The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-10-24
additional force should be needed. At,r ,ho a.

. - Vt'b tiSor the mayors once, was pToyldet
WIN complement Of seventy five men, who wer
not permitted TO absent themselves during III,
whole day.
me ehtife iorce at my command consisted O
about four hundred nen the substitute. being de
tailed for general service throughout the CITY
Ihere was ample provision 10 arm and eoup The
entire force. Nf~r ''N.'
AT haifpast ten o'clock made the cirenit OF
tne western section OF the city In COMPANY with
the Chief Marshal, communicating with the .Jrdecs
az the various precincts and satisfying sef that
everything was progressing Ia All orderly manner
LII no single instance did / witness any net that
required my Interference. Tie voting was pro.
ceedins quietly, and total absence OF all cIet..
| ment seemed 10 pervsde thc city.
| on my return to the Mayors office after making
THIS circuit, was met by Captain Mitchell, Of ths
police, who Informed me of the outbreak IA the
| Eighth ward, and the murder Of Sergeant Jour.
dan. The Intelligence brought BY that officer wa.
such as 10 induce me 10 order the whole reserve
Oh seVenty-iye men, at the Central Station 20
proceed promptly 20 the Mayors office TO receive
their arms. The muskets werc distributed at the
stauon 10 these officers in my presence and the
cmei Marshal ordered TO proceed to the scene OF
not, with instructions TO take possession of Jack.
son Han, tho Irish headquarters and make arrests
OF the parties who had fired upon and murdered
sergeant jourdan Of the police II further rein.
'orcements were needed, the Mayor WAS TO be
notihed The order was executed with exemplary
eoolness by Marshal Herring aud the men under
ms command. Under heavy fire, they charged
| upon ana took cannon which had been stationed
TO command the street, making arrests OF those
VINO were III the act OF firing ana making prisoners
OF al VINO were In the house, besides capturing
| their arms and ammunition - ...'
| the western section of the city was also a scene
| OF rlot, caused by an attack made with firearms
| ana missiles from the New Market engnie house
Capt Lineweaveg charged and took the house,
with thirty stand of arms, and | Immediately Or
| dered strong guard to be placed over it until
further orders from the Mayors office.
The news of the murder of Sergeant Jourdan
by the Irish soon spread in the eastern and west.
| ern sections of the city, and produced the most
intense excitement. Fears being expressed of the
safety Of the prisoners who had been concerned
in his murder, repaired to the Middle station
soon al ter their arrival, and announced my pur-
pose to protect them against violence by resort
to arms if necessary. The crowd continued around
the building for some time, but without any at
tempt to resist my authority. In the absence of
the magistrate committed the prisoners to jail,
and ordered their prompt removal under the SUI
peryision Of the Marshal
| Retr acing my steps, was informed that pur-
! pose existed in the Fourth Ward, where Sergeant
Jordan resided, as well as in other wards in that
section of the city, to march upon the Eighth
Ward to revenge his death ! lost no time in
repairing to that quarter of the city went into
all the wards, spoke to the people, and cautioned
| them against such interference. They assured
me OF their confidence in my purpose to see that
justice was done, and in every quarter OF their
support in maintaining the peace of the city, and
their Willingness to leave the Offenders TO be dealt
| with by the civil authorities. The Chief MARSHAL
attended me during this visit.
It was late in the evening when I returned
| from the Eastern section of the city About
seven O'Clock a dispatch reported that the Irish
had risen upon the guard left in charge of the
Eighth Ward-had oyerpowered them by their
numbers and had shot Officer Kidd. detach.
ment OF fifty muskets were again put in motion
for that quarter, and promptly succeeded in re-
storing order. At later period in the evening,
say about s O'Clock, message came that body
OF about forty Americans had made a descent
upon the Eighth Ward and were firing upon the
Irish. IL was now dark, aud tho nien who had
been under arms all day, were broken down by
fatigue. Captain Mitchell, however was ordered
to take charge of detachment of fifty men, to
proceed 10 the Eighth Ward, and TO surround and
make prisoners of all who might be found engaged
in this conflict The order was executed with
promptness, and the officer reported, on his
return, that no attack had been made upon the
Irish, and that tn report was wholly without
foundation.
Such is brief record of the part which took
in the late election. am not aware that |
omitted any duty. The vodng went on in most
Of the wards with entire exemption from coniu-
sion, until the occurrence in the Eighth Ward
II was here and here alone that any serious riot
occurred. The only victims OF the late riots are
already known to the public.
Four Of the policemen were fred upon and
wounded by Democratic crowd on the morning
preceding election, in the vicinity Of the Seven
teenth Ward House, from which q fire had been
directed against party of citizens who had been
passing in that vicinity. sergeant Ofpolice was
fired upon in the Eighth Ward, aud brutaliy mur-
dered, in the discharge Of his duty. Another
officer is now lying in u precariOus condition from
the effects OF a musket ball from an infuriated
mob OF Irish in the same vicinity Still another
officer in the Eleventh Ward was wounded by a
party Of Irish who had planned an attack upon
the polls in that quarter
With these exceptions, not single case OF
homicide or manning has been cited. The war
was directed against the police alone. No Demo
crat was seriously injured, so far | can learn,
in any part OF the city, and nothing tr8uspircd
except in the Irish settlement above referred to-
beyond the usual incidents which have attended
all elections that have taken place in our midst.
The police showed neither weakness or inability
as has been charged to sustain themselves at any
time during the day They pat down overy riot
They cOulu noI " B true, prevent CVil disposed
persons from firing into the streets, from the
houses in which they were concealed; but they
made prisoners Of many who were engaged in
these disgraceful scenes, together with the forfn-
dsble armaments with which they were provided
There was no evidence Of weakness in the muni-
cipal arm. Its power had only begun to be tested.
OF the two hundred muskets which had been pre-.
pared to qucll any outbreak that was likely to
occur, only sevehty.hve were brought into action
at any one time. This is a sufficient answer to
hose who dcuounco the Mayor because he did
not call the military TO his aid.
The citizens Of Baltimore will determine whether
a persecution 80 apparent TO all is 10 ~rCalye the
sanction Of those who really desire 70 maintain
the public peace. Party rancor may he pressed
too FAR 1t has already made the whole city an
ambuscade, from which the officers Of the law in
the discharge Of their duty, are fred upon day
and night It has excited TO phrenzy a large
class Of the foreign population, and has brought
about state Of things which no man can contem'
plate without regret The sum total of all the
rotng is comprised in the murder of one pohce'
man, and the woundng of eight others, including
those fred upon on the morning preceding the
election. 1t was war upon the police on the day
| of election-commencing in the Eighth ward and
| terminating in the Eighth ward.
The ohsarcc oC large number of Democratic