Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-04-29
MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 90. 1873.
The Richmond Commune.

The Richmond Commune.
The Lexington Gazette contains tho follow
Jog letter.
| RICHMOND. Va. April H. 1879.
Hon. John Lctcher, Leumgt0n. fu.:-
Dear Sr:-I received your letter and the
newspaper account of tho Bread riot in R!ch
mond 10 1868 10 which it was stated that PfcS'
ideut Davis addressed the mob aud notified II
that it it did not dispcrse 10 five minutes that
the troops would fire into it; and that he (Da.
vis) gave the order to tho officer 10 command
| (Gay) to prepare to execute the order &C.
The account as reported 10 the newspaper
is most graphically presented and very fairly
stated, except as to the parts respectively played
! by the President and yourself, 10 which par
ticular it is wholly incorrect, except as to tho
fact that Mr. Davis did make speech OF a
oonciliatory character to persons he mlstook
| for rioters, and that was all he did do. lla
gave no order to the troops. lie knew that &c
| had no authority to do so-and he was enougi'
of soldier to know that Gay would have obey
ed none he might give. This-if no State ot1l
cisl had been then and there present, aud ltr,
tior in the personal presence OF the Mayor OF
the City and the Governor Of the Common
wealth. The troops were State troops. and al
| no single moment of time for the hour OF its
| organization 10 1901 to that of its disbandment
! iu 1865, was ever uuder the authority OF any
but of the Governor
The history, 10 brief, of the part you took
| in the suppression of this riot, of which l vas
| personally coguiz,nt, is: % the morning Of
the ID of April, 1868, while We we're at break
| fast, the butler informed you that some
women were in the front porch asking to sec
! you Immediately went to the door, and III
response to my irquiry-"What do you wish
ladies?" they replied Bread" and all conf
meuced to talk together. 1 told them you
! would see them at your office at the Capitol
| to 20 over there, and 10 few minutes you
would be there. They were about turning oil.
wheu you came out and repeated that you
would meet them at the Capitol. These
women were much excited, and the expression
| of their want was less in the form OF a paa
| than of demand for bread. About this time
| Information was brought to you that there was
| large mob at the west Capitol gatc-ol
| which these women were deputatlon--nolsy,
| turbulent, and very threatening, and there was
serious apprehension OF violent outDreak.--'
! On hearing this statement, you ordered NE TO
lurn out the Public Guard and briog it prompt.
| " to the Capitol. Tho barracks were some
half mile or more away, and it was passed tbs
hour of guard mounting-so the precautlon
ary signal was given from the Guar
House on tho Capitol Square. When }
! reached the barracks the members CT
the guard wera pouring in, and L have
| heard Lieut.. Gay, who was then 10 COM
| mand, captain Dimmock then doing duty Us
Chief cf Ordnauce) say that in % minutes
| from the tap of tho bell on the square the com'
| mand was at it's western gale. Whom We reach:
| ed this point the mob had broken away aud
was surping down Main street. l directed
| Lieut.. GAY to follow on and to dispersc the
crowd. He requested that [ should accompany
bin, saying l will obey your orders: Where
| We fell in with you do not now recolleci; when
we did meet, left you for few moments. -
| When I did return found you and the mob
massed at the corner of Main and 18th streets.
| Mr.. Mayo, the Mayor Of tho city, was standing
I'D 10 cart reading the riot ac; wncn no had
| finished, you took bis place, and taking out
| YOUR watch, 10 distinct tone and 10 measured
| time, you ordered the crowd to dlspcrse, aud
added, IF you do not 10 five mlOutes by THIS
watch, l will order the troops to ire INTO you
! and dispcrSo you BY force. ms announce
ment seemed to have little other effect than 10
/ bring tho mob to q stand still. as il it was de-
tcrminiog upon it's future course. When, as |
supposed, half the five minutes had elapsed,
the mob still seeming to be in consultation,
thourh little moro noisy, your voice raug out
above the din--"Csptain Cav, load: y lnstant.
" the pob rocked to and fro, and so quickly
did it dissolve and disappear that the rema'k
was frecuent, "Where could so many people
oct in go short time" By tho timc the five
minutes had elapsed cot rioter was to be scor.
IF Mr.. Davis made any speech to the mob
l1 did not hear him, or of it. | understood he
did make speech that day not only to the mot.
hnt to the crowd which had been drawn out
by reason Of the riot.
Mr., Andrew jenkins, who then was the depn
~. and now is the clerk of the Hastings Court,
accompanied you that morning, and will sub
nit this statement to him for bis examloation,
: with the request that when made he will ado
what he may think proper and forward, this
: letter to YOU, inasmuch as | am about to leave
the city for somo days. -,
Z Mr.. John Graeme, then the local editor ol
| The Wbig, informs me that "Mr. Davis did not
!. Give apy warning to the mob. but mlstaklng {
t neaceabie group for somo of the rioters, ad
vised Them to desist from violence and return
D TO their homes or places OF business.
If Mr.. Davis pied to quell the mob,
y vas not witness to it, nor did ever hear OF /
i, uoti read it 10 the paper you sent NE !; ina
y you did q1eli it by the stern aud decisive meas
ures you threatened is beyond dispute. I'm
! readiog of the riot act was as effective as Wou
,, be whistlipg against the strong norther..
+ Your orders were given to and received b
Fl 81 as your aid de camp. Very truly yours
s. BAssETT FRENCH.
I TfL RIGHT SORT OF Sp1RT.-When in ia
| tte;ph n,ceutIy We saw John A. Mcdonald, oEq