National Archives Microfilm Publications
Microcopy No. 666
Letters received by the office of the Adjutant General
(Record Group 94)

(MAIN SERIES) 1871 -1880
Roll 67, 1872

Papers relating to crimes committed by the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama, 1869 – 1879


Names of some of the persons who have been put to death in Alabama within the last 2 years by persons wearing the disguise of the Ku Klux Klan

Deposition of Dean Reynolds . . . “I saw the blows coming and raised my right arm to defend my head, and the blows broke my arm above the wrist and my head was cut by the blow. I hollowed “murder” then they hollowed out “kill him, kill him.”

Case of George Moore and Robert Roundtree . . . “they tuck out George and gave him some wher from 25 to 30 lashes and one came into the bed where she and the a neighbor woman was sleeping and wanted in bed with them and they refused him but he said if they girl that was not in bed with Reaner did not submit to him he would shoot her . . “

Report of the skirmish between whites and blacks at Wild Goat Cove . . . Willis Stevens a white man had a company of about 34 colored men, that he had a skirmish with some white men who call themselves K. K. K. . . .

N. F. Gallagher, Bvt. Capt. U. S. Army reports result of visit to Greene County, Ala. in accordance with instructions from comd’g officer Post of Huntsville . . . “The majority of these outrages are perpetrated upon the few industrious and intelligent freedmen of the county, and evince a determination to prevent the prosperity of this race, and eventually crush out entirely this class, in order that the larger number of ignorant freedmen may be made completely controlled by the whites. .

George Cornelous makes affidavit in regard to Ku Klux Klan taking guns from Plantation on which he is working.

Daniel Vin makes affidavit in regard to attack of his house by certain disguised men July 10, 1869.

Affidavit of Lewis M. Douglas . . . “the next morning a black man came to my house and told me that William Campbell had been killed that night by a band of disguised men . . ”

E. M. Mulligan, school teacher, makes affidavit in regard to violence of “Ku Klux Klan” near New Market, Madison Co., Ala.

Affidavit of Mary Campbell . . .“I saw that my husband had been shot in the left side. I saw the blood runnin’ out of his side, it ran on my clothes, he cried out “Oh Lord”. . . .”

Report of Joseph Lee, Deputy Sheriff, Moulton, Lawrence County, Alabama . . “There has been three colored prisoners taken out of our County Jail, two executed and one set at liberty by a party of disguised men, the one set free made an attempt to murder one of the most Loyal Citizens and one who took an active part in President’s election.”

James Miller, Lt. 2nd Inf. submits statement and documents in continuation and completion of his report of the 29th inst. in regard to the late election.

Affidavit of Isham Henry . . “He states that bodies of men, armed and masked, have passed and repassed his house very frequently during the past two weeks, and that their object was to intimidate colored people from voting . . .”

Samuel Mastin makes affidavit in regard to Ku Klux Klan taking his guns July 1869 and other property from other persons on Plantation of Mr. Mastin 3 miles from Huntsville.

Robert W. Peevy, A. Whited, J. W. Grayson, D. W. Parker & 30 others, citizens of Vienna vicinity petition for troops to be sent to Vienna to protect the people and property &c.

W. R. Hunnicutt, Judge of Probate, J. A. Wheeler and eleven others request that the U. S. Troops stationed at Edwardsville, Ala. be ordered to Cross Plains in Calhoun Co., Ala. &c.

John Leslie makes affidavit in regard to preaching being broken up by disguised men on 12th Sept. 1869, and he being shot at Sept. 13/69 and his home entered forcibly, his wife struck and his son whipped &c.

P. H. Flood 1st Lieut. 2nd Infty. U. S. Army, reports in reference to disturbance in the neighborhood of Stephenson, Ala. that upon investigation he finds the chief cause to be a Negro living with a white woman, but thinks it only a pretext for the disturbance.