alexandria, louisiana massacre
Wynne, who spoke about the incident at the briefing,said the markerwillhonor an undetermined number ofBlack soldiers who were killed or injured on Jan. 10, 1942 while on liberty weekend. About 60 armed MPs showed up along with city police and state troopers, said Simpson. Compton would lay a wreath at the site each year in remembrance of those who were killed that night. Yet for all that it was the deadliest instance of racial violence during the Reconstruction period, the Opleousas massacre is little remembered today. An anonymous letter about a violent incident nearly 80years ago in Alexandriais the impetus for a renewed effort to discover what happened during and after an incidentonLee Street in 1942. And according to ananonymous letter, their bodies were buried in a mass grave at Holly Oak Cemetery in Pineville. As one scholar noted, Blacks lived so far away from the main facilities it seemed to have no physical connection at all with the camp itself. (KALB) - The Alexandria Police Department is investigating four homicides that occurred in Jan. 2021. Simpson said he interviewed scores of peopleincluding former policemen, former state troopers and civilians. Browse Alexandria area obituaries on Legacy.com. At this point, the process gets much more complicated. But this was still the Deep South during the Jim Crow Era. (February 26, 2021) The City of Alexandria announced creation of a historical marker that will be erected at 819 Lee Street, the site of the Lee Street Riot of 1942. . (There were subsequent reports the soldier had been accused of assaulting a White woman, though those reports seem to be based on pure speculation. Erected by . 2. If a dozen more black soldiers were massacred, its unknown where they are buried. One eyewitness later claimed that the MP panicked when the mob jostled him and he fired directly into the crowd. Freeman said he is grateful to the City of Alexandria for erecting the marker but the Buffalo Soldiers will still continue their work. ALEXANDRIA, La. Haywood Joiner Sr. was wandering about Lee Street, the bustling artery abutting the Black district of Alexandria, Louisiana. But on April 13, 1873, a small army of white ex-Confederate soldiers, enraged after attempts by freedmen to assert their new rights . : "About 7 o'clock, a disorderly Black soldier was arrested by two white MPs - attempted arrest. Tyson, a former reporter for The Town Talk, also interviewed Alexandria residents for an article published in 2000. "Before I even became a Buffalo Soldier, I would go to the Lee Street Riot memorial with Mrs.Compton and some other community leaders and that's where I learned about it. It was a tradition she later passed on to the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club as she got older and couldn't do it anymore. A century before it hosted the Louisiana Maneuvers, 69% of the population of Rapides Parish were enslaved African Americans. He and others came to the region to assist recently emancipated African-Americans find jobs, access education and become politically active. The bloodshed continued for two weeks, with African-American families killed in their homes, shot in public, and chased down by vigilante groups. Rhodes remembers stories from her grandmother about Saturday nights on Lee St. in Alexandria. Thousands of soldiers, both Black and white,were training at local bases. This was particularly true for Black soldiers training at Camp Claiborne. The contradiction between the official report and oral history is what kept Simpson interested. Lee Street Riot: Experts look at rumored mass grave site at Holly Oak Cemetery in Pineville. (Berry was introduced to the bar by another well-known legal giant, Camille Gravel, and today, the citys municipal court building is named in honor of both men). Three whites and an estimated 150 blacks died in the conflict. "You had thousands of soldiers in town on liberty weekend," said Simpson. In erecting the marker, Wynne said the citizens of Alexandria are committing to becoming better people and telling"our children and our children's children of this tragedy., "It has been a long road to get to this point," said Wynne. Events happening in Alexandria, Louisiana on Saturday, 27th May 2023 information about Upcoming events in Alexandria like parties, concerts, meets,shows, sports, club, reunion, Performance . Lamar writes about the people, the politics, and the magic of Louisiana. In this post slavery epoch, Louisiana would elect the first black mayor . Alexandria is the ninth-largest city in the state of Louisiana and is the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. Like our page to stay informed about passing of a loved one in Alexandria, Louisiana on facebook. is in Alexandria, Louisiana, in Rapides Parish. Compton told Jacksonthat the state police were on rooftops and allegedly shot down on people. We had The Knights of the White Camellia, The Ku-Klux Klan, and an Italian organization called The Innocents, who nightly paraded the streets of New Orleans and the roads in the country parishes, producing terror among the Republicans.. In September 1868, Southern white Democrats hunted down around 200 African-Americans in an effort to suppress voter . "They said they were shipping the soldiers out so fast they were shipping them in rough boxes," said Jacob Crittle in a 2018 Town Talk video. