New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-11-12
The Election Riots in Baltimore.

The election in this city was unfortunately attended
with most deplorabe amount of bloodshed and riot
ing. Pistols, guns knives ETC., were freely used by
all parties, and the most determined spirit was
evinced. We condense from the Baltimore Patriot Of
the 9Th inst. the annexed account of the affair:
Our city yesterday made the theater Of the
most prolonged and desperate rioting Armed and
organized associations, belonging to both political
parties, resorted to the firearms with which they
literally provided and fought with ferocious and dar
ing reckessness. Individual combats and minor
at1rays occurred at number Of the polls. but the
most serious took place in the vicinity Of the second
and eighth ward polls The particulars and results OF
these dsgracenl encounters were with great difficulty
gathered last night, but give such details as our
reporters were able to collect.
THE RIOT AT THE SECOND WARD.
During the morning there considerable i'll feel
ing displayed at the second ward polls, but up to
) O'Clock, no disturbance occurred. At that hour
furious fight broke out, said to have originated from
a stone being thrown into the crowd surrounding the
window. Pistols were Immediately drawn and fred
by both parties The Democrats, headed by George
konig, drove the Americans from the polls and up
High street. The alarm was carried to the fourth
ward polls, and strong body of Americans started
from there In the vicinity of the second ward polls
they were met and driven back. Further reinforce
ments were then received and the renewed. 4
good proportion OF both parties by this time were pro-
vded with mnskets, whilst others used pistols, and
others skirmished with knives and clubs. Both par
ties fought with determination and in many instances
exposed themselves with the most reckless disregard
of danger The battle. aground was spread over p0r-
tions Of Fawn Stiles Exeter and High streets, and
Eastern avenue, and the spectacle presented was
terrible and revolving one As either party gained
temporary advantage, men would be seen running
with others shooting at them; the wounded were
limping off and being carried away by their compan-
ions, whilst others begmed with smoke and powder.
and in some cases covered with blood, still kept up the
fight, now firing sngly and then again in voeys. In
the surrounding neighborhood the utmost degree OF
excitement and CONSERVATION prevailed Children
hastily gathered the houses closed and the
pants in many instances sought their garres and Gel
lars tc be out Of harms way.
The Democrats were finally overpowered, driven
away from the polls, and retreated still fighting down
Eastern avenue. In the neighborhood Of the Cause
way they again made stand, and there a guerilla
warfare carried on from the alleys and street corners,
continued for more than an hour Of the number
wounded in this riot it is almost impossible to give
full correct list They generally carried away
by their friends and even when traced, every ettort
was made to conceal their names.
The Patriot here names some fourteen persons
among whom were several women and children, who
were known to have been wounded during the fight
in this neighborhood, and says that the firing was
continued at intervals until dark, and there were
probably many more wounded whose names could not
be learned because of the excitement that prevailed
| TIE BELA1R MARKET.
| About 3 o'clock in the afternoon report was
brought to the police, stationed at the eighth ward
that there lighting at the sixth ward and assist
ance was asked to quell it. The police started and
with them several hundred of the crowd assembled
around the polls who in a few moments were armed
with mlslets and accompanied by two gangs OF boys
each dragging small brass cannon on wheels. They
passed along the side Of the Belair market, and to-
wards Orleans street. when they met by CON
course of equally as wild and infuriated men and
youths, armed with muskets and pistols. fight
then commenced, the eight ward Democrats taking
shelter i'll the market house, and the sixth and seventh
ward Americans firing from the fish market and the
corners OF Orleans street. They finally rallied the
eighth ward party and drove them up through the
market accompanied by perfect volleys of mIsketry
and the occasional discharge OF swivel. The fight
ing through the market continued with but little
intermssion up to dark, when both parties retired.
The names OF forty persons are here given, vino
were wounded i'll this atfray and carried off by
their friends during its continuance. There were
many others, however, who were carried home by
their friends before the reporter of the Patriot had
been able to obtain their names.
| AT THE FOURTH, SIXTH AND EIGHru WARDS.-i"
these wards there were several brief individual ell
counters, in which blood was Shed freely indeed Il
may be said, that there was continued blawls durius
the whole day