Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-09-11
The Charleston Riot.

in Charleston arc taken from the News and
Courier of that city:
The Hampton and Tilden coored club OF
Ward met last evening at Archers' Hall. j.
R. jenkins, the vice president, called the meet
| kins, j. w. Sawyer, Isaac B. Rivers, Augustus
Grant, Sephuey Riley, j. w. BarnweII, and
Lawrence Brown. As there had been threat
thrown out that the colored radical members OF
the Like Oak and Huukidory clubs would |
break up the meeting and kill the colored dem
ocrats it was resolved by the club to escort the
colored democrats 10 their homes. After the
meeting adjourned, about quarter past 10
O'clock, the line was formed and each colorcd
democrat was placed in the centre OF a halt
dozen whites. The line then marched up King
street quietly aud without interruption, until
they reached the German church, opposite the
Citadel Green, when mob OF about l5O ne-
groes, arued with slaves. clubs, and pistols,
camc yelling after them, hurrahlng Tor Hayes
aud Wheeler. The white men stopped, aud
one of the leaders Of the negro gang, who had
run up ahead OF bis crowd, accompanied by
about dozen, Knocked the first white man ne
met 10 the head with sIuDg shot, and the
crowd Immediately behind him fred a pistol
into the crowd of whites, shouting that they
would have the colored democrats out even II
| they had to kill every man 10 the crowd 10 DO
it. The whites then returned the fire, shoot
ing over the heads of the Degro mob, and a
portion of the white meo took Rivers, Sawyer,
Jeukios and other cJurcd democrats 10 the
CitaGcl, where they were placed under the
guard of the United States troops. La short
Ell sine than it takes 10 tell the story the negro
mob had Increased to fully three hundred, al!
of whom W,re yelling AMI shouting, AID breath
ing threats of violence. There were about
forty whites 10 the crowd, and these retreatcd
backwards up King street, facing the negroes
aud keeping them eff as well as they could oy
returning the fire from the pistols Of the mob.
On reaching the corner y! John street the negro
mob was reinforced by another multitude of
blacks, who swept out OF John street aud cut
eff the retreat Of the whites. Ii was at this
point that the fight became hottest. 1t was
low hand-to-hand contest, 10 which pistol
shots exchanged very rapidly Ony fur or
five policemen had arrived at the scene, aud
these were OF course poWcrless to restrain tie
iuuriatad mob. Justice Re i, with a white
mau named Plasphol, then came up and called
on posse OF cltlzruS, white ADD black, 10 assist
him in quoting the row. But the negroes
would listen to nothing. They cried Blood !
and swore they would have 1t.
Policeman Charles Green, cOiored, at this
Reed and Mr.. PIas phol, did ali be could to per-
suade the crowd to dispense. They refused,
answering his words with curses and threats.
For moment the crowd appeared as it quiet
iug, but skirmsh between white and black
man on the outskirts of the crowd 5000 rencw
ed the general fight. Policeman Greco became
surrounded aud endcavored to arrest man
who had just fired off pistol. Pistols we're
going of every uomcnt, aud amid the firing
Policeman Green fell shot through the abdo-
men, and Dir. j. Nj. Buckner, white, was shot
through the abdomcu BY this time the po-
cemeu were reinforced By squads from tue
upper and lower guard houses, and succeeded
10 separating the whites from the black.
The wouudcd men were taken to tHe upper
station house by detail, and the fighting i'm
medatey began again. The whites by this
time numbered Only about fifteen men, large
numbers Of them having been knocked sense
less with clubs and paDgs, with which The
mob were armed. After u desusrOry tight OF
about fifteen minutes longer the negroes had
complete mastery of the field. Policeman
Greeu was the only colored man up to that
time who was hurt, and he was shot, it is be-
lieved, by one of the negro mob who attempt
ed 10 FIRE at a white man he was protecting.
Several negroes had been Knocked down, and
FIVE or six received bad gashes over the head,
, but none were seriously hurt. The negroes
then stationed themselves 10 crowds of forty
and fifty at each corner along King street, ex-
tending from Calhoun street to the Upper
! guard house, in front of which stood huge
and inturiated mob cursng and threatening to
break 10 and take out the white men who had
been placed there for protection.
| White men 90 the street We're scarce and as
soon as one turned q corner or came along Oh
bis way home the crowd 10 his immediate vi
cinity would give yell and go for hu with
brickb stones, aud pistol shots The crowds
at the corners above and below them hearing
The pistol shots, would close up, and 10 few
moments the unfortunate Was surrounded by
pack Of over two hundred Degroes, who did
everything but Kill him. They would knock
him down with brick5ats, and as soon as he
would get up to run they you'd fire pistol shots
at him and over his head, while the crowd
ahead would rearrest him and give him another
beating.
1t would be impossible, 10 general riot like
the Que last evening, to attempt to give details.
White man after white man came along, otal-
ly unconscious Of the impending danger, and
was waylaid and only saved from death by the
intcrpositoD Of the police.
A reporter Of the News aud Courier, as soon
as the news of the riot reached he lower wards,
was dispatched to the scene. and, 90 reaching
the corner OF Calhoun and King streets, bcheld
surging mob 10 the neghborhood of Warreu
street, yelling like devils and firing perfect
tusiladc Of pistol shots. He walked up in the
direction of the crowd, and, 90 arriving at the
sccne found mob of negroes chasing white
man, who had hardly vcstige Of clothing up
Oh bis person, aud covered with blood from a
dozen wounds. He was Knocked down several
times with brickbats or clubs ADD several pistol
shots were fred at him. In the midst Of this
cruel scene Lieutenant Gou din ard two other
mounted policemen came up TO the spot, rode
right into the crowd. and, after clubbing sew
eral of the mob, succeeded 10 arreSting their
vciD, and carried hin hcme in an almost
liteIess cvuditiou. Al this time one of the
mob approached the reporter and told him that
he knew him. and that it would be b,st for
him to 90 home; but before any answer could