The New York herald., 1866-06-26
THE MEMPHIS RIOTS.
Report OF IN. rnv.,.,~..,.s rom.aistss.

Memphis, made by Colonel Chares y Johnson T,
spector General States OF Kentucky and Tennessee
Major r. W. Gibreth, sid-de- camp to Major Cen.,
Howard, Commissioner Bureau Of Refugees, Frcedme
! and Abandoned lands
The r.aoe os ,s cause o. sss {os as appears TO
the low whites and blacks, both Of whom have ion
sdssnSsd need, rival aa claim, l sagsrSrI,y These pa,c
s0ui beSss SaSa n can nsssSS sSx being degraded
these 'snorans whites and blacks employe
IN tho CITY s' .n. nachmen. porters. draymsn
graded are employed as policemen, who have take
every occasion 70 rampe upon the negro This feein
Of hatred for IN negro race has been icsssrea g
ton OF the community AID tho ncendary and innamm'
tory articles which have peared IN certain local news
S Saees ssnsTa sns "a an ssecs
hatred among the city police for the coored troops who
were stationed here for long time ana hsd recently pee
discharged from the service OF the htsd sates whicn
was reciprocated mor cordially by oe soldiers TN
has frequently resulted IN minor aray not considered
worthy OF notice by the authorities tn, ve causes com
bined produced state Of feeling between whites and
blacks which would require only the sghteN provoca
ton TO bring about an open rupture.
THE IMMEDIATE CAUSE.
On the evening OF the Goth Of April 1896 eral po
hcamen -four came down oanscy street and NEE ung
number Of negroes forced them Off tho sidewalk In
doing so negro fell and policeman stumbled over 1n
The police then drew their revolyers and attacked tho
nsgroes, beating them with their pistols Both parti Y
separated defeYring the by consent
TO some future time On the following day, May /,
during the afternoon between the hours Of three and
five, crowd Of colored men, principally discharged sol
About this time the police fired upon unorending ne.
groes remote from th. riotous quarter.
Coored soldiers with whom the polisa frst had
BILE had returned in the meantime TO for Pickering.
The police was soon reinforced, and commenced firing
on the coloyed people, men, women aud children, In
that locality killing ana woundng sov,rsl Shortly
after the City Recorder John C. creghton) upon
the ground corner of Causcv and Vance stress and
speech, which received three hearty cheers from the
crowd there assembled, counsoed and urged tie whites
to and kill overy negro and drive the last from
the city &c. Then during this night the negroes
hunted down by police, ureinen and other white czcns
shot, assaulted robbed and, In many instances their
bouses searched, under pretence OF hunting for
ceaed arms, plundered aud then set on fire; during
which resistance, as far I'VE can learn offered
by the negroes A white man by the name OF Dunn a
fireman. was shot and Killed by another white nan
During the morning or the % OF May "Wednesday,
everything perfectly quiet the district of the dis
turbances OF the previous day Very few negroes
in tho street and none o. them appeared with arms
or In any way excited except through fear.
About ten O'Clock A. NJ posse OF police and citizens
again appeared in South Memphis and commenced
ndiscrminate attack upon the negroes They were shot
down without mercy; women suffered alike with the
men, and In several instances little children were killed
by these mscrcants. During this day aud night with
various Intervals OF peace and quiet the massacc con
nued. Tho city seemed 10 be- under the control OF a
hwlcss mob during this and the two succeeding days
I'D and sthl
All crimes imaginable committed from simple
larceny to rapo and murder. Several women and chill
drcn shot in bed One woman (Rachel Johnsonb
shot and then thrown into the flames OF burning
house and consumed Another forced twice through
the flames and finally escaped.
In some Instances houses were 0rcd aud armed men
guarded them To prevent the escape Of the inmates in
side
number OF men, whose loyalty In undonbtod long
residents OF Memphis who deprecated the during It's
progress dcnomnacd Yankees and abolitlonists,
aud informed In language more emphatic than gen
temanly that their presence here was unnecessary.
To particaarze further as to individual acts Of nhu
manity would extend the report TO too great length
The riot lasted until and including the ath day Of May,
but during all this time the disturbances were not con
tnua there different timos OF greater less
length, during each day In which the city per.
fccy quiet attacks occurring generally after sunset zach
The rioters ceased their violence either Of their own
accord or Of material 10 work on the negroes
having hid themselves, many neeins into the country.
cospucr OF TINE CIVIL AurnonIriEs.
