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The Irish and Know Nothing's Riot 1854 [Continue
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After the conclusion of the service the New Yorkers marched up Smith street in the order they came; out Fulton avenue to Fulton street and down to Maine. An occasional hoot or faint cheer greeted them as they passed along, and on the corner of Clarke street a man on the pavement was tripped up by some one and fell with his whole weight upon the stones. On picking him up it was found that his thigh was broken. He was taken to No. 3 Fulton avenue and thence conveyed to the City Hospital by Officer Hanovan.
A number of policemen proceeded to the foot of Maine street before the procession arrived where a crowd of many thousands of all sorts of people was already collected, among whom were many women and children, all anxiously awaiting the turn of events. Clubs had been collected and laid in the gutters and other places so as to be handy when required. Stones were gathered by the boys, and every preparation was made for a desperate fight.
The few policemen who were on hand did their utmost to suppress any thing like an outbreak before the New Yorkers arrived, but they had a tough time of it, as the crowd fell upon them and beat them with clubs and other missiles. The police did their duty manfully, however, regardless of the blows which fell upon them thick and fast. We noticed an instance: An
officer took hold of a man for preparing to throw a stone. The prisoner resisted, and with a club he had in his hand bet the officer about the legs, while another was beating him on the
head and another on the arms.
The officer wielded his club with great dexterity and effect, but there were too many for him, and he was beaten away from his prisoner, after he had held him as long as his strength and the injuries inflicted upon him would allow. The other officers were treated in a like manner, and as one could not aid the other, each one had to "hoe his own row" and take the consequences. Notwithstanding these difficulties, nearly all that were taken hold of by the officers were taken to the lock-up.
When about half of the New Yorkers had passed the corner of Front street, a regular shower of stones, sticks and other
missiles was fired among them, but they remained unbroken and marched on. The missiles fell thicker and faster, and now the discharge of fire arms commenced, the New Yorkers firing upon their assailants. Shot after shot was fired, and volley after volley was thrown, and the scene became indescribable. The Main street crowd became wild with excitement, and pelted the procession as fast as they could gather the materials to do it with, while steadily and with military precision the procession marched within the ferry-house gates and fired shot after shot upon the other portion of the mob. Several were hit, but none were killed.
'To the wharf," "to the wharf," was now cried, and a large body proceeded to the right of the ferry house, some climbing upon the sheds or other eminences and hurling stones upon the ferry house and the boat then in the slip, until the windows were smashed and the
panels broken in. The passengers were seriously annoyed and greatly endangered but the lady, portion were soon escorted into the saloon, where they remained comparatively safe and a portion of the New Yorkers were taken across the river. Those that stayed behind kept up a continual fire thro' the gates in answer to the shower of stones.
The pilots of the ferry boats not deeming it safe to land their passengers, kept moving up and down across the month of the slip, until comparative order had been restored on shore. They then entered, and after some arrests had been made of those within the gates, they were permitted to depart. A short time previous to this the military with General Duryea commanding came upon the ground. The Sheriff appeared, the riot act was read by the Mayor, and a general clearing of the mob took place. The officers were all active in the
performance of their duties, and quiet and order was again restored. Instead of an excited populace, the soldiery soon took their place, and if there was an idea of renewing the fight, those inclined thereto wisely determined to let things remain as they were for the present.
In the confusion that prevailed the difficulty experienced in obtaining particulars, we are unable to obtain the names of hardly any of the parties injured. Among that which we could gather is the following:
A man named Whaley had his skull fractured with a stone: a boy residing in James street had his face smashed; a man residing in Pearl street was shot in the leg; a man had his thigh broken by being tripped upon the pavement in Fulton street; a New Yorker had a finger shot off; a boy about ten years of age, residing in Water street, was shot in the face; a man was shot down near Water street, the bullet grazing the back of his head. It was found that the wound was not serious, although he lay senseless upon the pavement for some time; a man was shot in the groin, and Officer McGrath was shot in the knee. Many more were injured with stones and clubs, and the following, among others, whose names are not yet ascertained, were
arrested and locked up in the 2d district and City Hall cells.
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