The North End Draft Riot (episode 252)

Transcript

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Jake:
[0:05] Welcome to hub history where we go far beyond the freedom trail to share our favorite stories from the history of boston, the hub of the universe.
This is episode 252, the draft riots.
Hi, I’m jake. This week, I’ll be talking about America’s first military draft, boston’s growing irish population And a bloody 1863 uprising in the north end.
By the summer of 1863, the civil war dragged on longer than anyone thought possible.
At the outset, leaders on both sides were desperate for more money, arms manufactured goods and most of all men,
that growing desperation had inspired Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to authorize massachusetts governor john Andrew to start enlisting the nation’s first black troops a few months before,
Including the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment whose well deserved fame was refreshed with the movie glory.
The infusion of fresh and motivated troops contributed to union gains throughout the rest of the war.
But the so called colored regiments were not enough.

[1:15] In july of that year, congress passed a law compelling able bodied men into military service for the first time.
Here in boston, the burden of that draft fell disproportionately on the working class irish americans of south boston in the North End,
and as we’ll see the irish had strong resentments based in class race, religion and economics that made them suspicious of compulsory service.
These tensions boiled over on the evening of july 14th, 18 63 as marshals attempted to serve the first draft notices in the crowded narrow streets of the north end,
with the US army, eventually firing artillery and small arms into a crowd of civilian protesters at point blank range.

[1:58] But before we talk about Boston’s 1863 draft riot.
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[3:08] It all started with an argument between a draft agent and the irish american wife of one of boston’s first draftees on a hot and hazy dog Day afternoon.
One of the only firsthand accounts of the draft riot in boston that doesn’t come from official sources is an anonymous pamphlet titled a plain statement of facts, which is attributed simply to a plane man,
who describes himself as a native of the North End.
A north end mechanic born and reared near the birthplace of paul, revere the boston patriotic mechanic of revolutionary memory whose name is known and honored everywhere.

[3:46] The plane man describes the argument that started on Prince Street in the north end and would eventually escalate into some of the bloodiest political violence on the home front of the civil war.
On Tuesday the 14th of july early in the day, a distributing officer named Hal from the provost marshal’s office, Fourth District proceeded to Prince Street to serve notices upon the drafted men there,
when, upon placing a notice in the hands of the wife of a conscript.
She used abusive language to him, he replying there too.
Angry words passed between them and the whole population of the neighborhood was up in arms, consisting as as usual at that hour of the day, mostly of women and Children.
They joined in the abuse of the officer who foolishly continued to bandy words with the woman until she struck him in the face.

[4:35] Unfortunately for how a lot of the women’s irish american friends and neighbors worked at the nearby gasworks on Prince Street, Which was located pretty much with the playground and parking garage between Prince and Snow Hill are today and where the Brinks robbery took place.
In 1950, many boston gas light company workers soon rallied to the woman’s screams for help and protecting her husband from conscription.
Within minutes. How was being pursued through the streets, knocked down and beaten mercilessly in the middle of the street?

[5:09] Why were so many of the irish american residents of the North end so quick to join in draft resistance,
at the start of the war, many had volunteered for wartime service to defend the union in part to prove their loyalty to a country that had long viewed this growing group of catholic immigrants with deep suspicion.
As the war dragged on and casualties mounted, irish enthusiasm for the war effort was waning.
In a paper for the journal history Ireland titled insurrection in the cradle of abolitionism,
joe Regan quoted the catholic newspaper, the boston pilot, to describe irish boston’s reaction to the union defeat at Chancellorsville about a month before the draft was announced.
The irish spirit for the war is dead. Absolutely dead.
It is a fact that our men have been exterminated in this war. They’re desperate valor, led them not to victory, but extinction.
How bitter to Ireland has been this rebellion, it has exterminated a generation of its warriors.
The problem wasn’t simply the growing number of casualties. The enrollment act that created the draft laid bare the inequity in military service.

[6:20] In a 2016 masters thesis, Joseph Luke noted In 1863 of Boston’s 182,000 residents, more than 50,000 or recent immigrants from Ireland.
These immigrants primarily worked as laborers in the city and lived in highly concentrated irish enclaves throughout the city.
Among those enclaves South boston and the north end were the largest where irish americans were slowly building a political base that would dominate boston through much of the 20th century.
That clout was yet to come in the 18 sixties. But in his book, boston riots, three centuries of social violence, Jack Tagger describes how irish american discontent with the status quo had been reflected in the most recent election.

[7:07] The Boston Irish Catholics mainly were Democrats and they voted against Lincoln.
In 1860, while he won the state, he did poorly.
In boston Lincoln received only 9,727 votes.
Out of 20,371 cast A new national draft law passed by the Republican Congress in 1863 had a particularly devastating effect upon the Irish working classes.
Besides calling for general conscription, the law provided an exemption for anyone paying $300 for a substitute.
The exemption meant the well to do did not have to go to war, but it denied this important privilege to the working classes who could not afford the substitution bonus.
This class based legislation pronounced the poorest cannon fodder for the war machine, which reluctant irish Catholics were loath to support.
In any case, irish veterans were used to seeing well off Yankees enlisting in smaller numbers than the working poor and seeing them disproportionately represented in the relative safety of the officer corps.

