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List of Freedmen who have been Murdered in the state of Texas since the close of the Rebellion

CONTENT WARNING: This document contains graphic descriptions of numerous acts of racial violence against people of color that may be particularly upsetting to some readers.

No.

Name of Victim.

Name of Murderer.

Where Murdered.

When.

Remarks.

1

Luke Adams

William Richard

Bosque County

June 1865

Aged 14 years. Whipped to death.

2

Henry Wadling

William Richard

Bosque County

Oct. 1, 1865

An old man. Whipped to death.

3

Unknown

Hanson Hendricks

Hill County

July 18, 1865

Shot through heart with revolver.

4

Sam[?] Holms

J. B. Hills & others

Brazorra County

Aug. 1866

Caught stealing a horse. Started with to jail. In crossing the Brazos River he got overboard by some means. They rowed back to shore & "let him go."

5

Henry Jones

R. A. Jones

Fayette County

May 14, 1866

Was killed by Jones because he interfered while he (R. A. Jones) was whipping his (H. Jones') wife.

6

Godfery Robinson

Unknown parties

Fayette County

 

Killed while out herding sheep. Shot through body and head cut off.

7

Harvey Milligan

A. M. Clay

Austin County

May 1866

Tried and convicted by Military Commission.

8

Unknown

B. B. Lee

Austin County

May 1866

Tried and convicted by Military Commission.

9

Luke Woodward

Unknown

Austin County

May 1866

 

10

Koie[?]

John Echols

Burleson County

Dec. 8, 1866

Shot. No provocation. The negro was badly beaten by Echols Dec. 7, 1866.

11

Marie Davis[?]

Court Brown

Robertson County

Jan. 21, 1866

Circumstances not stated.

12

Unknown

William Tate

Robertson County

July 1866

Cold blooded murder. Tate has left the country.

13

Unknown Father

----- Fields

Robertson County

July 1866

Cold blooded murder.

14

Unknown Son

----- Fields

Robertson County

July 1866

Cold blooded murder.

15

Seaton

Armed party at night

Burleson County

Sept. 9, 1866

Taken from custody of civil authorities. Body not been found.

16

Green Taylor

James Hall and William Burton

Washington County

Apr. 28, 1866

Tried by Military Commission and acquitted.

17

Joe Mayfield[?]

James Hall and William Burton

Washington County

Apr. 28, 1866

Tried by Military Commission and acquitted.

18

Maria Mayfield[?]

James Hall and William Burton

Washington County

Apr. 28, 1866

Tried by Military Commission and acquitted.

19

Isaac Hedick[?]

Cook Jones

Washington County

July 16, 1866

Escaped.

20

Lenard[?] George[?]

Unknown

Washington County

June 1866

Found tied and murdered 4 miles from Brenham.

21

William Morris[?]

Cotton Date[?]

Harris County

June 1865

Murdered in streets of Houston.

22

Jerry

Unknown

Fort Bend County

June 1865

Was kept chained at Gin House by his employer, Joseph[?] W. Wack[?]. Was missing one morning and in a few days afterwards found in a pond nearby, all gashed with a knife and pieces of chain still upon him.

23

Boston McDaniel

James Murphy

Walker County

Oct. 1865

Killed because he did not take off his hat to Murphy.

24

William

G. C. Harrison

Fort Bend County

Sept. 5, 1866

Arrested and placed under Bonds of $5000. by J. C. Delfriess[?] Pro.[?] Mar.[?]

25

Unknown

Esom[?] Wood

Montgomery County

Nov. 18, 1865

Killed because he would not allow himself to be whipped.

26

Oliver

M.[?] Uzzel and Dr. McQuinn

Montgomery County

Dec. 1, 1866

Killed because he reported Uzzel's father at Houston for non-payment of wages.

27

Daniel[?] McNeil

----- Pate

Fort Bend County

Dec. 14, 1865

Wanton murder.

28

Jerry Roberts

Brick[?] Chandler & L. Bates

Harris County

May 22, 1866

Wanton murder.

29

Peter Higgins

Unknown

Harris County

June 6, 1866

Was called out of his house & shot, his body dragged a mile and thrown into a pond.

30

Unknown

Stepen[?] Runs[?]

Jasper County

Oct. 1865

No particulars known.

31

Wiley

William Stovall

Jasper County

Oct. 1865

No particulars known.

32

Butler

Alfred Noble

Calhoun County

June 30, 1865

Wanton murder.

33

Albert Burns

Unknown

Calhoun County

Feb. 10, 1866

Wanton murder.

34

William Wright

Unknown

Victoria County

May 6, 1866

Found dead on prairie. Shot by a white man who was seen from a distance but not recognized.

