Year: 1871

New YoBk, July IL.


THE OPENING HOUR.


From an early hour this morning
crowds of rough looking men were seen
wandering through the streets and visit
ing in succession large establishments
where great numbers Of men were work
ing. They persuaded them to leave their
work and join with them, until os the
morning worn on, they became an angry
excited crowd. All were more or less
armed. Some had firearms which they
took no pains to hide, and others with
huge knives stuck into their belts or
murderous club over their shoulders.


There was wicked spirit of determ-
ination on their countenances and but
very few Of them were at all under the in
huence of liquor. 1t was evident to all
who saw this crowd that they were terri
bly, in earnest, and if they were not over.
awed by the authorities Of the city, they
would commit some deed of violence be-
fore the day was ended. So this crowd
pressed on, constantly increasing in num-
bers.


The arrangement Of the police had
been made on the most extensive scale,
and beside the entire force OF the city,
there were many special policemen sworn
in, and besides all these, there were elev-
en- regiments of the National guard under
arms including the Thirteenth from
Brooklyn. At ten minutes past two
o'clock the procession began its march,
numbering about one hundred and thirty
Orangemen, and guarded by the police
and the military, under the broIing sun


The bayonets glistened as they went
and as the sound OF the drums beating in
offensive military marches came up the
Eighth avenue, the crowd at the corner
hooted and groaned an accompaniment,
and it was evident from the waverng Of
the rearmost ranks that missiles were
dropping among them from the house
tops or the sidewalks. On q sudden
from the northeast corner of Eighth ave-
nue. and Twenty eighth street came puff
of smoke and report 1t lacked 20
minutes Of when the scattered hootings
rose to an immense roar, and the crowd
closed in angrly in the wake Of the pro-
cession. This gave one chance to drive
into the avenue. A pillar Of gilded dust
shot through, with points ofsteel marked
the route Of the procession, and led on
the raging crowd tom Twenty eight,
Twenty seventh and Twenty sixth, as the
passage of the silent column made room
..or the human food which surged in be-
hind it. 1t is region oftcnement houses,
and bare armed women filed such wind
ows as were not shut and barred. The
crowd kept gathering in the rear and
pressing the columns closer and closer,
when a sheet Of white smoke made itself
seen through the dust and sharp crackle
like that of pack of Chinese fire crack
ers came from under it. 1t was full
volley Of musketry fired by the Ninth and
Eighty fourth regiments. Then panic
seized the crowd They ran crazy
through the streets they had come in at,
and up the avenue far beyond Thirtieth
street, until not a man remained except
the dead. Where it was safe to pick
them up, their frightened friends came
back and laid them under the
trees in the cross streets out Of the fierce
sun which beat down upon the avenue.


The scenes on Eighth avenue were ter
rible. The firing that had taken place
was most appalling. The dead and dy-
ing were lying in groups on the ground
and sidewalks. Between Twenty fifth
and Twenty sixth streets the streets were
covered with blood. The dead soldiers
could not even be removed, their com
rades being required to march on as es
cort to the Orangemen, who upon reach
ing Broadway, near Grace church, were
once more attacked by the crowd. But
q terrible charge Of police, resulting in
numerous arrests any number Of broken
heads, soon cleared the route for them
to march on to the Cooper Institute,
the Sixth regiment formed into hollow
square and permitted the Orangemcn to
go to their lodge rooms, take oil their re-
gala and disappear. BY this time the
news of the battle on Eighth avenue was
known al over the city, and created the
most appalling excitement. Crowds Of
men rushed to and from the police head
quarters and that section Of the city was
soon declared In state of siege, police
and military both being massed around
the governors headquarters, completely
isolat,ng that part of the city from the
other streets. The troops were then sent
back to the scene of the conflict and
guarded all the approaches to the Eighth
avenue. At this time the two dead sold.
iers of the Ninth regiment had been taken
into drug store and guarded by a corporal
and four men. The rioters on ascertain
ing that the dead soldiers we're inside, at.
tackled the drug store, but the guard
stood their ground and would have been
overpowered but for the timely arrival
of two hundred and fifty policemen who
beat the crowd back that had sworn to
tear in pieces the dead bodies Of the sol
diers. Continued charges had to be made
up and down the avenue to drive the
crowd home, and it was only after re-
peated assaults that tho rioters retreated.
still defiant.


In the Twenty. second regiment Capt.
Douglass was wounded, and his brother
was stabbed in the neck. Besides this
several other members Of the Twenty
second regiment were some seriously,
and others fatally wounded. Up to this
hour the official list OF the killed and
wounded foots up, soldiers killed six,