Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-05-07
The ''Bread Riot" or s'Richmond
COmlnune.,,

The sBread Riots or "Richm0nd
C0mnune.''
A number of papers have recently been
publishing accounts of disturbance in
Richmond in 1868 under the above head
ings. We give below the account of an
eyewitness as published editorially in
the GOodson Gazette of last week, which
credits the late Col. John B. Baldwin
with duelling the riot.
"We have seen in several papers notices
of the "Bread Riot,n as it was called,
that occurred in Richmond during the
late war, in which the question is dis
cussed, as to who was instrumental in
quelling the riot, some attributing it to
President Davis and others to Governor
Letcher and Mayor Mayo, who dispers-
ed the crowd through the soldiers order
ed out for that purpose.
The statement that Mayor Mayo
mounted cart at the corner of 18th and
Main streets and read the Riot Act, and
that the Governor told the mob that he
would give them five minutes to disperse
is true, with the exception that this oc-
Cured at the corner of 18th and Frank
lin streets, instead Of 18th and Main,
and that it was not the mob who had
| been engaged in that riot that was dis
| persed, but crowd of peaceable citizens,
many of whom We're members of Con-
gress who had been drawn together from
curiosity, or who had been engaged in
assisting to quell the riot.
| Having witnessed the affair from it's
beginning to the end, we know whereof
we speak, and our only object in allud-
ing to the subject is to give the credit of
quelling the riot to whom it is due. We
do not hesitate to say that to Hon. John
B. Baldwin, belongs this credit.
The riot commenced on Main street,
and although it has been styled Bread
Riot, the first store broken open was a
Boot and Shoe store, and the first thing
the writer saw upon reaching the scene
was number of stalwart women with
their arms full Of Cavalry Boots, instead
OF bread and meat. COL Baldwin who
Happened to be passing at the time, was
urging the women to des!st and go
I home.
Several young fellows, who seemed to
be in sympathy with the riot but not
participating in it, began to hiss, when
Col. B. called upon all who were willing
to assist in putting stop to it to gather
around him, whan g number responded
to the call and all endeavored to persuade
the infatuated women to desist.
From this point the Mob moved down
Main street and across to Franklin, be-
low the Market. Here Col. Baldwin
made another earnest appeal to them
promising to do all in his power to aid
those who Were III want: This was the
last store broken into and the mob quiet
~ dispersed.
AS the crowd of citizens were return
ing, at the corner of 18th and Franklin
St., they saw the Mayor and the soldiers
: coming. AS the crowd approached, the
Mayor mounted cart and began to read
the Riot act, surprising tAenlto be the
rioters. This mistake of the Mayor caus,
ed much merriment among the crowd
and after the Governor told them he
would give the mob five minutes to dis.
perse, Col. Baldwin went to the Mayer
and told him that the mob had dispersed
and this was only a crowd ofcitiZens re-
turning home. We have seen references
to an article on the "Richmond Com
. mune," but we have not seen the arti.
, cle"
STATE LIAn14ITY.-Th Norfolk
Vryi,ajan copies the extract which We
made from the opinion of the Supreme
Court in Murray VS.. The city of Charles.
ton declaring that State in borrowing
money stood upon level With individ'
Nals,( fna s4ys,
"Fhis is direct denial by the court 0:
the right of State to repudate Its pc
cuniary obligations, and as it is the de-
cision of the court Of last resort in this
country, it settles forever the question
, of reputation. The forcible readjusters
f must see that as long as Virginia is in tbs
Union, she aannob 'Tetuss 10 abide the
decision Of the Supreme Court, and
hence whatever may be their views as tC
eXpediency, they must submit to the law
as declared by it. This decision should
: put an end to all agitation on the subject
as it renders reputation by the State
impossible even though every man in
the State favored it,"
! Exactly, THE Supreme Court says
/ "a promise 10 pd3i avisk Tie rose3ved rSqh
= to deny or change tho effect Of the promise
is an dbstUduy." Aud what airs the re.
) pudators going to do about it ?-Rich
Dispatch.
SHENANDOAH VALLEY RAILRoA9.-
The annual ineeting OF the stakeholder:
of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad
Company was held i'll Winchester last
| Wednesday, q majority of the stock be-
ing represented, and Col. Mann Splitter
of Page county, presiding. George FL
Rardwell offered a protest against the
voting OF the STOCK of John +. Taylor
and of the Central Improvement Com
pany except by the purchasers of the
franchises, but the protest was tabled
: Hon. VIM. Mines was reelected Presi
dent, with the following directors: w
Fl. Travers, A. r. Boiler, U. L. Boyce
!. IL. B. Davenport, Ell. B. Hansberger, J
@, A. Nadenbousch, Logan Osborn
David hilinysf, VI. p. Smith, Mann
Splitter and John T. Lovett.
The president informed the stockhold
ers that the directors had made con-
tract with John S. Satterlee g. d., O
New York, to build the main stem from
the Potomac river at Shepherdstow1
: w. Va, and the branch connection al
, Martinsburg, w. Va, to Waynesboro
Augusta county, Va, on the Chesapeake
and Ohio railroad, the work to be COM
pleted and delivered, with all the APP
, po.rtments of Q first class road, within
three years from It's commencement.
SUICIDE OF A VIRGINIAN IN NEW
ORLEANs.-During the early part of the
month man named G. A. Kile com