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
Proclamations by the Governor and Mayor.--City districted.--Appearance
of the East Side of the City.--A small Squad of Soldiers chased into
a Foundry by the Mob.--Fierce Fight between the Mob and Military in
Twenty-ninth Street.--Soldiers driven from the Ground, leaving a dead
Sergeant behind.--Captain Putnam sent to bring the Body away.--Mows
down the Rioters with Canister.--Storms the Houses.--Utter Rout of
the Mob.--Colored Orphans and Negroes taken by Police to
Blackwell's Island.--Touching Scene.--Coming on of Night and a
Thunderstorm.--Returning Regiments.--Increased Force in the City to put
down Violence.--Archbishop Hughes offers to address the
Irish.--Curious Account of an Interview of a Lady with him and Governor
Seymour.--Strange Conduct of the Prelate.
Only the principal disturbances of the third day were given, and of
these the accounts were very succinct. The movements of the mobs and
the conflicts with them were so similar in character, that a detailed
description of them would be a mere repetition of what had gone before.
After the police force, and the troops under General Brown had become
organized so as to move and act together, each fight with the rioters
was almost a repetition of its predecessor. Having adopted a plan of
procedure, they seldom deviated from it, and the story of one fight
became the story of all--a short struggle and a quick victory.
It was hoped this morning that the rioters would conclude that they
could not carry out their mad designs; for the enrolment of large
bodies of citizens, and the announcement of the speedy return of several
regiments, showed that all the force necessary to subdue them was,
or soon would be, on hand. The day before, the Governor had issued a
proclamation, declaring the city to be in a state of insurrection; but
this morning appeared a proclamation from Mayor Opdyke, announcing that
the insurrection was practically ended. It is true he called on the
citizens to form voluntary associations, with competent leaders, to
patrol their separate districts, to protect themselves from roaming
gangs of plunderers, and so spare the exhausted police and military. Yet
he called on the citizens to resume their usual avocations, and directed
the railroad and stage lines to resume their routes. This opinion of the
Mayor was strengthened by the positive announcement that the draft had
been suspended, and the passage of an ordinance by the City Council,
appropriating $2,500,000 towards paying $300 exemption money to the poor
who might be drafted. It was plain, if the draft was the cause of the
continued riot, it would now cease. But in spite of all this, bad news
came from Harlem, and Yorkville, and other sections. In fact, it
was evident that the Police Commissioners did not share fully in the
pleasant anticipations of the Mayor. Having ascertained that the leaders
of the mob, learning from experience, had organized more intelligently,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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