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
It would be invidious to single out any portion of the police for
special commendation, where all did their duty so nobly; but it is not
improper to speak of the sanitary police, whose specific duties do not
lead them to take part in quelling mobs.
They have to report all nuisances, examine tenement-houses and unsafe
buildings, look after the public schools, but more especially examine
steam-boilers, and license persons qualified to run steam-engines.
Hence, it is composed of men of considerable scientific knowledge. But
all such business being suspended during the riot, they at once, with
their Captain, B. G. Lord, assumed the duties of the common policemen,
and from Monday night till order was restored, were on constant duty,
participating in the fights, and enduring the fatigues with unflinching
firmness, and did not return to their regular duties till Monday
morning.
The drill-officer also, Sergeant T. S. Copeland, became, instead of a
drill-officer, a gallant, active leader of his men in some of the most
desperate fights that occurred. His military knowledge enabled him to
form commands ordered hastily off, with great despatch. But not content
with this, he led them, when formed, to the charge, and gave such
lessons in drill, in the midst of the fight, as the police will never
forget.
With the details of what followed we have nothing to do. The Grand Jury
indicted many of the prisoners, and in the term of the court that
met the 3d of August, twenty were tried and nineteen convicted, and
sentenced to a longer or shorter term of imprisonment. Of course a
large number on preliminary examinations got off, sometimes from want
of sufficient evidence, and sometimes from the venality of the judges
before whom they were brought. Claims for damages were brought in, the
examination of which was long and tedious. The details are published in
two large volumes, and the entire cost to the city was probably three
millions of dollars. Some of the claims went before the courts, where
they lingered along indefinitely. The number of rioters killed, or
died from the effects of their wounds, was put down by the Police
Commissioners at about twelve hundred. Of course this estimate is not
made up from any detailed reports. The dead and wounded were hurried
away, even in the midst of the fight, and hidden in obscure streets, or
taken out of the city for fear of future arrests or complications. Hence
there was no direct way of getting at the exact number of those who
fell victims to the riot. The loss of life, therefore, could only be
approximated by taking the regular report of the number of deaths in the
city for a few weeks before the riots, and that for the same length
of time after. As there was no epidemic, or any report of increased
sickness from any disease, the inference naturally was, that the excess
for the period after the riots was owing to the victims of them. Many of
these were reported as sunstrokes, owing to men exposing themselves to
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account