The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-07-27
THE NEW YORK RIOT GEN. SflA.
LER'S OFFICIAL REPORT.

AAS&A - va ASAxAAs kSAa1 O1AA
Our New York exchanges contain
the official report Of Major ten. Sha-
Ter, commanding the New York Mi
litia during tho late riot. 1t is too
long for our columns, nevertheless
we submit its important points be-
low, touching upon the responsible.
ty for commencing the carnage, and
as to the behavior Of the troops: /,
IA very small portion Of the pub
lie press, and few persons With
biased and preiudiced minds, have
underworld to create an impression
that some Of the regiments acted
hastily in firing on Eighth avenue,
but by a careful perusal of the official
reports of all the principal command
ing officers, aud q minute personal
inquiry of officers engaged and of
citizens residing in the noighborhood
into the circumstances attending the
melee, I have failed TO discover suf
ficient cause for tho statements
made.
can official report of the opera.
lions OF q military body is not the
place to discuss tho merits of any
proposition touching the conduct OF
the troops that docs not emanate
from recognized source of military
authority, but as so much has been
said by certain clauses, and SO intch
has been written calculated to bring
into disrepute at least portion OF
that organization which alone can
protect and defend law abiding citi.
zens in their rights OF person and
property in times of riot and anar.
chy, that viii be pardoncd for as.
Stunning the guardianship of the hon.
or of the command SO far as to declare
my belief that what is said or writ.
ten about the misconduct OF the
troops on the 18th inst. has parti.
san origin, and an unthanly aim.
Letters Of thanks from citizens in
the neighborhood of the riot Tor the
service rendered by the troops con.
firm the official reports Of the Off
GERS. The testimony is abundant tc
show that long before the troops re-
taliated, firearms were discharged
and missiles OF all kinds thrown al
| them from the sidewalks, windows
and bouse.tops, and it was not until
m officer OF the S4th had been struck
down by missile thrown from a
bouse-top, one OF the men shot in the
head, and another had received q
flesh wound, two men of the 9th
killed outright, a number wounded
and three OF the 9th wounded, that
fire was opened on the mob. 1t is
the opinion OF the most experienced
officers of the police force and militia.
ry present that the troops did not
fire any too soon that in a very few
minutes more it would have been
difficult, if not impossible, to over
power the mob; and that the lives
lost at Eighth avenue and Twenty.
fourth street saved the sacrifice of a
much greater number at some Other
point. None can sympatbize more
deeply with the families that suffered
by the unfortunate occurrence of the
18th inst. than do the men whose
duty required them to use theil
weapons in sustaining the civil au
thorities and in defence of themselves
and it is not unreasonable to hop,
that while all arc dep,oriug the cir
cumstances which made resort t.
arms necessary, the public will not b,
unmindful Of the bereaved familie,
of the dead and suffering member
OF the National Guard"
| "The report concludes by com
mending the bodies for their gallan
conduct. IL says their alacrity
courage, and dash in attacking thu
mob, as well as their patience ant
GOODNESS in bearing with it's abus'
and assaults, is cheerfully testified tt
by all officers of the National Guard
who witnessed their movements, ant
they are declared entitled not onl,
to respect of their superlors, but t,
the confidence Of the public at large
| "Gen. Varian, in his report, which
accompanies this, states that he CAV,
the troops specific orders to fire i
fired upon"