The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-16
BREAD RIOT IN RICHMOND.
A Story of the Late Civil War by an Eye
Witness of the Occurrence.

a
Witness of the Occurrence.
.'Dixie.'' in Washington Post.
1t was in the early part of the late war, in, I
think, the second year. Our armies 1.-THE confed-
eratel had been generally successful, and there
was yet little of that great suffering to which
the people of the South were afterwards to be-
reduced. The deartn of men in Richmond made
it necessary to employ a large force OF women in
the various departments of the government, a
great many of them refugees, and many from
the oldest and wealthiest of Southern aristo-
cratic families
The Treasury Department occupied on Broad
street, in Richmond. large atore, and IN that
store q number of ladies were occupied IN num-
bering and signing coupon bonds. ard others
in signing and mum hering the one and two
dollar notes with which the Confederacy was
flooded
One afternoon there was a rumor in Richmond
that body of disorderly women and boys had
assembled the Capitol square. clamoring for
bread. 1t asserted that Governor Letcher
and the Mayor of the city had addressed them
in the interest Of law and order, and promised
them relief.
But as yet little was known for certain. ana I
gave the rumor little thought as | walked up
Broad street the next morning toward the de-
partmenr. now only few squares of.
Bread. bread; give us bread!' amid pande-
monium of yells, startled me.
AS | turned in alarm, met my eyes
that will not soon forget.
Pouring out of q side street motley crowd OF
women and boys surged up in my wake to the
very building that my goal. 1t was a strik
ing and unique sight-not man visible but
every woman in the city seemed to be there,
yelling for bread.
For me to be- thus the unwilling leader of q
mob was anything but pleasant sensation, and
Fastening my steps [ reached the department.
just before il was closed against the mob. Halt
ing in front of the building they valny sought
to force an entrance. Fearing that they might
have fire arms our chief had given orders that
the ladies should keep clear of the windows.
and we eagerly watched the crowd as they bat
tered at the doors, at the same time demand
ing that the money should be given uD to them.
Foiled IN their attempt to obtain the govern
ments currency, they turned their attention to
other accessible plumber. milliners
shop and shoe store were quickly sacked
and their t, contents ont uf lated
they next proceeded to break in a bakery and
appease their famished stomachs by emptying
the -four into the streets and trampling the
this congenal occupation they were interrupted
by the arrival of detachment of soldiers sent
by the Cover nor to dispense the rioters. The
troops opened fire with blank cartridges, with no
other effect than causing laugh and jeers
from the mob, who seemed amused The plum
dering continued. and there seemed way of
dispensing them without using bullets. which
the soldiers were unwilling TO do. Finally. by
charging with the bayonets, the military man
aged to stampede the crowd without how
ever, wounding any of them. They re-
further trouble To the credit of the
women of the South. il should be said that the
women VINO lnspiTeu Uno Eiot, buOugn IN the
South. not of it, but the wives principally
of foreigners. who. when the war broke out,
went North. leaving their wives to carry their
market gardens and shops in Richmond, and
thereby save their property. The leader of the
riot, market gardener, was said to be worth
600 in gold. Many OF the participants
known to be almost as rich, but their victims
were reduced to poverty. The leader of the
rioters WAS sentenced to the pententiary. It
was thought In Richmond that it was coucocted
with view Of making the cause OF the Confed-
rows 6nzT ka han fhnn
and thereby bringing it in discreiit both! at
home and abroad.