No Military in the City. The Mayor calls on
General Wool, commanding Eastern Department, for Help. Also
on General Sandford. General Wool sends to General Brown,
commanding Garrison in the Harbor, for U. S. Troops. Marines
of the Navy Yard ordered up. Eventually, West Point and
several States appealed to for Troops. General Brown assumes
Command. Attack of Mob on the Tribune Building. Its severe
Punishment. Government Buildings garrisoned. Difficulty
between Generals Brown and Wool. Head-quarters. Police
Commissioners' Office Military Head-quarters.
The terrible punishment the rioters received at the hands of
Carpenter had, however, only checked their movements for a
time; and, as the sun began to hang low in the summer
heavens, men looked forward to the coming night with
apprehension.
In the meantime, however, the authorities, conscious of the
perilous condition of the city, had resorted to every means
of defense in their power. Unfortunately, as mentioned
before, nearly the whole of its military force, on which it
depended in any great emergency, was absent. Lee's brilliant
flank movement around Hooker and Washington, terminating in
the invasion of Pennsylvania, had filled the country with
consternation. His mighty columns were moving straight on
Philadelphia, and the Government at Washington, roused to
the imminent danger, had called for all the troops within
reach, and New York had sent forward nearly every one of her
regiments. Ordinary prudence would have dictated that the
draft should be postponed for a few days, till these
regiments, now on their way back, or preparing to return,
should arrive. It was running a needless risk to urge it in
such a crisis indeed, one of the follies of which the
Administration at this time was so needlessly guilty.
General Wool, at this juncture, commanded the Eastern
Department, with his head-quarters at the corner of Bleecker
and Greene Streets. Mayor Opdyke immediately called on him
for help, and also on Major-general Sandford, commanding the
few troops that were left in the city. The latter
immediately issued an order requesting the Seventh Regiment
to meet that evening, at their drill rooms, at eight
o'clock, to consult on the measures necessary to be taken in
the present unexpected crisis, and another to the late two
years' volunteers then in the city, to report at the same
hour in Grand Street, to Colonel William H. Allen, for
temporary duty.
General Wool, also, during the afternoon, while the rioters
were having it all their own way, sent an officer to the
adjutant general of General Brown, commanding the troops in
garrison in New York harbor, ordering up a force of about
eighty men immediately.
General Brown, on his way from his office to Fort Hamilton,
was informed by Colonel Stinson, chief clerk, that a serious
riot was raging in the city, and that General Wool had sent
to Fort Hamilton for a detachment of some eighty men, and
that a tug had gone for them. Surprised at the smallness of
the number sent (he was, by special orders of the War
Department, commandant of the city, and commander of all the
forts and troops in the harbor except Fort Columbus), he
immediately ordered the company at Fort Wood to the city,
and sent a tug for it. He then made a requisition on the
quartermaster for transportation of all the other companies,
and proceeded without delay to Fort Hamilton. General
Brown's office was close to General Wool's; but he did not
think proper to consult him on the movement.
General Brown, immediately on his arrival at Fort Hamilton,
directed that all the troops there, as well as at Forts
Lafayette and Richmond, be got in readiness to move at a
moment's notice, and also that a section of artillery be
organized, in case it should be wanted. Having taken these
wise precautions he hastened up to the city, and reported to
General Wool. The result proved the wisdom of his forecast.
A new order was at once dispatched for the remaining troops,
and just at twilight, Lieut. McElrath saw two steamers
making directly for the fort. They were hardly fastened to
the dock, when an officer stepped ashore and handed him an
order from General Brown to send up at once all the
efficient troops in the forts, and have their places
supplied as best he could with some volunteer artillery
companies.
The reports coming in to police head-quarters had shown that
it was no common uprising of a few disaffected men to be put
down by a few squads of police or a handful of soldiers. The
Mayor, after consulting with the Police Commissioners, felt
that it was the beginning of a general outbreak in every
part of the city, and by his representations persuaded
General Wool to apply to Rear admiral Paulding, commanding
the Navy Yard, for a force of marines, and eventually to
Colonel Bowman, Superintendent of West Point, and also to
the authorities of Newark, and Governors of New York, New
Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island for
troops.
General Brown, after reporting to General Wool, repaired to
police head-quarters, which he adopted as his own, and
issued the following order:
"Head-Quarters, New York, July 13, 1863.
"In obedience to the orders of the Major-general commanding
the Eastern Department, the undersigned assumes command of
the United States troops in this city.
"Lieutenant-colonel Frothingham and Captain Revolle are of
the staff of the undersigned, and will be obeyed
accordingly.
