The draft wheel used in New York City to pick names during the Civil War.
The Civil War had been under way for more than two years, yet by the summer of July 1863, the final outcome was still unknown. As the horrors of battle became more apparent, volunteers in the North willing to join the Union cause were dwindling in numbers. President Abraham Lincoln ordered all able-bodied men to register for the draft. This did not sit well with most New York City residents. Many had Democratic leanings and were sympathetic to the South. Draft offices were vandalized by organized mobs armed with knives and clubs. It was necessary to place them under guard, but the police were severely outnumbered and many suffered beatings at the hands of the gangsters.
During a pitched battle to prevent a mob from taking over a gun shop, Captain Walling ordered his patrolmen to kill everyone with a club fighting against them. After putting down the riot, Walling told his men to position themselves behind a barricade and prepare for another onslaught. Governor Horatio Seymour came to see the situation for himself. He complained to Walling about the number of dead in the street. Walling said that he was only obeying orders, and if they came back, he would attack again.
Despite the best efforts of the police to restore order and the heroic actions attributed to Walling, the Union Army was forced to come to the city’s aid and squash the rebellion, but not before fifty soldiers, eighty black men, and three policemen lost their lives. The situation was far worse for the rioters. Two thousand of them died and another eight thousand suffered serious injuries.
After the draft riots, the draft resumed without incident in August 1863.
The order that led to the draft riots. Of the 750,000 men who registered for the draft, only 45,000 actually served.