LOUIMANA. 



455 





Iho 1innl- of tho sheriff wouM ho submit 



dim befor ^mpt to ^ >nvo ' fc executed 



. :m<l tint upon the iixlni-s, -iin-nt 



i.l.jootiniH tho matter would ho 



, ; ..- I'r.-.idcnt. Tho Mayor being 



:' thin arrangement, states that ho 



-mall police force to the vicinity of 



hall, ii.i'l tlu- troop-* that were to act in con- 



:.in \vitli the police were eagerly expected. 



Itaird, in command, writes on the 



of War as follows : 



I li 1 1 ii"t been applied to by tho Convention for 

 ' ,n tin- Li<'utoiKmt-GovcrnorandtheMav- 

 -ulti'd with me, and I was so fully 

 convinced Unit it was so strongly the intent of the 

 ,'lioriti' 1 * t<> preserve the peace, in order to 

 ,i military interference, that I did not regard 

 1 1 break as a thing to bo apprehended. The 

 Lieutenant-Governor had assured me that, even if a 

 writ -s issued by the court, the sheriff 



would not attempt to serve it, without my permis- 

 :md for to-day they designed to suspend 

 "rdered a steamer to be at Jackson Barracks 

 miles below the city), at an early hour in tho 

 morning, ami a tug to be ready to bear orders to the 

 commanding officer of the First Infantry stationed 

 at tluit point. At eleven and-a-half o'clock A. M., 

 Lieutenant-Governor Voorhees came to see me, and, 

 after conversation (he feeling confident at the time 

 of the ability of the police to preserve order), I pro- 

 posed to bring to the city four companies one hour 

 in adrance of tho supposed meeting of the conven- 

 tion, at six o'clock, p. M., to be kept near by, in 

 case they should be required to keep clear the 

 streets in the vicinity of the hall in which the con- 

 vention was to meet. lie agreed with me that it 

 would be very desirable, but left me, not apprehend- 

 i.i^ diilu-nlty. At twelve o'clock, M., I drove to see 

 J inline llouoll, I'residcnt of the Convention, to re- 

 tliat arrangements might be made to keep any 

 crowd that might assemble to protect the convention 

 out of the streets, so as to avoid an accidental col- 

 lision. When I reached his house I learned that the 

 convention was to meet at twelve o'clock M., and 

 that he had gone to it. Returning to my headquar- 

 ters, I soon received a letter from the Lieutenant- 

 Governor, informing me that large parties of negroes 

 were collecting from all quarters and coming into the 

 centre of the city; yet he was not sure of nis infor- 

 ni.it ion. However, I at once sent for the troops. 

 Very soon afterward I learned that a riot had taken 

 place near the convention hall, and I sent a staff- 

 officer to investigate the facts. On his return he re- 

 ported having met Judge Howell, who said the con- 

 vention had adjourned for want of a quorum, but would 

 meet again at one and a half o'clock p. M. This re- 

 assured me; but I again sent to hasten the arrival of 

 the troops. Immediately after this the riot assumed 

 a serious character. 



At the time when tho recess was taken in 

 the convention a few left the chamber, and tho 

 mass of colored men who were outside the bar 

 were admitted inside, and a band heading a ne- 

 gro procession came up from Canal Street, and 

 was received by the crowd of negroes outside 

 with wild and excited cheering. Tho excite- 

 ment was communicated to those inside tho 

 lobbies, and the cheers from tho street were re- 

 sponded to. In a moment afterward the band 

 nun-hed into the hall where the convention 

 members met. At this time a disturbance com- 

 menced in tho street which quickly brought on 

 a conflict between the mass of negroes on the 

 ono side and the police and citizens on the 



other. Missiles wore thrown, shots fired, and 

 finally tho iu-^ro crowd scattering wide, ran 

 :.iwanl the building and disappeared; tho 

 body took refuge in .the entrance to the 

 institute, out of which they fired on the police, 

 who fired back in return. Those inside barri- 

 c.nl-'d themselves in the building, while tho 

 police took possession of the street in front, and 

 the firing was then carried on by the police from 

 tho street and tho negroes from tho second 

 story front. No police could prevent tho 

 crowd of citizens from rushing into the open 

 street and now and then making with tho 

 police a rally upon tho building. Soon the 

 tiring was transferred from tho front of tho 

 building to either side, where the negroes 

 as they appeared were stoned by tho crowd 

 outside. Many of the negroes escaped by 

 letting themselves down from the rear part 

 and running to tho rear for safety. Com- 

 parative quiet followed in front and a lull 

 in the firing. But the police did not enter 

 tho building, notwithstanding the fire had 

 slacked, as they would be beaten back, and the 

 negroes who came out of the front door, as 

 well as those who were dropping from the 

 windows, one by one, were inhumanly attacked 

 and killed ; many of them, notwithstanding 

 efforts of the police to prevent it. This, how- 

 ever, soon ceased, and ono by one, white as 

 well as black, the persons inside of tho build- 

 ing, as soon as they appeared, were carried off 

 to the police station. About two and a half 

 o'clock a white handkerchief was shown and the 

 occupants inside were removed to the station. 

 As member after member of tho convention 

 appeared, they were greeted with hooting, yel- 

 ling, and hissing. There were many among 

 tho crowd who were drunk and infuriated, and 

 who attacked even policemen who were escort- 

 ing away prisoners, besides in several instances 

 killing the prisoners. 



At sunset tho approaches to tho Institute 

 were guarded by sentries ; the infantry were 

 under arms, and the artillery in position, com- 

 manding the principal streets and ready for any 

 emergency. General Baird had proclaimed 

 martial law, and tho Mayor had issued a pro- 

 clamation calling upon all citizens, who were 

 willing, to bo sworn in as extra policemen. On 

 the next day, July 31st, Gen. Baird issued an 

 order convening a board of military officers to 

 investigate and report upon all the facts con- 

 nected with the disturbance. This board con- 

 sisted of officers Joseph A. Mower, President, 

 S. M. Quincey, J. Irvin Gregg, George Baldy. 

 They reported that, in their opinion, the imme- 

 diate cause of tho riots was to bo found in the 

 violent feelings of hostility toward the so-called 

 Convention of 1864. The question in discussion 

 between tho civil and military authorities was, 

 whether tho persons claiming to constitute sucb 

 convention should be allowed to assemble. Thej 

 then proceed to examine tho action of the 

 civil and military authorities express the be- 

 lief that if martial law had not been declared. 



