Following Emancipation, federal Union soldiers and the Freedmen's Bureau arrived in Millican to assist in the transition to Reconstruction. At the same time, the Ku Klux Klan first appeared there, parading through Black neighborhoods and threatening violence. In response, many Freedmen armed themselves, and under the leadership of Reverend George Edwin Brooks, a former enslaved person and pastor in the African American community, they organized the Freedmen's Militia Unit to protect their families and homes, growing to more than 100 members within weeks. On July 15, 1868, a rumor spread that freedman Miles Brown had been lynched on the farm of Andrew Holliday, and the militia assembled under Harry Thomas to find him. News of this action reached Millican, and Mayor G.A. Wheat and Deputy Sheriff Patillo formed a posse and headed to the Holliday farm. The two groups met at a bend in the road and shots rang out, killing Harry Thomas and two other Black men instantly and wounding others. With tensions high, the mayor called for able-bodied men in the county to set up a blockade, drawing in hundreds from nearby towns. False reports of armed Black men and fear within the White community led to violence and murder. The body of Reverend Brooks was found on July 25, and he was buried near Brooks Chapel A.M.E. Church. Newspapers reported that as many as 70 African Americans were killed during this two-month period in Millican, though accounts varied and the full number may never be known. Despite the danger and uncertainty, many families remained in the Brazos Valley while others fled to safer conditions. The events affected the area for years and are considered the worst incident of racial violence in Texas during Reconstruction.

Photo: Morgan Petermann