Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-01-20

| ing Of the stores ir the main represented a
| rough element, but they did not belong TO
| the most deprsved class OF their sex.
Those were erieyous times. Bread was
scarce and high. Meat was luxury.
Coffee and sugar hsd long since ds-
| appeared from the tables OF the poor.
| Most OF the able-bodied men were In
the army, but the population was large
| IL Increased as the city was 6lled win
refugee country people. macy OF whom icit
| their homes in the nighttime and emoiy-
banded and fed 10 Richmond 10 escape the
eucYny's raiders and maraudcrs There was
| great suffering. with many, TO this day,
| ihose times come across the memory
| Ike black shadow. There was
such priyation as can only come
/ to a belclgurcd city. Wlthal, there
were ksewn to be here. in the midst OF peo-
| pie unexcelled in patriotism and In ready
/ seii-sacrifce, some who ayailed themselves
! o. the dlstresses OF the community to grow
/ rich by boarding provisions and clothing
I and selling at hisb prices. In this con-
! juncturs the bread riot came about. me
/ mass Of the community greatly regretted 1t.
/ Many Of the offenders were caught and pun
! ished. and nearly all OF those who had plr-
/ tlcipaied in 1t grew ashamed OF the parts
they had taken.
| In the letters following there is much
! readable information on the subject. and
| especially a. to the parts taken by Governor
| Letoher and President Davis:
WHO ORDERED THE MOB TO DIsPERsE?
Who gave the mob five minutes 10 dis
perse or he fred into? and Whereabouts in
| thc CITY did this occur?
had heard in the early morning OK the
| expected riot aud was standing at The cor
ner OF the Old market on Main street when
! | saw the mob coming down Main and also
/ turning into Main from Fifteenth street, Al
| which pOlut they commenced 20 break into
and plumber every store on The south side OF
Main. !, In company with others, re-
manned until the mob reached The Old
market, at which point a stout, chunky man,
without coat or hat, with axe over his
shoulder. called ont 10 the mob: "Now for
Franklin street" The mob Immediately
turned into Seventeenth street 10 Franklin
and started to plllage the stores nsAr that
point. just as thew turned into Franklin
street a boy standing bv me called out:
! "IIere comes the Public Guard" On lock-
ing IN Main street "a. the Public Guard
coming down at double quick. when
they reached the Old market Captain Say
halted for moment aud called out 10 those
present: Which way have they gone 2"
The answer was, "ArOund 10 Franklin
street" He Immediately put his men IN
motion, aud as he turned into Franklin
street those present followed behind. when
we reached Franklin street we saw men and
women with arms full Of goods scamoerlng
in nj! dircctions-up Seventeenth street, up
Union street, up every alley, aud anywhe e
to hide with their piuudef. Those who
were so unfortunate as not to get something
were seen flying up Franklin street and
mixing with the crowd who filed the streets
between the Exchange II0tol and Governor
street. Captain Gay halted his men about
five minutes 1T Union and Franklin, by
which time every riOter had LETT and every
thing was quiet. He then continued with
his command tSbout twenty meo) Up Frank
lin street, I with Others following. When
we reached Governor street President Davis
was addressing the crowd from Bnford *
POrter's corner. No order wls gwen 10 lifC
Oh the mob; be only counselled them to 90
home.
That afternoon in conversation with nv
friend George A. Freeman (who l think
was High Constable OF Richmond az the
time), who WAS present at the commence
menL 81 Twelfth aud Cary streets. NJ it,
formed me That Mayor Mayo addressed the
crowd st that point; also that Governor
Letcher addressed them at Spenc1s corner
afterwards. | remember remarkln@ 10 MN
that as the rioters were not there but lower
down town, II reminded me OF what we
read in our histories In schoolboy days Of
some officials abiding while Rome was
burning"
From my own knowledge am satisfied
that all the credit OF stopping the 1icilng
and dispensing the rioters il due CAPTAIN
Cav and the Public Guard; that President
Drvis addressed the citizens and lockers on
with large part OF the mob, who fed be-
fore the Public Guard at Governor and
Franklin streets; on authority Of my friend
George A. Freeman that Mayor Mayo adj
dressed the citizens and lOokcrs-on ut
Twelfth and Cary streets and read the riot
act, ard that Governor Letcber addressed
about The same body at Spence's corner,
| Governor and Main.
| From the time the mob started down Main
street from the st. Charles Hotel there was
not an officer, civil or military, who inter-