The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1867-10-17
The Bread Riot in richmond.

A Southern author gives the following
account of the celebrated bread riot which
occurred in Richmcnd in the spriny of
1864, during the war. The event was
hinted ct in the letters and dispatches of
the time, but the particulars were meas
urably suppressed by the rebel authori-
ties -
"The rioters were represented in
heterogeneous crowd of Dutch, Irish and
Tree negroes-ot men, women and chill
dren-armed with pistols, knives, ham
meIs, hatehetS, axes and every other wea-
pom which could be made useful in their
defense, or might subserve their designs
III breaking into stores for the purpose of
thlevlng. More impudent and defiant
ro6berles we're never committed than dis
graced, in the open light of day, on
that bright morning in spring. the city
of Richmon3. The cry for bread with
"hlch this violence CO ommenced was soon
Su5dued, and instead Of articles of food,
the rioters directed their efforts to stores
containing dry goods, shoes, &c. Women
were seen bending under loads of sole
leather, or dragging after them heavy
cavalry boots, brandishing their huge
knives, and swearing, though apparently
well fed, that they were dying from star
vatlon-yet it was difficult to imagine how
they could masticate or digest the edibles
under the weight of which they were
bending Men carried immense loads of
cotton cloth, WOODEN goods and other
articles, and but few were seen to attack
the stores where -four, groceries and
other provisions were kept.
"Ihls disgraceful mob was put to fight
by the military. Cannon were planted in
the street, and the order to disperse or be
hred upon drove the rioters from the COM
merclal portion of the city to the Capitol
Square, where they menaced the Cover
nor, until, by the continued threatenings
OF the State Guards and the efforts of tho
police in arresting the ringleaders, a stop
was put to these lawless and violent pro-
ceedircs.
at cannot be denied that want of
bread was at this time too fatally true,
but the sufferers for food were not to be
found in this mob of vicious men and
lawless v!ragoes, who, inhabiting quartera
OF the city where igned riot and de2rav-
ity, when followed to their homes after
this demonstration, were discovered TO be
we'll supplied with articles of food. Some
of them were the keepers OF stores, to
which they proposed adding the stock
stolen in their raid Oh the Wholesale
houses.
''The real sufferers we're not of the class
who would engage in acts of violence to
obtain bread, but included the most wor-
thy and highly cultivated citizens, who,
by the suspension Of the ordinary branches
OF business and the extreme Initiation in
the prices Of provisions, were refugees,
who, driven from comfortable homes, were
compelled to seek relief in the crowded
city, at the time :nsufficently furnished
with the means of living for The resident
population, and altogether inadequate to-
the increased numbers thrown daily iuto
it by the progress of events. How great
their necessities must have been can he
imagined from the fact that maDy of the
women, reared in the utmost ease, deli
cacy, and refinement, we're compelled to
dispose of all articles of taste and former
luxury, and frequently necessary articles
of clothing, to meet the demands of eV-
eryday life