Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-08-22
THE RIOT IN NEW ORLEANS.
The Observations of Personal Witness Of
the Riot.


Insane Thirst for Blood and Massacre.
FerociOus Character and Brutality of the
Mob.
The following account of the New Or
leans massacre is from the pen of the cor
respondent of the New Y ork Times, pa
per which has been making apologies for
the riot, and the course OF the Mayor and
others: sii1 5B
with the origin of the riot on July 3oth,
readers are we'll aware. The appearance of
the colored procession on Canal street, COM
posed of about one hundred freedmen, was
the signal for its commencement. Some
white by-standers attempted to take away
the national flag which they were carrying,
and shot was fired The blacks claim that
the whites fired it. The whites tell con-
Trajectory story. | have seen responsible
men who were present, but they fail TO give
an authoritative statement about this first
shot. immediately after it was fired, a
bright yellow boy commenced haranguiIg
his comrades in the procession, advising
them to clear the streets ofthe white ---.
He was arrested by an aid of the Chief of
Police. This was the first arrest made.
The procession then moved on, and turned
into Dryades street, hating in front of the
Mechanic S Institute, now used as the State
Capitol, where the Convention was in ses-
sion. They were met with vociferous cheers
from friends of both colors They gave
their version of the disturbance above men
toned, and were greeted with remarks of
approval when they claimed TO have repul-
sed their assailants. They were eucoura
ged to take firm stand for their rights, y
and told to arm themselves and De ready for
any emergency. These things heard my
self, and for the first time | felt serious ap
prehensions of riot. The merchants com
menced closing their stores, and | started
from the building for the telegraph Office.
a squad of policemen were gathered on
Baronne street, in the rear Of the Institute.
and soon marched toward it.
The procession disturbance had been re-
ported to Police Headquarters, where, an
ticipating trouble, a large reserve force was
stationed. Orders were Immediately issued
to arrest the negroes engaged in it. Sher-
iff (ex-rebel GeneraD Hayes accompanied
the force to the scene of action, and found
Dryades street, in front Of the Institute,
thronged with freedmen and their white
friends. 1t was useless to try to get into
the building while such crowd remained
in front of it.
lD the meantime, an immense concourse
OF people had congregated at the junction
of Dryades aud Canal, and were looking to-
ward the capitol, some of them shouting
and blaspheming terribly. The whcle city
was in tremble. Such excitement as the
citizens exhibited [ never witnessed before
The crowd just mentioned comprised men of
every grade in society, including many young
in years, who we're brandishing revolvers in
the air, and were seemingly anxious to be
led on to the destruction of the Convention
ers and all of the freedmen, near and in the
building. A similar crowd had also assem-
bled in Common street, at the other end of
the block in which the Institute is located.
Many members of the police force were
mingled with these crowds. They soon
commenced firing on the freedmen in front
of the building and drove them into it.
When the freedmen, members of the
Convention, spectators and others, had been
driven into the building, the police advan-
stairs to the door of the Hall OF the House
OF Representatives, where the Convention
had been assembled, and into which they
and the freedmen had retreated. Several
different tales are told as to what followed.
Certain it is that one policeman was NOR
tally wounded in the hall, while, as he claims,
he was attempting to arrest a member. 1t
is claimed by a member who was wounded
by this policeman, that he tried to shoot,
but his pistol being Knocked up, the ball'I
sped harmlessly in the air., whereupon he
seized the weapon by the barrel and struck
the member on the temple with the butt
end. 1t is said that all hands in the hall
fell on their faces, and after the police had
expended their shots got up and drove them
out of the room with chairs, &c. After
this, K. King Cutler is said to have deman- |
ded that every armed man leave the room. |
Captain Burke, formerly Union Chief OF 70,
lice, did so, and received slight flesh wound |
in the side while passing out Another |
version of this assault is, that the police |
men, without demanding the surrender II |
any one, poked their pistols through the hall |
open door and fired promlscuously at the |
crowd inside; this, while flag was being
displayed from cane stuck up on the |
speakers platform. 1t is certain that SO
much confusion prevailed inside that each |
OF the stories may have some foundation, |
for with the hubbub occasioned by the fl
ring and the shouting of the one hundred |
or more men in the hall, no one could see or
hear everything or be able to tell exactly
what occurred.
The mob and the police filled the side
walk and the stairway of the building. |
Shots were fired through the windows from
both in and outside, and bricks, paving |
stones, clubs and other missiles were thrown
from both directions. A gentleman named
Fox came down stairs and was arrested
but on stating that he was merely specta-
tor was released, and walked across the
street, where he shielded himself on door
step. From his position he could see IN,
side the building which he had just left and
he states that only one pc, son after MIN
caneout without being illed or badly wcnn