“His Supreme Highness of Hamilton to Edward Thompson.
“His Supreme and Mighty Highness has heard of your seditious practices in leading others astray, and encouraging them in opposition to the white man’s government. Time is given you to repent and submit as your fathers have done. Now this is to warn you, and all such as you, on pain of punishment and death, to abandon your vicious harangues, and abide by our orders. The moon is yet bright; it may turn to blood.
“By order,
“K. K. K.”
Thompson paid no heed to this warning, but continued to pursue the even tenor of his way. He had resided so long in the place, and been so favorably known there, both among the whites and blacks, that he scouted the idea that this meant anything more than a threat intended to intimidate him, and he continued exerting his influence in the Republican cause with his brethren, as had been his custom. Several warnings were subsequently sent to him with no better effect, and it was finally decided in the solemn conclave of the Camp, that he should receive the long threatened “visitation.”
On the 19th of September, 1870, Thompson retired to his bed between nine and ten o’clock, as was his usual custom. His family consisted of his wife and two children, all of whom occupied the same sleeping apartment. Between eleven and twelve o’clock they were aroused from their slumbers by the door being broken in with a tremendous crash, and before Thompson had time to collect himself, he was rudely seized and dragged from his bed by a number of men, armed and disguised, two of whom fired their revolvers into the roof of the cabin, as a menace, and assured Thompson they would turn the weapons upon him, if he offered the slightest resistance. His wife and children were also dragged from their beds, being at the same time severely struck by some members of the band, and told to remain quiet.
“In the name of the Lord, what is this?” asked Thompson, as soon as he could command his voice.
The response was a blow upon the head from the butt of a pistol, delivered with a brutality that convinced him that he was in the hands of those to whose hearts mercy was a stranger. He was then told to ask no questions, and make no noise, but to dress himself and go with the band.
His wife was subjected to the most revolting indecencies. The last garment that covered her nakedness was wrenched from her person and torn into shreds, leaving her utterly exposed to the malicious and lecherous eyes of the intruders. She was then told “to get her rags on,” and go with the party. The children terrified at seeing their parents thus brutally assailed, uttered the most piercing screams, but were ordered to remain behind and not leave the house, or they would be killed. The band started out with their captives in the direction of the house of John and Samuel Hogan, two white men who were known to be Republicans, and had thus rendered themselves obnoxious to the Camp. They compelled the Hogans to accompany them, and started for the woods, nearly a mile from Thompson’s house.
One Micajah Amerson, a colored man living near the scene of this outrage, hearing the report of the fire arms, arose, and dressed himself, and taking a shot gun, started for his son’s house on the Joseph Howell plantation. Amerson was just in time to meet the band having Thompson and his wife and the two Hogans in custody, and was at once seized and compelled to go with the party. Amerson seems to be the only one of the captives able or willing to give an intelligent account of what subsequently transpired, which he did to the writer as follows:
“I saw the company in the road, and knew they were the Ku Klux from their disguises. I saw it was no use to try and get away from them, and one of them told me to go along, at the same time striking me with a club. Edward Thompson and his wife (colored), and John and Samuel Hogan, two white men, were with them. Thompson said nothing but his wife moaned all the way on the road to the woods. We went about a quarter of a mile into the woods, and were then ordered to halt. When the halt was made, one of the band gave a peculiar whistle, which was answered almost directly by a similar sound. This proved to be the signal for the appearance of a party who was addressed as the Captain, and who at once took charge of the proceedings.