Affidavit and Ballot of Charles Knox
11/4/1872
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In this affidavit (image three), Charles Knox swears that, "owing to the illegal acts of the Commissioners of Election," he was deprived of his right to vote as a citizen and legal voter in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, because he "had no registration certificate of T.S. Brady Supervisor." The second image shows Knox's voter registration signed by Supervisor John S. Chapman. Also attached is the Republican ballot for the 1872 Presidential Election for the State of Louisiana.
Knox was one of many who were denied the right to vote in Louisiana, the majority of whom were Black residents of the parishes. This was in violation of the Enforcement Act of 1870, also known as the Civil Rights Act of 1870 (an act of Congress signed into law by the President on May 31, 1870), that provided for the enforcement of the rights of citizens to vote in several states.
The Act prohibited state officials from discriminating in voter registration on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It established penalties for doing so, and gave Federal courts the power to enforce the act. Court supervision of elections in the southern states was further extended by an act of Congress, approved June 10, 1872, that provided for Federal supervision of voter registration or an election if 10 citizens of the county or parish petitioned to the judge of the U.S. circuit court.
Those prevented from voting gave sworn affidavits to U.S. supervisors of elections in each parish, who sent the affidavits to the chief supervisor of elections, who filed the affidavits with the U.S. circuit court.
Knox was one of many who were denied the right to vote in Louisiana, the majority of whom were Black residents of the parishes. This was in violation of the Enforcement Act of 1870, also known as the Civil Rights Act of 1870 (an act of Congress signed into law by the President on May 31, 1870), that provided for the enforcement of the rights of citizens to vote in several states.
The Act prohibited state officials from discriminating in voter registration on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It established penalties for doing so, and gave Federal courts the power to enforce the act. Court supervision of elections in the southern states was further extended by an act of Congress, approved June 10, 1872, that provided for Federal supervision of voter registration or an election if 10 citizens of the county or parish petitioned to the judge of the U.S. circuit court.
Those prevented from voting gave sworn affidavits to U.S. supervisors of elections in each parish, who sent the affidavits to the chief supervisor of elections, who filed the affidavits with the U.S. circuit court.
Transcript
Original No. 3496(handwritten note: voted Nov. 7, R H Day)
United States of America,
State of Louisiana.
Parish of East Baton Rouge—S.S.
This is to Certify, That Charles Knox a native of U.S. and a citizen of Louisiana, was duly registered upon his personal application, by the undersigned Supervisor of Registration of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, as a resident of the 1st Police Jury Ward of said Parish, on the 12th day of September Anno Domini, 1870.
John S. Chapman
Supervisor of Registration for the Parish of E.B. Rouge
United States of America,
State of Louisiana.
In the Election Precinct of the Parish of East Baton Rouge. Be it remembered, that on the 12th day of Sept. in the year 1870, Personally came before the Supervisor of Registration of said Parish Charles Knox who being duly sworn, affirmed doth depose and say as follows, to-wit:
My name is Charles Knox I was born at Louisiana in the year 1845 my occupation is Laborer and I reside at City Baton Rouge. I am a citizen of Louisiana and have been residing in this State ever since the my birth day of -----18---. I am now claiming to be registered in the Election Precinct of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, in which I now reside. I have no other place of residence and I did not remove to the said election precinct for the purpose of voting therein, but for the purpose of making it my place of residence in pursuance of my lawful calling.
Charles (X his mark)
Sworn and subscribed to, this 12th day of Sept., A.D., 1870, before me
John S. Chapman
Supervisor of Registration for the Parish of E.B. Rouge
Form of affidavit to be used whenever any person has been prevented from depositing his vote by any illegal or wrongful means of the Commissioners of Election.
NOTE—If any legal voter has been prevented from casing his vote, from any cause, fill out the following affidavit and deliver same to United States Supervisor of the poll where he would have cast his vote who will return same to F.A. Woolfley, Chief Supervisor:
State of Louisiana,
Parish of East Baton Rouge, La
On the fourth day of November, 1872, I, Charles Knox a duly qualified voter in the parish of East Baton Rouge , presented myself at the polling place located at Court House in said parish, which had been designated by the supervisor of registration as a poll, and offered to perform all acts required to entitle me to vote, and was prepared to exhibit to the Commissioners of Election at said poll a certificate of registration furnished me during the registration of J.S. Chapman a copy of which is attached showing me to be entitled to vote in the aforesaid parish. I further state that owing to the illegal acts of the Commissioners of Election, I was deprived of my right to vote as a citizen and legal voter, to wit:
Because I had no registration certificate of T.S. Brady Supervisor.
