The National tribune., 1910-11-03
New WORK During Draft Riots.

Editor National TiihUne: When the
18th n. Y. Cav. was organized in the
Snring and Summer of 1863, partly ~
western New York, the first part th7lf
dozen companies) were sent directN
10 virginia The other companies. gath
cred in New York City and eastern New
York. followed as rapidly as they could
he pushed forward. Thus II was tAat
Co. C. of which | was First Lieutenant,
was started in New York City for N'r-
ginia, and marched as far as Court
Iandt street ferry. where we We're halt
ed and turned back by orders of Gen.
wood then commanding, because ne
needed our aid to suppress the riots
which had that day broken out IN New
York City.
The drafting of men for military duty
was made the OStenSible eyr''-e TOR the
rfotoyrs outbreak by all the rough eie-
ulent. and as that class was largely en-
couraeed by unsCrupulous anti-Atmin-
istration delnagogs that claimed that
the nero was the prime cause of the
rebellion, the uegrGs were hunted down
-t,ss Z he T1aob and several were -nIuls TO
lamp pests One or two asNlums for
coIored people in the upper part Of the
CITY were burned by the rioters, the
nlob's vengeance and blind wrath being
turned upon the negro because Of this
lattributing TO him as the cause of the
| existing war and the consequent dratt.
The first night we Of Co. O lodged
! on the hall floors of the Fifth Avenue
! Hotel. and the next day we made camp
lin Madison Avenue Park, in front Of
1.-The MOTEL, where we remained two
weeks patroling the city and drilling.
| Here we were supplied with equipments
land horses and mounted The people
| who had homes in the residential re-
giOns were in state of great alarm
over the daily outrages of the mob.
Families were in state bordering on
terror.
l will always remember the nightly
patrols in the silent streets up town,
where the uuIst:al clatter of the cavalry
horses feet upon the stone pavement
made by my marching detachment
aroused the people a block in advance
of our approach. At that period all the
houses were kept carefully closed and
darkened. The opening Of window
blinds a block ahead of us was made
| for observation to learn what all the
racket was about. 1t was unique
specta Gle. Doubtless the noise quite
| terroriZed many Of the more timid and
| to others gave assurance of safety and
rest The sight Of Government cavalry
| in the heart of the city, the mounted
and dismounted drill and saber eXcr-
cises in Madison Avenue Park on
| Broadway quite naturally attracted a
! throng of observers. which lined the
| fences which Their inclosed the park.
| Other companies OF troops, infantry
and cavalry, were located in other parts
| of the city, and there was considerable
| fighting done with the more lawless ele-
lrnent, resulting in some being killed
and many wounded Business was
| largely suspended. Ladies' and children
remained behind locked doors and COW
cred windows OF their homes The tene.
ment-house region, notably on the east
side Of the city, in the vicinity of First
and Second avenues, was in state ot
ferment, the men, of course, at home
from work.
] was sent with a dozen soldiers ir
that region to find and bring a truant
soldier from my company, and found
| the streets and sidewalks packed with
men and women and every door and
| window in every block crowded full b.
them. All were unfriendIy to the sol
diers and all were sullen. Each had
some weapon concealed, or, like the
women, carried cobblestones in their
| hands. Those who We're at the point
where we halted to look for the soldier
evidently thought we had come to take
away conscripts. 1t was perhaps as
well that the Sergeant, who dismounted
and entered the fiat to inquire, found
that the man was sick and disabled
We returned without him That was q
very dangerous. threatening crowd tc
be in under those circumstances
mere spark, so to speak, would have
exploded the throng, and we would al
have been instantly killed. We had moi
Idismounted. 1t was one of the few
times in my life when / was really
frightened.-Chas. Brewster, 709 Weg
10th street, Kansas City, Mo.