1866-- Freedman Assaulted by Eight Armed Men
Item
-
Title
-
1866-- Freedman Assaulted by Eight Armed Men
-
Date
-
25 Feb 1866
-
Formatted date
-
1866-02-25
-
Event type
-
Assault
-
Description
-
Late in the night on Sunday, February 25, 1866, eight armed men reported to be “Rebel Rangers” ordered Harrison Griggs to come out of his home. Under threat, Harrison complied. Near his home, seven of the eight men whipped him with the branch of a white thorn tree for an hour. They assaulted him in turns until they were exhausted, witnessed by his own family and the family of Edmund Baker. Though he was not stripped, the assault left Harrison bloodied and bruised with thorns stuck all over his body, including the head and face. After the flogging, the assailants threatened to kill him unless he left the state immediately. Harrison left the following morning. The following Wednesday he made a statement in front of Captain Oyler of the Freedmen’s Bureau in Covington. It is unknown if the Rebel Rangers of Boone County faced any repercussions for the assault.
-
Participant
-
Participant(s): Harrison Griggs;
Perpetrator(s): 8 Rebel Rangers
-
Witness
-
Baker, Edmund
-
Bibliographic citation
-
Chicago Tribune. (Chicago, IL), Mar. 1 1866. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn82014064/1866-03-01/ed-1/.