[8:11] Now, the enrollment act made it official upending early irish american enlistment that had seen entire union regiments recruited from boston’s irish enclaves as described by William F Hanna in a 1990 article in the riot for the journal Civil War History,
Since coming to the North End in Great Numbers.
Beginning in the late 1840s, the Irish had lived in a state of poverty and degradation that shocked most Bostonians,
packed into squalid tenements that line, dark and filthy streets, they attempted to scrape out a meager existence as doc hands, construction laborers or domestic servants.
Their poverty with its attendant crime, disease and idleness, placed a heavy and unwelcome burden on the city’s resources.
Yet the boston irish were proud of the part that they played in defending the union.

[9:01] The state contributed to entire Irish regiments and in both the 9th and 28th Massachusetts volunteers.
North Enders were heavily represented.
Additionally, Company E of the 19th massachusetts regiment, previously known as Mahoney’s Guards was composed mainly of Irishmen and here too, there was a large contingent of Bostonians.
The tragedy of war found its way quickly to the North End because all three of the Irish outfits suffered heavily throughout 1862. In 1863 On the peninsula, the 9th regiment suffered more than 200 casualties.
Similarly, the 28, which had seen almost one quarter of its members followed. Antietam Was transferred to the famous Irish Brigade and arrived just in time to be slaughtered at Fredericksburg, where almost 40% of the regiment were killed or wounded.
Finally, Mahoney’s guards after valiant action and heavy losses on the peninsula and at Antietam in Fredericksburg,
had joined the rest of the 19th Massachusetts in helping to Repulse Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg, where the regiment saw more than half of its members killed or wounded.

[10:12] Along with the class tensions inflamed by the enrollment tax provisions for $300 substitution zones, which would equate to about $7000 today,
joseph luke’s thesis points out growing racial resentments toward the war among poor whites in general and the boston irish in particular,
the neighborhood’s high casualty toll, only increased tensions upon the passage of the emancipation proclamation led many northerners to oppose the war effort, viewing it as a war for the rights of blacks rather than as a war to preserve the union.
The passage of the enrollment act radically increased this opposition in the North End.
In addition to the lives the neighborhood had already lost in the war, those who had not served or who had survived service were now expected to fight a war that much of the city’s irish population no longer supported as authorities had recently experienced in Detroit.
In new york city, boston’s north end was ripe for a rebellion.

[11:10] And his paper for history Ireland joe Regan points out that the growing racial resentment among the boston irish was already nearing the boiling point just days before the new draft went into effect.
The draft began in July 1863 in 12 states and the District of Columbia,
tensions bubbled up in boston after delivering 1/4 of july address to recently discharged nine month veterans encouraging them to reenlist,
massachusetts Governor, john Andrew received an anonymous letter on behalf of 29 such veterans,
the letter warned Andrew that if you want white men to fight for the damn negroes, you must look somewhere else for them.
You and your infernal abolition devils are the whole cause of this damnable war.
The letter concluded with a promise to discourage enlistment and a threat to join an organization that is already established in the city.
The cannon will by force of arms, prevent further enlistment.
On 13 July, a deadly draft riot started in New York City that would last for three days.
Writing for the blog historical digression, Patrick Brown points out that it would be negligent to describe the boston draft riot of 18 63 without noting the much larger and more deadly riots happening in new york at the same time.

[12:31] Nearly everyone who writes about the boston riot preface is the story by acknowledging the fact that the concurrent new york draft riots, a far more severe and prolonged period of violence has overshadowed the comparatively minor day of upheaval in boston.
The events in new york were indeed, more significant, terrible and dramatic.
I often think of the soldiers still weary from having fought the battle of Gettysburg, arriving by rail in new york and preparing to fire not upon confederates, but upon northern civilians.
As news of the ongoing bloodshed in Manhattan arrived in boston the next day, joe Regan’s paper notes that more bad news from the seat of warren pennsylvania, arrived along with it.

[13:15] On the morning of July 14. This news from New York reached Boston.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston held a special requiem mass in honor of the city’s fallen Irish soldiers.
The heavy cost of victory at Gettysburg became apparent with the fresh publication of the battlefield casualty lists on the day the first draft notices were meant to be served.
Boston was a powder keg.
Having seen the news of riots in Manhattan the day before Abolitionist leader and publisher of the Liberator, William Lloyd.
Garrison wrote to an associate in New York City on July 14, 1863 with his fears for Boston and his suspicions about the source of northern discontent.

