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
The arsenal had not been attacked, as Sandford seemed every day to think
it would be. Many colored people, as before stated, took refuge in it;
and about noon on this day, a body of police arrived before it, with the
children of the Colored Orphan Asylum that had been burned on Monday, in
charge. They had since that time been scattered round in station-houses,
but were now to be escorted to Blackwell's Island, for better security.
It was an impressive spectacle this army of children presented, as they
drew up in line in front of the arsenal to wait for those within to join
them. The block was filled with them. The frightened little fugitives,
fleeing from they scarce knew what, looked bewildered at their novel
position. It seemed impossible that they ever could have been the
objects of any one's vengeance. With a strong body of police in front
and rear, and a detachment of soldiers on either side, they toddled
slowly down to the foot of Thirty-fifth Street, from whence they were
taken by boats to the Island.
The Sixty-fifth New York Regiment arrived from Harrisburg in the
afternoon, and just before midnight the One Hundred and Fifty-second
also reached the city, and marched up Broadway to police head-quarters,
where they were stowed away to get some rest.
A heavy storm that set in during the evening, helped to scatter the
crowd that would otherwise have gathered on this warm July night, but it
at the same time gave a sombre aspect to the city. The crescent moon was
veiled in black, and thunderous clouds that swept heavily over the city,
deepened the gloom, and seemed portentous of greater evil. The closing
of all the stores and shop-windows at nightfall, through fear, left the
streets lighted only by the scattering lamps. This unusual stretch of
blank dead walls, emitting no ray of light, rendered the darkness made
by the overhanging storm still more impenetrable. Flashes of lightning
would reveal small groups of men bent on plunder, in sections where
the military and police were not stationed, but no open violence was
attempted. In other directions, the bayonets of the soldiers would gleam
out of the dense shadows, as they silently held the posts assigned them,
ready to march at a moment's notice. This was the fourth night, and the
cannon planted in the streets, and the increased military force,
showed that peace was not yet fully restored. The Seventh Regiment
was quartered in Thirty-fourth Street, part of the soldiers within
a building, and crowding every window to catch the first sign of
disturbance, and part stationed below, or marching back and forth in the
street. Other troops and policemen were massed at head-quarters, ready
to move, at the word of command, to any point threatened by the mob.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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