 The week before the 1898 election, the Red Shirts' activities were non-stop, and the threats were so recurrent that many Republicans and Fusionist speakers canceled their engagements; the entire Republican Fusion ticket withdrew in New Hanover County.A few days before the election on November 2, 1898, the "Morning Star" newspaper of Wilmington reported a large rally with the Red Shirt affiliate Claude Kitchin as the fiery speaker.The rally involved 1,000 men with red shirts who marched for 10 miles in the predominantly black areas of Richmond County, North Carolina.