John Keith Letter
HDQRS. TWENTY-FIRST REGIMENT INDIANA VOLS., Algiers, La., May 22, 1862.
Maj. Gen. BENJAMIN F. BUTLER, Commanding Department of the Gulf:
SIR: In obedience to your order of the 11th instant to proceed to the town of ilouma, in the parish of Terre Bonne, and arrest and punish certain parties charged with having fired upon 4 sick soldiers of the Twenty-first Indiana Volunteers, killing 2 and wounding the others; to execute the guilty, their aiders and abettors, if found; to confiscate and destroy the property of all who were in any manner implicated, I left Algiers at 9 o’clock in the evening of the day of your order in a train of cars on the Opelousas Railroad. My force consisted of four companies of infantry, comprising 240 men, under command of Captains Roy, Grimsley, Skelton, and McLafiin, of the Twenty-first Indiana Volunteers, and two pieces of artillery and 30 men of the Sixth Massachusetts Battery, under command of Lieutenant Carruth. We reached Terre Bonne Station, 55 miles from Algiers, about 2 o’clock in the morning of the 12th instant, where we found Captain Rose, with 65 men of our regiment, previously sent down to recapture Private Miller, one of the men fired upon and wounded, who had been made a prisoner at this point, and sent 17 miles farther back into the country. Here we also found Private Morris, another of the party, who had been attacked, captured, and imprisoned, and subsequently released, the circumstances of which are hereinafter detailed. With the additional force of Captain Rose, leaving a guard to protect the train and having secured all necessary transportation, we took up the line of march for Houma, distant 13 miles, where we arrived at 10 o’clock a. m. Such persons as we found traveling on the road were arrested to prevent information being conveyed of our approach. On reaching Houma all necessary measures to guard against the escape of the criminals, if there, were taken. I found the town almost deserted, at least three-fourths of the citizens having fled upon the previous day, many of them taking such of their effects as they could readily move, whilst others, in their haste to escape, left all their property behind and entirely unprotected. Those remaining were indisposed to have any intercourse with me whatever, much less to furnish such information as they possessed and I required; Having secured the necessary quarters I proceeded to investigate the circumstances relating to tfie murder of our men, of the disposition made of their bodies, atid ascertained the following facts: That about 2 o’clock on the morning of the 9th inst. Col. J. W. McMillan, of this regiment, with 65 men, had passed through the town of Houma upon an expedition to capture the rebel steamer Fox, which he had been informed was then in Grand [Caillou] Bayou, some 30 miles beyond that place. This fact coming to the knowledge of Colonels Bisland and Robinson, they, or one of them, issued an order, in pursuance of which the militia of that parish assembled in ilouma at an early hour of the same morning. The object of this meeting was to devise means to prevent the capture of the above-named vessel or to recapture her should she be taken. The subject being fully canvassed, and a great want of unanimity being manifest, Colonel Bisland abandoned his purpose and adjourned the meeting. Still later, upon the same day, a band of armed men, variously estimated from 15 to 20 in number, proceeded upon the same road taken by Colonel McMillan, but afterward returned, as they said, for recruits. Late in the evening they again sallied forth in the same direction, and having obtained information of the, approach of two wagons driven by negroes, each containing two soldiers of Colonel McMillan’s command, sent back by him and who were on their way to the railroad station, as the wagons were passing they secreted themselves in a thicket by the road-side 1 1/2 miles below the town, and in the dusk of evening fired upon them with guns loaded with buck-shot, instantly killing 2 of the men, one in each wagon, and wounding the others. The negroes, being mounted upon the horses, escaped unhurt. The killed were Sergt. [Jesse] Frakes, of Co. E ,and Private [Charles] Geisendorffer, of Co. G; the wounded were Privates Miller, of Co. F, and Morris, of Co. I, the former being shot in the shoulder and thigh and the latter in the forehead, neither seriously injured. By order of the wounded men the negroes drove rapidly on and escaped further danger from the firing. The wagon containing Private Miller and the body of Geisendorffer succeeded in passing through the town, but the other wagon, in which were Private Morris and the body of Sergeant Frakes, was overtaken before reaching it. Miller having proceeded 1 1/2 miles beyond Ilonma, in the direction of the railroad station, finding himself pursued sprang from the wagon, taking with him his own gun and that of his dead comrade, and concealed himself from his pursuers. The wagon was soon after overtaken and stopped in the road, and Miller, under the cover of darkness, cautiously followed and overheard their plan for his capture. Secreting himself under a bridge he saw armed men thrown out for his capture or cutting off his advance. About 2 o’clock in the morning they retired, supposing he had effected his escape. He then left his comrade’s gun, being unable in consequence of his wounds to carry more than his own, and succeeded in reaching the station, distant about 11 miles, at 4 o’clock. Here, greatly fatigued and exhausted, he lay down to rest. About 7 o’clock 2 men drove up from the direction of Thibodeaux and attempted to take him prisoner, but he resisted until assured by them that their object was to protect him from a body of armed men, who were pursuing him to take his life. He accompanied them to Thibodeaux, where the shot was extracted from his wound; after which he was carried 14 miles into the country and delivered to General Mouton, where he remained until late in the evening of the same day, when Captain Rose, who had in the mean time reached Thibodeaux, demanded his surrender, which