"Harvey Brown,
" Brevet Brigadier-general ."
He also sent a dispatch to General Sandford, at the arsenal,
notifying him of his action, and requesting him to come down
and consult with him on the course to be pursued. General
Sandford, after awhile, did come down, and, to General
Brown's amazement, insisted that all the troops should be
sent up to the arsenal. General Brown, seeing the utter
madness of such a disposition of his force, refused
decidedly to permit it to be done. This was of course
denying Sandford's claim to be his superior officer. It was
well for the city that he took this ground.
Mayor Opdyke also issued a proclamation, calling on the
rioters to disperse.
But while these measures were being set on foot, the rioters
were not idle.
All day long a crowd had been gathering in the Park around
the City Hall, growing more restless as night came on. The
railroad cars passing it were searched, to see if any
negroes were on board, while eyes glowered savagely on the
Tribune building. They had sought in an eating house for the
editor, to wreak their vengeance on him. Not finding him,
they determined that the building, from which was issued the
nefarious paper, should come down, but were evidently
waiting for help to arrive before commencing the work of
destruction. The mob, which Carpenter had so terribly
punished in Broadway, were marching for it, designing to
burn it after they had demolished police head-quarters.
Their dispersion delayed the attack, and doubtless broke its
force, by the reduction of numbers it caused. There seemed
enough, however, if properly led, to effect their purpose,
for the Park and Printing house Square were black with men,
who, as the darkness increased, grew more restless; and
"Down with it! burn it!" mingled with oaths and curses, were
heard on every side.
At last came the crash of a window, as a stone went through
it. Another and another followed, when suddenly a
reinforcing crowd came rushing down Chatham Street. This was
the signal for a general assault, and, with shouts, the
rabble poured into the lower part of the building, and began
to destroy everything within reach. Captain Warlow, of the
First Precinct, No. 29 Broad Street, who, with his command,
was in the gallant fight in Broadway, after some subsequent
fighting and marching, had at length reached his
head-quarters in Broad Street, where a dispatch met him, to
proceed at once to the Tribune building. He immediately
started off on the double quick. On reaching the upper end
of Nassau Street, he came to a halt, and gave the club
signal on the pavement, to form column. Captain Thorne, of
the City Hall, in the meantime, had joined his force to him,
with the gallant Sergeant Devoursney. Everything being
ready, the order to "Charge" was given, and the entire
force, perhaps a hundred and fifty strong, fell in one solid
mass on the mob, knocking men over right and left, and
laying heads open at every blow. The panic stricken crowd
fled up Chatham Street, across the Park, and down Spruce and
Frankfort Streets, punished terribly at every step. The
space around the building being cleared, a portion of the
police rushed inside, where the work of destruction was
going on. The sight of the blue coats in their midst, with
their uplifted clubs, took the rioters by surprise, and they
rushed frantically for the doors and windows, and escaped
the best way they could. In the meantime, those who had
taken refuge in the Park found themselves in the lion's
jaws. Carpenter had hardly rested from his march up Fifth
Avenue to Mayor Opdyke's house, when he, too, received
orders to hasten to the protection of the Tribune building.
Taking one hundred of his own men, and one hundred under
Inspector Folk, of Brooklyn, who had been early ordered
over, and been doing good service in the city, he marched
down Broadway, and was just entering the Park, when the
frightened crowd came rushing pell mell across it.
Immediately forming "company front," he swept the Park like
a storm, clearing everything before him. Order being
restored, Folk returned with his force to Brooklyn, where
things began to wear a threatening aspect, and Carpenter
took up his station at City Hall for the night.
This ended the heavy fighting of the day, though minor
disturbances occurred at various points during the evening.
Negroes had been hunted down all day, as though they were so
many wild beasts, and one, after dark, was caught, and after
being severely beaten and hanged to a tree, left suspended
there till Acton sent a force to take the body down. Many
had sought refuge in police stations and elsewhere, and all
were filled with terror.
The demonstrations in the lower part of the city excited the
greatest anxiety about the Government buildings in that
section the Custom House and Sub treasury were tempting
prizes to the rioters. General Sandford, commanding the city
military, had sent such force as he could collect early in
the day to the arsenal, to defend it; for, should the mob
once get possession of the arms and ammunition stored there,
no one could tell what the end would be. United States
troops also were placed in Government buildings to protect
them. Almost the last act of the mob this evening was the
burning of Postmaster Wakeman's house, in Eighty-sixth
Street. Mrs. Wakeman was noted for her kindness to the poor
and wretched, who now repaid her by sacking and burning her
house. The precinct station near by was also destroyed.
