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[5] muskets the crowd falls back, but seeing that it produces only smoke, with shouts and jeers it rushes upon the hapless soldiers, who are routed, trampled under foot, and beaten with clubs. The mob, drunk with blood, is seized with a blind fury; women and children incite the men and march pell-mell with them. On their route all shops, stores, and windows are closed; the frightened citizens hide in their houses, and soon the city presents the aspect of being deserted wherever the riot is not raging. General Harvey Brown, second in command, has gone to get his troops from the different forts in the harbor, but the greater part of the day elapses before he has had time to bring them into the city. Meanwhile, the Board of Aldermen assembles, but without a quorum; General Wool issues useless orders, and appoints lieutenants who have no more soldiers than he; the policemen, efficient, but in too small a number, group themselves so as to resist the assailants, and, armed simply with clubs, defend as best they can the posts entrusted to them. The rioters are masters of the rich city: fortunately, if they follow ringleaders, they have no head-chiefs capable of directing them. The bands or gangs, mixed with thieves, who largely profit by so good an opportunity, wander at random. Their dominant passion is promptly awakened; they have forgotten the draft to fall upon the negroes, who are the objects of their particular hatred. This unfortunate class of people is pursued, ill-treated, and some of them are butchered. A magnificent charitable institution, the Colored Orphan Asylum, which sheltered more than seven hundred children, was sacked and burned to the ground. Elsewhere the Government arsenal was captured and pillaged, despite the resistance made by the police. Several places were set on fire, but as soon as the incendiaries had withdrawn, the firemen, always brave, came to extinguish the flames. Nowhere are the rioters organized on a military footing, nor do they establish either posts or barricades. Hence toward midnight a hard rain is sufficient to disperse them. On the following morning, however, after a few hours of rest, they come together again. Mr. Seymour, having returned from the country, does to that ignoble gathering the honor to address
Philadelphia, Jos. H. Coates and co., 1888.
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