was effected by one of the parties who had taken him away going after and immediately returning with him from Mouton’s. The wagons containing Private Morris and the bodies of the murdered nien were driven into Houma. Morris was taken into Berger’s Hotel, and questioned relative to the assault and murder and his written statement nuder oath taken. He was then charged with having murdered his own comrades, and upon this shallow pretext thrown into jail, in the same cell with a negro under sentence of condemnation to the State prison for life, first having been deprived of his arms and accouterments. He was detained through the night, when, by taking the oath, a copy of which is herewith transmitted and marked A, he was liberated and furnished with the accompanying passport, marked B, by means of which he was enabled to reach Terre Bonne Station, where he met with Captain Rose, as hereinbefore stated, on his return from Thibodeaux. The bodies of the dead men were robbed of everything of value, even to their caps, boots, and socks; from that of Sergeant Frakes was taken letters to General Butler and Major Hays, and a number of private papers of value only to the dead and his family. These bodies, after being brutally and disgustingly abused, being kicked and beaten, the face of Sergeant Frakes scarcely retaining the semblance of a human being, the proposition was then made to cast the bodies into the bayou, but more humane counsel prevailing, they were handed over to negroes for disposal. They, under direction, dug a hole some 2 feet deep in the open public square a few feet from the market-house stalls, directly in front of the court-house, and in the most frequented place of the town. Into this hole, without a coffin or box, and with but a single blanket thrown over them, they were unceremoniously tossed and hastily covered up. The unsightly mound produced by the piling in of the loose earth was the only monument of their resting-place, but this was sufficiently conspicuous to attract the attention not only of every resident of the town but all who might pass through it.
The facts thus far narrated were ascertained with more or less difficulty soon after my arrival at Houma, but the names of the perpetrators of these outrages and other circumstances connected with them we were unable for some days to obtain, and then only by a resort to the measures hereinafter described. One of my first cares was to make provi8ion for the exhumation and decent interment of our murdered men. Accordingly the citizens were required to furnish respectable coffins and prepare graves in one of their most prominent church-yards. This done, on the morning after our arrival we took with us a number of the leading citizens, who were arrested on the previous day and still held in custody and such others as we found upon the streets, to where our dead men had been thrown, and compelled the most prominent of them to disinter their bodies and carefully deposit them in the coffins they had provided in presence of the battalion. The funeral procession was then formed and the remains conveyed to the burial place of the Catholic church, where with appropriate religious ceremonies, performed by Captain Rose and with the honors of war, their coffins enshrouded with the flag of their country, we solemnly committed them to the earth. In the mean time, assisted by the officers under my command, no possible means were spared to ferret out the guilty. Failing to obtain satisfactory information from any of the citizens of the murderers and their whereabouts, and satisfied that they were known and their place of concealment purposely withheld from me, I determined to hold them personally responsible for the outrages committed, and therefore prepared a proclamation, marked C, and made every necessary arrange- ment to carry its provisions into effect. The evidence of my intention being made apparent I was sent for by the prisoners and informed that they had concluded to furnish all the information in their possession and render all the assistance in their power, joined with the efforts of their friends, to discover, secure, and bring to punishment those directly implicated in the crime. They gave me the following as the most prominent of the guilty parties (all of whom had fled from town and vicinity before our arrival), viz: Albert Wood, lawyer and editor of the Houma Ceres; Morelle, formerly a lieutenant in the rebel army; E. N. Dutrail, deputy parish clerk; B. Cooper, blacksmith; Gilbert Hatch, son of a planter; D. W. Crewell, carpenter (working on plantation of Connelly); Edwards, overseer (on Connelly’s plantation) Howard Bond, a druggist; W. Bond, a lad, brother of Howard, and both living with their father, a wealthy planter near Hourna, overseer on Bond’s plantation; F. Gatewood, living on plantation 8 miles from Houma; Doc. J. L. Jennings, Houma; William H. Hornsby, son of S. H. Hornsby, grocer in Houma (the latter being also indirectly implicated). These, together with other parties unknown, were the active participants, so far as the people of Houma could determine, in the tragic events above related. Jennings, Wood, Morelle, and the Bonds appear to have been the moving spirits; Jennings was the chief of those who robbed and abused the bodies of the dead. He it was, and Howard Bond, who sent 3 boys on the night of the murder 2 miles on the road from Houma to Terre Bonne Station to burn a bridge over a bayou on Larette’s plantation, to delay, and if possible prevent, our troops from reaching Houma. This act was prevented by Mr. Larette. Howard Bond then attempted to destroy the bridge himself, but was also prevented by Mr. Larette. The boys sent on this errand were a brother of Howard Bond, William Hornsby (whom I arrested), and a lad whose name was not obtained. It was averred as a reason for sen(ling these boys that should they be arrested their youth would protect them from punishment. Col. J. B. Robinson, though not engaged in the killing of our men, took an active part on the day of the murder in inciting parties to go in pursuit of Colonel McMillan’s force.
