The New Student's Reference Work/Draft-Riots

Draft-Riots. These riots resulted from the enforcement of the conscription act, passed March 3, 1863, to fill up the ranks of the army, which was no longer adequately supplied by volunteers or by the state-drafts. Congress divided the north into enrolment-districts, each under the charge of a provost-marshal; he in turn was responsible to the provost-marshal-general, an officer of the war-department. By this act all “able-bodied male citizens of the United States” and foreigners intending to become citizens, between the ages of 20 and 45, were enrolled and became liable to three years' military service. There had been riots in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin over state-drafts, but the most serious were those in New York City. On Monday, July 13, 1863, after the lots had been drawn for about half an hour, a mob of some thousand men began to hurl brickbats and paving-stones into the marshal's office. The crowd increased, the drafting-office was destroyed, and the building fired. The few soldiers available were routed, and the police overpowered. Other draft-offices were set on fire, and the firemen prevented from putting out the blaze. Other houses then were burned, belonging to people whom the crowd thought responsible for the war and the draft. Then, as the crowd grew larger and fiercer, it seized upon many negroes, cruelly beat them, and in many cases killed them, burning the bodies. For one night New York City was practically at the mercy of the mob. On Tuesday, July 15, thieves joined the mob, and matters became worse. Governor Seymour addressed them from the City Hall in a weak speech. Towards evening about 800 troops joined the weary police, and some headway was made. On Wednesday it was announced that the draft had been suspended in New York City and Brooklyn. The mob subsided. Militia at the same time arrived and began to rake the streets with cannon wherever occasion offered. By Friday all rioting was at an end. About 1,000 were killed, chiefly members of the mobs. The damage to property was about $1,500,000.