USA > New York > New York City > History of New York city from the discovery to the present day, V. 2 > Part 14
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rights of every citizen will be properly guarded and defended by the Chief Magistrate of the State.
" I do therefore call upon all persons engaged in these riotous proceedings to retire to their homes and employ- ments; declaring to them that, unless they do so at once, I shall use all the power necessary to restore the peace and order of the city. I also call upon all well-disposed per- sons not enrolled for the preservation of order to pursue their ordinary avocations.
" Let all citizens stand firmly by the constituted authorities, sustaining law and order in the city, and ready to answer any such demand as circumstances may render necessary for me to make upon their services, and they may rely upon a rigid enforcement of the laws of this State against all who violate them.
" HORATIO SEYMOUR, Governor.
" NEW YORK, July 14th, 1863."
The rioters gave little heed to words however persua- sively uttered, and in spite of the Governor's proclama- tion, continued to glut their instincts of rapine and cruelty. The State, civic, and military authorities (both Federal and State), the navy, Governor Seymour, Mayor Opdyke, the Police Commissioners, Generals Wool, Brown, and Sand- ford, co-operated in efforts to protect the city, but found that the forces at their command were barely sufficient to guard the public property. The Custom-house, the Sub- treasury buildings, and arsenals were filled with marines and sailors, the approaches and entrances were covered by cannon, and the halls lined with howitzers from the Navy Yard. The ship-yards, gas-works, and public institutions were guarded by the few militia left in the city, and gun- boats anchored in the East and North Rivers, with their broadsides menacing Wall and other streets, which were thought to be especially exposed to attack. Notwith- 69
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standing these precautions, and the suspension of the draft, which was supposed to have provoked the popular violence, the mob, on the second day of the riot, contin- ued to rage almost without check. The city, thus at the mercy of robbers and murderers, wore an air of gloom and despair. Business was arrested, the stores and shops were closed, and the promenades deserted. The well-dressed women, the fashionable loungers, and the dashing equip- ages were absent from the streets; and the occupant of every house barricaded his windows and doors, and armed himself with such weapons as he could procure.
Though the whole city was more or less the scene of violence, the most tragic incidents occurred in the Second and Third Avenues and neighboring streets. "Early in the morning," wrote a reporter,* "there might be seen several hundreds of people congregated at each of the corners in the vicinity of Thirty-fourth Street and up to Forty-sixth. There seemed to be no great excitement pervading the masses of persons who were here assem- bled, but a settled and gloomy quiet hung over their every movement. All canvassed the exciting events which had transpired the day previous with a good deal of sober calmness, and no demonstration of any descrip- tion took place which might be construed as an outbreak.
" Numbers were armed, but no attack upon person or locality seemed to be determined upon. Several of their friends addressed them, and they listened with com- parative quiet. Father Clowrey, the Catholic priest of that district, spoke to them, and requested that they would go to their homes and keep quiet. This advice from the venerated clergyman seemed to be regarded with a good deal of interest, and the crowd, for a few moments, seemed to be deeply impressed with what was
* New York Herald.
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so feelingly said to them. There appeared to be a general disposition to keep quiet at this moment, and several turned into the adjacent streets, as if to wend their way home- ward. Father Clowrey, however, soon went away, and the crowd commenced to clamor and use emphatic gestic- ulations once more. Propositions were made by several to proceed to different localities and break open premises. But these suggestions seemed to meet with opposition. Some one of the multitude remarked that the police and military were coming up the avenue, as on Monday, and, like a flash of electricity, the whole crowd were moved with the most tremendous excitement, and daring epithets were freely indulged in. 'Let them come on, and we will meet them like men !' were the outcries which were now raised. The crowd rushed into several houses, and took therefrom every article which might in any way be con- verted into a weapon. Women also armed themselves with whatever they could lay hold of, expressing themselves in the strongest language, both of encouragement to their friends and relatives, and disdain for those who were com- ing up to disperse them. The crowd was at this time congregated between Thirty-fourth and Thirty-seventh Streets in the Second Avenue, and accessions to their ranks were flocking in from all directions. There was not a single laborer in that locality who did not leave his em- ployment and join the mass, until it must certainly have numbered some ten thousand persons in all. The sight at this time was certainly of a nature to excite fear in the stoutest heart. There was not much clamor or noise of any description, but a settled and determined appearance was the peculiar characteristic of each indi- vidual .- All seemed imbued with one idea, that of 'resist- ance,' and no matter what obstacle came in their path, they seemed ready to encounter it.
