Catawba County, North Carolina

The Reaction – Catawbans Fight Back-the KKK

 The Ku Klux Klan, which probably originated in Tennessee in 1865, was designed in an effort to combat Northern secret organizations in the South, to "put the Negro in his place," to regain control of government, and to protect Southern womanhood. The order grew rapidly for a period of two years and is known to have had active participants in the Catawba section. Prominent citizens were tried and indicted in United States court at Statesville for allegedly being members of the Klan. Many of these persons received unfair treatment at the hands of Federal authorities. They suffered most from the fact that they were dragged from court to court and persistently denied trial.

A Hickory newspaper listed in 1872 persons indicted under the Ku Klux act and United States witnesses, as follows:

"(1) M. M. Wilson, R. P. Reinhardt, Andrew Yoder, June term, 1871. Bill found.

"(2) Aaron Sigmon, Adolphus Sigmon, Marcus Lynn, June term, 1871.

"(35) Peter Ramsaur, Govan Bost, Albert Smyre, Henry Wilson, John Bumgarner, Benton Clonniger, Keer Setzer, Cain Bost, Franklin Propst, Noah Wise, Bill found. June term, 1871. Act May 30, 1870. Witnesses: Lewis Witherspoon and Julia Ann Perkins,

"(38) Penkney Wilson, Starling Gill, Pinkney Setzer, Ed-ward Bost, Bill found. September session, 1871. Witnesses: George Conley and Abraham Wilson.

"(39) Adam Reap, Hosea Whitener, Pinckney Bradburn, Osborn Wilson, Henry Yoder, Sidney Yoder, Joseph Fry, Mat Hoffman, James Wilson and Pinckney Wilson. Bill found. September session, 1871. Act May 30, 1870, U. S. witnesses; James Coulter and Bob Robinson.

"(43) Govan Bost, James Gibson, George Moose, Frank Huffman, Hugh Pence, Caleb Setzer, Cain Moose, Lewis Witherspoon, Thomas Setzer. Bill found. September term, 1871. Witnesses: John Powell, Catherine Powell, Samuel Gibbs,

"(48) Adolphus Abernethy, Lafayfette Abernethy, John Marshall, Marcus Lynn, Noah Hallman, Joseph Childers, Cephas Simmons, James Bowles. Bill found. September term, 1871. Act May 30, 1870. Witnesses: Joseph Abernethy, Jasper Deal

"(56) Wilborne Boyd and others. Bill found. June term, 1871. Witnesses: Thomas Hope, Lee Clark, Reuben Kirksey, Andrew Davis, B. A. Kirksey.

"(57) O. F. Bost, John Sigman, Adam Reape, Frank Icard, John Propst, David Keistler, John Conrad, P. C. Rudisill, Daniel Shuford, Phillip Hoyle, Henry Yoder, Alfred Jarrett, John Corpening.

"Frank Keistler, Eli Starr, Pinckney Cline, Philip Coulter, Abel Starr, Jacob Huffman, Marcus Huffman, Pinckney Wilson, Max Huffman, Jacob Gilbert, John Hoover, Franklin Smith, S. Bolch, John Bolch, M. M. Wilson, Robert Reinhardt, Julius Helton, John C. Sharpe, J. A. Fry, Abel Fry, John Whitener, Wash Ramsour, Enos Campbell, Jacob Rudisill, Henry Rudisill, Adelphus Rudisill, Phillip Burns, George Fin-cannon, Noah Huffman, Hosea Whitener, Benjamin Whitener, Philip Gilbert, Franklin Huffman, Adolphus Whitener, Austin Wilson.

"George Rabb, Brock Self, John C. Warlick, David Warlick, Henry Warlick, Loney Carpenter, Thornton Martin, John Rader, John Ramsour, Jefferson Saunders, Daniel Hoover, Pinckney Fry, James Frye, N. D. Lutz, Alonzo Lutz, Benjamin Lutz, Friders Rink, Nelson Keever, Charles Alexander, Wallace Throneburg, G. W. Caldwell, Rufus Self, Monroe Coulter, Daniel Reap, Adolphus Abernethy, Thomas Wilfong, Bill found. November term, 1871. U. S. Witnesses; A. L. Ram-sour, John Sims, Albert Angle, R. F. Hamblet, Logan Crouch.

"(59) Adolphus Abernethy, Lawrence Miller, Lafayette Ambernethy, Marcus Whitener, Marcus Lynn, Adolphus Sigmon, Daniel Whitener, Adolphus Propst, Robert Fry, Simon Propst, John Seigler, Sidney Ward, Jasper Deal, John Marshall, Chick Alexander, James Bawles, Cephas Simmons, Poley Hefner, Hiram Miller. Bill found. November term, 1871. Witnesses: Simeon Barger, Joseph Childers, Noah Hallman.

"(63) Cail Setzer, Caleb Setzer, George Fincannon, Charles Setzer, Eli Starr, Pinckney Miller, F. S. Smyre, Henry Wilson, James Gibson, John Conrad, Allen Settlemyre, Pinckney Fry, Peter Ramsour, Thomas Marlow, Sidney Houston, Howell Harris, E. G. Bost, George Throneburg, Richard Wilson, Starr Gill, Abner Smyre. U. S. Witness: Franklin Huffman.

"(64) John Hilton, Daniel Shuford, Henry Yoder, Sidney Yoder, James Wilfong. U. S. witness: Emeline Shuford."

It would be interesting to discover what later transpired in the years after witnesses appeared against KKK members, many of whom were prominent Catawba County citizens.

REF: A History of Catawba County, 1954, publ. by the Catawba County Historical Assn; edited by Charles J. Preslar, Jr.

Information on these pages is Copyrighted by Derick S. Hartshorn (c) 2001-2009 on behalf of the C.F. Connor Camp #849
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Derick S. Hartshorn - (C) 2009
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