boy gangs of richmond.

so as i was doing a little historical richmond digging, i came across some fascinating material on rival gangs of adolescent boys in richmond during the civil war. gangs such as the "shockoe hill cats" would get into turf battles with the other gangs, staging huge rock fights and other mayhem.

From the Richmond Dispatch, 3/28/1862:

Rock Battles. – The Shockoe Hill Cats and Butchertown Cats, as the boys of the two localities referred to denominate themselves, have on several occasions been showing their want of breeding and parental discipline by indulging in savage reencounters on the hill north of the President’s House. The adolescent ruffians have had, however, sense enough to post guards to give warning of the approach of the city police, who, while they have dispersed several crowds, have been unsuccessful in their attempts to catch any of the ragamuffins in the act of throwing rocks. – When caught, they will certainly be carried before the Mayor and fined, and have the pleasure of seeing their names flourishing under the police report.

while digging a little further, of course, i discovered that the one-and-only tess dixon had made this same discovery and blogged about it ... three years ago. which is why she is richmond's resident hipster historical expert.

she linked to this interesting firsthand account of the rock battles.

i found some other cool anecdotes. apparently, CSA president jefferson davis's own son was known to have fought with one of the gangs.

in one incident, jefferson davis tried to plead with the boys to stop fighting.

Despite police efforts to control them, the Cats continued their endless battles. The women of Richmond were particularly disturbed by the failure of the authorities to protect its citizens from gang warfare. "The law seemed powerless to put an end to this state of things," Mrs. Beers complained.(16) And Mrs. Davis described an incident that hit uncomfortably close to home. Its victim was Jim Limber, an abused Black boy taken in by the Davis family.

"Once he came in with the blood pouring over his face from a scalp wound made by a stone," wrote the First Lady of the South. "Mr. Davis was much troubled, for we were fond of the little boy. He descended the hill and, relying on his popularity with children, he made a little speech to the Butcher cats, in which he addressed them as the future rulers of their country.

"They listened attentively, nudging their approval to each other, but when he concluded, the tallest boy said, 'President, we like you, we didn't want to hurt any of your boys, but we ain't never goin' to be friends with them Hill cats.'

"So the President, like many another self-appointed peacemaker, came back without having accomplished anything except an exhausting walk."

Not even the President of the Confederate States of America could sway the Cats.

from: Kudzu Monthly E-Zine