Document Based Question

The New York Draft Riots

(Under construction)

Document A

The Mob Lynching a Negro in Clarkson Street, engraving from Harper’s Weekly, August 1, 1863
Collection of The New-York Historical Society

Document B

Draft Riot on Broadway, The New York Illustrated News, August 8, 1863

Document C

A FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT OF THE DRAFT RIOTS, A Letter from John Torrey to Asa Gray, New York, July 13th, 1863

Source: http://www.nyhistory.org/teachers/jtorrey.html

Dear Doctor,
We have had great riots in New York to-day & they are still in progress. They were reported to us at the Assay office about noon, but I thought they were exaggerated. Fresh accounts came in every half hour, & some of our Treasury officers (occupying the same building with us) were alarmed. I had made arrangements for visiting Eliza, at Snedens, this afternoon, but just as I was starting Mr. Mason came in & said that he saw a mob stop two 3rd. Avenue cars to take out some negros & maltreat them. This decided me to return home, so as to protect my colored servants. I could go neither by the 3rd nor 6th Avenue, as the cars had stopped. Taking the 4th Av. I found the streets full of people, & when I reached the terminus [now 34th St.] I found the whole road way and sidewalks filled with rough fellows (& some equally rough women) who were tearing up rails, cutting down telegraph poles, & setting fire to buildings. I walked quietly along through the midst of them, without being molested. In 49 St. they were numerous, & made, as I was passing near College, an attack upon one of a row of new houses in our street. The rioters were induced to go away by one or two Catholic priests, who made pacific speeches to them. I found Jane and Maggie a little alarmed, but not frightened. The mob had been in the College Grounds, & came to our house -- wishing to know if a republican lived there, & what the College building was used for. They were going to burn Pres. King’s house, as he was rich, & a decided republican. They barely desisted when addressed by the Catholic priests. The furious bareheaded & coatless men assembled under windows & shouted aloud for Jeff Davis’. We have some of the most valuable articles of small bulk, all packed & ready for removal at a moment’s warning. All the family will remain the whole night with our clothes on, for there is no telling when they may return.
Towards evening the mob, furious as demons, went yelling over to the Colored-Orphan Asylum in 5th Avenue a little below where we live -- & rolling a barrel of kerosine in it, the whole structure was soon in a blaze, & is now a smoking ruin. What has become of the 300 poor innocent orphans I could not learn. They must have had some warning of what the rioters intended; & I trust the children were removed in time to escape a cruel death. Before this fire was extinguished, or rather burned out, for the wicked wretches who caused it would not permit the engines to be used, the northern sky was brilliantly illuminated, probably by the burning of the Aged-Colored woman’s Home in 65th Street. -- or the Harlem R. Road Bridge -- both of which places were threatened by rioters. Just before dusk I took a walk a short distance down 5th Avenue, & seeing a group of rowdies in the grounds of Dr. ward’s large & superb mansion, I found they had gone there with the intention of setting fire to the building, which is filled with costly works of art! The family were all out, entreating the scamps to desist, as "they were all Brackenridge democrats & opposed to the draft ." They finally went off, but may return before morning. I conversed with one of the ring-leaders who told me they would burn the whole city before they got through. He said they were to take Wall St. in hand tomorrow! We will be ready for them at the Assay Office & Treasury. Strange to say the military were nowhere to be seen at my latest investigations. They may be bloody times tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 15.
You doubtless learn from the newspapers that our city is still in the power of a brutal mob. We were not molested on Monday night, & I slept well, partly undressed. we are all quite calm & are chiefly concerned about our servants. Yesterday there were cars only on the lower part of 4th Avenue -- all the others in the city, & the omnibuses were withdrawn. I was obliged to walk up from Wall St. in the heat of the day. On reaching home I found that we had been warned that all the College buildings were to be destroyed at night. Jane and Maggie had some of their most valuable articles packed, but we did not know where to send them. A friend took our basket of silver to her house. I look about to see what few articles I could put in a small traveling bag, but it was very difficult to make a selection. There were so many (to me) precious little souvenirs that it grieved me to think they would probably be destroyed. Then it did go hard with me to feel pretty well assured that the Herbarium & Botanical Books were to be given up! Yet we had a reprieve. Just as we were expecting the mob to come howling along, a person came in with a confidential message from a Catholic priest, that Gov. Seymour had taken the responsibility of stopping the draft, & the chief rioters were to be informed of this measure. So we made up our minds to take a good sleep, I was, however, mortified to find that the mob had, at least temporarily, triumphed. But we shall have to finish the business with saltpetre.
