New York City in the Civil War
Encyclopedia
New York City
during the American Civil War
(1861–1865) was a bustling American
city that provided a major source of troops, supplies, and equipment for the Union Army
. Powerful New York politicians and newspaper editors helped shape public opinion towards the war effort and the policies of President
Abraham Lincoln
. The port of New York served as fertile recruiting grounds for the Army as immigrants from Europe (primarily Irish and Germans
) at times stepped off the oceanic transports and into the muster rolls.
The city's strong commercial ties to the South, its growing immigrant population, and anger about conscription
led to divided sympathy for both the Union
and Confederacy
, culminating in the Draft Riots of 1863, one of the worst incidents of civil unrest in American history.
by 1860 of divergent cultures, views, opinions, and politics. As Southern states began seceding
with the election of Lincoln, New Yorkers in general supported the war effort, but there were several notable early exceptions. Mayor
Fernando Wood
won reelection to a second term, serving from 1860–62. He was one of many New York Democrats
who were sympathetic to the Confederacy, called 'Copperheads
' by staunch Unionists. In January 1861, Wood suggested to the City Council that New York City secede
and declare itself a free city, to continue its profitable cotton
trade with the Confederacy. Wood's Democratic machine was concerned to maintain the revenues (which depended on Southern cotton) that maintained the patronage
system.
Politically, the city was dominated by Democrats, many of whom were under the control of a political machine
known as Tammany Hall
. Led by William "Boss" Tweed
, they gained numerous offices in New York City, and even to the state legislature and judges' seats, often through illegal means. From 1860–1870, Tweed controlled most Democratic nominations in the city, while Republicans tended to be more prevalent in upstate New York. Lincoln supporters in formed the Union League
to support the war effort and the president's policies.
A series of U.S. Army forts, most constructed prior to the war, housed garrisons of Union troops, intent on protecting New York Harbor
and the city from any possible Confederate attack, none of which ever came. Fort Lafayette
, Fort Schuyler
, and several others eventually held hundreds of Confederates prisoners of war. The Army also established or expanded several large military hospitals, including MacDougall Hospital
and De Camp General Hospital
, to serve the growing numbers of wounded and ill soldiers. Among the military innovations coming from New York City was the "wig-wag" system of signalling, tested in New York Harbor by Major Albert J. Myer
.
Riker's Island was used as a military training ground for both white and African-American regiments
during the Civil War. New soldiers were trained at "Camp Astor," named for the millionaire John Jacob Astor III
who provided funding for the army. Among the early regiments trained at Camp Astor was the Anderson Zouaves, commanded by Col.
John Lafayette Riker
, a descendant of the family that owned the island.
The New York Navy Yard, established in 1801 in Brooklyn was a major facility for the manufacturing and repairing of Union Navy
ships. By the second year of the Civil War, the Yard had expanded to employ about 6000 men. In addition to the government factories, hundreds of small private businesses throughout the New York area–'such as the National Arms Company
– provided military accoutrements, supplies, sundries, and items of use and comfort to the soldiers.
, New Yorkers in general rushed to join the army or to raise financial and other support for the new troops. In one three-month period in early 1861, the city raised $150,000,000 for the war effort. By the end of May 1861, New York had raised 30,000 men for the volunteer army, including the "New York Fire Zouaves" (11th New York Infantry) under a personal friend of Lincoln, Elmer Ellsworth. Troops paraded down Broadway to cheers and shouts as they left for the war. Over the course of the war, the city would send off over 100,000 troops collected from around the state. (in fact, based on the records of New York State, New York City raised over 150,000 volunteers, not including the tens of thousands of militia called up during emergencies during the war. 30 to 50 thousand sailors joined the Navy at New York City.)
Besides the Fire Zouaves, a number of other regiments raised in New York City became prominent in the Union army, including the 1st U.S. Sharpshooters (under Col. Hiram Berdan
), the 9th New York (Hawkins' Zouaves), and the 10th New York ("National Guard Zouaves").
In 1862, George Opdyke
became mayor of New York City, succeeding Fernando Wood. A staunch supporter of Lincoln since before the war, Opdyke worked hard to raise and equip even more state troops, and to prevent commercial panics on Wall Street
as the Union's war successes waxed and waned. Under his leadership, recruiting efforts were renewed, particularly targeted at the vast supply of incoming immigrants.
