Year: 1863

GONERNOR SE1MOURS LETTER.
STATE OF New YORK, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
| albany, august 3, 1868.
| To the PRESIDENT of the United States.


SIR At my request number of persons have called
upon you with respect to the draft in this State
ticulary it affected the cities Of New York and Brook
yn To avoid misrepresentation deem it proper to state
my views and wishes in writing,


As the draft Of the Of the late riot in the
city of New York and that outbreak has been urged
by reason for its immediate execution IN that
CITY, it is proper that should speak Of that event At
the moment when the militia of the city absent IN
pursuance of your request and when the forces OF the
General Government were Withdrawn from its fortiica


ons leaving it enceless against any attack from abroad
from riot within its limits the Provost Marshal
menced the draft without consultation with the author
ties OF the State or Of the city


The harsh measure of raising troops by compulson has
heretofore been avoided by this Government and is
resored to from the belief its part that ia
sary for the support of arms know you will agree
with that justice and prudence alike demand that this
lottery for life should be conducted with the utmost fair
ness and openness so that all may know that it is impair


al and equal in It's operations 1t is the right of every
citizen to be assured that all public transactions there
is strict mparalty. In matter deeply affecting the
and happiness of people this called for by
every consideration.


am happy to say that in many Of the districts in this
State the enrolled lists publicly exhibited, the
placed in the wheels from winch they to be
drawn the presence of Of different parties and of
known integrity, and the drawings were conducted in
to avoid suspicion of wrong As the erollments



public who affected by their actions aud who have
voice in their selection should be taken to prove the
correctness of every step Unfortunately this not
done in the district Of New York where the drawing
menced The excitement caused by this draft
led to uDjustfabe attack upon the enrolling officers,
which ultimately into the most destructive riet known
in the history OF country Disregard for law and the
dsrespect for judicial tribunals produced their natural
suits of robbery and accompanied by murdorous
outages upon helpless race and for time the very
stence c the commercial metropolis of our country was
threatened.


In the sad and humating history of this event. it
gratifying that the citizens OF New York without material
aid from the State nation, able of themselves to
put down this gerOus nsurrecton do not underate
the value of the services rendered by the military naval
officers of the General Government who were stationed
in that city for the public under great and lasting OBJ
legations to them for their courage their skill and their
wise and prudent counsels But they had at their COM
mand only handful of Government troops. who alone,
entirely unequal to the duty Of defending the vast
amount of national property which endangered


The rioters subdued by the exertions OF the city
ais, civil and military the people. the police, and
mall body of only twelve hundred composed equally
of the State and national forces who avaed themselves of
the able advice aud direction Of the distinguished military
to whom have alluded 1t gives gratifying assur-
of the ability of the greatest city OF our continent to
manta order in its midst under circumstances sad
vsntageous against uprising unexpected and having


it's origin in questions deeply exciting to the minds of the
great of it's population The return from the war
of of the New York militia regiments restored peace
and security the city ordered troops from different
parts of State but could not get them to the city



Government give any substantial aid it could not
man its forts bad it the to protect it's
arsenal and navy yard against of the vessels which, at
that me engaged burning the ships of merchants
almost within sight of coast For time these very
Notifications the chief danger to the harbor of New
York One thousand could have seized them all and
used their for the destruction of its ship
ping and Of the city itself.


At the time that this riot took place was engaged with
Senator Morgan and Comptroller Robinson of this State
the subject Of harbor def noes placed under the d
recon of Gen Wool the unorganized bodies of national
volunteers i'll under my command and also ordered
bod of the militia from the interior Of New York into
the Notifications to be under his control and made
rangements with him for their pon but the 18th
instant the day before the riot broke out reques ed
by Gen. Wool to counerDand my orders directing the
militia to proceed to the harbor of New York The
for this understand is that the rules of the service
the laws of the United States do not permit the War De-
psrtment to accept of the services of troops for special
qualified purposes The inability of the Government,
moment to defend it's forts public property to
any substantial assistance in putting down riot while
the militia Of the city supporting the national
n another field will best be shown by the following letter
which was Communicated to my associates Messrs Nor
gan and Robinson and to myself the week before these
outrages occurred


HEADauARTERs DEPARTMENT OF THE Fast,


Neo York City, June 80, l6e3.
His Excelency HoRATIo SEYMOUR,


Governor of the ) ate Of New York.


SIR: Allow 10 call your attention to the desnceless
condition Of the city have only five hundred and fifty
arerists being very mperfecty instructed in any part
the artillery duty The Roanoke is ordered proceed to
N
dep that could be available ss ten days
The militia of this city and Brooklyn have either been
being project and defend pennsylvania no is
paying dear for negecng to take of herself by guard
ing her frontier


Is wise for New York to follow her example by neglect
ing protect the city Of New York great emporium of
the country and OF the present
to the Government than all other cities under its control If
had sufficient number of men TO man guns might
protect the city from ordinary shps of but not from
guns, the Alabama, any other vessel of
her cass might without fear injury harbor and
in few hours destroy hundred millions of property


have done all in to guard against lie present
have called the attention Of the Mayor we'll Others
again aud again the deenceess condition the city The
Mayor do but tte from the fact that the militia have
been ordered TO defend Pennsy yAna We ought have
two iron clad steamers and several gunboats guard
the harbor. These with the guns of forts
would be sufficient protect and defend the ty.


The company OF artillery raised for the forts in this ha
bor which requested your Excellency
has been sent to Penn The condition Of the city
an Invitation TO rebels to make the effort assal It,


have the honor to be- very respectfully, your obeden
servant, JOHN L. Wool, Major General.


While ths deplorabe riot has brought disgrace upon the
great city in which it occurred it due to the chara
of it's puaton that they able to put it down
without aid from any other quarter to their py and
to rescue their and the Government property from
the violence OF mob at critical moment when they had
sent their armed men to the National Capital from
falling into tie hands Of hostile For this patriotic
service they have already received your thanks and the
gratitude of the nation


However much we may denounce and deplore the Vio
ence OF bad misguided men, 1t would be alike us
snd uDgrateu to urge the execution of the draft any
spirit of resentment, to show any unwingness to see
that the most exact justice observed the execution Of
X thn pf tha Il