35

John

Daniel Daughty

Refugio County

May 1866

Murderer still at large.

36

Jams Jordan

Unknown

Refugio County

May 1866

Wanton murder. Shot because he was on his way to Victoria, had a letter to Agent of Freedmen's Bureau.

37

Martin Cromwell

Alex Cromwell

Victoria County

June 1866

Very old  man. Wanton murder.

38

Lucy Grinell[?]

Wade Anderson and P. Schepson[?]

Harrison County

Nov 16, 1865

Beaten to death with a club. Body left in woods.

39

George Lawson

Henry Patener[?]

Rusk County

Dec. 1865

Particulars not known.

40

----- McCovers

Unknown Organized Party

Lamar County

July 1866

This gang of 25 men kill negroes to see them kick. Some members boast of having killed 15 negroes each. List[?] Gains[?] makes such a boast.

41

Unknown

John Brown

Rusk County

Dec. 25, 1865

No provocation.

42

Gabe

Bill James

Titus County

July 1866

Because Gabe interfered in a quarrel between his (Gabe's) wife and a white woman. James shot him.

43

Milton

Unknown

DeWitt County

Apr. 11, 1866

Killed with an axe.

44

Unknown

Unknown

Liberty County

Apr. 1866

Murderer at large. Allowed to escape by the Sheriff.

45

Unknown

William S. Collins

Fort Bend County

May 1, 1866

Particulars unknown.

46

Jackson Northweather[?]

Henry Bullock

Jefferson County

Mar. 16, 1866

Shot him as he was passing in the street to see him kick as Bullock remarked.

47

Unknown

Unknown

Bastrop County

June 1866

The negro was called to his door at night & shot dead.

48

Unknown

C. J. Burnet

Bastrop County

June 25, 1866

Murderer escaped.

49

Unknown

C. J. Burnet

Bastrop County

June 23, 1866

At same time and place.

50

Unknown

D. Finlay & George McKees

Houston County

Mar. 24, 1866

These men with some 25 others resisted troops sent to arrest them and are still at large.

51

Samuel Hargens[?]

H. Taylor & J. Clark

Calhoun County

Aug. 31, 1866

Escaped.

52

Ben

William Plurgh[?]

Washington County

July 28, 1866

Shot.

53

Unknown

Unknown

Tarrant County

Aug. 20, 1866

This woman and another taken from their houses. Outraged. Are murdered. The other badly wounded but by feigning death escaped.

54

Jack Sheppard

----- Murray

Fort Bend County

Sept. 11, 1866

Cold blooded murder. No provocation.

55

Unknown

Unknown

Guadalupe County

Oct. 7, 1866

Found dead. Had been threatened with being shot for making complaints before Freedmen's Bureau.

56

Unknown

Unknown

Guadalupe County

Oct. 7, 1866

Found dead. Had been threatened with being shot for making complaints before Freedmen's Bureau.

57

Henry Davis

Dock Davis

Washington County

Aug. 1865

Shot for attempting to leave Davis & seek employment elsewhere.

58

Washington

Unknown

Washington County

Sept. 26, 1866

Show while trying to escape from a white man who wanted to rob him.

59

Marcus[?] White

Unknown

Grayson County

Sept. 26, 1866

Called up at a late hour & shot.

60

Jim Douglas

Unknown

Grayson County

Sept. 26, 1866

Called up at a late hour & shot.

61

Jack Thomas

Unknown

Grayson County

Sept. 26, 1866

Called up at a late hour & shot.

62

Tom Buckley

Unknown

Grayson County

Jan. 6, 1866

White man took his team, then shot him.

63

Jacob Web

Unknown

Grayson County

Aug. 2, 1866

Found shot dead. Was last seen in company with a white man a short distance from where found.

64

Thomas Daniels

John Dumas

Grayson County

Oct. 1865

Shot.  No cause.

65

Jack Stone

Unknown

Grayson County

June 1866

Shot because he did not raise his hat.

66

Unknown

Unknown

Fannin County

Sept. 21, 1866

Shot by two desperadoes because they wanted to "thin out the niggers a little."

67

Unknown

Unknown

Fannin County

Sept. 21, 1866

Shot by two desperadoes because they wanted to "thin out the niggers a little."

68

Unknown

Unknown

Fannin County

Sept. 21, 1866

Shot by two desperadoes because they wanted to "thin out the niggers a little."

69

Unknown

Unknown

Grayson County

Sept. 1866

Shot by two white men. He had a fine horse they wanted.

70

Bill

Unknown

Fannin County

Sept. 25, 1866

A party robbed his house, and shot him because he did not bring his money quick enough. Set fire to his house and burned it to the ground.

Official copy.

A. A. A. Genl.