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. A white militia was led against freedmen by Christopher Columbus Nash . For several hours, the experts took photos using the device, flagging any spots of interest for future reference. Were definitely finding some evidence of lots of unmarked graves here, says Dr. Holt. 2023 www.thetowntalk.com. Landrians reacted to armed Negroes and rumors of an uprising in the same manner that Southerners had reacted for generations, wrote historian Carolyn deLatte in 1976. The Alexandria, Louisiana Lee Street Riot," it generated renewed (albeit temporary) local interest in the subject. "He was very conservative," said Wynne. He hopes that schools will have field trips to the site and have someone such as one of the members of the Buffalo Soldierstalk to students about about what happened. The untold story of the slaying of a Southern town's ex-slaves and a white lawyer's historic battle to bring the perpretators to justice Following the Civil War, Colfax, Louisiana, was a town, like many, where African Americans and whites mingled uneasily. LAWSON REALTY, LLC. There were 22 homicides in Alexandria in 2020, or 14.5 per 100,000 people -- more than double the 6.5 per 100,000 national murder rate. Black soldiers who were killed or injured in a tragic incident in Alexandria's history known as the Lee Street Riotwill be commemorated withabronze historical marker, said local historian Mike Wynne. ", "From my understanding, what we're looking for are the areas of the cemetery that have not been 'used'," explained Holt. (WVUE) - At a time when close to a half million troopers were training for World War II, a Louisiana town was ground zero for a riot, or massacre, that highlights the racial . Avery Hamilton told a crowd gathered for the monumentsdedication ceremony last week, in the small community about 120 miles southeast of Shreveport, Louisiana. By about 11 o'clock, the fighting was over.". I didnt set into this to make the army look bad, says Dr. Bill Simpson. Golden Shield. Alexandria has a rich and intriguing haunted history that dates to the first Native American settlers. In the following eight decades, Wynne said that those in the Black community have come to believe that many Black soldiers died in the incident whose deaths were covered up. He knows what human remains look like. Register or Buy Tickets, Price information. Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. Deadly violence is especially common in the metro area. "Mrs. Etta Compton introduced me to it and from there we collaborated with her until her passing.". A University of Southern Mississippi (USM) professor has joined in an effort to resolve questions about the potential existence of a mass grave of African-Americans killed in a 1940s riot in Alexandria, Louisiana by arranging a roundtable panel focused on the issue in the upcoming 38th annual Gulf South Historical Association meeting being held in that city this weekend. Over the summer, armed white men harassed black families, shot at them outside of Opelousas (the largest city in St. Landry Parish), and killed men, women and children with impunity. He felt there were two areas that absolutelyare worthy of looking further at that are potential mass graves.". In 1940, Alexandria had a population of more than 27,000 people, and although nearly half were African American, there were only 17 Black registered voters in the entire city. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) Alexandria, La. The editor escaped; and a hundred dead negroes, and perhaps a hundred more wounded and crippled, a dead white Radical, a dead Democrat, and three or four wounded Democrats are the upshot of the business., The groups managed to achieve their ultimate purpose, as was borne out by the results of the November presidential elections. Today, it exists only on a website Lavergnes company, Kinetix, built for the organization that had commissioned the mural. He collected oral histories of people who dispute the militarys account that only three soldiers were seriously injured. The Calhoun compound enslaved at one point over 1,000 people, and its location on the east bank of the Red River made it a perfect place for trade beyond its cash crops. Southerners were known as gracious hosts, after all. This event on April 13, 1873 marked the end of carpetbag misrule in the South. Lamar is a graduate of Rice University in Houston and the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Legal Advocate. Alexandria was burned to the ground by the Union, and emancipation upturned the regions