The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-09-05


wards abandoned that determination, and for what
reasonY Why that If he had fired, he would
have killed everybody about the cannon, not only
the boys, but everybody else who might be about
it, My blood almost ran cold when heard hin
so picture to himself the scene about the market
house when heard him say that be marched up
with the design TO order the firing, He changed
his intention but he did not come up as to out
flank them and charge upon and capture the whole
party. It is great pity that he did not do So for
then you would have had the guilty parties; and
then there would have been none of this shooting.
Though he said he did not consider IL his business
to run after the gitives he left that TO the police
and the magistrates, and to the lawyers; lawyer as
! am, maintain that it was moro his duty to cap
ture than to shoot those in charge Of the adver-
sary gun; and 1t would have brought no disgrace
on his military prOwess, ii he had outfanked and
captured them. think il would rather have added
q plume, than plucked feather, from his cap.
But, perhaps, his military ardor was excited. 1t
is not always agreeable in military affairs to take
prisoners: sometimes they shoot them to get rid
OF them, and, perhaps, on this occasion, it would
have been less trouble to shoot them than to take
them. However, do not attribute such feelings
to the worthy gentleman; but ! think the worthy
commander had an idea that an achievement was
accidentally thrown in his way, and required the
swivel in the hands of those boys as a trophy of
the occasion. He had one hundred and fourteen
Marines armed with muskets and bayonets,
charged with cartridges containing bullet and
three buckshot each, on the first day Of June, in
the year of our Lord 1857, on Seventh street,
in tho city Of Washington, and he charged, gal
lantly charged, and VIGOROUSLY conquered some
half dozen boys with a swivel that could not be
fred That is an achievement! They charged
in gallant style, in a manner which has been
described as running at the top of their speed
across the street; no doubt each man We'd with
the other for the honor of being first to cross
bayonet over that cannon. There was no attempt
made 10 catch the boys. The Marines came
across at q charge, and the moment the boys saw
the glsam Of the bayonets, they ran. OF course
they might be expected to run. They could not
be expected to withstand platoon Of Marines.
And as they ran some OF them pitched stones at
the Marines. I think one witness saw a stone
strike bayonet Of one Of the Marines; some shot
pistols at the Marines according to great many
Witnesses one pistol; according to others, sew
eral and according to Major Tyler, there were
fifty or sixty. Be that as it may, when the
Marines charged bayonets and drove the boys
away, in the true spirit that belongs to our race
they determined to show some little spunk on
the occasion, and some pitched stones and some
took out their little pocket pistols and popped
away. The Marines, according to my comprehend
sion Of the word did not stand fire. Gallant
men, soldiers, would never have shot promiscu-
ously at flying boys or into crowd. Well
trained veterans stand the crack Of pistol undis
turbed, but here they fred their deadly muskets
into the party of spectators. The gallant sol.
diers stood in battle array, armed with muskets,
and performed the glorious achievement of firing
their deadly Weapons upon flying boys, killing,
mot the boys, or the parties engaged in the muss,
but poor innocent negro, who was passing
quietly far awky from the scene of this disturb
ance; yes, they shoot, kill, MAIN, and wound,
God knows how many others. Aye, gentlemen,
it was gallant action. There was such equality
between the partieA! But now the swivel was
taken; the terrible conflict was over; the one
hundred and fourteen Marines, well differed and
armed, had beaten half a dozen flying boys, who
popped their pistols in their retreat 1t was a
great achievement to capture their cannon; to
catch them was not the business of soldiers. The
most gallant act of all was to- shoot them down
as they ran away. 1t happened that one of those
pocket pistols took marine in the face and
wounded him In the cheek--not dangerously, but
it drew blood and no doubt made him present
quite an awful appearance to his comrades. He
was shot in the face expect he was gallant
fellow, for he was not shot in the back. should
like him to have given to you, gentlemen of the
jury, his account of the other Marines as he gave
il to us Eyes as big as saucers Well he was
shot in the face. He was of the charging party
TO whom the honor OF capturing that gun belongs
Having received his wound, he left his position,
no doubt staggered, and he falls down upon his
comrades, who we're in the line. There was his
bloody face, his streaming wound, at the sight Of
which some one cried out, "Fire!" and then the
fellows levelled their muskets on the innocent
crowd at Allston's corner. IL is clear gentlemen,
that that fire, about which so much has been said,
was drawn forth by the presence Of that marine
upon the line, to which he had rctrcated, and the
sight of his blood for Major Tyler, hearing fire in
his rear turned to see what was the cause of IL,
and beheld men falling, and dying, and weltering
in their blood on tie pavement at Allston's cor
ner, and the deadly muskets of the next platoon
ready to fire. He tells us he ran down the line,
and most fortunately arrested that second fire,
and demanded from the second in command what
caused the firing, Gentlemen, you remember bis
answer. One Of his men had been shot in the
face, and thereupon the Marines fired. He did
not say, according to my recollection, that Cap
tain Maddox ordered them TO FIRE, but that was
the excuse for the firing. The wounded marine,
from the affray about the swivel had fallen back
on his line his bloody face was exhibited to his
comrades and instantly the cry of fire" is heard,
and these parties plunge their fire, not into the
offending the armed party, but into citizens,
spectators, many Of whom, according to the proof,
were drawn to the scene with the Marines them
selves At that fire Allston fell In his own door
way. Why was that fire delivered? If it was
ordered, where is the officer that ordered itf
Had n been an order by an officer, the men hav-
ing been proved to have stood under arms, ! sup
pose the order would have been, fright, aim,
fire" in military style. But there is no proof Of
that II was rabble fire, the work Of mob, a
military mob, without the sanction Of official
authority.
If any officer commanded it, why is he not here
to prove it? Why has not Captain Maddox been
summoned by the United States, and put on the
stsndl Why has not Lieut.. Henderson been put
ON the stand? II that excuse for firing is real,
that stones were thrown and pistol shot from
Allston's corner, why is it not proved There