"A Letter from one of the Rioters," New York Times, Wednesday, July 15, 1863

Monday Night -- Up Town.

To the Editor of the New-York Times: 

You will, no doubt, be hard on us rioters tomorrow morning, but that 300-dollar law has made us nobodies, vagabonds and cast-outs of society, for whom nobody cares when we must go to war and be shot down.  We are the poor rabble, and the rich rabble is our enemy by this law. Therefore we will give our enemy battle right here, and ask no quarter. Although we got hard fists, and are dirty without, we have soft hearts, and have clean consciences within, and that's the reason we love our wives and children more than the rich, because we've got not much besides them, and we will not go and leave them at home for to starve. Until that draft law is repealed, I for one am willing to knock down more such rum-hole politicians as Kennedy.  Why don't they let the niggers kill the slave-driving race and take possession of the South, as it belongs to them. 

To the Editor of Harper's Weekly;

     Sir, -- As a variety of conflicting statements have been published in the daily papers purporting to be descriptions of the dispersion of the rioters engaged in sacking the Tribune office, a brief statement of the actual facts of that truly brilliant affair, from a participant, may possibly be not unacceptable.

     At seven o'clock on Monday evening the members of the 26th Precinct then present, 38 men all told, were assembled in their Squad-room, southeast corner City Hall basement. With them, at the same time and place -- and constituting with the 26th a special reserve at that important point -- were the reserves of the 1st Precinct, under Captain Warlow; the bulk of Captain Bryan's force (4th Precinct) having being previously ordered to police headquarters, 300 Mulberry Street; that gallant officer was also present as a volunteer. A report, whether designedly or not, that a riot was progressing in the 1st Precinct, started first Warlow and his command, and immediately after the 26th, under Captain Thorne; on down Broadway to Beaver, or thereabout, and so through to Broad Street, when we found that the disturbance, a slight one, had been suppressed. After a brief delay we resumed our march up Broad and Nassau. Passing the Evening Post, a cheer greeted us from the building. On reaching about the corner of Beekman and Nassau a halt was quietly ordered. It was now dark, or nearly so, and through the deepening gloaming we could see the 1st Precinct men halted on the west side of Nassau, just south of the Times Buildings. They had rapped, and that was the reason of our halt. A few hurried words of consultation between Captains Thorne and Warlow, and we were again in place and ready. We could now distinctly hear the crashing of wood and glass; the work of riot and devastation had commenced, but with the earnestness and thoroughness which has marked the conduct of this outbreak from the start, there was no shouting or profane clamor. It was a storming party under competent and effective leadership. So earnest were they in their work -- so absorbed, in fact, that the low, stern order, "Keep together, men; steady; now, then, Forward! Charge!" from Captain Thorne, was unheard save by a few spectators on the Times corner. With a shout from a hundred throats, the 26th leading the onset, we struck them like a thunderbolt, cleaving and scattering them in utter rout, ruin, and dismay. A few of us entered the office. They had only got as far as the ground-floor, and the few fool-hardy rebels who were found were mercilessly clubbed into the street or into insensibility, and hurriedly dragged off by friends to die in unknown homes, or linger, with maimed and shattered heads and limbs, for months and years of pain and disfigurement. The square -- a minute previous crowded by a surging mass five thousand strong -- was in five minutes cleared to a point below French's Hotel, save where the dead and wounded were being hurriedly dragged off by terrified friends. We did not try to take prisoners till  after the first rally, except that Officer Freeman, of the 26th, finding a man, who gave his name as Burt Francis, in the act of ripping up the counter in the office, brought him in, and he was duly committed next morning. Only two more arrests were made.

     Victorious, but breathless, we had just succeeded in extinguishing the flames, which had by this time broke out, when a shout as from a great crowd was heard, and a mass of men were seen charging across the Park toward us from the direction of Broadway. The word was given "Stand firm!" and every man squared himself for what now seemed about to be a death-struggle with an overwhelming reinforcement of the mob. It was a supreme moment; but our suspense was immediately at an end.  Soon the bright buttons and uplifted batons of our own gallant fellows from Broadway were recognized, the grizzled locks and martial figure of the Metropolitan
warhorse, brave Dan Carpenter, conspicuous at their head.  One loud, ringing cheer went up, while trusty batons waved, of triumph and relief. Victory was with the right.  Law and order had triumphed.

     The importance of our coup can hardly be overestimated. The suddenness and vigor of the blow took the snap right out of the murdering thieves at the start, and effectually demoralized whatever of organization they had in the lower part of the city. The Tribune, Times, and Post would inevitably have gone as a consequence    even of their partial success; and speculation stops aghast when reflecting on the possible havoc and destruction of the massed and hoarded wealth collected below Canal Street.

     The officers in command were Captain Thorne, 26th (City Hall) Precinct, and Captain Warlow, 1st Precinct, accompanied by Captain Bryan, 4th Precinct, as an amateur volunteer. Let their names and those of their gallant officers and men be held in grateful remembrance.

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