[13:59] We’re slowly getting the particulars of the horrible excesses of the mob in your city, whose example is very likely to be imitated in a degree, at least in all our great cities today, there are symptoms that a riot is brewing in this city.
And should it break out with violence, it would naturally seek to vent its fury upon such as phillips and myself.
The whole north is volcanic.
I have no doubt that all this is understood and provided for it.
Richmond that there is a perfect understanding between the leading rebels and the leading copperheads,
and that they both mean to conflagration and shed blood to any extent in the north rather than to have president Lincoln succeed in putting down the rebellion at the cost of slavery.
Garrison’s letter betrays a shocking misread of public cinnamon among the working class in boston from his comfortable position among the yankee elite. He had no doubt that any discontent with the war in the north had to be directed from Richmond.
That is, he believed that agents of the confederate government were fomenting resistance in northern cities and his post for historical digression, Patrick Brown continues.

[15:10] Writers are quick to point out the fact that the primary sources on the matter are entirely from the perspective of the authorities and period.
Newspaper reports fall very much in line with the views of officials vilifying the rioters and sympathetic to those trying to enforce law and order.
We do not unfortunately have good primary sources explaining the motives of those who are provoked to violence.
It’s almost as though we only had accounts of the boston massacre from the viewpoint of the british regulars and officials.

[15:42] Among the few primary sources we have that don’t come from that narrow perspective of the plane man pamphlet which I discussed earlier and an essay by Emma Solu Adams.
Adams grew up in a working class north end irish family and she was an eyewitness to the events that started the riot In 1909.
She recalled what she saw 46 years earlier for an issue of the magazine of history,
about noon on the 14th of july 18 63 a slight and frail looking conscript man was canvassing the tenement houses around the gas house back of Endicott Street in the famous North end, which was then thickly populated with irish,
which was then thickly populated with irish.
He met decided opposition in one tenement which he entered here.
An irate woman was ironing, and when he made known as errand and inquired the names of her male relatives, she furiously denounced him through a flat iron at his head and drove him from the house.
As he ran rapidly down the stairs, she leaned far out the window and called to her husband to protect himself from the draft.

[16:55] That conscript man was marshall Howe who started the episode with.
Unfortunately for him, the telephone hadn’t been invented yet.
So witnesses who saw him being viciously beaten in the street had to run to the nearest police precinct instead of calling 911.
And also, unfortunately for him, the boston Police department didn’t yet have the sophisticated weapons and tactics that they used today to beat up protesters.
They don’t agree with luke’s thesis.
States Patrolman making up the majority of the force were armed only with 14 in nightsticks and paid $2 a day for their services Until reform.
In 1878, the mayor and the city’s Alderman appointed Patrolman for each of their individual districts, jobs for favorable patrolmen were often awarded as a reward for an alderman’s altruistic partisan activity as such.
During the civil war. The city’s small police force was in a constant state of transition officers.
Armed only with clubs were largely new to the force.
These officers also represented the recipients of political favors rather than the most qualified job candidates.

[18:08] Unfortunately, upon house escape, the mob turned its attention to the police officers at the scene And move toward the District one station.
House Emma Adams had a front seat to the bloody scene that unfolded as the mob’s attention fell on a handful of responding officers.
In the meantime, my mother thinking at all the excitement of a moment, sent my brother a lot of eight to the station for police protection.

[18:35] But what could eight policemen, armed only with their clubs do against a mob of two or 300 rioters, who unable to find the conscript man and swayed by a thirst for blood, immediately turned their attention to the policeman.
It was the most horrible sight to see them being battered and kicked by those raging men.
My mother was a widow and living with us at the time was the most brave woman.
As the crowd surged past our house, it was more than both could endure without trying to help.
After seeing one policeman kicked and pounded, those two women went down into the street, took the second policeman who was in a fainting condition away from the mob and let him up the steps into the house.
They then threw water over the steps to face the traces of blood and bolted the door.
Our house was one of a block and there were others each side very similar, so the infuriated mob could not tell which door it was,
those two brave women bathed the policeman’s wounds and as soon as the streets were clear, gave him a disguise, walked to a car with him, meaning a streetcar, and so he got to his home safely.

[19:45] Joseph luke’s research reveals that the officer sheltered in the Adams household may have been patrolman Ostrander or patrolman Trask writing a first responder to the riot.
He experienced the full brunt of the mob’s fury After being knocked down by a Rioter, 12 other rioters pounced on him.
Ostrander crawled home, pursued and pelted with bottles and rocks by a group of women and Children.
Officer Trask from District two was stabbed in the face, though not severely.
Eight policemen with billy clubs couldn’t hold the streets and within moments they were all either injured or retreating, leaving a growing mob in possession of the north end.
They weren’t satisfied with this local victory. To make yankee boston feel their anger. They needed to hit the Yankees where it hurt in the wallet.
Soon the mob began moving toward the nearest commercial district, abutting the north end in an article about the role of women in the draft riot, Judith Ann Ginsberg writes,
With the police routed, the crowd made their way down to Haymarket Square where the Boston Daily Advertiser reported that concerned shopkeepers closed up their shops,
and for about 40 rods or more than 200 yards, the street was completely blockaded.

