Pittsylvania County, VA - Riot of 1883

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November 8, 1883 edition of the Valley Virginian, Staunton, Va.

The Danville Riot, 1883
Its Origin and Result

(special in the Virginian)

Danville, Va Nov 5 - 8:20 a.m.

About noon Saturday a colored man meeting some white ladies on Main
Street, stepped out of the way and in doing so accidentally trod on the foot of
a white man.  The negro promptly explained the cause of the accident, but
the white man was not satisfied and struck the negro who knocked his
assaillant out into the street.  Three hours later the parties met again near the
same place, and the white man, accomplanied by several friends, assaulted the
negro and beat him severely, while two white men with drawn pistols kept
the crowd, mostly colored people, from interfering.  A colored man attempted
to take the pistol from one of the white men and in the scuffle the white
man fell in to the gutter.  He arose and fired without effect.  Immediately
several other pistols were drawn by white men gathered at the scene and
the colored people began to disperse rapidly.  When three shots were heard a
crowd of white men and youths assembled rapidly from adjacent points on
the street and opened an indisrimate (sic) fire upon the colored people who
were running in every direction.  One colored man was met a hundred yards
from the fight and deliberately shot dead by a white man approaching the excited
crowd.  The shooting was soon over.  The number of shots is estimated at
from fifty to two hundred, and it does not appear that any negroes fired at
their white assailants.  The result of the shooting, so far as known, is six
negroes killed and ten or more wounded.  One white man at a distance was
wounded by a stray shot, one white man engaged in firing was hit
accidentally by his freinds in the rear.  It is a wonder that more were not hurt as
the crowd of idle people on the street was large as it usually is on
Saturday evening.  For nearly a half hour after the firing began men and youths,
armed with shot-guns, rifles and pistols, came rushing as if by concert
from all parts of the City to Main street.  The excitement was intense and
their wrath furious.  The first bell was rung, the military was called out.
patrols detailed for the streets and the riot act read to the excited crowd.
Col. Cabell and other Democrats addressed the excited people and urged peace.

Gradually the excitement subsided, the negroes having disappeared from
the street.  The churches were closed yesterday and crowds of white people
were dispersed by the reading of the riot act.  The city is patroled by
soldiers and armed citizens and is virtually under Martial law, and will probably
remain so until after the election.

The Mayor, Judge and Sheriff, in counsel with Col. Cabell and other
leading democrate (sic), are making all necessary arrangements to preserve the
peace and lives of our citizens.  All good men of both colors deplore this
unprovoked assault on a defenceless people.  The Democrates attribute
the riot to Col. Sims speech of Friday night , while Readjusters read in it
the logical result of the utterances of such papers as the Times, and the
resolutions and speeches of democrates clubs for weeks past.