Camilla in Mitchell County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Camilla Massacre
Photographed By James L.Whitman, March 23, 2023
1. Camilla Massacre Marker
In one of the most violent episodes in Reconstruction Georgia, a rally in Mitchell County in September 1868 resulted in about a dozen freedmen being killed and several dozen wounded. Georgia had been re-admitted to the United States just two months prior. Leading up to the terrible events of September 19, White Democrats and Republicans in the Georgia legislature expelled all 28 African-American legislators. One of those expelled, Philip Joiner from southwest Georgia, led several hundred freedmen from Albany to Camilla for a rally in the Mitchell County seat. Upon arrival, the sheriff and other local Whites opened fire. Many Black voters stayed home for the 1868 election two months later. News of the massacre circulated throughout the country, and Congress returned Georgia to military occupation and further Reconstruction.
Erected 2023 by the Georgia Historical Society, Union Baptist Church, Mitchell County NAACP Branch #5254, and Mitchell County High School Class of 1980. (Marker Number 101.1.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights. A significant historical date for this entry is September 19, 1868.
Location. 31° 13.876′ N, 84° 12.564′ W. Marker is in Camilla, Georgia, in Mitchell County. Marker
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Old City Well (here, next to this marker); Mitchell County (within shouting distance of this marker); Mitchell County War Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); The Spirit of Camilla (approx. 0.2 miles away); St. Valentine's Day Tornados (approx. half a mile away); Hawthorne Trail (approx. 0.8 miles away); Neuhauser Building (approx. 8 miles away); Baker County (approx. 9.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Camilla.
Photographed By James L.Whitman, March 23, 2023
2. Camilla Massacre Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 24, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 23, 2023, by James L.Whitman of Eufaula, Alabama. This page has been viewed 306 times since then and 79 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 23, 2023, by James L.Whitman of Eufaula, Alabama. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