Having learned these facts and that the parties named had fled and some of them were still secreted in the neighborhood, detachments of men under efficient officers were sent out to scour the surrounding country in search of the fugitives. These detachments were out both day and night, accompanied by one or more of the prisoners and other citizens acqnainted with the neighborhood and who had volunteered their aid. It having been ascertained that Jennings had taken refuge in the house of G. F. Connelly, that place was visited by a detachment under command of Lieutenant Carruth, whom I accompanied. Upon observing our approach Jennings fled to an adjacent swamp, leaving his horse tied to a fence in front of the house. The family, all of whom were present, did not deny of having aided in his escape, and frankly gave me to understand that they would not reveal to us his hiding place were it known to them. It was, moreover, subsequently ascertained that they had purposely deceived us in regard to the time of his departure, in order to give him time to make his escape. They furthermore declared that they were deeply interested in the rebellion; that they were anxious for the frustration of the object of Colonel McMillan’s expedition; that with their consent and approbation the men on their estate had engaged in the attempt to defeat him: that with their knowledge and assistance the men had eluded our pursuit; that they held no allegiance to the Government of the United States, and neither desired nor claimed its protection. Thereupon the mules, cattle, and horses belonging to the plantation, the horse of Dr. Jennings, and several wagon loads of forage were taken and conveyed to Houma. We also visited Bond’s plantation, and finding that the criminals connected therewith had made their escape, we seized all the cattle on the premises. A detachment under Captain Rose, sent in quest of Colonel Robinson, finding that he too had fled, he took possession of certain mules, horses, and other property and returned to Houma. The reports of other commanders of detachments, herewith furnished, will exhibit the result of their operations. Our efforts to secure the guilty parties having proved fruitless and being convinced that further attempts at the present time would be equally futile, and satisfied that the prisoners held by me in custody had used every effort, joined to that of their friends, to secure them and would continue to do so in the future, I suppressed the proclamation referred to, concluding to bring them with me upon my return, which I did. I then determined to destroy all the property owned by the guilty parties who had secured their personal safety by flight. I accordingly, on the morning of May 16, issued an order, a copy of which is hereto attached and marked D. In pursuance of said order the following-named property was burned or otherwise destroyed or seized upon, viz:
Property on premises of Howard Bond burned: One dwelling-house, furniture, and contents; one sugar-house, filled with sugar; from 50 to 100 negro houses and other outhouses; one steam saw and corn mill; three stables; two corn-houses, with contents; one cooper-shop and blacksmith-shop, with tools and other contents; one store-house, filled with molasses; two buggies and harness; stacks of hay and fodder. Taken from above premises, 35 mules, 20 sets harness, 6 plantation wagons, 1 cart, 2 yoke of oxen, and 5 loads of forage.
Property owned by Dr. Jennings burned: One dwelling-house, other outhouses, barn, stables, all their contents, buggy, and a valuable library and other articles.
Property owned by E. N. Dutrail, consisting of dwelling-house, stables, and other outhouses, with all their contents, were torn down and utterly destroyed.
Property of A. Wood, consisting of the Ceres newspaper establishment, was completely destroyed, the type and other material being thrown into a bayou.
The parish jail (in which Private Morris had been incarcerated), a strong brick building, by means of a battering-ram was demolished. The property of Crewell, consisting of a light one-horse wagon, chest of carpenter tools, was seized upon.
The personal property of A. S. Hornsby (groceries), of which there was but little, was either taken and used or destroyed. The other guilty parties escaped all punishment, as they possessed no property which could be seized or destroyed.
