Letter from John Booton

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Box 1, Folder 18

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Letter from John Booton while at college from 1850 "The Niggers are very numerous here and very important. A few evenings since a big black fellow who thought himself as good as anybody undertook to make some students here from Kentucky and some of the other slave states, get out of his road. The even convinced him he had waked up the wrong passengers. They gave the negro a little the soundest cudgeling he ever had. The whole body of the negroes became outraged at this and armed themselves with guns, pistols, bowie knives, axes, and clubs swearing vengeance on the white fellows that whipped their colored brother and if the rest of the students came to their assistance, prepared for a general battle. They did not proceed to violence but contented themselves by getting out warrants for the arrest of the students concerned in the affray. Some think the disturbance will not end here but that during the coming vacation while a good many of the students are at home the negroes will attempt to overpower those that remain here. All I can say is that if they do there will be blood spilled. The blacks are nearly all armed. To make the matter worse a good many of the inhabitants take sides with the niggers. How I despise such people. I have hardly benevolence enough to wish them a happy hereafter. I have never had any difficulty with the blacks or their white allies and hope I shall not have."

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