WARS OF THE IRISH.
We are deeply concerned to learn, that three murders, of the most foul and inhuman character, were perpetrated on Friday and Saturday night, on the line of the Canal, near the Point of Rocks. A man named Creed, who was confined, on some criminal charge, in our jail, last winter, is one of the victims. His body, as we learn from respectable authority, was dreadfully mangled. The names of the others were unknown to our informant. All the sufferers, and no doubt their murderers, were the laboring Irish on the Canal.
[Frederick Examiner, June 11th.
—
The riot among the laborers employed on the Washington Rail Road, of which we made brief mention in yesterday’s American, it tracted notice, on Sunday evening. The parties arrayed against each other are known as the Fardowns and the Corkonians. On Monday morning a body of militia hastily collected in the neighborhood, succeeding for a time in restoring apparent quietness by the arrest of a number of the rioters, but they afterwards congregated in greater numbers and came to open collision. Some of the shantees, or temporary houses of the laborers, were destroyed, but the injury on that day seems to have been confined to themselves.
Yesterday morning, Gen. Ch. S. Ridgely having transmitted a requisition to this city for a re-inforcement of troops, a detachment of Infantry and Riflemen, under the command of Major Finley, proceeded to the scene of the disturbance. It was composed of captains Hickman’s, Branson’s and Cheves’ corps of Infantry, and captains Cook’s and Maguire’s corps of Riflemen. The troop of horse commanded by captain Bouldin also marched on the same service.
Postscript.– At half past eight, last night, we saw one of the members of the troop of horse, who had just returned to the city.– He informs us that the troop arrived at the place of riot yesterday morning, in advance of Major Finley’s command, and that they found the rioters pretty well tranquilised, although in the early part of the day there had been some violent passes between them.– One of the rioters, who had fired at Gen. Ridgely, was shot in the mouth, and this, our informant states, was the only occasion on which fire arms were used. Major Finley’s detachment arrived on the ground in the afternoon, and when our informant left, matters were apparently quiet. In the course of the contests which had already taken place, a number of shantees were burnt. Four persons, it appears, were killed in the affrays, one of whom was a female. The rioters arrested will, it is supposed, be escorted to Annapolis jail to-day — [Balt. Am. June 18.]
—
We conversed yesterday afternoon with a gentleman, a member of one of the volunteer corps detailed to quell the rail road riots, who left the ground yesterday at eleven o’clock. He informs us that the animosity between the two parties of Irish laborers seemed to continue without abatement on Tuesday, and that on that night they were again fighting with each other. One of the “Fardown” party, he says, was killed during the contest. The military were prompt in advancing to the scene of the contest, and their presence put an immediate stop to the conflict, both parties of the rioters, for fear of an arrest, betaking themselves to the neighboring woods. As soon, however, as the military passed on, the rioters would again be arrayed against each other, in parties more or less numerous– again to disperse themselves on the approach of the cavalry or other corps. The duties of the volunteers were thus rendered additionally arduous and difficult. Our informant states that the ire of one of the belligerent parties was occasionally directed against a number of German laborers, but the superior discipline and good management of the latter enabled them successfully to repel the attacks of a body much more numerous than their own, and to capture some prisoners. With this exception the feud has been confined exclusively to the two parties already named, and our informant thinks that its origin is to be traced to feelings of animosity engendered in their native country.
The First light Infantry corps returned to this city yesterday evening, having left the ground about three o’clock in the afternoon. Up to that hour nothing had occurred. The other corps will remain on the ground until to-day, when they will be relieved by a new detachment from this city. — [Amer. June 19.]
—
The Marion, Morgan, and Sharp Shooter Rifle corps returned to this city yesterday afternoon from the Washington Rail Road, bringing with them eleven of the rioters, including one charged with murder. They were all committed to jail. The detachment left the ground at eleven o’clock yesterday morning, up to which time no further disturbance had occurred. The detachment, composed of the Mechanical Volunteers and Independent Blues, which left this city yesterday morning on the same service, were passed about mid-day on their march to the ground.
[Amer. June 20.