This morning I was obliged to ride down to the office in a hired coach. A friend who rode with me had seen a poor negro hung an hour or two before. The man had, in a frenzy, shot an Irish fireman, and they immediately strung up the unhappy African. At our office there had been no disturbance in the battery of about 25 rifle barrels, carrying 3 balls each & mounted on a guncarriage. It could be loaded & fired with rapidity. We had also 10-inch shells, to be lighted & thrown out of the windows. Likewise quantities of SO, with arrangements for projecting it on the mob. Walking home we found that a large number of soldiers -- infantry, artillery & cavalry are moving about, & bodies of armed citizens. The worst mobs are on the 1st & 2nd & 7th Avenues. Many have been killed there. They are very hostile to the negros, & scarcely one of them is to be seen. A person who called at our house this afternoon saw three of them hanging together. The Central Park has been a kind of refuge to them. Hundreds were there to-day, with no protection in a very severe shower. The Station Houses of the police are crowed with them.
Walking out on 5th Avenue near 48th St., a man who lives there told me that a few minutes before, in broad sunlight, three ruffians seized the horses of a gentleman’s carriage & demanded money. By whipping up, they barely escaped. Immediately afterwards they stopped another carriage, turned the persons out of it, & then got in themselves, shouting & brandishing their clubs. So that concessions have not yet quieted the mob, & the soldiers cannot be every where. reinforcements will doubtless arrive, & we shall have law & order. Thieves are going about in gangs, calling at houses & demanding money -- threatening the torch if denied. They have been across the street this afternoon, & I saw them myself. Perhaps they will give a call; but we are all going to bed in a few minutes.
This evening there was a great light north of us -- & I found, on looking with a spyglass, that it was from the burning a fine bridge over the Harlem valley -- used by one of the railroads. There was some cannon-firing in the 1st Avenue, with what result I don’t know.
The city looks very strangely. Nothing in Broadway but a few coaches. Most of the stores closed, but the side walks are full of people -- & not a few ladies are out. It is half past 10 o’clock, & I must go to bed.
Thursday -- U.S. Assay Office. The cars are running this morning, but the stores are closed in the greater part of 3rd avenue. Herb. came up to breakfast. He had been up all night at the Assay Office, & had been drilling, under a U.S. officer, as an artillerist. They had 4 cannon & a rifle battery ready for the mob, at the office. I found a body of marines there this morning. --Just at this moment there was a false alarm, "every man at his post." The great doors were slammed too [sic] in a moment, & the arms were seized. I was amused to see an old tar quietly light his match rope, & swing it about to get it well on fire. He had the shells, to be thrown from the windows, in charge. Quiet was soon restored. -- Passing down the Avenue, I saw the 7th Regiment at their armory, ready to go wherever they were needed. They will be as impartial as veterans. Thurber & young Etheredge have been at the Tribune Office all the week, -- ready for service.
I shall try & do up some botany at the College to-day, as there is little to keep us at the Office. We feel that our chief danger is past. We are now afraid only of the small gangs of thieves.
Here I have given you a long account of what has been on our minds this week. I suppose you have been somewhat concerned about us. We were in the most dangerous part of the city, & have been kept more or less anxious on account of colored servants, but I trust we shall not be driven from our home. A friend (Mr. Gibbons) who visits us almost every week, & is known to be an abolitionist, had his house smashed up yesterday.
Jane is going to spend a few days at Springfield, with Miss Day. She will probably leave home tomorrow. Eliza is still at her farm. Give my love to your own good Jane.
Ever yours --
John Torrey
 

Document E

Document F