Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-11-04
rAs New Orleans rishs sssx>sn the while

Ths New Orleans fight Hssr>sn the Whltes
and bisoks. ~
The following plainly truthful account
of the recent Ggh. in Nsv Orleans il IRON
the Picayins. It shove how false ars
all the Radical stories concerning that
unfortunate affair; IN
= About 10 o'clock last night, as the
Workingmen's Club we're serenading AZ
the residence OF Mr.. Thomas Hare, l65
Poydras street, they we're passed by the
Grant Colored Club, marching down 81
Charles street. As soon as the Working
men finished their serenade, they re-
sumed their march down St Charles,
about forty PAGES in the rear Of the ne.
groes. From there TO the corner oil Canal
the negroes constantly assailed them
with Offensive and insulting cpithets.
Anxious TO avoid difficulty. the white
men bore their taunts in silence, and
preserved demeanor which utterly pre-
Guided the idea Of any hostile design.
Reaching the corner OF Canal street,
the Colored Club divided, part going up
each side of the neutral ground, so as to
keep the Workiugmen constantly In their
rear This insult, too, was put up with,
until Carondelet street was reached and
passed. About half way between Caron-
delet and Baronne streets, the negroes
halted, and part Of them turned back
and thus brought their men face to lace
with the white club.
At this juncture q negro broke from
the ranks of his own club and rushed into
the center of the white club, shouting, at
the top of his voice, Come on, let's clean
them outr
II was not in human nature to endure
all this; certainly not in the nature OF
men smarting under recent outrages and
taunts borne in silence for an hour. A
shot was fired by a negro from the ranks
of the returning party, which cut through
the cap Of a gentleman named Richard
son. 1t was then that the white men re-
turned the fire, aud general engage
ment ensued. There was wild rush,
fearful mingling in a dcath-struggle OF
the white and black elements, anda quick
and rapid discharge Of firearms all along
the line. The angry throng bent aud
swayed in the mad struggle, and men
were locked in q passionate embrace
which held the issues of life and death
Above the moan and shout OF the angry
combatanis the sharp report of pistols
sounded like the echoes of skirmisb
line before the continuous roar OF battle
breaks on the ear. 1t was scarcely
minute, and yet blood ran red on the
streets, and dead negroes lay stretched
on the ground. II was scarcely O sec
ond's time before six lay dead on the
street, and two more were borne back by
their fellows MORALLY wounded. The
negroes fought wildly, and were evidently
in mortal dread at the terrible retribu'
ton they had provoked. The white men,
ON the contrary, we're skilled in the use
OF arms, and most of them had before
kept step 10 line in the fury of the bat
tie. They were not alarmed at the shout
of the parli-colored foe, for they bad seen
hostile pennons bend and shake in a
melee when men died by hundreds. They
knew that the time had come 10 teach a
lesson, and the least show OF tmidity
would stimulate the negroes and their
cowardly associates to drench the city in
blood. There was, therefore, no giving
back and no wavering from the conflict
While the head of the column of the |
were thus engaged, the rear
formed into line, and marched to their |
support 1t was at this moment the me-
groes fed. Broken and discounted, they |
ran in every direction. Although they |
had provoked the conflict, AID had been |
themselves the sssailants, yet the attack |
ceased the very moment that resistance
was at an end. They were not pursued,
and no advantage taken of the victory |
gained. Throughout the conflict the ne
groes numbered two TO one. II was this
excess of forces no doubt which melted |
them to the attack. They knew the white
men had borne 10 silence taunts such as
they were not accustomed to endure, and |
believed that they could with IMMUNITY |
advance another step in their hostile ag- |
and perhaps provoke en- en'
counter which would rebound to their |
advantage. In this they were mistaken. |
Short of actual violence anything would |
have been put up with; but the people Of
New Orleans had too long and too Sc
riously suffered FROM the brutal insolence |
Of negroes, urged on as they are by cow
ardIy whites, to permit their rights as
citizens and their very manhood to be |
trampled in the dust When assailed
they had . right to resist-they did no
more. ny 4n