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

DR.. J. W. Anderson: The following sc-
count OF the "bread riot" IL taken from
nv war diary. aud | can vouch Tor us accu-
raev 90 far AZ Il goes. Like q soldier In bat
tie. | saw only n Sun III part OF the "row. .
I saw nothing az President Davis nor OF
Governor Letcher on the ground, and GER
talply neither OF them was preset when
Lieutenant Gay dispersed the mob at thai
point:
ed nv way towards the Office | was sur
pris.d to see n crowd OF women assembled
in the Squsre &C too foot OF Washi0gton's
equestrian statue. II soon became apparent
that a sbread riot" was In contemplation,
and I mingled with the throng TO wit
ness their proceedings. After a short
| consultation they marched in a body
TO the Governors house, and told him
he must give them bread or they
would take Il wherever they could bnd
Il. III you do said he, st will be over the
point OF the bsyonet.' Not st all iniinidated
bv this significant threst they rushed down
the street, aud dividing into companies a.
tackled four or five stores at oncs. Iney
we're armed and equipped In J most
whimsical style. Some had rusty old horse
pistols. innocent Of powder and ball, some
had hstchets and axes some CLUBS, some
knives, aud mapy carried bayonets In their
belts. and specimens OF those huge ola
homemade kniye- with which our soldiers
were wont TO load themselves down IN the
Grst part Of the war.
About = thousand men followoj THESE
women. taking no part and seeming nal
amused, half indignant. | moved down 10
Cary street with one party. ana mounting
on a bag OF potatoes standing beside q store
/ door obtained a good view OF the whole pro-
ceedipo. They halted first IN front OF
Pollard & Walkers store. A BRIEF psrley
ensutd, and ! saw the owners attempt 10
close the doors. instantly = shower 81 blows
with fists, sticks. pistols. axes, and hatchefs
fell upOn IL. Glass few In every direction.
The doors gave wsv, aud In a moment Dore
the crowd rushed through with a hercc roar
Of triumph. Then began q SCENE OF VIA
c~ooiusion and piil2ge. The women strealied
ont. carrying away bacon, hOHr, sugar,
brooms, hats, and everything they coull
fud. They seized upOn-Or, to u%e a mill
tary term, they 'lmpressed'-sundry carts
aud WAGONS that happeRedto he at bans and
loaded them with provisions. Parity APP
peased but not saiiated, they next brOke
into tina adjoining Dullding-a shoe store
and In ten minutes # was thoroughly eVisce-
rated-nOt a single article left IN il-and 4
large part IL the crowd literally stood 10
the shoes Of The proprietor.
All this time similar scenes Of violence were
visible on Main and Broad streets. The
rioters did not conline themselves to articles
Of food, but stole silks, ribbons, millinery,
lsces, bats. shoes, cigars, and everything
tney could lay their hands on. Doubtless
sOne Of those ragged 10 considered new
ha1usts and dresses a. much "neces'aries OF
life " ~ bread and meat. Thev did not,
however. escape scot free In all cases. As
iory a. The crowd held together they were
safe. but the moment one OF the female war
RIO separates with her booty she was Cob
bled NJ by tho police aud lodged la the sta
tion-house.
One OF the policemen met an A uazOn with
a big piece ~ bacon on her head and > nam
In eacn band. "Nadam,' said be, suaVely,
"Nhcrc did you get that meat 81 got II
from a store on Cary street" Did you
nav for it," "Oh. no! We don't pay Tor
bacon n0wsdsys.' "lndesdl' said ihe
guardian Of the outraged Jaw. "In that
case | must run YOU in" No sooner we're
the words uttered than, dropping one Of the
hams. his prisoner dew p pistol. clapped It
al his breast, ana pulled the trigger. Luck
ily. it failed 10 fire, or that policeman had
been then and there abolished. lie held on,
NN ~ IL KIfI 49,
and all, ia the siatioh-house.
An enierpristng huckster-vomsn mounted
a cart we'll laden with bacon. candles. 6c.,
and setting calamity on the top Of the pile
drove away 10 triumph. she h,d scarcely
zone one hundred wards from the crowd and
turned Q corner when = policeman, emerging
Ike q big spider from hs ambush. pounced
upon her ana her cOmmi'sary supplies and
captured the whole concern without the
firing Of a gun. Tbe cart and contents thus
LETT standing without a proprietor soon at
trarted attention aud a newcomer coolly
took possession. but no sooner nad she gain
cred up the rein, for 4 start than forth came
ths inevitable policeman and she followed
her predecessor 70 the cage.
After awhile the state Guard, under
Lieutenant Gay. made lis appearance. snd
forming across Cary street, made ready for
actioa. i give you five minutes 10 disperse,'
sad he stern Old maa, a. with a sharp rattle
the bright bayonels were hXed. The hint
was enough. IN les than me minute not 4
slngle cruoline. nor anything III The likeness
thereof, remained in ,iglt.
Tie end OF tue R1air was that the Young
slcu's Christian Association distributed .
l9rve qu4ntity 81 provisions AMI promised
further belp. Thirty or forty 81 the rioters
wee arrested, sud are now in Jail awaiting
trial aud p~uui-hmeDt."
A Letter w.rTsN BY GOVERNOR LSTcHER.
EX-judre :. Btssett French, 81 Manches-
ter, was Governor Letcher's aidc.de-camp,
and he furnishes the Dtp2tch with the fol>
loving ~let1r-written TO him:
LEXINGTON, VA, April 10, 1873.
Dear Colonel, i enclose q paper published
In 81. Louis which c%Outsins an article from
tie Now York sun on the Richmond bread
riot which occurred during the war. Nr.
Davis IS gwen great credit for q%uslling IL and
am hardly known in The matter. You will
r~ecollect that II vas ! who gave the order
from the cart. soldIng my Nslch IN hand end
allowing five minutes to el4use before the
order was givea TO ire. The order TO taake
ready w. given and they stood waiting the
word fire when the crowd dispersed.
You VIII recall sl The facts aud | request
that YOU VII have the matter set right as
soon as CONVENIENT and oblige.
Your friend, JoHN LETcHER.
Judge French saws ne well remembers
thai ~ incident related by Governor Letcher
took place on Franklin street near the Old
market.
Judge French thinks that upon the recep.
ton Of this letter from Governor Letcher he
made a publication Of the facts IN the Whig.
lie ftAltNtN lut uNc3 OF liL pAifti, ahi an
he could find on The subject was tbs follow
lng:
tRiaLmond Wing. Nay 30. 1881
We are IN Danger Of anewSpaper var about
the bread riot IN Richmond durIng the war.
Major Daniel [quoted in the New York SUM
gave the clo;y Of dispensing It to President
Davis. Colonel Frcsch gives the post Of
honor to Governor Le.cher. The Geod,on
Gazette a|sOri-es tbe glory Co Colonel John 3.
Baldwin. Ths Petersburg lndeX says there
is a gentleman in that burg who was an eye
Witness, aud supports Major Daniels YER
sion.
now THE QUESTION STANDS
Above are ali the facts that the Dispatch
has becu able 10 obtain 20 far. They conalct
very much. To reconcile them seems quito
impossible; but that the President OF the
Confederate States, the Governor Of Virgil
g.nis, the hayor Of the city. and several
State funcilonaries, aided by the military,
took part IN the suppression Of loe riot seems
certain; and It NAV be assumed, therefore,