The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-07-09
FOUGHT The DRAFT
The Scene In New York City Dur
ing the Riots of 1863.
A BRIEF REIGN OF TERROR.


conscription Ragged Through the
Streets, and More Than a Thousand
Persons Were Killed or Wounded.
During the draft riots in the war
days of 1868 New York city was in the
grip of reign of terror and blood
shed for nearly week. CONSUMPTION
was begun on the morning of Tuesday
July 10. in four story brick building
at Third avenue and Forty-sixth street.
under the supervision of Provost Mar
[ shall Jenkins. Assistance and protec-
tion had been promised, but no one
came to help him and his little force.
Drafting commenced at o o'clock, and
big crowd stood outside. A stone
was hurled through window ut 1890
O'Clock. and soon many more were bat.
tering against the walls. Terrorized
the police and draft officers fed to the
street. where many of them were
roughly handled.
The rioters rushed into the draft
Office and threw the enrolment books
out of the windows to the crowd
which tore the records to shreds. The
draft wheel. chairs and tables were
smashed. piled in the middle of the
room. and a match was applied This
building was one of the many burned
the aggregate loss by incendiary fires
being estimated at $2.O00,OOO.
For negroes in the. city it was a day
Of doom. the mob looking upon them
as one of the chief causes Of the draft
Many of them were killed and wound
ed. some being shot. others beaten tC
death and still others hanged to trees
and lampposts. The Colored Orphan
asylum was burned Near Fulton mar
ket boys killed three negroes and left
their bodies on the pier near Fulton
ferry entrance.
So suddenly did the shock come that
the police and limited force of militia
in town could not resist it. There was
hurried conference between Major
General Wool. Ex-Governor Morgan
General Anthem and Brigadier Genera
Harvey Brown; but, owing to the alb
sence of Governor Horatio Seymour
whose opinion was wanted. martha
law was not declared. Brigadier Gen
eral Brown, however, took command O
the troops in the city and summoned
from nearby points all available sol
diers. Mayor George Opdyke issuet
an anti-riot proclamation.
During the afternoon mob swep
along Fifth avenue. destroying proper
ty. They were ready to burn Mayo
Opdyke's home, but Judge Barnar
saved it by telling the crowd the onl,
way to resist the draft was by bring
ing it before the court. He promise,
he would issue writ of habeas corpu
for any drafted man for whom appn
mobs were many Infatuated women
whose actions were often worse thar
those of the men.
Horace Greeley, who was a particu
lar object of aversion to the rioters
started, as usual, from his home il
Nineteenth street to go on a Fourth
avenue car to the Tribune Office
Friends told him of his danger, and h.
spent the day in Windusts restaurant
at Park row and Ann street, and wen
while mobs were demanding his blood
Governor Seymour issued procla
nation the next day calling on all citi
zens to stand by the constituted au
thorities and assist in maintaining
order. Rioting. however, continued
throughout the day and night, the pc
lice. soldiers and mobs having many
fatal encounters.
On the third day the rioting contin
ued, and many of the mob and the
ed. The federal authorities postponed
the draft, but trouble did not cease al
once. as many Of the rioters thought
the action was a governmental trick tc
gain time. The fourth day brought
further disorders in New York and
Brooklyn. Archbishop Hughes adj
dressed a crowd in front Of his home
urging them to keep the peace. His
plea had a soothing effect.
On the fifth day fighting ceased and
order was partly restored A heavy
storm also dampened the ardor of the
tired rioters. General James B. Fry
provost marshal general of the United
States. issued an order that drafting
would be resumed. Brigadier General
e. R. S. Candy assumed command OF
the Federal troops in the city, reliev.
ing General Brown. A roundup OF
ringleaders among the rioters followed
and many were arrested By July 80
order was completely restored.
More than 1000 persons were killed
or wounded during the rioting, among
them Colonel O'Brien of the Eleventh
New York volunteers. then in the city
on recruiting duty. He ventured out
in uniform after having conspicuously
opposed the mob. He was seized,