" At about ten o'clock in the morning a body of troops,
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about four hundred in all, accompanied by a number of police, marched leisurely up Third Avenue. The military were composed of Company H, of the Twelfth regiment, under command of Captain Franklin ; and about fifty of the Eleventh regiment New York Volunteers, under the command of Colonel H. F. O'Brien. They brought with them two small field-pieces. There were also about four hundred police on the march, led by Deputy Superintend- ent Carpenter and Sergeant Copeland. They were well armed, and carried their clubs in a firm grasp, as if deter- mined to do their part of the work.
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" On arriving at the corner of Thirty-fourth Street and Third Avenue, the entire force marched down the street into the avenue, the military passing up some few minutes before. There was no opposition whatever offered to the military as they filed past ; but as soon as the police made their appearance the fight commenced, and in earnest. A shower of bricks came down upon their heads from all directions, and a hand-to-hand encounter immediately fol- lowed. The police rushed into the various houses on the route, and, hurrying up stairs, used their clubs against any person, young or old, whom they met. In those encoun- ters it is impossible here to state how many were killed and wounded; but there must certainly have been upward of ten or fifteen clubbed to death.
" This assault did a great deal to excite the people to the highest pitch, and they now fought and acted like men who did not care what they did, or what was the conse- quence of their acts. The police fought well, but in some cases they acted in a manner calculated to incite the people to increased violence. Several were clubbed to death in their own houses, and the stairs, rooms, and hall- ways covered with blood, while the furniture, glasses, &c., were broken to pieces. The police evidently got the best of it in this encounter, and succeeded to a great extent in
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putting down the disturbance, which was fast spreading from street to street. The police, as they came from the houses after inflicting summary punishment upon all who came in their way, formed again in the streets. Here they took up the line of march, and were proceeding to another vicinity, when a second attack took place; and now the real work commenced.
" There were two howitzers placed in position, sup- porting which were two companies of the Eleventh New York State Volunteers, under command of Colonel O'Brien, who was on horseback. The military were formed on Second' Avenue, at the corner of Thirty-fourth Street, with the crowd on either side of them and a few in front, none expressing the slightest trepidation at the dangerous position in which they were placed. Bricks flew like hail- stones among the soldiers. Colonel O'Brien rode up and down in the center, and then gave the command 'Fire !' to those who had charge of the howitzers. Some allege that these pieces were loaded with grape and canister ; but however this may be, there were several seen to fall at this time. The two companies of infantry of the Elev- enth regiment, which were under the immediate com mand of Colonel O'Brien, also opened a fire of Minie bullets and committed some havoc among the crowd, which was firmly massed together at this point. Several fell upon the sidewalks and in the middle of the street, and were carried into various houses, where their wounds were attended to.
" The action of Colonel O'Brien, as described by sev- eral who were within hearing distance of him during the whole time, is thus described from the commencement of the conflict. He urged on the soldiers to fire into and attack the people in all manner of ways. How true this is cannot be determined; but the fate which he met with is probably one of the most horrible that the present gen-
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eration ever witnessed. Colonel O'Brien, as has already been stated, was on horseback, and had the entire com- mand of the military, and it was by his orders that they fired.
" A most heart-rending occurrence took place during this fight. Colonel O'Brien held a revolver in his hand, and was riding up and down between either line of the · crowd. He, as it is stated, fired his revolver into their midst, the ball killing a woman and child, which she held in her arms. After several rounds had been fired the people began to disperse, and the police proceeded to another part of the city. Colonel O'Brien and his com- mand, however, remained. The Colonel dismounted from his horse and walked into a drug store.
