Scenes from Civil War New York: 7th NY at the Draft Riot
ECW is pleased to welcome back Jonathan W. White and Timothy Justin Orr, authors of New York City in the Civil War (Arcadia, 2025) with another scene from Civil War New York. Part of a series.
Due to miscommunication from Wool’s headquarters, the militia commander, Major General Charles Sandford, withheld mobilization of the militia for several days. The elite 7th New York National Guard were in the city, under arms, protecting their armory during the first three days of the riot. Finally, on July 16, the 7th New York received orders to march into the Upper East Side and deal the last vestiges of the riot. The militiamen encountered heavy resistance from the rioters at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and 22nd Street. The men of the 7th New York killed at least two rioters, losing only one private wounded. For the next few days, the regiment maintained patrols along the Upper East Side, searching dwellings for any stolen property. This photograph likely depicts one of those patrols.
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Today’s scene relates to “The Draft Riots,” Chapter Eight in Jonathan and Tim’s book New York City in the Civil War, part of the Images of America Series from Arcadia Press.
A sizeable patrol, at least 36 by my count.
My great grandmother Margaret McCarthy-O’Connell lived in this neighborhood. She was born here in 1865 and her husband SGT William F. O’Connell joined the NYPD in Oct 1897. He worked out of the Station House on 22nd street that replaced the station house burned down in the fighting described here at 22nd Street and 2nd Ave. Starting in 1948 my father worked at the same 13th Precinct station house still located at 327 East 22nd Street.