Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1906-02-10
Artillery to Cope With Mobs.

said the Major, struck me at first as
peculiar, in that artillery was used
against rioters. But, as 1 went back
over the experiences in the civil war,
i recalled several cases in which we
used artillery in street fighting. One
of these cases, strangely enough, was
in Boston. On the night OF July 15,
1853, infiamed by reports of the riot
in New York, a mob attempted to
capture the armory of the Eleventh
battery, on Cooper street.
Preparations had been made to
meet such an attack, and when the
rioters, attempting to carry the build
ing by storm, had forced the entrance
a gun loaded with canister was fired
almost in their faces, and with ter
rible effect. Even then the rioters
held together until a company of reg
ular cavalry charged, when they ran
like frightened sheep.
I'm New York, where the riots ex-
tended over four days, there were at
first no troops to meet the mob, and
shameful excuses shocked the ma
ton. But when the regulars, militia,
and police were organized for resis-
lance the rioters at different points
dispersed under rifle fire. They raj
lied at other points, to be again dis
persed, but on the morning of July
IT the cavalry rode over the field of
disturbance and found no rioters.
1.-The mob leaders were killed or
captured. There were comparatively
few casualties among the troops, but
over a thousand persons were killed
before the mobs were subdued. The
fighting was mainly in the streets
and there was little shipping from
the houses. Property to the value of
100000 was wantonly destroyed by
the rioters, who held the largest city
on the American continent in a state
of war for four days"
1.-THE use of artillery in street fight
Ing" said the Colonel, was contem-
plated in several cases during the
civil war. The most notable case,
probably, was that of Nashville in the
summer of 1862. Buell's army at the
time was far to the south. The gar
rison was not large and Forests cav
airy moved to within striking dis
lance. There was a great deal of talk
about the Confederate sympathizers
conspiring with Forrest to turn the
city over to the Confederate authorf-
ties, and the excitement bordered on
panic.
I'VE of the military made prepare
lions to meet the rebel cavalry, while
Andrew Johnson, then military gov
.ernor of Tennessee, made prepare
lions to restrain the Confederate SYM
pathizers in the city. He concentrated
heavy batteries on Capitol hill and
instructed the artillerymen to train
the guns on the main business streets
He publicly announced that if Forrest
broke the Union line and entered the
city and there was an uprising to
meet and support him the, batteries
would open fire on any mob that
should appear on any street. at the
risk of destroying the resident quar-
ter.
Some of the officers told the Gov
ernor that this would be regarded sim
ply as bluff and would accomplish
little. He surprised us by saying that
he meant to do it, and that the Con-
federates in Nashville knew him well
enough to know that he would do it.
We could not reason with him. and
the preparations went forward He
called a public meeting at the capi-
tol to consider the defense of the city,
and at that meeting he repeated his
threat to turn the guns on the streets,
and asked the doubling Thomases to
look the heavy cannon over as they
went out and to notice how admirably
they were placed to command the
streets and to destroy the homes of
those plotting to surrender the city
to Gen. Forrest.
This, we thought, was enough to
promote a riot, but he went further.
He said he had been warned that he
would be shot if he appeared on the
streets. He proposed to go imme-
diately to the street and march at
the head of a procession of Unionists
through the city. Not a few of the
officers believed this to be the wav-
ing of red flag in the faces OF re
sentful men, ready to incite riot But
the Governor could not be dissuaded
He called a color bearer with a
flag to his side He ordered the band
to play 1.-The Star Spangled Banner"
He asked all who stood by the I'm
ion and the flag to form behind him,
and without guard, except a few
trusted men who, on secret instruc-
tions, fell in near him, Andy johnson
went down the street to the business
section and through it The process
sion was a long one when it started.
and it grew and grew. 1t was a chal-
lenge to the Union men to show their
colors and a challenge to the Con-
sympathizers to do their
worst