President Lincoln and much of the Republican element of the U.S. Congress, concerned with the numbers of veteran troops whose terms of enlistments had expired and wanting to press the war to a conclusion, had approved of a conscription law to draft soldiers into the army to augment the number of volunteers. "Draft Week" in New York City was scheduled for mid-July 1863. Lincoln sent several regiments of militia
and volunteer troops (some fresh off the Gettysburg battlefield
) to control the city. The rioters numbered in the thousands, and were predominantly ("uniformly") Irish (this is a dubious claim, no doubt rooted in Nativist prejudices. Most of the over 400 arrested per "Armies of the Streets" did not have Irish names, and it is clear that many of the instigators were native born Americans and other nationalities with Southern sympathies). Smaller scale riots erupted in other cities about the same time.
Initially intended to express anger at the draft, the protests quickly degraded into civil disorder against the Republicans and especially against Black Americans. The conditions in the city were such that Maj. Gen.
John E. Wool
stated on July 16, "Martial law ought to be proclaimed, but I have not a sufficient force to enforce it." Using artillery and fixed bayonets the military suppressed the mob, but not before numerous buildings were ransacked or destroyed, including many homes, the Tribune
office, an orphanage for blacks, and even P.T. Barnum's museum of oddities.
, one of the founders of the Republican Party, grew his New York Tribune
into America's most influential newspaper from 1840 through 1870. Greeley used it to promote the Whig
and Republican parties, as well as antislavery and a host of reforms. Greeley, who during the secession crisis of 1861 had espoused a hard line against the Confederacy, became a voice for the Radical Republicans during the war, in opposition to Lincoln’s moderation. By 1864 he had lost much of his control over the newspaper, but wrote an editorial expressing defeatism regarding Lincoln’s chances of reelection–an attitude that was echoed across the country when his editorials were reprinted.
The New York Herald
, under owner James Gordon Bennett, Sr.
, was a constant source of criticism of Lincoln's administration and policies, although Bennett and his paper strongly supported the Union. He had endorsed John C. Breckinridge
early in the 1860 presidential campaign, then shifted to John Bell
. In 1864, Bennett promoted George B. McClellan
against, but officially endorsed neither candidate.
In addition to the powerful newspapers, New York City housed the printing presses of several other important periodicals such as Harper's Weekly
, Frank Leslie's Illustrated News, and New York Illustrated News. Political cartoonist Thomas Nast
became a well-known commentator on the war, and his efforts helped stir patriotism and fervor for the Union. Field war correspondents and artists such as Alfred Waud
provided the public with first-hand accounts from the Northern armies.
Two journalists for the Brooklyn Eagle
conspired to exploit the financial situation during early part of 1864, a plot known as the Civil War gold hoax
. On May 18, two New York City newspapers, the New York World
and the New York Journal of Commerce, published a false story that President Lincoln had issued a proclamation of conscription of 400,000 more men into the Union army. Share prices soon fell on the New York Stock Exchange
when investors began to buy gold, and its value increased 10%. Officials finally traced the source of the story to the two men from the rival Brooklyn newspaper and arrested them.
In another celebrated case, Thomas W. Knox
, a veteran journalist
for the New York Herald, published a series of scathing attacks on General William Tecumseh Sherman
and his men, which helped fuel speculation over Sherman's sanity. Knox also printed important information pertaining to the Vicksburg Campaign
that led to him being charged, tried, and found guilty of disobedience of orders, although he was acquitted on espionage
charges.
. Some of these agents planned an act of terrorism
for Election Day in November 1864, when they would simultaneously burn down several leading city hotels. The plot was initially foiled due to a double agent
who turned over communications to Federal officials, and to a massive military presence that deterred the plotters. Election Day passed without incident. However, on November 25, the saboteurs finally struck, setting fires at several hotels and other leading landmarks, including P. T. Barnum
's museum. Fervent efforts by the city's firefighters extinguished most of the blazes, and most of the conspirators fled to Canada.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(1861–1865) was a bustling American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
city that provided a major source of troops, supplies, and equipment for the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
. Powerful New York politicians and newspaper editors helped shape public opinion towards the war effort and the policies of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
. The port of New York served as fertile recruiting grounds for the Army as immigrants from Europe (primarily Irish and Germans
German-Americans in the Civil War
German-Americans in the American Civil War were the largest ethnic contingent to fight for the Union. More than 200,000 native Germans served in the Union Army, with New York and Ohio each providing ten divisions dominated by German-born men....
) at times stepped off the oceanic transports and into the muster rolls.
The city's strong commercial ties to the South, its growing immigrant population, and anger about conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
led to divided sympathy for both the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
and Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, culminating in the Draft Riots of 1863, one of the worst incidents of civil unrest in American history.
