Iliots in Ncvj York. 57 



proved much of these horrors, and amongst them was Colonel 

 O'Brien. When a troop of rioters approached his house, he 

 stepped out and addressed them in a conciliatory manner, ex- 

 horting them to desist from their wickedness. He was answer- 

 ed by cries of ' Down with him ! he is a traitor — kill him 1' 

 He was horribly beaten and stabbed, and sunk down on his 

 threshold. Then he, still alive, was drag,q;ed through the mud. 

 All entreaties of his wife and children were in vain ; the .un- 

 fortunate man died after having been tormented for twenty- 

 four hours. 



The fury raged in all districts of the city. If the mob had 

 finished with the house of one abolitionist, some persons cried 

 out, ' Off to the Seventh (or any other) Avenue, to the house 

 of Mr. X.' 



The regiments called from Pennsylvania in the greatest hurry, 

 who did not fire with blank cartridges, succeeded in mastering 

 the riot. They killed a great many people, but sustained also 

 heavy losses. 



Salm placed himself at once at the disposition of the City 

 Government, collected some troops from among his recruits 

 and others, and led them against the rioters. During his 

 absence, and whilst such excitement prevailed, I could not 

 stay at home and tremble. I wanted to see and to do — but 

 what, I did not know. To go in the street in my usual dress 

 would have been madness, and I resolved therefore to put on 

 a dress of my servant girl, Ellen, who was to accompany me as 

 a kmd of a safeguard, for she was an Irish girl, and her brogue 

 was then the best laisser-passer, \ 



The scenes I witnessed were horrible and disgusting at the 

 same time. All the lowest passions were mifettered, and 

 showed themselves in their vilest nakedness. The danger in 

 the streets was great, for the few troops and police were scarce- 

 ly to be noticed in the surging crowd, and they were, more- 

 over, mostly employed in protecting the public buildings and 

 offices. The rioters had it all their own way, finding no resis- 

 tance from the citizens, \\(ho locked themselves up in their 

 houses, happy if they were not noted for abolitionist principles 

 or riches, or were unconnected with the draft. The poor 

 negroes darted about like hunted hares — men, women, and 

 children ; and it was heart-rending to hear their frantic cnes 

 and look into iheir horror-struck faces if caught by the pur.su- 



