United States, Georgia, Mitchell County, Camilla, 31.23129, -84.21046Howard, O. H.1868-09-23In this affidavit given to Freedmean's Bureau subassistant commissioner O.H. Howard on September 23, 1868, Philip Joiner, one of the Georgia state legislators expelled because of his race earlier in the month, recounts the events in Camilla, Georgia on September 19, 1868, when Republicans and freedmen who came to the town to hold a political rally clashed with townspeople who opposed it . Joiner tells what happened in front of the Mitchell County Courthouse despite peaceful intentions on the part of his group, when James Johns, an inebriated Camilla resident began firing into the bandwagon that accompanied them. When the crowd dispersed, members of the Sheriff's posse pursued them, and Joiner and Murphy narrowly escaped. Though Joiner survived unharmed, he describes how he witnessed one of the white men striking Murphy across the head with his gun.Digital image and transcription created by the Digital Library of Georgia in 2001 of a photocopy held by DeSoto Trail Regional Library of an original record held by the National Archives.image/jpegtext/htmlcam022Forms part of United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. Records held by the National Archives.http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/African Americans--Georgia--History--19th centuryAfrican Americans--Georgia--Social conditions--To 1964Freedmen--Georgia--Political activityFreedmen--Georgia--Violence againstFreedmen--Georgia--Personal narrativesReconstruction--GeorgiaPolitical violence--Georgia--CamillaMitchell County (Ga.)--Race relationsUnited States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned LandsJoiner, PhilipAffidavit of Philip Joiner: Albany, Georgia, 1868 Sept. 23Text