" Had he taken his departure at this time, there is little doubt that his life would have been saved. Colonel O'Brien stayed in the drug store for some few minutes; it is thought that he went in to get some refreshments. The crowd were around the door at this time. There was scarcely a word spoken, but the lowering glances of a thousand men looked down in vengeful spirit upon him as he stood in the door. He then drew his sword, and with the revolver in the other hand, walked out on the sidewalk in the very center of the crowd. He was immediately surrounded, and one of the men came behind, and, strik- ing him a heavy blow on the back of the head, staggered him. The crowd then immediately surrounded and beat him in a most shocking manner. His almost inanimate body was taken up in the strong arms of the crowd and hurried to the first lamp-post, where it was strung up by a rope. After a few minutes the body was taken down, ha being still alive, and thrown, like so much rubbish, into the street. The body lay in the middle of the street, within a few yards of the corner of Thirty-fourth Street. Nature shudders at the appalling scenes which here took
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place. The body was mutilated in such a manner that it was utterly impossible to recognize it. The head was nearly one mass of gore, and the clothes saturated with blood. A crowd of some three hundred persons sur- rounded the prostrate figure. These men looked upon the terrible sight with the greatest coolness, and some even smiled at the gory object. Our reporter walked leisurely among the crowd which surrounded the body, and gazed upon the extended mass of flesh which was once the cor- pulent form of Colonel H. F. O'Brien. Notwithstanding the fearful process which the soldier had gone through, he was yet breathing. The eyes were closed, but there was a very apparent twitching of the eyelids, while the lips were now and again convulsed, as if in the most intense agony. After lying for about an hour in this position, sev- eral of the crowd took hold of the body by the legs and dragged it from one side of the street to the other. This operation was gone through with several times, when the crowd again left the body lying in its original position.
" Had Colonel O'Brien been a man of weak constitu- tion, he would certainly have ceased to exist long before this time. He was, however, a man of great natural strength, and this fact probably kept him breathing longer than would any common person. The crowd remarked this, and watched his every slightest movement with the most intense anxiety. Now and then the head would be raised from the ground, while an application of a foot from one of the crowd would dash the already mangled mass again to the earth. This conduct was carried on for some time; and when our reporter left the body was still lying in the street, the last spark of existence evidently having taken its flight.
" Probably the worst feature of the affray in this neighborhood was the death of the two or three unfortu- nate women who happenened to be on the ground at the
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time. One woman's life was saved by the timely services of Dr. E. D. Connery, who extracted a ball from her per- son. This gentleman's valuable services were brought into requisition in other places where a number of parties had been wounded. These events, of course, inflamed the other women of that ward, and they turned out in large force to aid their relatives and friends when any opportunity should occur.
." At four o'clock everything was comparatively quiet where the real fighting had taken place. An immense crowd, however, still remained. They were not congre- gated in one solid mass, but were assembled in groups, a few yards apart, of about two hundred each. There was no boisterous discussion. The people conversed in tones of studied ease, and did not make any remarks of a blood- thirsty nature. Every brow had its frown, every lip was compressed, some cheeks were blanched-not with fear, but with intense anger. There was not a word uttered counseling cessation, but a vigorous prosecution of the work in which they were engaged was urged. Each house of business was closed, and private dwellings had their doors and windows properly barred and locked. Dark- ness was rapidly stealing on, but the crowd still lingered."
The negroes of the city were the especial object of the fury of the mob. Their houses were sacked and burned, and they themselves hunted out, tracked, seized upon and murdered. These poor creatures became so terror-stricken, that those who were able skulked out of the city, and those who were left hid away, and did not venture to show themselves in the light of day.
