 These negotiations were not successful, and around February 12, eight black men were killed by 500 to 700 whites in black gowns with masks, and was followed by nightly Klan raids for months.Bratton was the step-son of Williams' former owner, Samuel Rainey, and was a former surgeon in the Confederate Army.During this time, some local whites claimed Williams had threatened to kill local whites and that Williams' militia was stockpiling weapons.