| Notes |
- Calvin Crozier, son of Robert G. and Susan Hardy Crozier, was murdered in Newberry, SC on September 8, 1865. I am looking for relatives of his who may have family photographs or other family information that could be included in the next printing of the book on him. It would just be super to have a photo. (See sources for Sherry Davis' email address.)
** (ed -- the newspaper article below indicates Calvin was killed on Oct. 23.)
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CALVIN CROZIER -- The Newberry (S.C.) Herald gives an account of the death of this gentleman, who was reared in Galveston, where his parents now reside.
Crozier had driven a negro from a seat near a lady in the ladies' car on some railroad, when a squad of negroes, hearing of the difficulty, came up arrested and were about to shoot another man. Crozier stepped up and said he was the author of the offence. He was taken to headquarters, where he acknowledged what he had done, and said he would do it again under similar circumstances. He was then sentenced to death, and taken under strong guard a few yards from camp, and a hole being dug, was ordered to kneel upon its margin. At this point, Mr. S.P. Kinard, who lives near, approached and saw the flash of the guns as the negroes fired upon Crozier, who immediately fell. Mr. K. saw the negroes afterward jumping upon the body, which was too large for the hole. All this time the regiment, the 33d of United States colored troops, was in line, in readiness to move, which it did in a short time, a few miles down the road, to wait for the cars.
An inquest was held, and much evidence elicited, but whether sufficient to prove the colonel of these negro troops was cognizant of their atrocity, is not known. The Herald says the case "calls loudly for examination and satisfaction," and that the facts will be submitted to the Secretary of War. It adds: "The deceased is said to have been a most estimable young man, brave and generous, as was clearly shown in his giving himself up when he might have escaped. During the morning of Friday our citizens had the body taken from the hole where it was only partially covered, placed in a neat coffin and interred in the Newberry graveyard, in the afternoon, a very large, respectable and sympathizing procession of ladies and gentlemen following it to its final resting place.
Mr. Crozier had been a member of the 3d Kentucky Confederate Cavalry. He was shot on the 23d of last month.
The Galveston Daily News, Nov. 24, 1865, p. 2
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Murder of Calvin Crozier
Many of our citizens will remember that young Calvin Crozier, the victim of the following tragedy, was formerly a resident of this city. His father and brother-in-law, Mr. E.M. Stackpole, now reside here. Mr. Crozier was in the Confederate service throughout the war, under Gen. Gano, from whom he received high commendation for his gallantry and many acts of intrepidity. The following account is taken from the New York News. It is proper to remark that young Crozier was on his return home after the final surrender, when he was murdered by order of Gen. Trowbridge.
Not satisfied with having, at a cost that it makes one shudder to think of, made the once prosperous and happy States of the South a waste of desolation, and persecuted her impoverish and helpless with insulting and oppressive legislation, the Radicals have inaugurated a system of party persecutions, directed against those officers of the army whose sense of justice or self-respect forbid them to take part in the crusade against the people of the South.
From Gens. Blair and Sickles down to the humblest Subaltern, every officer who has evinced a disposition to shape his official course in accordance with the dictates of reason, justice and humanity, has been made to feel in one form or another, the weight of Radical displeasure.
The latest case of the sort that has fallen under our notice is that of General Charles Devins, of Massachusetts, who denounced, through the press, as little better than a traitor, because he was unwilling to sanction a crime, the perpetrator of which, in any other service than our own, as regulated by the Radicals, would have been summarily shot. This denunciation is based chiefly upon Gen. Devens' action in the case of Lieut. Col. Trowbridge, tried by court-martial for the murder of Calvin Crozier. The facts in the case are briefly these: Crozier, who was a paroled Confederate soldier, was traveling about a year ago on the Newberry, S.C., train, accompanied by two ladies.
Just before the cars reached the depot, some negroes belonging to the 33d Regiment U.S.C.T., who had got board at a wood station above, entered the ladies' car and commenced insulting the passengers. One of them, named Mills, came up to Crozier's party, and putting his arm around the waist of one of the ladies, attempted to kiss her. A scuffle of course ensued, in the course of which Mills was stabbed. He was carried out, mortally wounded, as was supposed, and immediately the cars were surrounded by a furious mob of negroes belonging to the 33d regiment, which was quartered there at the time. Crozier was arrested, and, although there was no evidence that he had inflicted the wound, within twenty minutes thereafter he was shot by order of Col. Trowbridge without having any trial whatever.
The affair created an intense excitement in the community and all through the States, to allay which an ex parte court of inquiry was called, which, as a matter of course, acquitted Trowbridge of all blame in the matter. His excuse was that if he had not caused Cozier (sic) to be shot, his men would have sacked the town. Governor Perry, however, not being prepared to believe that the Union States authorities would sanction so gross an outrage, applied to Gen. Gilmore for an investigation. This was ordered by Gen. Devens, then temporarily in command, and, upon the report of the inspector general, a court martial was ordered by Gen. Gilmore, who by that time had returned and resumed command.
Mills, for whose murder Crozier had been shot, was present at the trial, but strange to say, was not examined. The court martial acquitting Trowbridge on on (sic) the ground already stated, and Gen. Devens disapproved the finding, using in regard to it the following language: "Calvin Crozier was executed summarily by Lieut. Col. Trowbridge, for the murder of private Mills, 33d U.S.C.T., who not only was not murdered by said Crozier, but is today alive and well. It was, in my opinion, a most unjustifiable act," etc. What else, in the name of common decency could he have done? If Crozier had killed Mills on the spot, he would have been justified. But he did not kill him, and there was no evidence that he had even wounded him; and yet, when this bloodthirsty scoundrel Trowbridge -- this coward who could not control his own men -- deliberately murders Crozier at the instigation of his black ruffians, General Devens is called upon to indorse his conduct, and denounced because he will not. Was there ever such tyranny, such atrocious proscription, such unblushing avowal of lawlessness.
The time hath been, a boyish, blushing time,
When modesty was scarcely a crime;
When the most wicked had some touch of grace,
And trembled to meet virtue fact to face;
When those who, in the cause of sin grown gray,
Had served her without grudging day by day,
Were yet so weak an awkward shame to feel,
And strove their glorious service to conceal.
We, better bred, and than our sires more wise,
Such paltry narrowness of soul despise;
To virtue every mean pretence disclaim,
Lay bare our crimes and glory in our shame.
We have deferred at length to this case of Crozier's, because it throws a light upon the course pursued by post commanders and petty officers in the interior of the Southern States, and will serve to explain the irritation and uneasiness caused by the continuance of the military occupation and the suspension of the habeas corpus. As for Gen. Devens, who is a gentleman, which is more than can be said of his defamers, he will survive these attacks upon his loyalty; and the time will come when his action in the Trowbridge case will be regarded, even in Boston, as the only redeeming feature of a transaction otherwise most foul and disgraceful.
The Galveston Daily News, July 1, 1866, p. 1
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1838 - 1865 (27 years)
