The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1865-08-09
Bloody Riots in Charleston.

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World in his letter of the 5th, writes
At last the mad policy pursued by the United slfaa
here at the instgation Of the negro-worshppeIs
borne its legitimate fruit. An "irrepressible co a5l
between the whites and blacks has fairly begun aal
strange to say, the combatants of both compilxan3
wear the uniform Of the United States army Ths
Courier, the only newspaper now published here at-
tempts to make light Of the late disturbances ara e
deayors to fasten the responsibility for their oa
renee upon the people of the city, instead of plac1
it upon those who really to be blamed. Ea9 .he
Courier is well known to be completely under taa con
troll OF interested officials, and not line appear G it
columns, any subject that has not been suhalis.54
to the inspection, aud received the imprimatur OF
majorgeneraL
TO get at the cause Of the btoodshed which hta &C.
cured must go back to the time when the Caieeu
! States forces first occupied the city, Had the ecD
manding officers then confined their dealings tle
negro population SIMPLY to the publication and
! forcemeut of the emancipation acts and pr1saua-
tions all would have been well. But with f1atilal
zeal worthy of the precincts of Faneul Hall itss.i.
they Mt applied themselves to the task OF -rinE
up ilteeing between the freedmen and the Taisa
the doctrine of negro equality was proclaimed tlraHg
out the city as the eorolary Of negro freedom aH
consequence was inevitable. The negroes gre 5-sg
lent to degree altogether unbearsble. invested pas
licly privileges from which the white citizst
debarred they actually began to imagine that d.
ny hue of their faces rendered shem superitr UsleH
of beings; and many of them carried their excasza
an extent scarcely eredble-insusug white geallHel
with absolute mpuuity, and often osting whit ladies
from the sidewalk into the gutter This dGri1s
the first month after the occupation Of the cit IT,
people, being wholly without redress were oil g.t tg
bear it.
But the continued insolence Of the blacks was more
than the brave white troops whose valor and e1dug
ance bad won the fight could stand. 1t fell t. the 5t
of the l27th New York volunteers to give fla 6Jst
check to the growing aud ntolerable evil Will that
command formed the post garrison, they succeeded,
by dint of several severe beatings which they aina
istered to the offenders, in efecting very vtls1 @
provemcnt in the of the blacks. But shea
the gallant fellows of the l27th sent horn DO
mustered out Of service the negroes imagine ,hag
the time for their saturnala had returned, Negcr
there complete mistake. The succesigr5 lt
the l27th were The Duryea Zouavcs.
The novelty of their red baggy breeches hat hardly
away before it became apparent that their temper
toward the "niggers" far less moderate thaa that
of their predecessors But the blacks it seems had
determined to make one more effort for the mastery.
The collisions became frequent and bloody, the 2ou
ayes. although outnumbered in almost every instance,
invariably getting the best of it, Finally, fight hav
ing taken place at the market house, in whicl nine
negroes were killed and number wounded the Zou-
relieved from duty post garrison, and a
Pennsylvania regiment substituted in their stead
The negroes encouraged by the removal of the Zou-
aVes at became bolder and the of the siung
shot in their hands against Rhile citizens become
thing of nightly occurrefrce, ...
As remedy for this unpleasant state Of affairs,
msudant Of the post, has Issued the following order
HEADQUARTERS, CRY OF CHARLESTON,
.r-.. Charleston, July - 1865
General Orders No. 81.
/. The attention of the commander of this post
having been called to the defiant and discourteous
spirit manifested in the city between the troops and
the civilians, both white and COlored, causing of ats
serious and dsgraceful disturbances, it is deemed
cessary and is hereby ordered that all citizens remain
THEN homes after O'clock p. m, ab5taining FROM
noisy discussions, or assembling in groups the
streets other public places day or night.
II. Some citizens disguised as soldiers, having
been engaged IN disordery acts it ordered that any
citizen hereafter found in the United States uniform
will biz arrested and turned eFel " 'ne
Ill. al this time oil comparative peace, when the
energies of the netion absorbed i'll the restoration
of harmony and the rc-estabshment of good feeling
among all classes entitled to the rights of citizenship,
discourtesies toward civilians is beneath the dignity Of
soldiers. Respectful department among soldiers,
well as towards their officers, is indication OF good
discplinc in any command; but courtesy without hui
milty towards those who have claim except upon
your manhood, is the best guarantee of good breed
ing and nobleness of character. It is enjoined upon
the enlisted men IN the city that they behave inSo-
lently to no persen df whatever color that they do
not monopolize the sidewalks, assemble in crowds
to the inconvenience Of women or other passers-by
Citizens must remember that civil rule Is not c6ab'-
llshGd and that any act of theirs which may lead to
difficulties with the troops will tend protFaGt that
end. Their bearing should be in no manner defiant or
discourteous to the troops, and any insoence leading
to disturbance viii subject the offenders to punishment
Upon the creation of any disturbance during the day
or night the commanding officer Of the district OF the
city in which it may will at once send patrols,
Under commissioned officers, to arrest all persons
found in the etreets in the vicinity Of the disturbance
except persons on important business who viii be re
dnited report at the dearest guard for escort
By order cf
Breyet Brig Gen W T. BESNETT,
Commanding Post