Marysville Daily Appeal, Volume XIII, Number 107, 6 May 1866
Riot at Memphis (Tenn.)—Large number or Negroes killed and their Houses Burned— Gen. Stoneman takes Military Possession of the City.
MEMPHIS, May 4th.
The Memphis Riot culminated in a great conflagration of the negro quarters on Wednesday night, and the killing of some 15 negroes by the mob. The negroes on Wednesday night, exasperated by the previous day’s injuries, attempted to secure arms from Fort Pickering, but were warned off, and about nine o’clock Wednesday morning some 1500 blacks were assembled in South street ; when startling rumors reached the city that they were preparing to march on the place and burn it. This was the signal for a general outpouring of low whites, who seized the gun stores and rushed down South street, headed by a posse armed by the Mayor. Fifteen negroes and one white man were killed in the collision. The negroes fled to the woods, leaving many wounded. During the afternoon and evening stray negroes were pursued and shot, and then the conflagration and pillage began on Thursday morning.
Gen. Stoneman, commanding the District of West Tennessee, isssued the following circular : Circumstances compel the undersigned to interfere with the civil affairs of Memphis. It is forbidden for any persons, without the authority of these headquarters, to assemble together any posse, armed or unarmed, either white or colored. This does not include police, and will not so long as they can be relied on as preservers of the peace. [Signed] GEO. STONEMAN.
The above order was called forth by the fact that Mayor Park has been on a terrible drunk since the riot commenced, and therefore unfit to govern the city. The Tribune’s special dispatch says only vagabond whites participated in the riot and all the best citizens deprecate such action but they were powerless to suppress it; that the Mayor was drunk, police useless, and only a handful of troops in garrison. Gen. Stoneman has authorised the 154 th Rebel (?) infantry to reorganise and was to arm them to keep the peace. The dead bodies of the negroes lie along South street where they fell. The rest of the negroes went beyond the city limits, houseless and defenseless. The riot was unprovoked and carried on by the lowest whites, while the drunken Mayor gabbled off to his armed posse of degraded followers.
The Times’ special dispatch says all is quiet at 9 o’clock this (Thursday) evening except rumors of an intended negro uprising to-night, which are imaginations of guilty consciences, caused by the vandalism last night.
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