09/23/2025
Today in , 127 years ago: Phoebus is overtaken by the largest riot in its history. As many of you history fans already know, during the late 19th century Phoebus was a town defined by its thriving saloon culture, dives, and brothels. By 1900, there were officially 52 licensed saloons, but Daily Press reports from that time suggested there could have been as many as 63, mostly catering to soldiers stationed at nearby Fort Monroe. The saloons were more than just drinking establishments—they were hotbeds of conflict and unrest, attracting a rough crowd that frequently clashed with the Phoebus community. The summer of 1898 saw this tension explode into a series of violent riots, the most infamous of which took place on August 22 into August 23.
The trouble began on the evening of August 22, 1898, at George Tucker’s “Step Inn” saloon on Mellen Street. What started as a typical night of drinking quickly spiraled out of control. Reports indicate that Tucker attempted to cut off service to a group of intoxicated soldiers and sailors, a decision that angered one marine, J.J. Corcoran, who was also known as “Buffalo.” Corcoran allegedly struck Tucker, prompting Tucker to draw a revolver and shoot Corcoran in the leg. The gunshot was the spark that ignited the riot. As word spread, the situation escalated rapidly. Tucker, fearing for his life, held the remaining soldiers and sailors at bay with his revolver until Phoebus police arrived. But even under police custody, Tucker’s life remained in danger as the soldiers, angered by the shooting, threatened retaliation. By this time, over 1,000 citizens had gathered at the scene, adding to the chaos.
Once Tucker was removed from the scene, the crowd’s anger turned toward the “Step Inn” itself. Soldiers and sailors vented their fury by smashing Tucker’s windows with beer barrels, demolishing the saloon’s furniture, and hurling bottles of alcohol into the street. The destruction culminated in an attempt to burn the saloon to the ground, which was only thwarted by bystanders who managed to extinguish the flames. The violence didn’t end there. Later that night, Corcoran’s shipmates, still seeking revenge, planned a second attack on the “Step Inn.” However, they abandoned the plan after realizing that Tucker did not own the building.
The following day, August 23, 1898, saw continued unrest throughout Phoebus. Fights between soldiers and sailors erupted across town. By afternoon, the violence had reached such a pitch that Sheriff Curtis and his team intervened to restore order. They arrested four members of the First Regiment Maryland Volunteer Infantry, which only further inflamed the situation. News of the arrests quickly spread to Fort Monroe, and by 8PM a large contingent of soldiers had marched into Phoebus with the intent of freeing their comrades.
The town was on the brink of an all-out battle. Sheriff Curtis, anticipating the worst, deputized a “score of men” as special constables, including a mix of white and African-American residents as well as members of the Phoebus Fire Company. The newly deputized force stood ready to defend the town against the approaching mob. When the soldiers arrived, they were asked to leave peacefully but refused unless their comrades were released. Tensions escalated, and at one point, the soldiers even brought a battering ram to break into the jail.
What followed was a violent confrontation. The soldiers fired shots at the deputies, and Sheriff Curtis gave the order to return fire. The deputies shot low, wounding nine soldiers, but none of the deputies were injured. Amid the chaos, one of the new deputies, Red Hunt, famously wielded a fence railing instead of a gun, driving off soldiers with his sheer physical force. Despite the intensity of the violence, no one was fatally wounded, but the sheer volume of gunfire was said to be enough to “kill fifty men.”
The situation was so dire that the fire bell began clanging (which still stands proud today in front of the PHOEBUS VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY), signaling the saloon owners to close their establishments. As the soldiers retreated back to Fort Monroe, they continued to lash out, shooting and wounding a young African-American boy named Charles Smith at Chisman's Saloon. The soldiers, enraged and vengeful, openly threatened to kill every man, woman, and child in Phoebus.
Colonel Lane, the commander of Fort Monroe, dispatched 200 soldiers from Company B to Phoebus to restore order. By 11PM, the town was under control, with soldiers stationed throughout to maintain peace. However, Phoebus was left in a state of desolation, with every saloon closed and the streets eerily quiet.
In the days that followed, soldiers from the First Maryland Volunteer Regiment attempted to justify their actions. They expressed outrage that African-American citizens had been deputized during the chaos, claiming that the involvement of African-Americans escalated the situation. The Marylanders' racial animosity was further fueled by the fact that Phoebus was very much unlike other towns --- many African-American citizens owned saloons in Phoebus, including future Phoebus councilmen N.C. Barnes and William H. Trusty.
The controversy over the involvement of African-American deputies continued to be a focal point of the Marylander grievances. In a letter to the Daily Press on August 24, 1898, members of the First Maryland Volunteer Regiment argued that the riot would not have escalated had it not been for the presence of African-American deputies. They issued a thinly veiled threat, warning Sheriff Curtis not to deputize African-Americans in the future, or else further violence would ensue.
The events of those two days in August had far-reaching consequences. Colonel Lane received orders from the Secretary of War to withdraw all soldiers from Phoebus and return them to Fort Monroe. George Tucker, the saloon owner whose actions had sparked the riot, remained in jail, guarded by 25 men armed with Wi******er rifles. Meanwhile, the Maryland soldiers involved in the riots were soon mustered out of service, and Colonel Lane was replaced as commander of Fort Monroe. When the steamer carrying the Marylanders left the docks two weeks later at Fort Monroe at Old Point Comfort, the men, women, and children of Phoebus flocked to the wharf and loudly mocked them as they floated away.
📷 Joe Griffith
DM to get Reposted ‼️
#757
