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Submitted by Gary Liddell Obits: The Ouachita Telegraph 1870 Obits, Ouachita Parish La. These older obituaries are being typed in by Ms. Lora Peppers at the Ouachita
Parish Library. We are once again fortunate to have someone interested in helping us find our ancestors.
Lora Peppers - Phone (318) 327-1490
Reference Department Fax (318) 327-1373
Ouachita Parish Public Library
1800 Stubbs Ave.
Monroe, LA 71201
The Ouachita Telegraph
January 15, 1870
Page 2, Column 2
A dispatch has been received here that John Nixon, Esq., of the Commission firm of Thornhill & Nixon, of New Orleans, died in that city on Monday
last. Deceased was well known in North Louisiana and Southern Arkansas. We understand his life was insured for $20,000. From the city papers
of Tuesday, we learn that Mr. Nixon's death was caused by a gunshot wound, proved to have been given by Mr. C.W. Cammack, cashier of the
Citizen's Bank, during an altercation between the two about the sale of the home place of Gen. St. John Liddell, of Catahoula, by the Citizens Bank.
Cammack purchased the property for himself and E.B. Cotton and Chas. Jones, and subsequently transferred it to the original owners, without
consulting his partners, for whom Mr. Nixon, the Times says, was agent. In the fatal encounter, Cammack appears, however, to have been the
aggressor. The same transaction came near causing very serious trouble some weeks ago between Gen. Liddell, Mr. Nixon and others. Mr. Nixon,
as he then told the editor of this paper, was acting simply as the commission merchant of Mr. Jones, and in this capacity no doubt met his death, now
the subject of general and deep regret in New Orleans.
The Ouachita Telegraph Saturday, February 19, 1870
Page 2, Column 1
Killing of Gen. St. John R. Liddell.
FULL PARTICULARS OF THE TRAGIC AFFAIR.
A gentleman, a soldier, a patriot and a good citizen has been suddenly and violently removed from the scene of his labors and usefulness to a home in
Eternity, closing an earthly career full of incident, rich in high and noble purposes, alternated with seasons of prosperity and adversity, always upright,
chivalry and honorable. Gen. St. John Liddell is no more! On the afternoon of last Monday Gen. Liddell was seated at the dinner table on board the
steamer St. Marys, then lying at Col. Chas. Jones's place that is situated a few miles below Trinity. Gen. Liddell and Col. Jones were at enmity.
Fifteen years ago a bloody feud sprang up between them in which a number of partisans on both sides were enlisted, which raged for several months
with great bitterness and resulted in two or three violent deaths. The interference of friends and neighbors finally brought the feud to a pacific, but not
a friendly adjustment, the principals having ever since been, we believe, as strangers to each other. A few months ago, Col. Jones became part
purchaser of some real estate from the Citizen’s Bank, which had been surrendered in bankruptcy by Gen. Liddell and was bought by the Bank from
the General Assignee in bankruptcy. Col. Jones, it is proper to state, says that the purchase was made by him and partners subsequent to a refusal by
Gen. Liddell to purchase the property at the bank's price, and after hearing that Gen. Liddell had determined to quit the country. Nevertheless, the
transaction aroused the slumbering animosity in Gen. Liddell's breast, it being, as we have heard, a part of the agreement entered into by him and Col.
Jones, when settling their feud, that neither was to have ever after anything to do with the business affairs of the other. Gen. Liddell was seated as we
have said, on Monday at the dinner table. Col. Jones, with his two sons came on board the boat. What followed, together with a recital of what
immediately preceded the meeting, may be gathered from the statement of Col. C.H. Morrison, of this place, who was an eye-witness to the sad
occurrence.
COL. MORRISON"S STATEMENT.
TRINITY, Feb. 10, 1870.
We landed and took Gen. Liddell on board at his place. We next landed at Mr. Garrett's — While there Mr. Marbury came to me and said that he
understood Col. Jones was coming on the boat at his (Jones's) landing, and wished that I, as a friend, would go and meet him and ask him not to come
on. One of Jones's sons was then on the boat. I went to him and told him to go home and ask his father to wait until the next boat, as Liddell was on
the boat and I feared that there might be a difficulty, and that trouble was more easily avoided than corrected after it might happen. He promised me
he would do so. Mr. Marbury had talked to Gen. Liddell, and he promised not to make any demonstration toward Jones, if he came on board.
Marbury, Liddell and myself had sat down to dinner, had taken our soup, and were waiting for dinner, when the Joneses came on board. The Colonel
passed ahead, passing in front of us — we being seated at the table occupied by the officers, most of who had dined and left the table. As Col. Jones
passed I spoke to him, without leaving my seat. He passed on and to my left out of the angle of vision. Wm. Jones came next, and was about in front
of us, the other son about opposite the front end of the table. My attention was called from the parties for an instant by something. The next thing that
attracted my attention was Gen. Liddell made a motion as if to rise. I touched him gently on the shoulder and asked him not to rise. He, however,
arose, and at the same time I also arose, and endeavored to place myself just in front of him. In a moment he had his hand on his pistol and attempted
to draw it. That, I knew, or felt sure, would draw the fire of the Joneses, and a further interference would endanger my own life and perhaps give the
advantage against Liddell. I let him go, and just as I did so a pistol fired, just missing me, and I saw from the General's countenance that he was
stunned or seriously hurt. Almost in a second a second shot was fired, still before Liddell had out his pistol. He fell, or was falling, I think, from the first
shot. He, however, got his pistol out, and fired once after he was down and dying. — His shot took no effect. The Jones's fired many shots, say 8 or
10 — continuedto fire till Liddell was dead.