Mr. John Park, Mayor Of Memphis, seemed 10
have oat entire control of his snbord Mates and ehsr
through lack OF inclination and sympathy with the mob
he o and he " s
friends extcnuation Of his conduct that he
and he was therefore unable 70 perform The huh and
responsive functions Of his oficc.
since the riot ofhcial notice has been taken Of the
either by the Mayor or Board G Aldermen.
Neither have h city courts taken eognxance OF the
mcrous crm's committed, although many Of tho pcrpe
there any indication the part Of the civil author
ities that any are medi,a,cd by them.
II appears the sheriff of this county, y W. Winters,
endcayored 10 appcase the mob tho evening of the
nrst Of May but hs good intentions we're thwarted by
violent speech delivered the mob by John g. Crcgh.
ton CITY Recorder who urged and directed arnng
of the whites and the Wholesale slaughter of the backA
This succch was delivered on the even M o The rst of
MAY 10 large crowd of police and citizens the corner
Of Vance and Causey streets and 10 can b. attributed
Ia great measure the continuance Of the disturb.
ancc. The foio~ing extracts arc from the speech of
the City Recorder berorc alluded to THAT every
one of the citizens should get arms organize and 70
ns every .y ntsse Ws are no, prepared 1oo -
but let prepare and clean every Niger out OF town
- . boy' wan, you 70 60 ahead and ti every
The effect Of such language delivered by municipal
officer 40 high authority 10 promiscaous and excited
assemblage can be easily perceived FROM that time
they seemed though vested with full authority
10 XII, burn aud plundef al VIII
The conduct of great number ~ the city police vho
are generally composed Of the lowest class u whites.
selected without reference TO their qualifications Tor tho
psltIon wa brutal ia the extreme Ilstead OF protect
ing rights u persons and property IL thor duty,
they we're chiefly concerned mufdcrers incendsrss
aud robbers AZ times ibev even protected tho rest q
tho mob IN their ats OF violence
No public meeting has been held by the cittens al.
though three weeks have elapsed since The riot 10
express their APPRECIATION CONDEMNATION oi the mob,
thus by their silence Appearing 10 approve y their cobdn
Tho only fegreu that ar. cxprc-ed oy 'he mas OF the
people are purely financial There ar, however very
many honorable exceptions, chiefly among men Who
have Tough, against The government Ia The aie frbsi
lion who depeca< in strong terms both the civil Auiho
ties and the riotefA
EUNgLE, CHiEp surEHisrKsDysr BUREAU or
EEvuoEss, yHLkDsEs AsD ABANDosED LANDS,
srB-DfSTHIcT oY MEMPHIS.
General Rlnkie was waited upon every hour In the
day during the rot by oolofed msD who begged of I'm
protection for themselves and families aud he al
offccr of the army, detailed agent of the
Frecdaf nia Bureau ergsriencsf tho Humiliation ~
acknowledging his utter Inability 10 prDert them n
any respect He personal appearanee al the scenes a
not had no effect the mob, and he bad no ifooIs Al
his dspo-ai Hs obliged 10 pot bis headqgaftsss 10
defens We state and peiisys u S0 oniy osins 70
the prcl lanilons made that they were not burned
down
Thrcais had been openly made thsi the Barsan o-ec
would be burned and the General driven from The tovn
He With he oincr~ and small guard ~ s1ddierr and
some loyal oltixsns sbo Volunteered sere obliged 10
remain there during rbarrfsy and FRIDAY nishta
The orsn and results ~ the not may be summed up
bvsfy a. lollOws The remote tho feeling u
bitterness which tas always sxsisi betssen the too
elanssa TIE minor ARRAYS which occurred daily ssts
clsly bet seen police and conrrd sodsr the
rai tone of city papers vb ch have aimnst eon
san,iy counssed the loo ~hitss " open ho@iss 18th
the blacks
me Immediate Cause the eoilirion hsvstofofs
spoken o between fec polcsBen and Desrpea 90 'bs
evening 0 the 30h a April IA sbeh both parties sT
b. equally cultsbis followed the evening % ibs st
nsy by another collision q nsigre, sri