568 



MISSISSIPPI. 



the St. Louis Eiver from its outlet, and thereby 

 injure the natural harbor. A temporary in- 

 junction was obtained, and the matter then 

 became the subject of negotiations between 

 the promoters of the improvement and the 

 proper authorities of the United States. These 

 negotiations resulted in an arrangement where- 

 by the city was permitted to go on and con- 

 struftt the canal, upon giving a bond in the 

 penal sum of $100,000, conditional that the 

 city should build a dike below the canal from 

 Kice's Point to Minnesota Point. This bond 

 was given. The dike was built and the canal 

 completed. It is two hundred and fifty feet 

 wide and deep enough to float any vesssel on 

 the lakes. It is and has been since its con- 

 struction the entrepot of nearly all the com- 

 merce transacted at the western extremity of 

 Lake Superior. It gives safe ingress to the 

 Bay of Superior, which is dangerous of access 

 through its natural and tortuous outlet. 



Since the adjustment of the issues between 

 the United States and the city, the collection 

 district of Duluth has been established and 

 Duluth made its port of entry. Appropria- 

 tions for the improvement of its harbor have 

 been made by Congress and expended. 



The State of Wisconsin, however, deems it- 

 self aggrieved by these improvements, and has 

 therefore recently exhibited in the Supreme 

 Court of the United States its bill of complaint 

 against the city of Duluth and the Northern 

 Pacific Eailroad Company in which the decree 

 of that tribunal is prayed that the defendants 

 be perpetually enjoined from keeping open or 

 maintaining the canal and also required to fill 

 it up. The paramount interests of Minnesota 

 in this suit have led the Governor to take 

 such steps as . will protect the rights of the 

 State. 



MISSISSIPPI. The condition of affairs in 

 this State, during the latter part of the year, 

 attracted general attention throughout the 

 country. 



On the 7th of December a serious conflict 

 occurred in Vicksburg between the whites and 

 blacks, which resulted in great loss of life, and 

 caused wide-spread alarm. About five o'clock 

 on the morning of that day (Monday) the alarm 

 was given that armed negroes, with hostile in- 

 tent, were approaching the city from several 

 directions. The white citizens at once armed 

 and organized in companies. At nine o'clock 

 a general alarm was given, and a detachment 

 of city troops marched out of Grove Street, 

 and, near Point Lookout, just outside the city 

 limits, met a body of 200 negroes. A conflict at 

 once ensued, and the negroes were soon put to 

 rout, with a loss of six killed, several wounded, 

 and some taken prisoners. About the same time, 

 an engagement was in progress between a force 

 of citizens, who had been sent out on the Jack- 

 son road on the northeast side, and a body of 

 negroes who, as reported, were intrenched in 

 the old Federal breastworks, just west of the 

 monument where Pemberton surrendered. The 



conflict here lasted an hour, and was the most 

 sanguinary of the day. The infantry in front 

 engaged the negroes, while the cavalry charged 

 their flanks. The negroes fled in wild disorder. 

 Their losses were reported at twenty killed and 

 wounded. Only one white man was reported 

 killed. While these two engagements were in 

 progress, three companies of citizens, having 

 met about 250 negroes in Cherry Street, charged 

 on them, and routed them with small loss. At 

 other points the negroes were dispersed by cav- 

 alry, and by noon the " war " was over. Great 

 excitement prevailed in the city during the 

 day, and business was entirely suspended ; but 

 on the following day quiet and order were re- 

 stored. The reported losses comprise three 

 white citizens killed and three wounded; while 

 of the negroes about seventy-five were killed 

 and wounded, and thirty or forty taken pris- 

 oners. 



The causes that led to this unfortunate affair, 

 and the events preceding it, have been reported 

 very differently by the opposing parties. It is 

 impossible to determine with accuracy the ex- 

 act facts and the true condition of affairs. It 

 becomes important, therefore, to give both 

 sides a hearing in making up the record. 



First will be given the substance of the 

 statement published on the 12th of December, 

 and signed by many citizens of Vicksburg. 

 This recites that, in 1873, T. W. Cardoza was 

 clerk of the Circuit and G. W. Davenport of 

 the Chancery Court of Warren County. In 

 November of that year, Peter Crosby was 

 elected sheriff, and G. W. Walton, C. Axelson, 

 W. B. Lewis, Oscar Speed, and Henry Hunt, 

 as members of the Board of Supervisors of 

 Warren County. All of the above-named offi- 

 cers were Republicans, and all but Axelson 

 were colored. In October, 1873, Cardoza was 

 elected State Superintendent of Education, 

 when Governor Ames appointed A. W. Dorsey, 

 a colored Republican, to the office of Circuit 

 Clerk, made vacant by Cardoza's resignation. 

 This act, on the part of the Governor, was 

 characterized as " a gross usurpation of power, 

 inasmuch as our statutes plainly declare that 

 such vacancies shall be filled by election." In 

 August, 1874, "Dorsey was arrested on the 

 charge of issuing forged witness-certificates, 

 and committed to jail, whence he was released 

 on bail. He then resigned his office. The va- 

 cancy thus created was filled by an appoint- 

 ment made by Governor Ames. The investi- 

 gation of Dorsey's frauds led to the discovery 

 of similar ones in the case of his predecessor, 

 T. W. Cardoza. At the same time, George W. 

 Davenport, being ex officio Clerk of the Board 

 of Supervisors, was charged with the issue of 

 fraudulent county warrants for money. For the 

 offenses above stated the grand-jury, composed 

 of ten blacks and seven whites, found bills of 

 indictment against Dorsey, Cardoza, and Da- 

 venport. Pending this investigation by the 

 grand-jury, the books of the County Treasury 

 and other valuable records were taken from 