It was clear, whatever may have been the original motive of the rioters, that it had now degenerated into a lust for blood and plunder. Houses and shops were broken into for no other purpose than to steal their valu- able contents. Thus, a throng of men, women, and chil-
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dren sacked the clothing store in Catherine Street, of Brooks Brothers, who were not in any respect objects of political odiumn.
The second day of the riot closed with unabated gloom, and was followed by a night of wakeful anxiety, for the constant tolling of the fire-bells, telling of repeated house-burnings, foreboded a general conflagration.
On the next day, the third of the riot, Wednesday, July 15th, the mob still held the city in its cruel sway. The suspension of the draft was officially announced. Governor Seymour proclaimed the city and county of New York to be in a state of insurrection. Mayor Opdyke hopefully declared that the riot had " been in a good measure subjected to the control of the public author- ities," and invited the citizens to form voluntary associa- tions to patrol and guard the districts in which they lived, against the " fragments of the mob prowling about for plunder," and to save " the military and police from the exhaustion of continued movements." He further de- clared, that " the various lines of omnibuses, railways, and telegraphs must be put in full operation immediately," and promised " that adequate military protection against their further interruption would be furnished on applica- tion to the military authorities of the State."
The Roman Catholic Archbishop Hughes addressed his flock, saying :
" In spite of Mr. Greeley's assault upon the Irish, in the present disturbed condition of the city, I will appeal not only to them, but to all persons who love God and revere the holy Catholic religion which they profess, to respect also the laws of man and the peace of society, to retire to their homes with as little delay as possible, and disconnect themselves from the seemingly deliberate intention to disturb the peace and social rights of the citizens of New York. If they are Catholics, or of such 70
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of them as are Catholics, I ask, for God's sake-for the sake of their holy religion-for my own sake, if they have any respect for the Episcopal authority-to dissolve their bad associations with reckless men, who have little re- gard either for divine or human laws."
The aldermen of New York unanimously voted an ordinance by which $2,500,000 were appropriated to relieve those who might be drafted for compulsory ser- vice.
The city still wore the gloom of the previous days. "General commerce," said a journalist, "appeared to · stand still. Storekeepers, in neighborhoods where a mul- titude of people sacked dwellings, anticipated further attacks. In the principal streets the shutters were kept up, and the proprietors kept their doors ajar, in order to suddenly close them in case of danger. There were few, if any, jewelers' marts open. The precious gems, gold, and trinkets were prudently decmed too costly a temptation to be exposed to apprehended seizure."
The riot still raged. Crowds of excited people gathered in the districts which had been the scenes of violence, and while in all they threatened to resume them, in some they actually did so with increased fury. The Arsenal in the Seventh Avenue, the constant object of the popu- lar menace, had been placed in a state of military defense. Mountain howitzers, brass field-pieces, and picket-guards commanded the approaches, and a body of troops, under Major-General Sandford, encamped within the inclosure and occupied the neighboring streets. Close to the mili- tary line, a large crowd gathered from an early hour in the morning and threatened an attack.
" About eight o'clock the first engagement," reported a journalist,* " took place in this part of the city between
* New York Herald.
