American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-05-23


After carefully sitting the thousand and
.one stories in circulation, in reference to
tthe origin of the disturbance IN South
Memphis on Tuesday, the following seems
to be the truth of the matter:
Some sixty or seventy soldiers, recently
discharged from the Third United States
(Colored) Heavy Artillery, were out on
South street drinking. They got noisy,
but were doing no damage. A squad Of
police came along and rushed in among
them, making an arrest Of two. The sol
diers made an outcry at this, but did not
attack the police. They, however, fired
several shots from their pistols, some say
at tn police and some at random The
police Immediately commenced firing into
the crowd Of soldiers, and they returned
the fire, killing one policeman and woun
ding two others.
Both sides were reinforced, and the ac'
tion became general, with about the losses
on both sides as given in yesterdays issue,
THE FIELD ON WEDNESDAY MORNING.
We learn from reliable gentleman
who was in South Memphis early yester-
day morning, and also from officers in the
Fort, that nearly all the negroes in the
vicinity of the disturbance fed to the
Fort for protection after the affair on Tues
day night South street was perfectly
quiet. The bodies of the negroes who
had been killed were lying unburied, and
the most of them we're horribly bruised.
Few negroes were visible anywhere in |
that locality. This is corroboratcd by
two gentlemen, who accompanied the po
lice on their first visit to that part of town
yesterday morning. Large numbers of
citizens, armed with pistols, carbines and
muskets, went down with them.
AS soon as they reached south. street
they began to fire upon every negro in
sight. +. Dickinson, colored, while
standing in front of his Louise, and who
had been promised that if he remained
there he would not be disturbed, was shot
down. G. Watkins, colored, was cursed,
and on his starting to get away. was shot
by the crowd
A colored soldier was killed in sight.
Another surrendered, and while surroun-
dcd by policemen, on the cry of 60 shoot
him. don't let him escape" was shot
in three places. On raising his hands to
beg for his life he was Knocked down with
carbine. After falling to the ground in
dying condition he was shot through
and through. A boy was taken out from
under n bed, Knocked down with club
and dispatched with some ten or twelve
shots Two colored children we're killed.
A black woman was seen in grocery and
shot. Another on the street was killed.
The respectable negro blacksmith, ops
poste Mrs. Hardwick's, on Main street.
who had not been away from his shop,
was shot down, and will probably die
We could find no one, and we inquired of
several policemen and citizens who went
down, who had seen any armed negroes
on SoGth street, or in that vicinity, dur
ing the day.
A large posse was called out by the
Mayor and Sheriff and armed them from
the gun and pistol store of Henry Fol
som & Co. The Mayor had a conference
with Col Kappner, of the Third United
States (Colored) Heavy Artillery, and the
latter assured him there would be no dis
turbspce if the armed citizens would dis
perse. The Mayor accordingly ordered
them to Seturn to their homes. Many re-
tired, but many more remained. The
Sheriff kept hundred men under arms
last night at the Greenlaw Block. Early
in the morning Gen. Stoneman ordered
an officer, with fifty men, to patrol the
streets; and that guard be put around
the Fort to keep the colored soldiers from
being connected with the disturbance.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
A colorcd woman, while walking along
Main street, near the corner of Main
and Exchange, was shot down by drum
ken man.
A negro who came in from the country
was shot off his horse and the horse
stolen.
The body of a colored soldier who was
killed the day before, lsy during the fore
noon on Mulberry street. It was repeat
edly spit upon, kicked and cursed by ruff.
fanly boys. This soldier after being kill.
ed by gun shot and several pistol shots
hsd been cut in the breast several times
with knife.
Two white ladies made affidavit befor.
General Runkle that Sci. Picket, (color
ed,) who VA dragged oat cf biz bous'