The Great Riots of New York, 1712 to 1873Headley, Joel Tyler
History
The Great Riots of New York, 1712 to 1873
Headley, Joel Tyler
Draft Riot, New York, N.Y., 1863; New York (N.Y.) -- History; Riots -- New York (State) -- New York
"Tell General Sandford he must do the best he can with them there."
General Sandford had at this time about the same number of men under his
command at the arsenal that General Brown had at police head-quarters;
yet the former, up to this morning, had not sent out a single company to
assist the police to arrest the devastations of the mob. He apparently
did not know what was going on, had hardly kept up any communication
with the Police Commissioners or Governor Seymour, but now begs the
former to relieve him of some colored refugees, as if the overworked
commissioners had not enough on their hands already. This request is
especially noteworthy, when taken in connection with his after report,
in which he states that on this morning the riot was substantially over;
so much so, at least, that the police could do all that was necessary
without the aid of the military. It would seem that if he really thought
that the rest of the work should be left to them, he might have sent off
some of his troops, and made room for the negroes in the arsenal.
At about two o'clock in the afternoon word was received that a
large number of muskets were secreted in a store on Broadway, near
Thirty-third Street; and Colonel Meyer was ordered to proceed thither,
with thirty-three soldiers belonging to Hawkins' Zouaves, and take
possession of them. Reaching the place, he found a large mob gathered,
which was momentarily increasing. He, however, succeeded in entering the
building, and brought out the arms. An Irishman happening to pass by in
his cart, the colonel seized it, and pitching in the guns, closed around
it, and moved off.
Citizens offering their services were coming in all day, and a company
was formed and placed under the command of Charles A. Lamont, and did
good service. Others also were enrolled and placed on duty.
Colonel Sherwood's battery of rifled cannon arrived in the afternoon,
and was put in position in front of the arsenal, where the firing of
pickets all day would indicate that an attack was momentarily expected.
This did not look as if General Sandford thought the riot substantially
over.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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