[NOTE—Here state means used in preventing the voter from voting.]
I further state that I was prepared to offer and should have offered to the Commissioners of Election at said poll for deposit in the ballot box the ballot hereunto attached, had I not wrongfully been prevented by the illegal acts of the aforesaid Commissioners from so doing, and that the wrongful acts or omissions of said Commissioners to receive and deposit my ballot, to be counted, is a denial of my rights at a citizen under the Act of Congress, entitled “An Act to enforce the rights of citizens of the United States to vote in the several States of the Union and for other purposes,” approved, May 31, 1870. I further demand that my ballot be counted and returned for the several candidates named thereon, as provided by said act.
(Here attach ballot.)
Signatures of two witnesses who are cognizant of the truth of the affidavit.
Charles (X his mark) Knox
J.H. Branch
A Gilbert
Subscribed and sworn to, this 4th day of November, 1872, before me,
Geo. P. Davis
Parish Judge
Parish of East Baton Rouge
November 4th 1872.
I certify that I was at the polling place above mentioned on the day of election, November 4, 1872, and that the statement of Charles Knox above subscribed to, is true in every particular.
WG Lane
U.S. Supervisor of Election at said Poll.
Regular National Republican Ticket
For President Gen. U.S. Grant
For Vice President Henry Wilson.
Presidential Electors at Large
M.F. Bonzano, Jules Lanabere, Chas. E. Halstead.
1st District L.G. Roudanez
2nd ‘’ A.K. Johnson
3rd ‘’ Milton Morris
4th ‘’ Joseph Taylor
5th ‘’ John Ray
STATE TICKET.
Election, November 4th, 1872 --
For Governor William Pitt Kellogg.
For Lieutenant Governor C.C. Antoine.
For Auditor of Public Accounts Charles Clinton.
Secretary of State P.G. Deslonde.
Attorney General A.P. Field.
Superintendent of Public Education W.G. Brown.
Congress at Large P.B. S. Pinchback.
For 43rd Congress C.B. Darrall.
For Judge 5th Judicial District. R.T. Posey.
For District Attorney 5th Judicial District. B.E. Chaney.
Parish Ticket—East Baton Rouge.
For Senator 13th Senatorial District, J. Henri Burch.
House of Representatives, C.W. Bryant. Augustus Williams, J.P. Wilson.
Parish Judge. George P. Davis.
Recorder, Alexander Smith.
Sheriff, Gustave LeBlanc.
Clerk of Court. Felix Berhel.
Coroner, Benjamin Morgan.
Police Jurors. Leon Gaste. Wm. Hickman. R.T. Young. O.H. Forman. Andrew Harrigan.
Justice of the Peace,
1st ward—Norman L. Underhill.
2nd ward—Charles Doyle.
3d ward----------------------
4th ward—Robert Monson.
5th ward—A. Rayburn.
6th ward-----------------------
7th ward—R. Young.
8th ward—Charles Spears.
9th ward—Valcour Anderson
10th ward----------------------
11th ward—E.J. Stillman.
12th ward—Alex. Ridley.
Constable,
1st ward—Jules Collins.
2nd ward—Alex. Gilbert.
3rd ward------------------------
4th ward—James Hall.
5th ward—Paris Triplett.
6th ward------------------------
7th ward—Philip Barrow.
8th ward—Wm. Spears.
9th ward—Mourton Mitchell.
10th ward-----------------------
11th ward—Thos. Montgomery.
12th ward—Chas. Newman.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
Full Citation: Republican Ballot for the 1872 Presidential Election for the State of Louisiana; 11/4/1872; Affidavits of Rejected Voters, 1872 - 1886; Records of District Courts of the United States, Record Group 21; National Archives at Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/charles-knox-affidavit, April 27, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.