General Hunt, U. S. A., reported on the Charleston riot, November, 1876, when white men, going quietly to places of business, were molested by blacks, and young Ellicott Walker was killed. The morning after the election General Hunt "walked through the city and saw numbers of negroes assembled at corners of Meeting and Broad Streets," and was convinced there would be trouble, "though there was nothing in the manner of the whites gathered about the bulletin board to provoke it." Surgeon De Witt, U. S. A., told him "things looked bad on King and other streets where negroes insisted on pushing ladies off the sidewalks." When Walker was killed, and the real trouble began, General Hunt hurried to the Station House; the Marshal asked him for assistance; reports came in that negroes were tearing up trees and fences, assailing whites, and demanding arms of the police. General Hunt found at the Station House "a number of gentlemen, young and old," who offered aid. Marshal Wallace said, "But these are seditious Rifle Clubs." Said General Hunt, "They are gentlemen whom I can trust and I am glad to have them." Pending arrival of his troops, he placed them at the Marshal's disposal. The general relates: "They fell in with his forces; as I was giving instructions, he interposed, saying the matter was in his hands. He then started off. I heard that police were firing upon and bayonetting quiet white people. My troops arrived and additional white armed citizens. One of the civil authorities said it was essential the latter be sent home. I declined sending these armed men on the streets, and directed them to take position behind my troops and remain there, which direction they obeyed implicitly." With the Mayor and other Radical leaders General Hunt held conference; the negro police was aggravating the trouble, he proposed that his troops patrol streets; the mayor objected. "Why cannot the negroes be prevailed upon to go quietly home?" the General asked. "A negro has as much right to be on the streets armed as a white man." "But I am not here to discuss abstract rights. A bloody encounter is imminent. These negroes can be sent home without difficulty by you, their leaders." "You should be able to guarantee whites against the negroes, if you can guarantee negroes against the whites." "The cases are different. I have no control over the blacks through their reason or intelligence. They have been taught that a Democratic victory will remand them to slavery. Their excited fears, however unfounded, are beyond my control. You, their leaders, can quiet and send them home. The city's safety is at stake." The Mayor said he must direct General Hunt's troops; Hunt said he was in command. The Mayor wired Chamberlain to disband the Rifle Clubs "which were causing all the mischief." Hunt soon received orders to report at Washington.