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
About ten o'clock, a policeman in Worth Street, while endeavoring to
clear the sidewalk, was knocked down and severely beaten. At length,
breaking away from his assailants, he hastened to the central office in
White Street, and reported the state of things. A squad of police was
immediately dispatched to arrest the ringleaders. On reaching Centre
Street they found a desperate fight going on, and immediately rushed in,
to put a stop to it. The belligerents at once made common cause against
them. A bloody hand-to-hand conflict followed, but the police at length
forced the mob to retreat. The latter, however, did not give up
the contest, but mounting to the upper stories and roofs of the
tenement-houses, rained down clubs and stones so fiercely, that the
police were driven off with only two prisoners.
Comparative quiet was now restored, though the excitement spread in
every direction. It lasted, however, only an hour or two, when suddenly
a loud yell was heard near the Tombs, accompanied with the report of
fire-arms, and crowds of people came pouring down Baxter and Leonard
Streets, to get out of the way of bullets. Some wounded men were carried
by, and the utmost terror and confusion prevailed. The air was filled
with flying missiles and oaths, and shouts of defiance. Now the Dead
Rabbits would drive their foes before them, and again be driven back.
The bloody fight thus swayed backwards and forwards through the narrow
streets for a long time. At length twenty-five Metropolitan Police
appeared on the scene, while fifty more were held in reserve. Though
assailed at every step with clubs and stones, they marched steadily on,
clearing the crowd as they advanced, and forcing the Dead Rabbits into
the houses, whither they followed them, mounting even to the roof, and
clubbing them at every step. After clearing the houses, they resumed
their march, when they were again attacked by the increasing crowd, many
of them armed with muskets and pistols. Barricades were now erected,
behind which the mob rallied, and the contest assumed the aspect of
a regular battle. The notorious Captain Rynders came on the ground,
between six and seven o'clock, and attempted to restore quiet.
Not succeeding, however, he repaired to the office of the Police
Commissioners, and told Commissioner Draper, if he had not police force
enough to disperse the mob, he should call out the military. The latter
replied that he had made a requisition on Major-General Sandford, for
three regiments, and that they would soon be on the ground. But it was
nine o'clock before they made their appearance. The police then formed
in two bodies of seventy-five men each, and supported, one by the
Seventy-first Regiment and the other by the Eighth, marched down
White and Worth Streets. This formidable display of force overawed the
rioters, and they fled in every direction. This ended the riot, although
the military were kept on duty during the night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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