Pattenburg Race Riot, Killing of Denis Powell, 1872
In 1872 Pattenburg, New Jersey, was the scene of a race riot among Irish and African-American railroad workers building the Great Musconetcong Tunnel. The African-Americans worked in gangs separate from the whites, and were quartered on the farm of a Mrs. Carter. On September 21, the laborers were paid, and, the Irish appear to have drank a good deal of whisky; whether the African-Americans did is not known. Late in the evening a party of the latter were violently assaulted, but succeeded in driving off their assailants. They collected reinforcements, and were met near the same spot by a party of Irishmen, armed with pistols and clubs, and forced back to Mrs. Carter’s farm. The Irish drove them off, their cabins were pillaged, and set on fire. The Irishmen collected more reinforcements, and next morning and a party of about 150 made an attack on Mrs. Carter’s farm. Denis Powell, was shot, and left dying by the road. The Irish demanded admission to the house, and when Mrs. Carter refused, they beat in the door. An elderly African-American was discovered crouching under the porch. He was shot, dragged out, and beaten to death with clubs. After searching the premises, and finding no one, they retired. On their way back they found Powell still alive, and beat out his brains. No effort was made by the authorities to arrest and punish the perpetrators. Engraving by Theodore R. Davis for Harper's Weekly, 1872.
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