economy, which had been largely dependent on slave labor and the slave trade. Every year on Memorial Day, the Alexandria chapter of the motorcycle club holds a memorial to remember the soldiers who died in the violent incident, saidKelvin Freeman, president of the Alexandria chapter. March Massacre At Pepper Lounge Hosted By ALICIA LOPEZ. "This cemetery, in 1942, was an extremely secluded spot," said Wynne. What happened that night? Then, after his article was published in 1994in "Louisiana History,"a publication of the Louisiana Historical Association, he received an anonymousletter about a mass grave. The Alexandra Hospital case. This is where the violence began. And then, according to this witness, once that happened, he says, quote, 'All hell broke loose.'". On this site occurred the Colfax Riot in which three white men and 150 negroes were slain. A memorial to the three white men who died fighting for white supremecy during the Colfax Massacre stands in the town cemetery Thursday, April 13, 2023, in Colfax, La. When he was interviewed for the video, he was attending a Memorial Day service held by the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club to honor the soldiers killed in that incident. . Wynne said he wasn't sure what to expect but he was prepared for a negative result. Something happened that night. If you make it to Forest Hill, the self-proclaimed nursery capital of Louisiana, turn around; youve gone too far. 3517 Obituaries. So, they could be looking for small targets at that point andit could become problematic. Wynne has taken photos of all the potential sites Holt marked. Search Alexandria obituaries and condolences, hosted by Echovita.com. "Once I started research, the official records from the Army indicated that yes, there was a riot but there were no soldiers killed," said Simpson. Speakers at . "According to many statements given by people who were at the scene of the massacre that night, anywhere between 20 and maybe even 300 bodies could be buried here," said Wynne. "I don't know how I got to safety after the riot," a black trainee at Camp Claiborne recalled. "The overgrown back part of the cemetery and to the back left dates after 1945. It was where Solomon Northup spent ten of his twelve years in captivity. Those who oversaw the election felt fully convinced that no man on that day could have voted any other than the democratic ticket and not been killed inside of 24 hours thereafter.. A November 1942 memo to the Secretary of War from Truman Gibson, Civilian Aide to the Secretary, detailed "violent and abusive treatment of Negro military personnel by civilian public authorities in the South." It listed incidents in Alexandria, La., Columbia, S.C., Norfolk, Va., Mobile and Montgomery, Ala., Beaumont, Texas and Little Rock . Only weeks earlier the Japanese attack upon Pearl Harbor had COLFAX RIOT. For a time, the parishs largest slave owner had been Meredith Calhoun, the man who allegedly inspired the notorious character Simon Legree in Harriet Beecher Stowes Uncle Toms Cabin. According to the 1860 Census, there were more slaves in Rapides Parish than in any other parish in the state. If there is a site here, it's primarily in the cleared area. George Marshall, Omar Bradley, George Patton, and Dwight D. Eisenhower all spent time at the camp, though it is unclear whether any of them knew a kid from Frth, Germany who trained there named Henry Kissinger or a 23-year-old Black kid from Pasadena who seemed to be a natural athlete. Alexandria, LA 71301 (318) 483 . All rights reserved. louisiana - alexandria louisiana stock illustrations. Photographed By Cajun Scrambler, May 29, 2021. He cited Tulsa, Okla., and how citizens are now acknowledging the massacre therein 1921 when a white mob, many of them deputized and given weapons by city officials, looted and burned businesses in the predominately Black district of Greenwood. Among others, Simpson spoke with David Iles, the longtime principal of Peabody High School who had been injured that night, and Louis Berry, a local civil rights pioneer and the first Black attorney admitted to the local bar association. It was a nightmare, total hell. Scalise, 51, who represents Louisiana and is the third-ranking Republican in the House, was standing at second base when the shooting erupted, witnesses said. The crowd, including soldiers and civilians, resented the actions of the MP. Find service information, send flowers, and leave memories and thoughts in the Guestbook for your loved one. The British Military Hospital, now known as Alexandra Hospital, was one of several military hospitals overwhelmed with casualties. They were met by an armed group of white men, mounted on horses, outside Opelousas. PINEVILLE, La. By 5 June, six more warships had entered Alexandria harbour . But their error pales in comparison to the governments. That monument, erected in 1921, still stands. But as far as a mass grave, at this point, I havent seen compelling evidence, says