The Opelousas courier., 1884-06-07
THE GREAT DRAFT RIOTS.
A Graphic Account of their Regin-
mimg i'm New York.

ning i'm New Work.
An eye witness of the great draft riots
in New York in 1868 says in the Times
of that city:
My regiment had completed it's term of
service but had not gbeen formally mus
tered out. | had been at home in East
Fifty-second street two days. While
seated near the window perusing one of
the morning newspapers, shortly after 10
a. NJ. of the third day, my attention was
attracted by shouts and the hurrying of
people in the street toward and down
Third avenue. Hastily donning my coat
and hat l joined them. There were many
inquiries as to what the matter was, and
somebody answered sa fire." That ap-
pcared to be all that the majority of those
who afterward took part in the scenes
about to be described then knew regard
ing what wa going on. Near the south
east corner of Forty-sixth street a four
story brick tenement was burning. The
store had been opened on the previous
Saturday as a place for drafting recruits
for the army, and the drawing had pro-
ceeded unmolested that day. A
dense crowd filled the street and
sidewalks in front. In the midst
of the crowd were several fire en-
gines, and many fremen in the old volun-
teer uniform, but they were standing
idle. | afterward learned that the mob
had ordered them not to work. There
were no policemen present, but there
was no loud talking or disorder-no ap-
pearance of unusual excitement; no out
ward vestige Of anger on the c~ountenances
of the multitude. An old-fashioned
wood-case ire-pump stood at the edge of
the western sidewalk, about the center
of the block. This was mounted in turn
by the her ward alderman, and success
sively by several other local politicians,
who appealed to the mob to permit the
fremen to work, but their words were
received with shouts of disapproval. No
| violence was offered them, however. At
length the cornice of the adjoining
building on the north took fire. 1t was
occupied below as a crockery store. The
proprietor's acknowledgements in
gilt letters ON q black sign on the face of
the building. The incident was instantly
taken advantage of bysome of the former
speakers. Remounting the pump he asked
whether they (the mob were going to
permit Brady's house to be destroyed.
ssHe is a poor man." he cried, sand a
neighbor. The house is all he has in the
world. You have done for the drafting
place. What more do you wants Let
the fremen play on Brady's house"
At the beginning of the appeal all eyes
had been turned toward the building in
Dictated. There was a moments hesita-
ton and then a movement in the throng.
ssLet them work. rose from a hundred
throats, when he had finished. Some of
the fremen sprang to the brakes of their
engines; others began to unwind their
bose.
Moving about through the crowd, |
had reached the side of q large brewers
draw, which was one of a row of wagons
in front of a factory between Forty
seventh and Forty-eighth streets, on
Third avenue. Just then a wild shout
from down the avenue caused me to
whirl about. In the moment given me
to see | observed a solid mass of blue
coated policemen moving rapidly up the
avenue from Forty-ffth street. They
seemed to fill the street and to
be marching with military precision.
I also saw the mob scurrying
before them, falling over each other,
cursing and swearing with terror.
Women and children were thick around
them, and it appeared to me that hun
dreds were being trodden under foot.
also heard q scattering fusillade of pistol
shots. All this happened in the flash oil
an eve. A burly German who had been
standing upon the seat of the brewer:
draw, took a flying leap and landed
astraddIe of my neck, crushing me fiat
to the sidewalk. He was off and away
in an instsnt, and in another | had re
gained my feet. The scene had entirely
changed. The mob had turned and were
hurting paving-stones down the ayenu'
and advancing rapidly in the same dlrec.
ton. A space of about twenty-five fee
wide and reaching from gutter to quite
in the pavement was bare directly il
front of me. IT has ever since been
puzzle to me to conceive how that pave
ment was torn up so quickly. The fire
men and the engines had disappeared
and when 7 looked down the venue no
a policeman was to be seen. Subse
~quently noticing persons peering over tn,
rear fences of the houses on the blocl
below, I did SO too, and in several Of th'
wards saw uniformed dead bodies laid on
upon the grass plats. That was the las
attempt the police made to assert their au
thority that week that came under my oh
seryation. Twas afterward told that the.
fred q volley from their revoIvers. They
then charged with their batons directly
into the fleeing mob, who turned at bay
and beat them back by sheer force o.
numbers and desperation. ! have seer
quick work In my time, but none quicke
than that battle.
IA new element of activity now seemed
. to pervade the mobsthat moved to AM
fro. infiained with passion. A telegraph
pole was broken down at the corner Q
J Forty-eighth street. In a moment hun
dreds Of men had hold Of the wires, pull
. ing in unison. Pole after pole swaye'
! back and forth d few times and the
crashed to the ground. Looking again
saw men armed with murderous club
! formed Of twisted wire. In o few mir
! utes more the greater part of the fence
near BY had vanished and hundreds 9
I uickets were welded threateningly
brawny haads. Iheard q cry, "A repol
, teri and saw d thin young man in
brown coat and spectael6s flying acroi
the lots between Forty-seventh and Fortl
eighth streets with a yelling mob nun
2 bering more than q thousand after hin
7 The chase was kept up for three block
In the end the reporter cleared the stor
fence 1T i bound and disappeared, viii
the foremost of his pursuers, IN the