The Captain, at my request, returned to Gen. Liddell's with the body. When the shooting took place the boat was just moving out from Jones's, and
the pilot when he heard the shooting ran her back to shore and the Joneses got off. The Joneses offered to surrender to me or any one else. Not a
word was spoken between the parties previous to the shooting. Liddell never spoke. The people on the boat were very much excited and so they
seem to be here (Trinity.) We append also the statement of Capt. Sweeney who was in command of the St. Mary’s:
STATEMENT OF CAPT. SWEENEY.
Liddell came on board at his place, and sat down to dinner. We went down to Chas. Jones's, and he came on board with his two sons. They went
into the cabin, and some one began to shoot. I was on the roof at the time. As soon as I heard it, I went over the rail and into the cabin where I found
one of the Jones boys with a navy revolver in his hand, and the father ran out toward the barbershop. I stopped him, and then went for the son to
come out of the cabin, which he did. I found Gen. Liddell about dead, lying on his back, having fallen with the first fire, with three large bullet holes in
his breast. I landed and Jones got off. I took the General back to his place, carried the body up to the house and left it with his grief-stricken family.
— The General may have fired, but I have not seen any one who saw him do so.
We learn that Col. Jones and his sons were to undergo a preliminary trial at Trinity on Monday. It would, of course, be improper to comment upon
this affair, having no further evidence to be guided by than that above given. In justice to Gen. Liddell, however, whose lips are now sealed in death,
we may state that but a few days ago we met him in Monroe at his request, and in a long interview had with him he unfolded to us his purpose of
sending Col. Jones a challenge to meet him on the field — in fact, he read us the note he designed sending, remarking that for certain reasons,
unnecessary to enumerate and wholly irrelevant here, he would delay the sending until he could meet Col. Jones in New Orleans. He added that this,
referring to the note, would end the suspense he was in, either by an honorable fight or a peaceable adjustment. He denounced in strong language the
evils of street fights and sudden personal collisions, and particularly sanctioned dueling as the best means of avoiding them, and illustrated his view of
the custom by the circumstances noticed by us editorially two weeks ago under the heading "The Code of Honor." We do not state these facts to
prejudice the case of Col. Jones and his sons, but in simple justice to the dead. Gen. Liddell was about fifty years of age. He was of fine personal
appearance and highly polished in his manners. He was graduated at West Point in the same class with Gen. Beauregard, and the class above Gen.
Bragg, and was possessed of unusually fine scholarly attainments. He for some time belonged to the old army, and served in the Army of Tennessee,
as a Confederate Brigadier General, in the late war, achieving high repute for vim, dash and persistency. Richard the Lion-Hearted did not surpass him
in bravery nor in fixedness of purpose. Perhaps he was somewhat too fiery in his nature and too sensitive for the age in which he lived; but certainly
his sense of honor never went beyond his sense of right. A man of retired nature, he remained at home, never making a show of his accomplishments
or seeking any public station. He belonged to the old school of gentlemen —would there were more of them! — who in adversity, as well as
prosperity, maintain the dignity of manhood and move upon the earth conscious of their claims as veritable "lords of creation." For such a man to be
cut off is a public calamity. We tender his bereaved widow and children our sincere condolence, and commend them to the Providence of Him who is
both protector of the widow and father of the fatherless, and may their reward be commensurate with their great and deplorable loss.
Col. Jones is a well-known citizen of the State, and lives near the late residence of Gen. Liddell in Catahoula parish. He is a man above the age of
fifty, of active mind and habits, and has accumulated a handsome property. In the early part of the late war, he was second in command in a Louisiana
Regiment, the 17th, and was subsequently on the staff of Gen. Ruggles. Since the war he has been planting, and a part of the time one of the lessees
of the Penitentiary. He is a man quiet in his nature and of sober habits. His sons are both grown, one of them being the Assessor and Collector of
Catahoula parish.
P.S. — Since the above was put in type we have heard that Col. Jones and sons surrendered to the Sheriff of Catahoula, and will be examined in the
course of ten days. They have retained Messrs. Morrison & Farmer as counsel. Gen. Liddell had life insurance policies on his life amounting to
$25,000.
NOTE: More information about the shooting can be found in the Ouachita Telegraph, Saturday, February 26, 1870 edition, Page 2, Column 1:
Further Particulars of the Killing of Gen. Liddell and Shooting of Col. Chas. Jones.
The Ouachita Telegraph
Saturday, March 5, 1870
Page 2, Column 2
The Black River Tragedy.
We learned from passengers on the Welcome that on Sunday night, the 27th ult., that the house of Mrs. Sargent was surrounded and the Sheriff and his
family were ordered to withdraw. The movement of the family not being in such haste as the mob — the door was forced. The ladies then passed out,
Col. Charles Jones accompanying them with a quilt thrown around him. He was recognized and instantly shot and killed. William Jones was discovered
immediately afterwards and shared the fate of his father. Cuthbert Jones escaped from the house hotly pursued and precipitated himself into the river.
It is believed that he was wounded and drowned, as nothing has been heard of him since. Fifteen or twenty persons are supposed to have been
engaged in the tragedy. The killing of Gen. Liddell was an outrage calculated to alienate all of Jones' friends and embitter his enemies to the last degree
of hate. Possibly, it is over.
NOTES: The Sequel to the Catahoula Vendetta (Return from Germany of Mrs. Jones and children) Ouachita Telegraph, May 7, 1870, Page 2,
Column 4
Arrest of Volney Liddell and Wade Young on an affidavit made by Cuthbert P. Jones Ouachita Telegraph, May 28, 1870, Page 4, Column 2
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