From the Richmond Whig, 3/6/1866, p. 4, c. 4
AN ORGANIZED BODY OF NEGROES NEAR CHIMBORAZO HOSPITAL – THEY THREATEN CITIZENS, AND FIRE UPON THE POLICE – ELEVEN CAPTURED – SOME OF THE NEGROES WOUNDED, &C. – Information was received, on Friday night, at the Police Station, between 10 and 11 o’clock, that a large body of negroes, probably about one hundred, armed with various kinds of weapons, were stationed at or near Chimborazo Hospital, threatening every person who attempted to pass their lines, and making a general row. Major Claiborne, Chief-of-Police, immediately dispatched Sergeant Baptist, with the following named policemen, to the scene of action: James Morris, Augustus Ball, E. H. Ally, J. C. Allen and W. Whitt. When they arrived at the corner of Twenty-eighth and Clay, they came in contact with two negro sentinels posted there. Sergeant Baptist, with his squad, continued to advance, and the negro sentinels retreated to the main body, a few hundred yards to their rear, crying all the while, “halt.” Notwithstanding the great odds, Sergeant Baptist, with his squad, continued to advance, and when the two sentinels above named had reached the main force they fired a volley into the policemen without effect. The ire was returned by the policemen, and as soon as this was done the negroes retreated down Clay street across a bridge towards Chimborazo Hospital. They had not long arrived at the hospital when Sergeant Baptist threw out skirmishers and continued to advance. As soon as they found out this they were heard to cry out, “Fall in, company C,” which proves conclusively that they were a regularly organized band. Sergeant Baptist, hearing this order of theirs, immediately concluded to retire from the scene of action, as his ammunition was exhausted. About this time Sergeant Howard arrived with a fresh supply, and a squad of United States soldiers, under the charge of a Sergeant, also arrived about this time from the “Libby.” No enemy was now to be seen, and the soldiers, with the policemen, advanced to Chimborazo and searched it. Everything about the premises was in utter darkness, and not a soul was seen that was not apparently asleep. Eleven of the negroes, who were happily enjoying the slumbers of the night, were recognized and taken in custody. Ten of the eleven were taken to the Libby; the odd one was taken to the Police Station. We give the names of such of those as we were able to gather. They are – Tom Jackson, John Green, George Jefferson, Shadrack Jasper and John Jackson. It was the declared purpose of the negroes, as they said, to kill every d-d rebel son of a b-h that crossed their path. A young man named H. K. Adams, who was passing the neighborhood in the early part of the night was attacked and fired upon by the party. He was struck twice, once in the head, and again in the arm, though not seriously injured. The wound in the head is quite painful. His clothes were riddled with bullets. Out of the eleven arrested, three were found to be wounded, one in the mouth, one in the leg, and a third in the arm. An order was issued yesterday by Major General Turner, and a notification of the fact sent ot the headquarters of Major Claiborne, that a detail of twenty men and three sergeants would be sent in the neighborhood of Chimborazo. The services of the Richmond Blues were kindly tendered the city by Captain Bigger. Great credit is due the parties engaged in the arrest of these negroes. Those that are now under arrest will be tried to-day before Judge McEntee, when they will, no doubt, meet the punishment they so richly deserve.