It is here worthy of remark that a number of citizens, before we left the town, assigned as their reason for withholding from us information in their possession when first demanded that their own lives and property would be endangered by the parties implicated by their so doing, and some of them even requested that troops should remain there for their protection. I caused the national flag to be planted upon the top of the court-house, in presence of the battalion and a large number of citizens, assuring the latter that it must there remain, under penalty of the destruction of the town in case of its removal. They were also warned of the terrible consequences that would result from any further disturbance of the graves of the murdered soldiers.
Finding a number of the inhabitants in a poor and suffering condition, we furnished them with food during our stay, and left on our departure enough cattle and other provisions to supply their immediate wants.
On the 15th instant Captain Slatton, in command of the launch which was to have pursued with a view to the capture of Colonel McMillan, voluntarily came in and surrendered himself a prisoner of war, declaring that he had been deserted by the men who had pledged themselves to sustain him.
Before leaving Houma I made a demand of $200 upon the treasury of the parish to pay certain expenses attending the expedition, which was promptly handed over in Confederate notes, and was by me paid out to the parties to whom it was due.
About noon of Saturday, the 17th instant, we took up our line of march from Houma to Terre Bonne Station, reaching the last-named place at 3 o’clock p. m. Here we found in waiting a train of cars, in which we proceeded to Algiers, leaving behind Lients. T. B. Bryant and J. W. Connelly, with a detachment of men, in charge of the captured property, with orders to follow on the next train, which they did on the following day and delivered over the property left in their charge. This property consisted in the main of 85 mules, 61 head of cattle, 8 horses, 43 sheep, 6 wagons, 2 carts, 1 spring-wagon, and 2 carriages, with other articles, all of which were turned over to Lieut. W. S. Hinkle, quartermaster of Twenty-first Regiment Indiana Volunteers. I brought with me as prisoners the following-named residents of Houma and vicinity, all of whom were promptly handed over to the proper authorities, namely: Lieutenant-Colonel Minor, Captain Slatton, Recorder De Laporte, Sheriff Larette, Dr. Helmick, Captain Gayne, Messrs. Ernest, Guano, Larette, Wright, Delaspit, Gentre, Hornsby, and one other.
To Captains Roy, Rose, Skelton, and McLaflin, and to Lieutenants Carruth, Bryant, Edmiston, Connelly, and Brown I am especially indebted for the promptness and efficiency with which my orders were executed. Lieutenant McAfee also deserves favorable mention. The regular surgeon of the regiment being required to remain in charge of the hospital at Algiers, Dr. John H. Gihon, of that place, volunteered to accompany the expedition, whose services to the sick, which were greatly needed, were promptly rendered, and in so effective a manner as to elicit for him the approbation and thanks of the entire command, embracing both officers and men.
Trusting that my efforts and those under my command to execute your orders will meet your approbation, I am with respect, your obedient servant, JOHN A. KEITH, Lieut. Col. Twenty-first Indiana Vols., Comdg. Detachment. (War of the Rebellion, Ser. 1, Vol. 15, C. 27, 450-56)
Priscilla Bond also wrote about it in her diary in June 1862. In A Maryland Bride in the Deep South, her writing is discussed.
She felt its devastation, however, in May 1862, when Howard (Bond) was implicated in an ambush of Union soldiers near Houma, an accusation that resulted in Howard's flight from home, the burning of Crescent Place by Union soldiers, and Bond's move to Abbeville as a refugee. The ambush left two Union soldiers dead and two injured. citizens of the area refused aid to the wounded soldiers and treated the dead with violence, reportedly stamping their faces with boot heels.
After the ambush, Gen. Benjamin Butler ordered Lt. Col. John Keith, of the Twenty-first Indiana Volunteers, to go to Houma to "arrest and punish" those involved. Keith arrived in Terrebonne Parish on 12 May, arresting locals and threatening them with execution if they did not provide information about the event. He was given a list of names, including those of Howard and his brother Wilmore (Wellie). As Bond mentions in her diary, a family friend, Dr. J.L. Jennings, was also implicated. the Bonds, along with Jennings, Albert Woods (editor of the Houma Ceres), and a former Confederate lieutenant named Morelle, were thought to have led the ambush. on 16 May Colonel Keith ordered that the property the suspects who had fled be destroyed. The Ceres newspaper office was burned, and the parish jail was destroyed because one of the wounded soldiers had been confined there. The Bonds lost "one dwelling house, furniture, and contents; one sugar house, filled with sugar; from 50 to 100 negro houses and other outhouses; one steam saw and corn mill; three stables, two corn-houses with contents; one cooper shop and blacksmith shop, with tools and other contents; one store-house, filled with molasses; two buggies and harness; stacks of hay and fodder." They also had livestock, wagons, and farm equipment taken. |