Dr. Holt. Lake Buhlow in Pineville features high-speed motorboat racing, and the Alexandria Riverfront Center hosts statewide conventions and galas. Holly Oak Cemetery was established around 1923 and according to Mike Wynne, local historian, is the most historic Black cemetery in Central Louisiana. Lee Street was the center of Alexandrias black community in 1942. Some three whites and about 150 African-American fatalities occurred in the riot. There were restaurants and barbershops and laundromats. Lynching became routinized in Louisiana, a systematic way by which whites sought to assert white supremacy in response to African-American resistance, said historian Michael Pfeifer, the author of The Roots of Rough Justice: Origins of American Lynching, by email. That's one more homicide than the . Notably, it was generally acknowledged, even- implicitly- by the government, that the soldier had not been responsible for provoking the violence). But, this appears to be a positive one that could help solve the mystery posed in the anonymous letter. Dr. Bristol is a history professor at the University of Southern Mississippi and says it appears the violence started when a black soldier stepped in front of a car driven by a white woman. "The front part of the cemetery dates prior to 1945," said Wynne. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. The City of Alexandria will be placing a historic marker along Lee St. at the site of the 1941 violence. Perhaps not surprisingly, it was also home to more landholders. Holt said they have been successful at finding old slave cemeteries in which there was a systematic burial of bodies closetogether. Black soldiers were stationed at Camp Claiborne while white soldiers were stationed at Camp Livingston and Camp Beauregard. 3 bds; 2 ba; 1,709 sqft - House for sale. Down Home Louisiana. She has previously written for The Atlantic, Salon, Nautilus and others. The places we choose to forget often contain stories we would rather not tell. The Lee Street Massacre took place on Saturday night, January 10, 1942, in Alexandria, Louisiana. "And whether it's one body, 20 bodiesor many more, we want to find where they are and finally bring resolution to the families who lost their sons in this tragic massacre.". (KALB) - Expert researchers and historians spent Tuesday at Holly Oak Cemetery in Pineville, searching for a rumored mass gravesite. But to actually excavate remains - first, of all, you need court orders to do that for an exhumation.". Hopefully, the full truth of what actually happened on that never-to-be-forgotten night will come out one day, he said. The team also went to Potters Field in Pineville to look at potential gravesites there. The Alexandria, Louisiana, Lee Street Riot (January 10, 1942).". So, it led to conflicts anywhere they were positioned in the South, says Dr. Doug Bristol. The Louisiana Democrat. Colfax, founded in 1869 as the seat of Grant Parish, began life at the site of one of Louisiana's largest cotton plantations. In the 55 years between Reconstruction and the Second World War, time may have moved, but in Central Louisiana, almost everything else remained still. That's when Bristol told Wynne that USM had ground penetrating radar and introduced him to Dr. David Holt,a professor of geography at USM. "Thanksgiving and Christmas. how to store unopened contact lenses pacifica high school basketball oxnard pacifica high school basketball oxnard The Alexandria, Louisiana, Lee Street Riot (January 10, 1942) By WILLIAM M. SIMPSON' January 1942 brought Alexandrians, as it did most persons across the United States, bleak prospects for a happy new year. "And our city hasn't always been so enlightened.". 21 lives lost: Uvalde victims were a cross-section of a small, mostly Latino town in South Texas. Be careful as you cross through Woodworth. "They fought back with - whatever - bricks, rocks, bottles. Heplans to carefully diagram where every unmarked grave is located. The Louisiana History Museum is not just dedicated to Alexandria but to all of Louisiana's history. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. A fracas broke out and a mob gathered. Instead, their actions sparked a massacre. Wynne is an amateur historian and retired law enforcement officer in Alexandria has been pushing to find those answers. . Simpson relates what he had been told by those he interviewed. Basketball legend Rivers, longtime Globetrotter, dies at 73, Public Inspection File - digicomm@kalb.com - (318) 483-4211. 1 day on Zillow. The shiny new black marble monument dedicated to the victims of the Colfax Massacre sits next to the railroad tracks on Eighth Street, not far from where the atrocity took place on April 13, 1873. Because he had recently moved to Louisiana,he had not but the conversation spurred his interest in the subject. While there is scant evidence of premeditation or planning, his initial reporting on deaths was later corroborated, at least in part, by White officers themselves.