AI.AUAMA. 



23 



.'ecedents of the police, and by the 



it Knt :i single anvst was effected on the night 



listurbance. 



IT ;unl earnest apprehension was expressed 

 to me le-t n collision of races, extended and disas- 



in.t involving with the fate of the colored 



ili.it nl" I'nioii men in sympathy with them, 

 sh. mill irrow out of the impulse given by the recent 



To |,iv\rnt tin- possibility of this, I directed the 



poxt commandant to assume the maintenance of 



public onler, to place guards at the headquarters of 



the diuvirnt lire eom],;inies, to prohibit out-of-door 



ifter niiihtt'iill, to suspend the entire police 



.mil reappoint only such as were known to be 



trn-iunitliv, ami to summarily punish all disturbers 



of the ; 



For the final suppression of the disorderly element 

 above referred to, and to give confidence and sup- 

 . those who have been heretofore the allies of 

 the (iovcrnment, I respectfully recommend that the 

 control of municipal affairs be transferred to persons 

 well known for their continuous loyalty to the 



1 have the. honor to be, very respectfully, 

 Your obedient servant, 



WACKll S WAYNE, Major-General. 



Pivviously to writing this report, and on the 

 10th. Major-General Swayne issued a telegraph- 

 ic order from Montgomery, appointing Colonel 

 O. L. Shepherd, Brevet Major George H. Tracy, 

 and Lieutenant Charles H. Breckenridge, a 

 u court of inquiry " to examine into the recent 

 riot and report upon the same. The proceedings 

 of this court were subsequently discontinued by 

 order of General Swayne, on the ground "that 

 no new facts connected with the disturbance 

 liiid been disclosed." 



On May 19th the following order was issued : 



General Orders, No. 35. 



IlKADQUARTEES POST OF MOBILE, I 



MOBILE, ALA., May 19, 1867. | 



The General, Wager Swayne, commanding the 

 District of Alabama, has directed the following or- 

 ders to be issued, in the words following, to wit : 



To prevent further violence growing out of the 

 disturbed condition of affairs, the undersigned hereby 

 assumes the maintenance of public order in the city 

 of Mobile. 



The city police administration is hereby sus- 

 pended. Special policemen or members of the old 

 force will be employed when necessary, and appro- 

 priately designated. The several engine-houses will 

 be made the stations of the provost guard. 



Breaches of city ordinances will be tried as here- 

 tofore. Violations of the public peace, or of existing 

 orders, will be dealt with by the military authority. 



All out-of-door congregations after nightfall are 

 prohibited. When public demonstrations are in- 

 tended, iK.tice must be filed, at the mayor's office, in 

 season, to permit the presence of such force as may 

 be deemed essential. 



Severe responsibility will attach to the publi- 

 cation of articles commending or inciting riot or 

 violence to individuals, to the public use of incen- 

 diary language, and to the occurrence of disorder in 

 rooms of public entertainment. 



0. L. SHEPHERD, Col. 15th Infantry, comd'g. 



Detachments of soldiers were then stationed 

 in the fire-engine-houses of the city as the most 

 convenient stations to bo had. At the same 

 time Major Curtis was appointed provost- 

 iiiar-linl, and it was ordered by Colonel Shep- 

 herd as follows: 



The provost guard will seize and take posses- 

 sion of all large fire-arms found in the hands of im- 

 proper persons, and will search the person of every 

 one suspected of having small-arms for evil pur- 

 poses, such as disturbing the good order and peace 

 of the city. 



On the next day another order was issued, 

 defining the duties of the municipal police, as 

 follows : 



General Orders, No. 88. 



HEADQUARTERS, POST OP MOBII.I:, * 

 MOIIILE, ALA., May 20, 1SC7. f 



The police established by the municipal authorities 

 of the city of Mobile will hereafter restrict their duties 

 to the violations of city ordinances. 



Other crimes and offences against the laws, as also 

 those against the military orders, will be tried by the 

 proper magistrates and tribunals, and disposed of in 

 orders from these headquarters respectively. 



It is enjoined upon the municipal and the other 

 constituted authorities, and upon all good citizens, to 

 report to the commanding officer of the post, and 

 the officers of the provost guard, stationed at the 

 fire-engine-houses, all violations of, or attempts 

 against, the laws and good order in the city and its 

 suburbs. 



The cessation of offences, enumerated in the last 

 paragraph of post orders No. 35, dated yesterday, is 

 important to the reputation and welfare of the city. 



The commanding officers of the provost guard 

 will report to these Headquarters every violation and 

 neglect of these orders, or those of yesterday, as soon 

 as known or reported. O. L. SHEPHERD, 



Colonel 15th Infantry, commanding. 



On the 21st the following order was issued: 



General Orders, No. 40. 



HEADQUARTERS, POST or MOBILE, | 

 MOBILE, ALA., May 21, 1367. f 



The provost-marshal, Major Curtis, will not per- 

 mit any one to bear large fire-arms through the 

 streets without written permit. 



All depositories of such arms will be seized as soon 

 as known. 



No searches will be made of persons passing peace- 

 ably along the streets. 



The enlisted men of the provost guard will not be 

 allowed to leave their stations, except on duty, under 

 proper officers, and then only by direct orders of the 

 provost-marshal or his assistant, Lieutenant Brunck. 

 Special care must be had that the members of the 

 provost guard do not commit breaches of good order 



By order of Col. 0. L. SHEPHERD. 



M. P. BUPFDM, 2d Lieut., 15th U. S. Infantry, Acting 

 Post Adjutant. 



At a large meeting of the citizens, on May 

 16th, of which one-third are stated to have 

 been frcedmen, the following resolutions were 

 adopted without dissent: 



Whereas, At a recent meeting held in this city on 

 the night of the 14th of May, 1867, there were dis- 

 turbances and disorders resulting in the most la- 

 mentable consequences ; and whereas, this meeting 

 is composed of the citizens of Mobile, and thev desire 

 to announce to the people of the country their un- 

 qualified disapprobation and hostility to all such acts : 

 Therefore, be it 



1. Resolved, That we deeply deplore the unfortu- 

 nate occurrences that took place at the said meeting, 

 and desire to express, in the strongest terms, our 

 disapprobation or them. 



1 2. Jiesolved, That we are of the opinion that the 

 disturbance at said meeting was wholly unpremedi- 

 tated, and the result of an accidental excitement to 

 which all large assemblages are subject. 



3. Resolved, That, in our opinion, our people are 



