personal memoirs-2-第26章

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maintain　a　military　supremacy　in　the　city　for　a　few　days；　until　the

affair　is　fully　investigated。　　I　believe　the　sentiment　of　the　general

community　is　great　regret　at　this　unnecessary　cruelty；　and　that　the

police　could　have　made　any　arrest　they　saw　fit　without　sacrificing

lives。



〃P。　H。　SHERIDAN；

〃Major…General　Commanding。〃





On　receiving　the　telegram；　General。　　Grant　immediately　submitted。　　it

to　the　President。　　Much　clamor　being　made　at　the　North　for　the

publication　of　the　despatch；　Mr。　Johnson　pretended　to　give　it　to　the

newspapers。　　It　appeared　in　the　issues　of　August　4；　but　with　this

paragraph　omitted；　viz。：



〃I　had　made　up　my　mind　to　arrest　the　head　men；　if　the　proceedings　of

the　convention　were　calculated　to　disturb　the　tranquility　of　the

Department；　but　I　had　no　cause　for　action　until　they　committed　the

overt　act。　　In　the　mean　time　official　duty　called　me　to　Texas；　and

the　mayor　of　the　city；　during　my　absence；　suppressed　the　convention

by　the　use　of　the　police　force；　and　in　so　doing　attacked　the　members

of　the　convention；　and　a　party　of　two　hundred　negroes；　with　fire…

arms；　clubs；　and　knives；　in　a　manner　so　unnecessary　and　atrocious　as

to　compel　me　to　say　it　was　murder。〃



Against　this　garbling　of　my　report…done　by　the　President's　own　order…

I　strongly　demurred；　and　this　emphatic　protest　marks　the　beginning　of

Mr。　Johnson's　well…known　personal　hostility　toward　me。　　In　the　mean

time　I　received　（on　August　3）　the　following　despatch　from　General

Grant　approving　my　course：



〃HEADQUARTERS　ARMIES　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES；

〃WAR　DEPT。；　WASHINGTON；　D。　　C。；　〃August　3；　18665　p。m。



〃MAJOR…GENERAL　P。　H。　SHERIDAN；

〃Commanding　Mil。　Div。　of　the　Gulf；

〃New　Orleans；　La。



〃Continue　to　enforce　martial　law；　so　far　as　may　be　necessary　to

preserve　the　peace；　and　do　not　allow　any　of　the　civil　authorities　to

act；　if　you　deem　such　action　dangerous　to　the　public　safety。　　Lose　no

time　in　investigating　and　reporting　the　causes　that　led　to　the　riot；

and　the　facts　which　occurred。



〃U。　S。　GRANT；

〃Lieutenant…General。〃





In　obedience　to　the　President's　directions；　My　report　of　August　1　was

followed　by　another；　more　in　detail；　which　I　give　in　full；　since　it

tells　the　whole　story　of　the　riot　：



〃HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　GULF；

〃NEW　ORLEANS；　LA。；　August　6；　1866。



〃His　EXCELLENCY　ANDREW　JOHNSON；

〃President　United　States



〃I　have　the　honor　to　make　the　following　reply　to　your　despatch　of

August　4。　　A　very　large　number　of　colored　people　marched　in

procession　on　Friday　night；　July　twenty…seven　（27）；　and　were

addressed　from　the　steps　of　the　City　Hall　by　Dr。　Dostie；　ex…Governor

Hahn；　and　others。　　The　speech　of　Dostie　was　intemperate　in　language

and　sentiment。　　The　speeches　of　the　others；　so　far　as　I　can　learn；

were　characterized　by　moderation。　　I　have　not　given　you　the　words　of

Dostie's　speech；　as　the　version　published　was　denied；　but　from　what　I

have　learned　of　the　man；　I　believe　they　were　intemperate。



〃The　convention　assembled　at　twelve　（12）　M。　　on　the　thirtieth　（30）；

the　timid　members　absenting　themselves　because　the　tone　of　the

general　public　was　ominous　of　trouble。　　I　think　there　were　about

twenty…six　（26）　members　present。　　In　front　of　the　Mechanics

Institute；　where　the　meeting　was　held；　there　were　assembled　some

colored　men；　women；　and　children；　perhaps　eighteen　（18）　or　twenty

（20）；　and　in　the　Institute　a　number　of　colored　men；　probably　one

hundred　and　fifty　（150）。　　Among　those　outside　and　inside　there　might

have　been　a　pistol　in　the　possession　of　every　tenth　（10）　man。



