Peter Spung’s Reviews > Wilmington's Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy > Status Update

The Epilog recounts the fallout from and renewed interest in the murderous 1898 Coup, including the decline of the black population & livelihoods in Wilmington since, the rise in white supremacist voting laws across the south similar to NC's, attempts at reconciliation catalyzed by the 1998 Centennial, and recounts of descendants. The actions and ethos of the time are hard to comprehend and square with my morality.

Neither Miller, Scott, Henderson, Manly, Wright, Melton nor French returned to Wilmington. Many rebuilt their lives and businesses in the north, and only a couple visited for funerals, and in disguise. The 1900 suffrage amendment ended the political career of US Rep George White, the only black Congressmen. Daniels despised him and the N&O maligned him. Rejoicing by whites happened in 1901 when White's term ended.

The 1900 amendment referendum was preceded by the March 1989 Wilmington municipal election. Due to intimidation and fraud, 21 blacks registered and 5 voted, out of thousands. The white supremacist alderman ran unopposed out of fear. In 1900 the suffrage amendment passed statewide. Some county results were laughably fraudulent. Simmons, Aycock and Daniels began long political careers and powerful machines.

Murder, fraud & intimidation during the 1898 election excluded blacks from voting. White supremacist Democrats sought cementing it legally through a poll tax, literacy tests, and a grandfather exemption for poor & illiterate whites. N&O's Daniels files dispatches from Louisiana with a similar scheme. Gov Aycock slates a public referendum in 1900 after a landslide passing in the super-majority Dem state legislature.

Deposed Wilmington officials Melton, Bunting and Gilbert were driven out of town and stalked on the trains out of North Carolina. Appeals to Pres McKinley for federal intervention had no impact, including a mtg with Manly. A DOJ attorney was assigned, but after a year of interviews, could find no credible white witnesses to testify to a grand jury. All were intimated and scared. Racial harmony seemed impossible.

Some black families returned from sleeping out; others totaling in the thousands left Wilmington. The city council wastes no time firing Fusionist, Republican and black officials and replacing them with whites. In many positions whites were far less productive than blacks. Notorious black paper editor Alex Manly who several blamed for catalzing the bloody coup stayed away in New York City and had no supporters.

Newspapers across North Carolina and around the country reported accounts of the coup. Each was slanted based on the race and partisan leanings of the editors and readers. On Nov 15th a victory rally was held in Raleigh with parades, bands fireworks and flaming rhetoric about white supremacy and rule, and black tolerance. Black suffrage and the 15th amendment were under attack in NC, viewed as the root cause.

Now Mayor, Col Waddell needed to restore employees to their jobs and citizens to their homes. Many black families were sleeping out in cemeteries and the woods, afraid to return home since the bloody Nov 10th coup. Black ministers join the cause, and spoke the following Sunday to their congregations about how the mayor and alderman will protect them. Many were wary, and making plans to leave Wilmington permanently.

Before the coup, Wilmington had a thriving & growing black middle class. Posperous black families who had flourishing churches, law practices, shops, or other businesses were on the banishment list. Many escaped town by train or buggy, but were threatened by Red Shirts patroling and often bailed before their planned destination. Federal appointee Dancy urged calm and submissive behavior among his fellow blacks.

Black families marched out of Wilmington after the coup and killings. Taylor and MacRae listed 50 men who were considered troublesome: not white supremacists. They were forever banished from the city. Forced marches to the train station and near hangings or lynchings followed. One target's bullet riddled body, Carter Peamon, was found in Hilton Park, likely executed while northbound and flung from the train.