[21:07] Some members of the crowd remained in Haymarket Square into the evening when the rioters began looting gun shops and hardware stores.
By then the advertiser reported the square presented an exciting scene filled with a turbid mass of people, including many women and not a few Children with bayonets and knives, quite plenty glistening over their heads.

[21:30] Describing the scene in Haymarket Square that afternoon.
An article in the boston herald said one Amazonian woman was shouting and screaming and urging the assailants on in their desperate work.
A dozen men were trying to get her away from the scene, but she tore herself in their arms and with hair streaming, arms swinging in her face. The picture of frenzy, she rushed again and again to the assault.

[21:54] Some historians such as Ian Jesse have argued that the leading role of women in this mob meant that it was not motivated by politics, class or race resentments or even the draft,
but instead reflected people who were just bored and looking for excitement.
Historian Brett Paul Freeman interprets the events of July 14 differently, believing that the leading role of women in the mob only underscores the political nature of their grievance.
Writing more than a few contemporary commentators interpreted the presence of women and Children as evidence of a lack of legitimacy or sincerity on the part of protesters.

[22:32] They were happy to dismiss some mild unruliness on the part of irrational women and their board Children as a mere passing excitement.
But in civil war boston, the truth was often the opposite.
Women played central roles in voicing grievances and expressing frustration on behalf of their families and neighbors, especially in immigrant and irish communities,
when wartime shortages, inflationary prices and the absence of male wage earners endangered family welfare.
Women became responsible for dealing with public authorities and finding solutions.
Margaret Leahy of South boston addressed a request free directly to the mayor. Writing, I had an only son who was my only support until last April when he enlisted in the 9th Massachusetts Regiment.
Now, I’m in a destitute condition and obliged to appeal to you.

[23:25] Similarly, an Henry asked the governor if she could draw pay since my husband enlisted three months ago and I have two Children and no support.

[23:35] The prevalence of women and Children among the protesters was not as many observers suggested evidence of a lack of seriousness or commitment.
Rather, the disproportionate involvement of women and Children in the riots is best interpreted as an indication of substantial unrest within the immigrant community.
Our pamphlet author the plane man was among the contemporary commentators who saw the prevalence of women among the mob as a reason to dismiss its motives.
Writing the as of eight p.m.
At this time, the mob appeared to have no special grievance or object in view, no illusions to the hardships of the draft were made by them.
No wrongs were complained of, no special acts of violence were proposed, no concert of action was had The number of full grown men was small and not one in 20 probably reliable to the draft,
nor do I think that they knew one had taken place 2/3 of them up to this time being women and Children.
But like all masses brought together without any definitive aim, they seem to be prompted more by a love of fun than a desire for serious mischief.

[24:43] In his book on boston riots. Jack Tagger argues that the looting in Haymarket Square specifically was politically motivated writing,
In fact, the spontaneous outburst of the boston irish had a very specific goal to get arms to protect themselves from the draft marshals.

[25:03] Certainly the draft marshals themselves believe that anger over the draft was the cause of the riot and that they would be in mortal danger if the mob captured them.

[25:12] Paul Freeman describes the efforts they took to keep themselves in their work from being discovered.
As the mob’s anger grew, the federal marshal in boston quickly cleared his office of draft related materials, his books and papers, including the names of the enrolled, the record of the draft, etcetera, and moved to a safer location.
He clearly understood that protesters were primarily concerned with compromising the government’s ability to execute the draft with the physical apparatus of the draft out of reach.
Rioters targeted other symbols of authority associated with coercive government power.

[25:49] They accosted police officers and draft agents throughout the North end.
As militia units began to arrive in affected neighborhoods, protesters focused their attention on marching troops and military structures, Luke describes how as the mob armed itself with looted pistols.
The governor called on two regiments of veterans who had mustered for duty in 1862, trained at Reedville and participated in the defenses of Washington, D.
C. throughout the preceding year, Governor Andrew instructed the 11th battery of light artillery in the 44th Infantry under the command of Captain Edward Jones to prepare for action,
Though many of the soldiers of the 11th had not seen combat.
The soldiers of the 44th were seasoned combat veterans though their regiments have been mustered out of service men rapidly don their uniforms and returned to duty, reporting to the armory throughout the afternoon.

[26:45] As these first companies were called out, each soldier donned his uniform and reported individually to the armory on Cooper Street, about halfway between Haymarket and Prince Street, where the unrest had begun,
their assembly didn’t go unnoticed as described by Emma Adams.
The mob growing in numbers and intensity as the evening came on, turned their attention to the armory where the soldiers were stationed.
They dug up bricks from the sidewalks, broke the windows of the armory and called the soldiers cowards to repel the attack. The troops fired blank cartridges, but they had no effect and in fact added fuel to the flame.
The plane man describes the folly of having individual soldiers report to the armory and reporting the injuries that befell one of the last officers to attempt to answer the call of duty.
At about this time, Lieutenant Sawin passing alone through the mob towards the armory was hustled and I’m told seriously injured and taken into the armory no decisive effort being made by the civil power to subdue or quell the senseless riot.
It spread like lava from Vesuvius to all the surroundings.
They seemed full of daring hilarity, hooting, hollowing and pouring in all the missiles they could lay their hands on, but no one was seriously injured by them up to this time, except Lieutenant Sawin.