〃About　one　（1）　p。　m。　　a　procession　of　say　from　sixty　（60）　to　one

hundred　and　thirty　（130）　colored　men　marched　up　Burgundy　Street　and

across　Canal　Street　toward　the　convention；　carrying　an　American　flag。

These　men　had　about　one　pistol　to　every　ten　men；　and　canes　and　clubs

in　addition。　　While　crossing　Canal　Street　a　row　occurred。　　There　were

many　spectators　on　the　street；　and　their　manner　and　tone　toward　the

procession　unfriendly。　　A　shot　was　fired；　by　whom　I　am　not　able　to

state；　but　believe　it　to　have　been　by　a　policeman；　or　some　colored

man　in　the　procession。　　This　led　to　other　shots　and　a　rush　after　the

procession。　　On　arrival　at　the　front　of　the　Institute　there　was　some

throwing　of　brickbats　by　both　sides。　　The　police；　who　had　been　held

well　in　hand；　were　vigorously　marched　to　the　scene　of　disorder。　　The

procession　entered　the　Institute　with　the　flag；　about　six　（6）　or

eight　（8）　remaining　outside。　　A　row　occurred　between　a　policeman　and

one　of　these　colored　men；　and　a　shot　was　again　fired　by　one　of　the

parties；　which　led　to　an　indiscriminate　fire　on　the　building　through

the　windows　by　the　policemen。　　This　had　been　going　on　for　a　short

time；　when　a　white　flag　was　displayed　from　the　windows　of　the

Institute；　whereupon　the　firing　ceased；　and　the　police　rushed　into

the　building。



〃From　the　testimony　of　wounded　men；　and　others　who　were　inside　the

building；　the　policemen　opened　an　indiscriminate　fire　upon　the

audience　until　they　had　emptied　their　revolvers；　when　they　retired；

and　those　inside　barricaded　the　doors。　　The　door　was　broken　in；　and

the　firing　again　commenced；　when　many　of　the　colored　and　white　people

either　escaped　throughout　the　door　or　were　passed　out　by　the

policemen　inside；　but　as　they　came　out　the　policemen　who　formed　the

circle　nearest　the　building　fired　upon　them；　and　they　were　again

fired　upon　by　the　citizens　that　formed　the　outer　circle。　　Many　of

those　wounded　and　taken　prisoners；　and　others　who　were　prisoners　and

not　wounded；　were　fired　upon　by　their　captors　and　by　citizens。　　The

wounded　were　stabbed　while　lying　on　the　grgund；　and　their　heads

beaten　with　brickbats。　　In　the　yard　of　the　building；　whither　some　of

the　colored　men　had　escaped　and　partially　secreted　themselves；　they

were　fired　upon　and　killed　or　wounded　by　policemen。　　Some　were　killed

and　wounded　several　squares　from　the　scene。　　Members　of　the

convention　were　wounded　by　the　police　while　in　their　hands　as

prisoners；　some　of　them　mortally。



〃The　immediate　cause　of　this　terrible　affair　was　the　assemblage　of

this　Convention；　the　remote　cause　was　the　bitter　and　antagonistic

feeling　which　has　been　growing　in　this　community　since　the　advent　of

the　present　Mayor；　who；　in　the　organization　of　his　police　force；

selected　many　desperate　men；　and　some　of　them　known　murderers。

People　of　clear　views　were　overawed　by　want　of　confidence　in　the

Mayor；　and　fear　of　the　thugs；　many　of　which　he　had　selected　for　his

police　force。　　I　have　frequently　been　spoken　to　by　prominent　citizens

on　this　subject；　and　have　heard　them　express　fear；　and　want　of

confidence　in　Mayor　Monroe。　　Ever　since　the　intimation　of　this　last

convention　movement　I　must　condemn　the　course　of　several　of　the　city

papers　for　supporting；　by　their　articles；　the　bitter　feeling　of　bad

men。　　As　to　the　merciless　manner　in　which　the　convention　was　broken

up；　I　feel　obliged　to　confess　strong　repugnance。



〃It　is　useless　to　disguise　the　hostility　that　exists　on　the　part　of　a

great　many　here　toward　Northern　men；　and　this　unfortunate　affair　has

so　precipitated　matters　that　there　is　now　a　test　of　what　shall　be　the

