The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-29
BREAD RIOT IN RICHMOND.
A Story of the Late Civil War by an Eye
Witness Of the Occurrence.
GDiXie in WASHINGTON Post I

[Dixie in Washington Post.
1t was in the early part of the war, i'll,
I think, the second year Our armies
(the confederate) had been generally
successful, and there was as yet little of
that great suffering to which the peo-
pie of the south were afterward to be
reduced. The death of men in Rich
mond made it necessary to employ
large force Of women in the various de-
partments of the government, a great
many Of them refugees, and many from
the ablest and wcalthiest of southern
aristocratic families.
The treasury department occupied on
Broad street in Richmond, a large store,
and in that store number of ladies
were occupied in numbering and sigh
ing coupon bonds, and Others in signing
and numbering the one and two dollar
notes with which the confederacy was
flooded.
One afternoon there was rumor in
Richmond that a body of disorderly
women and boys had assembled on the
Capital square, clamoring for bread. 1t
was asserted that Governor Letcher
and the mayor of the city had address
ed them in the interest of law and Or
der, and promised them relief.
But as yet little was known for Ger
tain, and I gave the rumor little
thought, as / walked up Broad street
the next morning toward the depart
ment, now only few squares off.
"Bread, bread; give us breadr' amid
a pandemonium Of yells, startled me.
AS turned in alarm, scene met my
eyes that I will not soon forget.
Pouring out of side street motley
crowd of women and boys surged up in
my wake to the very building that was
my goal. 1t was striking and unique
sight-not man visible, but every wo-
man in the city seemed to be there,
yelling for bread.
For me to be thus the unwilling lead
er of mob was anything but pleasant
sensation, and, fastening my steps, I
reached the department just before it
was closed against the mob. Hating in
front Of the building they vainly sought
to force an entrance. Fearing that they
might have firearms our chief had CIV
en- orders that the ladies should keep
clear of the windows. But Mother
Ewes vice got the better of us, and we
eagerly watched the crowd as they bat
tered at the doors, at the same time de-
manding that the money should be
given up to them. Foiled in their at
tempt to obtain the governments cur
rency, they turned their attention to
other more accessible plunder. \ mil
liners shop and shoe store were
quickly sacked and their contents ap-
propriated. Decked with the unlawful
spoil, they next proceeded to break in
4 bakery and appease their fan1ished
stomachs by emptying the -four int
the streets and trampling the bread be-
meath their feet. While employed in
this congenial occupation they were III
terrupted by the arrival of a detach-
ment of soldiers sent by the governor
to disperse the rioters. The troops open
ed fire with blank cartridges, with nc
other effect than causing laugh and
jeers from the mob, who seemed anus,
ed. The plundering continued, and
there seemed no way of dispensing them
without using bullets, which the sol
diers We're unwilling to do. Finally, by
charging with the bayonets, the mill
tary managed to stampede the crowd
without, however, wounding any o.
them. They returned to their homes
and gave no further trouble. To the
| cTGIlll Oh Tie NOlilSIl VA SAAS SooSL, ~
should be said that the women who in.
spired the riot, though in the south,
were not of it, but the wives principally
Of foreigners, who, hen the war broke
out, Went north, leaving their wives tC
carry on their market gardens and shops
in Richmond, aui thereby save their
property. The leader Of the riot y mar
ket gardener, w:,> said ~ * worth Sio,'
OO0 in gold. Many Of the participants
wce known ~ IL almost ~ rich, N:c
their victims Ven r><iur<>i IL p>>vsS.NE
The leader q; the riutSc> w>s> ><';stss.t's<;
u the penitsutiary. II wH> iEhSss,c =;
Richmond thar il MS c>sr>H:S>: MIA i
View Of n,&A!nS the tai:><' - :&>,s; t>Ea7
tt<ierAty Apl<<sr "s,.s>' .Sr~s~':ssss sH's&s :;
| then w>s>. SnG tl,rr>'Ay ><ssst&H - =;
! 2iScn>IiI ,N,th az hri:,S> %:s>s >sHSrTS.S,