[28:11] Massachusetts wasn’t going to let an angry mob take over an armory in Boston in 1863 anymore than Virginia.
Let John Brown take over an armory in Harpers Ferry in 1859.
As the crowd around the armory grew, it was time to call out more troops.
This time instead of having individual soldiers report for duty.
One by one, the governor ordered a makeshift infantry company to march to the armory in formation with their guns loaded and bayonets fixed in his article for history.
Ireland joe Regan notes that there was one unit encamped in the boston area that was ready for combat, but the governor believed that he could not call upon it.

[28:52] Upon hearing of the outbreak of violence. Governor android summoned the state militia and Regular Army troops from Charlestown Cambridge, Somerville, Roxbury and Medford to put down the riot.
He refused, however, to call upon the 55th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment from Camp Migs in Reedville as he feared that a regiment of African American soldiers could not be safely employed to put down a riot of free white American citizens,
Instead of calling out the black soldiers of the 55th including future politician James Monroe Trotter Governor Andrew turned to the Harbour Islands,
in his thesis, luke wrote as rumors of an assault on the armory rose from the riot and reached the soldiers and the authorities, Governor Andrew sent the official order to fort warren to request major Stephen Cabot’s assistance.
Colonel Justin Dimick called Cabot to duty, placing him in charge of a detachment of the first massachusetts battery, Volunteer heavy artillery, 167 men from the batteries, B C and D.
Companies dot combat fatigues and were armed with rifles and 20 rounds of ammunition.
Cabot and his men traveled to the city of Boston by boat, arriving a mere 25 minutes after receiving the order from Dimmick, capitalist companies had combat experience.

[30:12] While Cabot and this heavy company were on the march. The soldiers who had reported for duty earlier locked themselves in the armory and tried not to attract too much attention,
testifying later Captain Edward jones, so the 44th infantry that had been among the first group to report to the armory described the moment of Cabot’s arrival,
about seven o’clock in the evening noticed the crowd I had previously seen in Hanover Street was congregating around cooper and North margin.
I then gave orders that no soldier should leave the armory. My object being to avoid too much notice information came to me that troops were outside waiting admission, open the doors and admitted them.
They proved to be two companies of heavy artillery under the command of major cabin.

[31:00] After the troops had entered the armory, Major Cabot and myself attempted to address the crowd.
The increased to mow, drowned our voices. We returned to the armory when Major Cabot ordered the guns charged and shot it.
Lieutenant Sawan was brought in about this time badly beaten by the time Major Cabot and his company found their way to the north end.
The scene at the armory was getting tense in boston riots, taker quotes a commander savage from Cabot’s detachment on their arrival at cooper.
That street was densely filled with an excited mob armed with pistols, clubs, paving stones, bricks, and other missiles, but the military steadily proceeded to the gun house where a battery was already in quarters.
The regulars had hardly reached the gun house when a perfect shower of missiles were hurled at them in the building sidewalks were torn up by the Rod, by women and Children and carried forward to men and boys in front, and the mob commenced a siege in good earnest.
Various persons in the streets who had been attracted by the tumult were knocked down and severely beaten, the rioters seeming to be determined that none but their own gang should remain in the neighborhood.

[32:16] As soon as he got his men inside and the doors locked, major Cabot started organizing a defense against the mob, who seemed increasingly bent on breaking open the doors of the armory and seizing the cannons and small arms stored inside.

[32:31] In his own after action.
Report cap it describes the tense moment that passed between himself and captain jones of the 44th, the next highest ranking officer on site.
When he ordered two of the armory’s cannons to be loaded with a devastating double load of canister shot,
A 10 cylinder tightly packed with small iron balls that was meant for use at close range on the battlefield to break up massed infantry or cavalry charges, essentially turning a cannon into a giant shotgun.

[33:01] Captain jones reported to me for orders. I directed into place one of the 26 pounders on the floor facing the cooper street door, the other facing the north margin street door and to load both with double canister shot,
I posted the detachment on each flank of the cooper street gun, then placed a file of men at each window upstairs, with orders to challenge anyone who seemed to climb on the sheds or any other buildings in the rear.
Captain jones urged me to fire blank cartridges and said that he could not be responsible for firing canister into his fellow citizens.
I told him I told him that I did not intend to fire at all if it could be avoided,
but that if I were forced to fire, I intended to do all the damage I could, and that I alone was responsible, and that he could obey my orders, or I would place my own officers and men in charge of the guns,
at this he had the guns loaded and did his duty like a man.