In the meanwhile, an event happened which threatened to
disarrange all the plans that had been laid. Military
etiquette often overrides the public good, and here, at this
critical moment, General Wool chose to consider that, as
General Sandford was Major-general, though not in the United
States service, he, therefore, ranked Brigadier-general
Brown of the regular army, and required him to act under the
other's orders. This, Brown promptly refused to do, and
asked to be relieved, telling General Wool that such a
proceeding was an unheard of thing. That he was right the
order below will show [Footnote:
[General Order No. 36.] War Department, while these events
were passing in the St. Nicholas Hotel, the streets were
comparatively quiet. It had been a hard day for the rioters,
as well as for the police, and they were glad of a little
rest. Besides, they had become more or less scattered by a
terrific thunderstorm that broke over the city, deluging the
streets with water. In the midst of it, there came a
telegraphic dispatch to the commissioners, calling for
assistance. The tired police were stretched around on the
floor or boxes, seeking a little rest, when they were
aroused, and summoned to fall in; and the next moment they
plunged into the darkness and rain. They were drenched to
the skin before they had gone a block, but they did not heed
it and then, as to the end, and under all circumstances,
answered promptly and nobly to every call.
Acton had now gathered a large force at head-quarters, and
felt ready to strike at any moment.
While the men flung themselves on the hard floor, like
soldiers on the field of battle, ready to start on duty at
the first call, Acting Superintendent Acton and his
assistants never closed their eyes, but spent the night in
telegraphing, organizing, and preparing for the fiercer
fights of next day. Much was to be done to cover and protect
a district that reached from Brooklyn to Westchester, and it
was an anxious night. They had one consolation, however:
though taken unawares, they had at the close of the day come
out victors, which gave them confidence in the future,
especially as now Brown and his trained soldiers were with
them.
Some fifteen or twenty policemen had been more or less
severely injured, while the number of the killed and wounded
of the mob was wholly unknown. Both the dead and maimed were
left by the police where they fell, and were almost
immediately hurried away by their friends.
The destruction of property on this first day, consisted of
four buildings on Third Avenue burned, also a block on
Broadway between Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth Streets; two
brown stone dwellings in Lexington Avenue; Allerton's Hotel
near Bull's Head; a cottage, corner of Forty-fifth Street
and Fifth Avenue; the Colored Orphan Asylum, and the armory
corner of Twenty-first Street and Second Avenue.
Adjutant-general's
Office, Washington , April 7th, 1863.
The military commander's duties in reference
to all troops and enlisted men who happen to
serve within the limits of his command will
be precisely those of a commanding officer
of a military post .
The duties of military commanders above
defined, will devolve in the City of New
York, and the military posts in that
vicinity , on Brevet Brigadier-general H.
Brown, Colonel Fifth U. S. Artillery.
By order of the Secretary of War, (Signed)
L. Thomas, Adjutant-general .] that his
troops must be under his own command, as he
was responsible for their action to the
Government, and Sandford was not. Wool,
however, continued obstinate, and a total
disruption seemed inevitable. Mayor Opdyke,
President Acton, Governor Seymour, with
several prominent American citizens, were
present, and witnessed this disagreement
with painful feelings. They knew that it
would work mischief, if not paralyze the
combined action they hoped to put forth in
the morning. General Brown, finding Wool
inflexible, turned away, determined to
retire altogether. The Mayor and others
followed him, and begged him not to abandon
them in the desperate strait they were in to
think of nothing but saving the city.
General Brown had been too hasty, sticking
on a point of mere etiquette, with, perhaps,
too much tenacity. True, an officer must
insist on his rank as a rule, but there are
emergencies when everything of a personal
nature must be forgotten crises where it may
be an officer's duty to serve in any
capacity, however subordinate, and trust to
being righted afterwards. Luckily, General
Brown, on a sober second thought, took the
proper view, and returned to General Wool,
and asked to be reinstated in his command,
but giving him to understand that, though he
would co operate in every possible way with
General Sandford, he still must retain
distinct and separate command of his own
troops. This was right, and whether General
Wool perfectly understood the arrangement,
or seeing how deeply the gentlemen present
felt on the subject, chose not to press a
mere point of etiquette, does not appear. We
only know that if General Brown had given up
the command of his troops, the results to
the city would have been disastrous.
Great Riots of New York 1712 to 1873, Including a Full and Complete Account of the Four Days' Draft Riot of 1863