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the military and the people. News was received that a large crowd had congregated in the neighborhood of Eighth Avenue and Thirty-second Street. The crowd numbered between four thousand and five thousand men. They had been collected in that vicinity for some time, apparently in doubt where to move. A negro unfortu- nately made his appearance, when one of the men called him an opprobrious name. The negro made a similar rejoinder, and after a few words the indiscreet colored man pulled out a pistol and shot the man. With one simultaneous yell the crowd rushed on him. He was lifted high in the air by fifty stalwart arms and then dashed forcibly on the pavement. Kicks were adminis- tered by all who could get near enough. Some men then took hold of him by the legs and battered his head sev- eral times on the pavement. Life was now nearly ex- tinct, and a rope called for. The desired article was in a moment produced, and the black man's body was soon after suspended from a neighboring lamp-post. The pas- sions of the people were now fully aroused, and an assault was made on the neighboring houses to search for negroes. A scene of this kind soon degenerated into one of indis- criminate destruction. Word was passed along to fire the houses and burn the niggers out. At this time the mili- tary, consisting of a strong detachment of infantry and one twelve-pounder mountain howitzer, arrived on the ground, under command of Colonel Winslow. The people were too intent on the work of destruction to heed their arrival. The howitzer was unlimbered, and poured a deadly charge of canister into the crowd. Signs of resist- ance were evinced, and an evident determination to wrest the gun from the hands of the artillerists. The infantry received the order to fire, and again a shower of bullets thinned the crowd. No symptoms were evinced of their retiring, and the howitzer again thundered forth a deadly
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.discharge of canister. The fire was by this time too hot for the crowd to withstand, and with shrieks and yells they commenced to scatter in all directions. During the whole time the military had been under a strong fire of stones, brickbats, pistol and gun shots, not only from the crowd in their front, but from the housetops. The crowd dispersing, orders were given to the soldiers to return. After cutting down the body of the negro the military commenced to fall slowly back. The crowd at once re- assembled and closed up in their rear. Four separate times, before the crowd would desist from the pursuit,
· was the order given to the infantry to fire. After con- siderable difficulty Colonel Winslow and his command re- turned to the Arsenal, after having successfully carried out the orders they had received.
"Shortly before twelve o'clock, Colonel Magee was ordered to proceed to Thirty-fourth Street, near Sixth Avenue, to rescue eighteen colored men who were mo- mentarily in danger of being assaulted by the people. The Colonel went off with four men, and succeeded in bringing the darkeys to the Arsenal. Nobody hurt.
" During the morning the crowd on Seventh Avenue and Thirty-fourth Street increased in numbers and bold- ness. The pressure from the rear forced those in front to press too closely on the pickets, who were in moment- ary danger of being surrounded and deprived of their arms. Brickbats, stones, and occasionally pistol and gun shots were fired at the troops. When the advance was witnessed from the Arsenal, the howitzers were planted to sweep the avenue. A detachment of the One Hundred and Seventy-eighth New York Volunteers, under com- mand of Captain Gandolfo, and Lieutenants Meding and Blackmire, were ordered out to charge on the people. On reaching the crowd a volley was fired over their heads, and a general stampede was the result.
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" About one o'clock another disturbance took place in Thirty-third Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. A large crowd had assembled and commenced sacking some of the houses in that vicinity. Captain Doles, of General Hunter's staff, who had volunteered his services, was ordered to proceed to the scene of the disturbance with a detachment of the Twentieth New York Artillery, armed with rifles. The crowd dispersed on the appear- ance of the military, who then had orders to right-about- face and return to quarters. The people then commenced to hoot them. A shower of brickbats, stones, and other missil'es were fired at them. In the melee a number of negroes rushed by to take refuge in one of the houses. This sight maddened the crowd, and a rush was made to intercept the darkeys. Captain Doles ordered his men to fire a volley into them, which was done; but the crowd still pressed on; the soldiers became enraged at their persistence, and, without waiting for orders, another vol- ley was fired. This was an unfortunate occurrence, as one of the shots wounded a fireman who was at the time busily engaged in cleaning some hose.
" About two o'clock information was received at the Arsenal. that a large number of muskets were secreted in a store on Broadway, above Thirty-third Street. Colonel William Meyer was ordered to proceed to the spot, with a detachment of thirty-three men belonging to Hawkins's Zouaves, for the purpose of seizing the arms to prevent their falling into the hands of the people. Colonel Meyer conducted his command through Thirty-fifth Street, across Sixth Avenue, thence to Broadway and Thirty-second Street. The premises were entered, and, in spite .of a large and constantly increasing crowd, the arms were brought out. An Irishman, passing at the time with his cart, was pressed into the service, and obliged, much against his will, to convey them to the Arsenal. The
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people followed the cart and its escort for some dis- tance; but no forcible demonstration took place. The party returned to the Arsenal after an absence of about forty minutes, and reported the successful conclusion of their mission.
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