On September 4, 1875, Charles Caldwell, a former slave and Republican state senator, organized a political rally at “Moses Hill.” Firing erupted during the rally, which was attended by more than 1,500 blacks and about 75 whites, including some white Democrats. During the ensuing melee, at least four whites and five blacks were killed, and in the next few days many more blacks were killed by vigilante mobs from nearby towns. The violence served as a pretext for the return of white rule and the end of Reconstruction in Mississippi.