Early war years
New York City had long been the largest, and in many ways, most influential city in the United States. Already a melting potMelting pot
The melting pot is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" into a harmonious whole with a common culture...
by 1860 of divergent cultures, views, opinions, and politics. As Southern states began seceding
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
with the election of Lincoln, New Yorkers in general supported the war effort, but there were several notable early exceptions. Mayor
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
Fernando Wood
Fernando Wood
Fernando Wood was an American politician of the Democratic Party and mayor of New York City; he also served as a United States Representative and as Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means in both the 45th and 46th Congress .A successful shipping merchant who became Grand Sachem of the...
won reelection to a second term, serving from 1860–62. He was one of many New York Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
who were sympathetic to the Confederacy, called 'Copperheads
Copperheads (politics)
The Copperheads were a vocal group of Democrats in the Northern United States who opposed the American Civil War, wanting an immediate peace settlement with the Confederates. Republicans started calling anti-war Democrats "Copperheads," likening them to the venomous snake...
' by staunch Unionists. In January 1861, Wood suggested to the City Council that New York City secede
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
and declare itself a free city, to continue its profitable cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
trade with the Confederacy. Wood's Democratic machine was concerned to maintain the revenues (which depended on Southern cotton) that maintained the patronage
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
system.
Political machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
known as Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
. Led by William "Boss" Tweed
Boss Tweed
William Magear Tweed – often erroneously referred to as William Marcy Tweed , and widely known as "Boss" Tweed – was an American politician most notable for being the "boss" of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th century...
, they gained numerous offices in New York City, and even to the state legislature and judges' seats, often through illegal means. From 1860–1870, Tweed controlled most Democratic nominations in the city, while Republicans tended to be more prevalent in upstate New York. Lincoln supporters in formed the Union League
Union League
A Union League is one of a number of organizations established starting in 1862, during the American Civil War to promote loyalty to the Union and the policies of Abraham Lincoln. They were also known as Loyal Leagues. They comprised upper middle class men who supported efforts such as the United...
to support the war effort and the president's policies.
A series of U.S. Army forts, most constructed prior to the war, housed garrisons of Union troops, intent on protecting New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
and the city from any possible Confederate attack, none of which ever came. Fort Lafayette
Fort Lafayette
Fort Lafayette was an island coastal fortification in the Narrows of New York Harbor, built offshore from Fort Hamilton at the southern tip of what is now Bay Ridge in the New York City borough of Brooklyn...
, Fort Schuyler
Fort Schuyler, Bronx
Fort Schuyler is a preserved 19th century fortification in the New York City borough of the Bronx. It houses a museum, the Stephen B. Luce Library, and the Marine Transportation Department and Administrative offices of the State University of New York Maritime College. It is considered one of the...
, and several others eventually held hundreds of Confederates prisoners of war. The Army also established or expanded several large military hospitals, including MacDougall Hospital
MacDougall Hospital
MacDougall Hospital was a U.S. Army military hospital located at Fort Schuyler in New York City before and during the American Civil War.It had a capacity of 2000 beds. In October 1863, the hospital was "to be removed without delay"; it was one of the oldest of the U.S. military hospitals...
and De Camp General Hospital
Fort Slocum (New York)
Fort Slocum, New York was a US military base occupying Davids' Island and Hart Island at the western end of Long Island Sound. The fort was named for Major General Henry W...
, to serve the growing numbers of wounded and ill soldiers. Among the military innovations coming from New York City was the "wig-wag" system of signalling, tested in New York Harbor by Major Albert J. Myer
Albert J. Myer
Albert James Myer was a surgeon and United States Army officer. He is known as the father of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, as its first chief signal officer just prior to the American Civil War, the inventor of wig-wag signaling , and also as the father of the U.S...
.
Riker's Island was used as a military training ground for both white and African-American regiments
United States Colored Troops
The United States Colored Troops were regiments of the United States Army during the American Civil War that were composed of African American soldiers. First recruited in 1863, by the end of the Civil War, the men of the 175 regiments of the USCT constituted approximately one-tenth of the Union...
during the Civil War. New soldiers were trained at "Camp Astor," named for the millionaire John Jacob Astor III
John Jacob Astor III
John Jacob Astor III was the elder son of William Backhouse Astor, Sr. and the wealthiest member of the Astor family in his generation...
who provided funding for the army. Among the early regiments trained at Camp Astor was the Anderson Zouaves, commanded by Col.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
John Lafayette Riker
John Lafayette Riker
John Lafayette Riker was an American attorney and an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was killed in action at the Battle of Fair Oaks during the Peninsula Campaign.-Early life:...
, a descendant of the family that owned the island.
