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
ANN DERRICKSON.--This was a white woman, the wife of a colored man, and
lived at No. 11 York Street. On Wednesday, July 15th, the rioters seized
a son of deceased, a lad of about twelve years, saturated his clothes
and hair with camphene, and then procuring a rope, fastened one end to a
lamp-post, the other around his neck, and were about to set him on fire,
and hang him; they were interfered with by some citizens and by the
police of the First Ward, and their diabolical attempt at murder
frustrated. While Mrs. Derrickson was attempting to save the life of her
son she was horribly bruised and beaten, with a cart-rung. The victim,
after lingering three or four weeks, died from the effects of her
injuries.
Reports from the captains of the several precincts, with all the details
of their operations, were made out--also from the subordinate military
officers to their immediate superiors. The final reports of General
Wool, commanding the Eastern Department, and Major-general Sandford,
commanding the city troops, caused much remark in the city papers, and
called forth a reply from General Brown, who considered himself unjustly
assailed in them. Explanation of the disagreement between him and
General Wool having been fully given, it is not necessary to repeat it
here. The same may be said of the statement of General Wool, regarding
his orders on Monday the 13th, respecting the troops in the harbor.
But in this report of General Wool to Governor Seymour, there are other
statements which General Brown felt it his duty to correct. General Wool
says, that finding there was a want of harmony between Generals Sandford
and Brown in the disposition of troops, he issued the following order:
MAJOR-GENERAL SANDFORD, BREVET BRIGADIER-GENERAL BROWN.
GENTLEMEN:--It is indispensable to collect your troops not stationed,
and have them divided into suitable parties, with a due proportion of
police to each, and to patrol in such parts of the city as may be in
the greatest danger from the rioters. This ought to be done as soon as
practicable.
JOHN E. WOOL, _Major-general_.
After this had been issued, General Sandford reporting to me that his
orders were not obeyed by General Brown, I issued the following order:
"All the troops called out for the protection of the city are placed
under the command of General Sandford."
General Brown in his reply says, that he "_never saw or heard of
this first order_." The only explanation of this, consistent with the
character of both, is that General Wool sent this order to General
Sandford alone--either forgetting to transmit it to General Brown, or
expecting General Sandford to do it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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