[34:01] As this was happening Cabot got word from the boston police that a uniformed man who would later turn out to be Lieutenant Solon was being beaten by the mob at the corner of Cooper and Blackstone Streets,
and as a report he wrote,
I ordered Lieutenant White of C Company to take 20 men and drive back the mob at point of the bayonet and rescue the man.

[34:24] Lieutenant White led his men out in the North margin Street and so into cooper Street.
He drove the mob back and rescued a man who proved to be lieutenant Solon of the 11th battery who was trying to reach the armory.
He was severely beaten and was covered with blood.
I found the mob were closing up on the detachment were stoning them furiously.
I then sent out a relief under Captain Livermore to support the men who are bringing in the wounded man, hoping to prevent the necessity of firing into the mob by a greater show of force and gradually withdrew the two detachments through the North margin Street door.
Unfortunately in the excitement, a few shots were fired over the head of the mob, but it never ascertained who gave the order if any order to fire was given,
this firing over the heads of the mob encouraged them to suppose we’re using blank cartridges and rendered them more bold and aggressive.
As soon as the doors were closed, the attack began in earnest.
Emma Adams reports that even as the mob began to focus its efforts on breaking through the heavy oaken doors of the armory with bricks and hand tools, the women of the North End were still present in force.
The women came out in large numbers, some of them holding their babies up in their arms and daring the soldiers to fire at them.

[35:44] At about the same time, the soldiers inside the armor, he got the cannons loaded named at the doors, The crowd outside was on the brink of forcing the doors open and storming the building, believing that his company would be swarmed by rioters.
Within moments, Cabot gave the order to unleash a deadly volley of cannon and rifle fire writing.
Later, I now felt that the time had come to act and gave the order to fire the concussion, of course, put out the gaslight.
I ordered the gun reloaded the gas having been at once re lighted, and the flanking detachments kept up a cross fire on the doorway until the gun was reloaded.
This done, I ordered the firing decease upon going into the street.
Nothing was to be seen in the mob, except those who have paid the penalty for lawlessness.

[36:40] Teenage Shoemaker, David Weston’s Diary for July 16 Records that deadly moment,
at last they broke the door open and drove most of the men away from a cannon stationed near the door when suddenly £6 of grape shot swept through the door, killing and wounding several of the crowd.

[36:59] The plane man seems to be sympathetic to the rioters. On the receiving end of that devastating barrage writing, no riot act was red and alas, for the gathering they remained.
Were fired upon from an artillery piece, unconscious of the preparation to do so.
The discharge being made to the closed doors of the armory and several men and youths were ushered into the presence of their maker, with all their imperfections on their heads and their sins un atoned for.
While she definitely witnessed the initial outbreak of violence that day, it’s unclear whether Emma Adams saw the carnage in the streets after the cannon was fired, or whether she was simply describing what others had told her.
When she wrote, The shot was a telling one dead and wounded lay on every side, and the havoc was appalling.
But this act quelled the riot.
The crowd sorrowfully gathered up their dead and dying, immediately dispersing and going their way.

[37:57] As the smoke cleared inside the armory Cabot reported that a man had been shot dead inside, although among the confusion, it was hard at first to tell what had happened to him.
When the firing was over, we found a dead man in the corner of the lower floor.
I had two of my men take his body to the rear, and an examination showed that the body was that of a mr Courier who was the father of a policeman.
I supposed at first that he came in out of the street, but we afterward found that he came in to get out of the bob early in the evening and was shot while in the armory.

[38:33] It was never clear whether the shot that killed William Courier had been fired by the rioters outside or the defenders inside the armory, but that didn’t stop the commonwealth from prosecuting James Campbell, an alleged ringleader of the mob for his death.
Under a legal doctrine saying that all members of a riotous assembly are responsible for the acts of any member of the assembly.
Campbell was charged with manslaughter.

[38:59] The judge in the case gave the jury these instructions. If the homicide was the result of a shot fired by the soldiers or other persons in the armory acting together in defense against the riotous assembly,
the defendant cannot be held guilty of either murder or manslaughter.
The jury will accordingly be instructed that unless they’re satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the deceased was killed by means of a gun or,
other deadly weapon in the hands of the prisoner where if one of the rioters with whom he was associated in acting, he is entitled to an acquittal.

[39:34] In the end, the jury decided that the source of the fatal shot was uncertain and voted to acquit.

[39:42] As the dead and wounded were dragged away from Cooper Street, the remnants of the mob moved to a less heavily guarded area.
As historian Ian Jesse described in an essay for the paul revere house.
After the mob fled the scene of the armory, they attacked gun stores in the area of Dock Square and Faneuil Hall men plundered these stores and were able to escape with a collection of weapons according to the boston carrier,
Not less than 100 guns, nearly as many pistols and three or four dozen Bowie knives, valued at some $3,000, were taken from the store of Thomas P. Barnes.
The mob was stopped when they attempted to break into the store of William Reed and son and several men were arrested For those keeping score at home.
William Reed’s store was also where James A. Steel purchased the revolver that he used in his 1907 attempt to assassinate the governor inside the statehouse.
As discussed in episode 209.

