extent the negroes were to be employed against the white settlers, we did not understand further than above stated.
He, the said Carlisle, alias Butler, also says that the aforesaid Richard Davis was particeps criminis in all their transactions; that he not only knew their mode of gaining subsistence was dishonest, by trading with negroes, &c., &c., but that he approved of it, and counselled and advised them in it. The public eye had long been directed to and fixed upon this man, but suspicion marked him as a villain. For a long time he acted cautiously, but for the last few years he has become more and more fearless in his aggressions upon the rights of persons and property, till he feels himself sufficiently strong to bid defiance to the country, when he boldly proclaims his intention to have a neighborhood of his own, a neighborhood of outlaws and thieves.
The outrage committed on the night of the 19th ult., by driving from her bed a woman weakened and enfeebled by confinement, and compelling her to stay in the woods in rain and sleet, was only a beginning of a ruthless career that was to drive all peaceable and peace loving citizens from that section of country where Davis was to have a neighborhood of his own. Under the then existing circumstances no man’s family was safe. But one of two alternatives was left. They must abandon their homes in disgrace, or they must fight for their firesides, for their wives and their children. They chose the latter, and the consequence is that two men were launched into eternity, whilst the Peavys have left for parts unknown, hauling their wounded off with them.