The daily Mississippi clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1866, 1866-05-04
rhe ear PIor IL nemphi.-

not exaggerated in the report. We
and condense from the BuIe-
tin
Between 5 and 8 O'Clock, P. NJ,
a @ was driving q wagon along
street, which came into COLI
sion with another vehicle of which a
Young man (white) was in charge.
Words passed between the pair as to
which was to blame for the collision
and finding that they were unable TO
settle the matter by words, an appeal
was made to their whips, which they
used most freely over each others
shoulders. Several negroes inter
fered, and apoliceman coming up at
tempted t o seize the negro driver,
when a pistol was levelled at him.
Two other policemen came up and the
riot beanie general, negroes tiocking
to the spot in great numbers, who
commenced firing at the policemen
and at citizens Unfortunately, and
one of the officers, James Finn. fell
m~ortallv wounded at the first yOlley,
being shot through the groin with a
bullet from q pistol in the hands Of a
negro only n few PAGES distant. The
members of Fire Company ?,
came to the assistance of the police
and the firing became general. Mr..
Henry Dunn. engineer of No. ,, was
shot through the head. Many citizens
from the adjoining streets joined in,
and by well directed volleys several
negroes, who had taken an active and
early part in the riot, were slain in the
affray.
At six O'Clock, the riot was at its
height, and Officers Slattery and Nal
lon. the only policemen who had ar
rived on the ground, had fallen Sc
verelv wounded. In the meantime a
message had been dispatched to the
police Office for reinforcements, and
Fortunately Mr.. Sheriff Winters hap
pened to be in the office at the time.
! He cot into a vehicle and drove down
at a rapid rate to the navy yard,
to solicit from Major General Stone
man. the General commanding this
| district, the assistance of the troops
under his command, to quell the riot.
Sheriff Winters states that General
Stoneman replied, when he made the
request. that as the citizens Of Mem
phis had petitioncd to have the troops
removed from the city, they would
have to protect themselves as best
they could, as he had no troops at his
disposal for that purpose. The duty
having dcvolved on the sheriff to
queII the disturbance, he took the
most prompt measures to do so. He
returned withour delay to the station,
summoned all the policemen he could
procure, and accompanied by Captain
b. G.. Garrett, Chief of Police, the men
were marched to the scene of action,
As they moved along the streets al
the "dOuble-quick," Sheriff Winters
summoned every citizen whom he met
to take his place in the column. AS
they passed along they met many af-
friohted citizens coming into the city
for assistance, who reported the mot
of negroes to be Of the most formida
bic dimensions. Sheriff Winters anC
Captain Garrett gave orders to theiI
men to be prepared for any emergen
cy. RevOlvers We're got out an'
when the officers reached the GROUND
they found the negroes drawn up il
almost regular line Of battle. All, o.
nearly all, were in uniform, and eacl
one was armed with a revolver. Th,
officers were saluted with a yolley OF
their arrival which they quickly re
turned. doing some good execution
\ negro who seemed to act rs ring
, leader fell ut the first fire. Thi
,du>eu Il general stempode 70 be mad,
| by the negroes, who were closely pur
sued by the officers, firing rapidly.
Sheriff Winters, with his posse, thel
+, proceeded to scOur the streets will
, the men under his command. and or
dered all the negroes to return to thei
t dwellings,, which all did promptly
, fearful of the consequences if the,
dared to disobey the order. The riot
v hich had attained the most formida
, bic dimensions, was thus prompt,
quelled. While the Sheriff and Cap
/, tain Garrett were securing the street
with their forces, a captain of tn,
regular army, with a portion of
company belonging to the SiXtecntl
5 regiment of regulars, arrived OF tn
ground. One or two shots were fire.
by the negroes after the military mad
their appearance, but the sight of thei
, fixed bayOnets, and the determine,
r bearing of the posse comjtat4S, caused
them to fly, without loss of time t.
2 their dwellings in the vicinity.
< The posse and the military kept pos
session of the street till between eigh
and nine o'clock, when they returne,
to their quarters. The greatest eX
element pervaded the city during tn
entire night, and the sight of a negr,
on the street was the signal, the wor,
to make a sally for him.
e Owing to the very great cXcitemen
. which prevailed up to a late hour,
was almost impossible to ascertain tn
/, real number who were killed an
wounded. Many reports were current
4 but the number of casualties give.
above may be fully relied on. Tn
I negroes reported killed were frOr
seven to fifteen, but the latter numbe
may be considered correct. Severa
e were wounded at the atiray on Sout
e street, and also on other streets durin.
' the evening. None Of their name
e were known.
Since preparing the shove we hay
conversed with a gentleman who arriy
, cd in u city yesterday from Mem
= phis and who participated in the ighr
who gives US some additional particr
lars. On Wednesday the negroe
many of them in uniform, musterin
over five hundred strong held Fol
Pickering and had inaugurated a pei
feet reign of terror. They came OF
Of the fort and advanced upon tn
| citizens in regular line OF battle. Tn
citizens fell back to an embankmen
and kept up . brisk hre IN the ad
vanoiTg column, killing - or 7 an,
woundng numbers who were carrie
back o the fort. At aboat moo.
Wednesday $50 white regulars wer
sent to their assistance by Gen. Stone
man, when the negroes fell back t,
the fort
Wednesday evening the negroes har
established a picket line upon the wall
Of the fort, and the regulars had
picket around it. Later intelligence
says that the negroes made a sortf
from the fort during the night an,
were driven back with the loss o