[40:43] An article in the New York Times on July 18 describes how thanks to the quick thinking of one detective, the police were able to prevent even more weapons from falling into the hands of the mob,
when the mob entered Duck square john M. Done.
Detective officer, who was at Mr Reed’s store hurried to the second station house, filled a carriage with officers well armed and driving rapidly reached the store just as the mob was breaking in.
One man who struck a blow upon the window was shot in the head and the mob received a check.

[41:20] One thing that I found utterly shocking. While researching this episode is that nobody’s ever been sure how many people were killed in Boston’s 1863 draft riots.
Though Emma Adams among others attests to the fact that many people were in fact killed.
No one ever knew how many of the rioters were fatally injured, but this slaughter must have been terrible during the next few days. There were many funerals.

[41:49] Quoting Commander Savage of Cabot’s detachment again, Jack Tagger noted that the destruction of life among the rioters will ever remain shrouded in mystery.
The Public Journal subsequently made mention of eight that were killed, but it’s believed that many of the dead were hurried away by their friends whose untimely end was not made known to the public,
and it is said by those who had good opportunities to form an estimate that many more than is generally supposed fell victim to their own imprudence and folly on that fearful night.

[42:22] Through her own research, Judith and Gettysburg estimated the debt at 8 – 14.
The other scholarly estimates have ranged as high as 20 and totaling the casualties.
Gettysburg wrote The Boston Advertiser named 19 people who received severe injuries during the day of rioting, including nine soldiers, police officers and volunteer firefighters,
seven Children between the ages of 10 and 13 and three adult men.
Indeed, the injuries sustained by the Children were particularly serious.
A bullet punctured 12 year old Dennis Hogan’s lung.
13 year old John McLaughlin had his arm amputated as a result of the bullet wound he sustained And 12 year old Mary Biederman died from a shot received while president. The Riot on Cooper Street.
Four Children died as a result of the injuries they sustained at the riot, it’s difficult to count the number of dead and wounded as some rioters simply disappeared into the crowd after receiving their injuries.
The boston pilot described additional injuries, including a woman who was shot in the neck, carried away by the crowd and who later died of her injuries.

[43:35] Additionally, the newspaper referred to a woman named Henneman who was entered by a musket ball, which entered under her chin, passing backward and producing a serious wound,
and a woman named moore, who was injured by a charge of shot, which must have been fired by the rioters.

[43:54] In an article published four days after the riot. The new york Times gave the details of the deaths. Its reporters could confirm A man about 35 years of age name not known was killed.
11 shot taking effect in his head and body and his right arm was nearly shot off.
The body was taken to the first station house William Courier.
A man of 71 years. Father of police officer William W. Courier who lived near the armory was killed. It’s opposed by the mob.
He belonged in Bow New Hampshire and had been living in this city about six months John Norton a boy 10 or 12 years of age living at number 1 66. Endicott Street shot through the heart and died instantly.
Michael Gaffey, 14 years old, living at number 31 Cross Street was shot in the bowels and probably did not survive the night.
His hand was also shot off P. Reynolds. A boy of 12 years living in Bolton place was shot in the hip, the bone being badly shattered and his arm broken.
He was sent to the hospital and may survive.
There were reports that the body of a woman was seen carried through the streets on a beer, but it could not be learned who she was.
Reports of other persons being killed and wounded were difficult to verify.

[45:21] Adjutant General of the massachusetts militia. William schuler’s report also reflected the uncertainty around how many people actually died on cooper street that day.
The military and the police by their courage and prompt action.
Soon put an end to the disturbances, but not before blood had been shed upon the streets of boston.
Several persons were killed and more wounded. How many probably will never be known as they were carried away by friends and afterwards kept hidden.

[45:52] Not long after the arrests were made at Reed’s gun store, the remaining rioters began to disperse as more military units poured into the area as described in Cabot’s report.
About an hour after the gun, meaning cannon was fired, Major Gordon with his regulars from ford independence, meaning Castle Island,
March down to our relief, escorting Mayor Lincoln, General Pierce and other city officials,
at the request of the Mayor for my opinion on the best course to pursue, I advised that the troops and guns should be stationed in Faneuil Hall Square, leaving the cooper street armory in charge of the police and to have a cavalry patrol through the disorderly section.
Major Gordon supported my view, and after some delay.
This plan was decided upon, And at about 11 o’clock, we took up the line of March for Faneuil Hall, the injured men and carriages.

[46:51] And his essay about the riot joe Regan runs down some of the measures besides cavalry patrols that helped contain passions in the North End and help keep the riot from spilling into a second day,
boston remained in a state of emergency with sporadic and smaller melees breaking out.

