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The Madison Daily Leader
Madison, Lake County, South Dakota
What is this article about?
William Hall and a party of 600 African American 'exodusters' from New Hanover County, North Carolina, returned from Arkansas after facing exploitation by labor contractors. They were promised good wages but received poor treatment, including seizure of belongings, squalid housing, armed guarding, and sale in Louisiana for $5,000.
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Negroes Back From Arkansas Tell a Pitiful Story of Shameful Wrong.
RALEIGH, N. C., July 5.
William Hall and party of negro "exodusters," who left New Hanover county, North Carolina, for Arkansas, have just returned. They make affidavit as to their treatment, and their story is a horrible one. There were 600 in the party, and all had been promised good wages. They were virtually sold to a labor contractor, who, when he was notified by the poor negroes that they could not work for fifty cents a day, said that was all he would give. He seized all their personal effects. Some families were put in horse stables and others in old outhouses, while others had to remain on the banks of the river without shelter. All were guarded like criminals and revolvers were drawn on them to force them to terms. They were within twelve miles of Louisiana and were unable to get on the steamer without a pass. They got away and went to another point where they were met by men armed and mounted who demanded where they were going and by whose authority. The last sale of these people was made in Louisiana by a man named Williams, who sold 600 of them for $5,000.
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Where did it happen?
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Arkansas
Event Date
July 5
Key Persons
Outcome
the group escaped and returned to north carolina, making affidavits about their treatment.
Event Details
William Hall and 600 negro exodusters left New Hanover county, North Carolina, for Arkansas, promised good wages but were sold to a labor contractor who offered only fifty cents a day, seized their effects, housed them in stables, outhouses, or unsheltered river banks, guarded them like criminals with revolvers, prevented escape near Louisiana without passes, and were finally sold in Louisiana by Williams for $5,000.