Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-30


Mr.. W. q. Beptiey, OF Norfolk: Having
noticed that there IS a controversy about the
location Of the point where President Davis
| checked and dispersed the mob OF women at
the time Of the bread riot In Richmond du-
rine the war, | wish 10 contribute what ! can
to the solution OF that fact
was at the time on duty In Richmond IN
The service OF the Confederate army, and nv
recollection Of the matter, OF which j was sn
eyewitness, il that Mr.. Davis met the mon,
entirely composed Of women, scar the inter-
section Of Cary and Thirteenth streets. Just
after they had broken open and partially
sacked the house formerly and Afterwards
occupied by Mcssrs. Tyler a Son. In which
there were 1T the time OF the mob supplies
belonging 10 the Government.
do not think that Mr.. Davis dispersed
the by thrests, but mainly by promises To
look into their grievances. which he did 10
tii.ir satisfaction. II was the eloquence OF
Mr.. Davis, together with the confidence OF
the women in bis willingness and ability TO
do them justice, which quelled the distur-
| banee.
DAVIS, LKTCHER, AND MOUNTED POLICE.
DR.. A. :. McRae: During the progress OF
the bread riot in Richmond, in company with
the late Or. Junius Archer, Of Bellona. DIR.
y. s. Hancock, aud Nr. Austin r. Moore,
both Of Chesterfield, I was standing in the
door Of the grocery store OF when Mr..
Moore was the proprietor, which was located
. door or two below where the Columbian
Block now stands. We were Ia constant 3D.
prehension Of an attack upon this we'll
Glled store by the mob. We did not
have 10 wait very long before a crowd OF
three or four hundred men and women
gathered in front " the store, yelling and
shouting a. II maddened by liquor and de-
tern.ncd UPON serious mischief. They I'm
mcdi2tely demanded the surrender OF The
store and announced their determination 10
break INTO Il II the door was not opened.
Mr.. Moore shO wed = great deal Of nerve aud
firmncss, and with = six.shOster IN bis
band told them ibst he would defend
his property ut the Tisk OF his lfe. There
were standing in about ten or twelve feet OF
Us several stout. rOugb-lookirg men. With
axes IN their bands. Nr. Moore's evident
determination 10 shoot the Grst person @ho
ATTEMPTED 10 break down The door held them
at bay until Sir. Joseph Mayo, then havor
Of TIE city, and President Davis rode
40 ~ the head OF fifteen or twenty
mounted police. Mr. MAYO read the riot
act. and then told them that he would give
them five minutes 70 d%isperse. and that II
they did not do 50 he would fire upon them.
They Immediately rushed down Cary street
and scattered IN various directions. My
recollection u that they did not afterwards
rCgssembIe or do any further damage. They
had previously broken into a number OF
stnres.
am entirely confident In the statement
that Mr.. Davis was present on that occasion.
This is an that | am able 10 state Of my per-
s0ual knowledge about this, one Of ths most
exciting and alarming events that has ever
occurred Ia this city.
TIE slCKING or THE STORES,
Mr.. G. A. Purks: Humors were prevalent
several dave before il came oil that a riot
would take place, and that a woman hucksier
in the second market would lead the women
IN o break for bread. She being wsll-t0-dO
herself, sought to benefit herself by espon'-
ing the cause Of the less %fOrtunate and slsO
10 add 20 her own stores.
The brst knew q. the actual mot was on
Cary street between Twelfth aad Thirteentb
streets. Rcle az immense crowd had gath
cred. The 6r.t housa broken into was Poi
llld & WALKER, The nest - Tclefs-
both grocer- the nrN' was !. 7. t~lita's, =
shoe deaor: all ~ which were fu,t-d m =
short ttse, the goods pu' IN wagons M ~ai.-
inc anj csyried on.
Duru<thstme the riot act wa read and
Tbs crowd ordered to az psr,e. which they
paid no attention 10.
Thee then formed in line, two and ITO,
aud morchrd 90 Main street, corner 1hlr-
isen'h, TUNED down Main until they got 10
q Vi. -- KNOTS sbos store. Here. I'D
GA by some desperate mcn, tDc7 commenced
h%rCabiug the windows, and putting some oi
me tr,u INSIDE they soon had the doors open
and the work begun, The men inside ttf0w-
irc the shoes 70 tue women ON toe sid'Waik
and The citizens, Of whom | W9s one, throw
ing them back AS fast as they were thrown
ont.
while this was going on citizen recog-
nized q man ~ tue leader and seized him
and called for help several of NJ caught
hold. and al that time q Confederate officer
came up. drew his pistol, and we took Inc
rioter 10 prison, and think he was semitic the
pcnioutiary.
Later ia Ire morning Colonel Elliott's City
battalion maiehrd down Main street, snd As
be vent woIoed the people to retire from tue
street.
Knots shoe store WAS situated about
whefe Mr.. ". Nilliscf's store now stands.
between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets
on Nam.
H0W PRESIDENT DAVIS QCEIIED TIE MOB.
MIR. P0lk HIlier: In your sundays issue
Won give an account Of The "bread riot
which occurred IN this cllv In TIE spring 81
1863. 3iaior Daniel Wns not misqu0ted in
ssying that "Jen. DRyis' gave orders to
CJptMR Gay. | was Ia three feet OF Mr..
pavis, aud not 0uly heard the grand speech
male b, him, but heard his order to Captain
Gay. The frs pubic officer who appeared
upon the scene was Colonel UUnt0rd, who,
mounted upon afurnituTc wagon A. The cor
her Of Twelfth aud Cary streets, tia the
motley crew that be bad come iron HE Coy
crnOr's mansion snl thst tue GoNerner Sail
that be would see 10 1t that thee should be
40 suffering among the people IN This city,
but that II WAS his duty 10 see that the
laws should be observed, and n sll hazards I
ne would put a stop 10 The proceedings II
they commenced to pilfcr. The crowd, con-
posed mostly Of women and bslt-grOwn
boys. listened 10 bis appeal Tor r few MINI
utcs, but the door 81 the Confederate coa-
misssry had by this time been forced open,
and the various %srticles stored therein were
being "tOated on IA The direction IL The
river. Long lines Of women and boys came
pouring in from the dlreetiOn Of the Irede-
gar, and The turns OF tat middiug that
some ot the women carried ON their shoulders
would have done credit TO the strongest
man. Having emplle his store OF lis con-
tents, snd the mob /, tbis time having be.
co,e@ completely Wild. they commenced 10
break into private stores on the south side
OF Cary (neAf the Bank 81 "ElchnQhU) eccu'
pied by people who sold shoes aud clcihiug
which had come IN through the blockade.
The hklI.grown boys we're pushed ~
through The windoWp, and on reaching the
upper stories they would throw down the
goods to the women. Many women
would he freighted with shoes, blank
cts, aud other articles OF general
merchandise. Here the Mayor (Mr. MsyO)
came up aud read tee riot act TO no purpose.
The crowd then went down TO one Of toe
Government stOrehouseS between the
bridge and the market, and, Joined by 9
caravan from lever Main street and Rockets,
the street was completely blocked. After
sacking the most Of the stores below Thir-
tenth street they started for Watkins d
Flcklen's aud Samuel NJ. Price a Co.'S. The
friends Of there houses bad by this time raj
he'd TO their rescue, and although the large
windows were smashed and the boys pushed
through he aperturet by the women from
the outside, the defenders from the inside,
composed Of soldiers on leave and conNales-
cents from the hospitals and cItiz-ns exempt
ed from the ssryice by reason OF ace or phy-