[47:09] At the time of the riots, boston’s catholic Bishop John Fitzpatrick was in Belgium,
the Chancellor of the boston Diocese, James Augustine healey issued a circular to all priests to use their utmost efforts to preserve the public peace among their congregations,
to caution them not only against taking part in fractious assemblies, but even against being present at them,
throughout the night, priests patrolled the north end streets, admonishing loiterers.
Nevertheless, Father Hillary tucker believed that there was still a threatening and sullen look and the countenances of everybody that bodes no good.
The general sentiment is that a great injustice has been done to the poorer classes.
Emma Adams confirmed the role that clergy played in defusing tensions.
We later learned on good authority that there was a meeting of the rioters that night, but it was dispelled by a catholic priest who for seeing the dire consequences if the riot was persisted in commanded the men to return to their homes.
His influence over the men practically dispelled the last vestige of trouble and to him is, do all honor for the final suppression of the riot.

[48:23] The next day, more troops and volunteers flooded the streets with our young cobbler, David Weston running down some of the units that were keeping the peace. In the North end Wednesday they got together quite a military force.
The 44th Regiment of Infantry, about 400 men just returned from war.
The Mars Rifle Club, 100 Men invalid core, 30 men, National Guard Battalion, three or 400 men Independent Cadets, or 200 men.
The 11th battery, about a 125 men Us regulars, 40 men from Fort Independence.
Four companies of heavy artillery from the camp at Reedville, 1st Battalion, late dragoons and a company of infantry from Medford, All under command of Brigadier general pierce of the state Militia,
headquarters is at City Hall at the corner of Bedford and chauncey Streets.
The Statehouse Bridges, gun stores, factories, etcetera, were guarded Wednesday night.
There wasn’t any disturbance This morning. The 45th regiment just returned from the war are at Reedville, ready for action.

[49:34] Later on the 15th, Mayor Frederick Lincoln issued this proclamation warning Boston to keep a tight lid on his passions.
Later on the 15th, Mayor Frederick Lincoln issued this proclamation.
Morning boston to keep a tight lid on its passions to the citizens of boston.
The peace and good order of this city has been violated by an assembly of rioters and evil disposed persons and still further violence is threatened.
I therefore deem it my duty to notify and warn all persons who have been or shall be engaged in making depredations upon property and assaulting individuals or in any way disturbing the public peace.
That full preparation has been made for any exigency. Their conduct shall create,
the good order and quiet of the city shall be preserved at all demands and those who riotously attempt them shall be brought to justice, whatever vigor may be necessary to the effort,
and all parents and guardians are earnestly desired to ensure that the minors under their control are not in the streets after sunset.

[50:44] The body count for the riot in boston wasn’t as high as the one in new york and our riot didn’t feature the same overtly racist violence at the same time.
It’s clear to me that it wasn’t just an expression of boredom nor was it orchestrated by the confederate government in Richmond.
The boston irish had put up with 20 years of no irish need apply signs deep anti catholic bias and violence like the Ursuline convent riot with little recourse through official channels.

[51:17] With the enrollment act threatening poor irish families with death or impoverishment or possibly both.
They fought back in the only way they knew how, with direct action in the streets,
and while they couldn’t keep draft agents out of the north end forever, they may very well have dampened Yankee elite enthusiasm for pressing conscription too hard.
In the two years of war that followed the riot, boston’s draft quota was 3000, 300 And only 713 ever reported for duty.

[51:51] To learn more about boston’s 18 63 draft riot Check out this week’s show notes at hub history dot com slash 252,
I’ll have links to all the essays I quoted from Ian jesse Judith and Gettysburg, joe Regan, Patrick Brown, joseph luke, Brett paul Freeman and Jack Taggers book about boston’s riotous history.
I’ll also link to our primary sources from David Westin, Emma Cellou Andrews, William, Lloyd Garrison and of course our anonymous plane man.
I’ll also link to a few contemporary newspaper articles, mostly from the new york times since the globe didn’t exist yet.

[52:36] I’m not sure if you noticed, but this is my first regular narrative episode in about two months. Hopefully I remembered how.
It’s also my first time recording a full narrative episode since I got Covid at the beginning of May.
Hopefully you, the listener can’t tell how hard it still is for me to get enough breath to speak in full sentences and paragraphs if you’d like to tell us how bad the podcast sounds while I’m struggling to breathe.
You can email us at podcast at hub history dot com.
We’re hub history on twitter facebook and instagram, mostly twitter right now, but I’m trying to get the instagram restarted or you can go to hub history dot com and click on the contact us link.
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Music

Jake:
[53:39] That’s all for now. Stay safe out there, listeners.

[53:53] By the summer of 1863, the civil war dragged on longer than anyone thought at the outset, leaders on both sides were desperate for more money, arms manufactured goods and most of all men.

[54:10] I’ve got a conditioner on like a dummy, we gotta start over.