ward ▁of ▁the ▁steam ship ' s ▁mess ▁hall , ▁pick ing ▁up ▁business ▁ac umen ▁and ▁contacts , ▁including ▁future ▁Louisiana ▁political ▁leader ▁James ▁Lewis ▁and ▁saving ▁money ▁earned . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁Robert ▁Church ▁bought ▁a ▁bar ▁in ▁M emph is , ▁which ▁he ▁eventually ▁trad ed ▁for ▁a ▁sal oon ▁and ▁bill i ard ▁room . ▁ ▁( He ▁must ▁have ▁been ▁free ▁by ▁then ▁to ▁buy ▁property , ▁and ▁his ▁father ▁may ▁have ▁v ouch ed ▁for ▁him .) ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁the ▁black ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 , ▁but ▁it ▁rapidly ▁increased ▁as ▁fug itive ▁slaves ▁fled ▁from ▁rural ▁plant ations ▁to ▁Union ▁lines ▁in ▁the ▁occupied ▁city . ▁ ▁Church ▁had ▁many ▁customers ▁for ▁his ▁business es ▁and ▁became ▁influ ential ▁in ▁the ▁developing ▁black ▁community , ▁which ▁reached ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁by ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁next ▁year , ▁post war ▁t ensions ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁er upt ed ▁in ▁the ▁M emph is ▁Ri ots ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁when ▁a ▁white ▁eth nic ▁Irish ▁mob ▁attacked ▁South ▁M emph is , ▁killing ▁ 4 5 ▁black s ▁and ▁inj uring ▁many ▁more , ▁and ▁destroy ing ▁houses , ▁churches ▁and ▁business es . ▁ ▁The ▁dram atic ▁dem ographic ▁changes ▁had ▁resulted ▁in ▁competition ▁among ▁eth nic ▁Irish , ▁who ▁domin ated ▁the ▁city ' s ▁police ▁and