Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-09-03
AN INCIDENT IN THE NEw YORK DRAFT RIOT

In a book concerning the Great g Riots IN
New York, recently issued by j. I. Headiey,
we find q sketch treating of the gallant
charge of Sergeant Carpenter and his two
hundred policemen upon the in'uriated Draft
Mob of July, 1868. Few readers have for
gotten the intense anxiety with which the
country waited for news from New York
during the days New York was at the mercy
of this mob. This charge of Sergeant Car
penter was the first complete success OF the
police over the lawless spirits who then over
awed the city, and but for its success no man
Can foretell what might have been the future
of the country. The following lis Mr.. Head
ley description of the tight:
An immense mob was reported coming
down Broadway for the purpose, some
thought, of attacking the negro walters in
the Lafarge House, between Amity and
Bleecker streets, but in fact to attack police
headquarters 10 Mulberry street, and break
up the very center of operations. 1t was a
| bold stroke, but the rIDg-leadeIs had been
drinking all day, and now, maddened by
liquor. were ready for the most desperate at
tempts. w hen the news of this movement
reached heada Iarters, the commissioners saw
| that a crisis had come. The mob numbered
at least five thousand while they could not
muster at that moment two hundred men.
Tne clerk, Mr.. Hawley, went to the CO u mis-
| sioners' room and sad: /" Gentlemen, the
crisis has come A battle has TO be fought
now, and won too, or all is lost.' Tney
agreed with him =. But who" they asked,
% will lead the comparatively small force In
this fght?' He replied that he thought
Sergeant Carpenter should be selected. as
| one of the oldest and most experienced oaicers
of the force. Well,' they said, will you
90 down to his room aud see what he says
about it?" He went, and laid before him
the perious condition of things, and that an
| immediat to and successful battle must be
fought.
Carpenter heard him through and taking
in fully the condition Of things, paused a
moment. and then rising to his full height
and lifting his hand SAID, " Ill go, and I'll
win that fight, or Daniel Carpenter will
never come back a live man." He walked
out and summoned the little force, and as,
.s Fall in, men fall In,n was repeated, they
fell into line along the street. When al
was ready, Acton turned to Carpenter, every
lineament of whose lace showed the stert
purpose that mastered him, aud quietly SAID
- Sergeant make no arrests"
1t was to be a battle in which no prisoners
we're to be taken. .sAll right rep led Car
penter, as he buttoned up his coat and shout
ed =. Forward. SJid and silent, save then
heavy measured tread on tn, pavein inent, they
moved down Bieecker street toSard Broad
way. As they turned int the latter street
only block and a half away, they saw the
mob, which filled the entire street far as th,
eye could reach, moving tu nuituously for.
ward. Armed with clubs, pItchlorks, iror
bars, and some with guns aud pistols, anc
most OF them IN their shirt sleeves and IouI
ing as they came, they presented wild AM
savage appearance. PEDESTRIANS d ID dove
the side streets, stores were hastily closed
stages vanished, and they had tue street t,
themselves. A huge bJard On which was 10
scribtd " NJ DRAFT, was borne alDft as
banner, and beside it waved the Stars ant
Stripes.
Tue less than two hundred policem N
com pact and firm, now halted, w bile Carpen
ter detached two companies of fifty each u
the parallel streets to tue right and left, d
; far as Fourth street. Coming down thl
street from both directions, tuey were &
strike the mob on both hanks at the sam
, time he charged them In trout. He waite
till they had reached their positions, an
then shouted, " BY the right flank compan
front, doubie-quIck, charge" Instantan ne
ouely every clue Was swung in air, AMI soil
, as a wall and swift as a wave they swept full
on the astonished multitude; wnIle at th
same time, to cut the monster in two, th
two companies charged in aink. Carpenter
striding several steps in advance, his fac
fairly blazing with excitement, dealt the frs
> blow, stretching on the paveme nt powertl
rufian, who was rushing on him Win hug
club. For a few minutes nothing was hear
but the heavy thud OF clubs falling on huma
skulls, thick and fast as hall-stones on wiz
: dows. Toe mob, just before 50 confident an
bold, quailed with terror, and would hay
, broke and fed at once, but for the mass b,
3 hind. which kept bearing down upon then
= This, however. soon gave Way before the SID
attacks and the panic that followed. Tue
= the confusion and uproar became terrible
and the mass surged hIther and thither, nov
rolling up Broadway, and again borne bac
or showed up against the stores, seek 10
9 madly for way OF escape. At tlcnsth break
, ing into fragments, they rushed down tt
side streets, hotly pursued by the police
whose remOrseless clubs never ssed to ia
as long as a fugitive was within reach
Broadway looked like a field of b,rtle, for tn
| pavement was strewn thick with bleeding
7 PROSTATE forms. 1t was great victory an
! decisive of all future contests.