status　of　Northern　menwhether　they　can　live　here　without　being　in

constant　dread　or　not；　whether　they　can　be　protected　in　life　and

property；　and　have　justice　in　the　courts。　　If　this　matter　is

permitted　to　pass　over　without　a　thorough　and　determined　prosecution

of　those　engaged　in　it；　we　may　look　out　for　frequent　scenes　of　the

same　kind；　not　only　here；　but　in　other　places。　　No　steps　have　as　yet

been　taken　by　the　civil　authorities　to　arrest　citizens　who　were

engaged　in　this　massacre；　or　policemen　who　perpetrated　such

cruelties。　　The　members　of　the　convention　have　been　indicted　by　the

grand　jury；　and　many　of　them　arrested　and　held　to　bail。　　As　to

whether　the　civil　authorities　can　mete　out　ample　justice　to　the

guilty　parties　on　both　sides；　I　must　say　it　is　my　opinion；

unequivocally；　that　they　cannot。　　Judge　Abell；　whose　course　I　have

closely　watched　for　nearly　a　year；　I　now　consider　one　of　the　most

dangerous　men　that　we　have　here　to　the　peace　and　quiet　of　the　city。

The　leading　men　of　the　conventionKing；　Cutler；　Hahn；　and　others

have　been　political　agitators；　and　are　bad　men。　　I　regret　to　say　that

the　course　of　Governor　Wells　has　been　vacillating；　and　that　during

the　late　trouble　he　has　shown　very　little　of　the　man。



〃P。　H。　SHERIDAN；

〃Major…General　Commanding。〃





Subsequently　a　military　commission　investigated　the　subject　of　the

riot；　taking　a　great　deal　of　testimony。　　The　commission　substantially

confirmed　the　conclusions　given　in　my　despatches；　and　still　later

there　was　an　investigation　by　a　select　committee　of　the　House　of

Representatives；　of　which　the　Honorables　Samuel　Shellabarger；　of

Ohio；　H。　L。　Elliot；　of　Massachusetts；　and　B。　M。　Boyer；　of

Pennsylvania；　were　the　members。　　The　majority　report　of　the　committee

also　corroborated；　in　all　essentials；　my　reports　of　the　distressing

occurrence。　　The　committee　likewise　called　attention　to　a　violent

speech　made　by　Mr。　Johnson　at　St。　Louis　in　September；　1866；　charging

the　origin　of　the　riot　to　Congress；　and　went　on　to　say　of　the　speech

that　〃it　was　an　unwarranted　and　unjust　expression　of　hostile　feeling；

without　pretext　or　foundation　in　fact。〃　　A　list　of　the　killed　and

wounded　was　embraced　in　the　committee's　report；　and　among　other

conclusions　reached　were　the　following：　〃That　the　meeting　of　July　30

was　a　meeting　of　quiet　citizens；　who　came　together　without　arms　and

with　intent　peaceably　to　discuss　questions　of　public　concern。。。。

There　has　been　no　occasion　during　our　National　history　when　a　riot

has　occurred　so　destitute　of　justifiable　cause；　resulting　in　a

massacre　so　inhuman　and　fiend…like；　as　that　which　took　place　at　New

Orleans　on　the　30th　of　July　last。　　This　riotous　attack　upon　the

convention；　with　its　terrible　results　of　massacre　and　murder；　was　not

an　accident。　　It　was　the　determined　purpose　of　the　mayor　of　the　city

of　New　Orleans　to　break　up　this　convention　by　armed　force。〃



The　statement　is　also　made；　that；　〃He　＇the　President＇　knew　that

'rebels'　and　'thugs'　and　disloyal　men　had　controlled　the　election　of

Mayor　Monroe；　and　that　such　men　composed　chiefly　his　police　force。〃



The　committee　held　that　no　legal　government　existed　in　Louisiana；　and

recommended　the　temporary　establishment　of　a　provisional　government

therein；　the　report　concluding　that　〃in　the　meantime　the　safety　of

all　Union　men　within　the　State　demands　that　such　government　be　formed

for　their　protection；　for　the　well　being　of　the　nation　and　the

permanent　peace　of　the　Republic。〃



The　New　Orleans　riot　agitated　the　whole　country；　and　the　official　and

other　reports　served　to　intensify　and　concentrate　the　opposition　to

President　Johnson's　policy　of　reconstruction；　a　policy　resting

exclusivel