The New York Navy Yard, established in 1801 in Brooklyn was a major facility for the manufacturing and repairing of Union Navy
Union Navy
The Union Navy is the label applied to the United States Navy during the American Civil War, to contrast it from its direct opponent, the Confederate States Navy...
ships. By the second year of the Civil War, the Yard had expanded to employ about 6000 men. In addition to the government factories, hundreds of small private businesses throughout the New York area–'such as the National Arms Company
National Arms Company
The National Arms Company was a Brooklyn, New York-based manufacturer of firearms that flourished for a decade in the mid-19th century, around the time of the American Civil War....
– provided military accoutrements, supplies, sundries, and items of use and comfort to the soldiers.
Military recruitment in New York City
Despite pockets of objections to Lincoln's call for volunteers to serve in the Union army shortly after the bombardment of Fort SumterFort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
, New Yorkers in general rushed to join the army or to raise financial and other support for the new troops. In one three-month period in early 1861, the city raised $150,000,000 for the war effort. By the end of May 1861, New York had raised 30,000 men for the volunteer army, including the "New York Fire Zouaves" (11th New York Infantry) under a personal friend of Lincoln, Elmer Ellsworth. Troops paraded down Broadway to cheers and shouts as they left for the war. Over the course of the war, the city would send off over 100,000 troops collected from around the state. (in fact, based on the records of New York State, New York City raised over 150,000 volunteers, not including the tens of thousands of militia called up during emergencies during the war. 30 to 50 thousand sailors joined the Navy at New York City.)
Besides the Fire Zouaves, a number of other regiments raised in New York City became prominent in the Union army, including the 1st U.S. Sharpshooters (under Col. Hiram Berdan
Hiram Berdan
Hiram Berdan was an American engineer, inventor and military officer, world-renowned marksman, and guiding force behind and commanding colonel of the famed United States Volunteer Sharpshooter Regiments during the American Civil War...
), the 9th New York (Hawkins' Zouaves), and the 10th New York ("National Guard Zouaves").
In 1862, George Opdyke
George Opdyke
George Opdyke was an entrepreneur and the Mayor of New York during the American Civil War.-Early life:He was born in Hunterdon County, New Jersey and in the 1820s he lived in Cleveland, Ohio and New Orleans, Louisiana....
became mayor of New York City, succeeding Fernando Wood. A staunch supporter of Lincoln since before the war, Opdyke worked hard to raise and equip even more state troops, and to prevent commercial panics on Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
as the Union's war successes waxed and waned. Under his leadership, recruiting efforts were renewed, particularly targeted at the vast supply of incoming immigrants.
Draft Riots
- Main article: New York Draft RiotsNew York Draft RiotsThe New York City draft riots were violent disturbances in New York City that were the culmination of discontent with new laws passed by Congress to draft men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. The riots were the largest civil insurrection in American history apart from the Civil War itself...
President Lincoln and much of the Republican element of the U.S. Congress, concerned with the numbers of veteran troops whose terms of enlistments had expired and wanting to press the war to a conclusion, had approved of a conscription law to draft soldiers into the army to augment the number of volunteers. "Draft Week" in New York City was scheduled for mid-July 1863. Lincoln sent several regiments of militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
and volunteer troops (some fresh off the Gettysburg battlefield
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
) to control the city. The rioters numbered in the thousands, and were predominantly ("uniformly") Irish (this is a dubious claim, no doubt rooted in Nativist prejudices. Most of the over 400 arrested per "Armies of the Streets" did not have Irish names, and it is clear that many of the instigators were native born Americans and other nationalities with Southern sympathies). Smaller scale riots erupted in other cities about the same time.
Initially intended to express anger at the draft, the protests quickly degraded into civil disorder against the Republicans and especially against Black Americans. The conditions in the city were such that Maj. Gen.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
John E. Wool
John E. Wool
John Ellis Wool was an officer in the United States Army during three consecutive U.S. wars: the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. By the time of the Mexican-American War, he was widely considered one of the most capable officers in the army and a superb organizer...
stated on July 16, "Martial law ought to be proclaimed, but I have not a sufficient force to enforce it." Using artillery and fixed bayonets the military suppressed the mob, but not before numerous buildings were ransacked or destroyed, including many homes, the Tribune
New York Tribune
The New York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841, which was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States...
office, an orphanage for blacks, and even P.T. Barnum's museum of oddities.
Media and the war
New York City had a number of widely read and influential newspapers and periodicals, whose influence was felt across the country, not just in the city itself. Horace GreeleyHorace Greeley
Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
, one of the founders of the Republican Party, grew his New York Tribune
New York Tribune
The New York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841, which was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States...
into America's most influential newspaper from 1840 through 1870. Greeley used it to promote the Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
and Republican parties, as well as antislavery and a host of reforms. Greeley, who during the secession crisis of 1861 had espoused a hard line against the Confederacy, became a voice for the Radical Republicans during the war, in opposition to Lincoln’s moderation. By 1864 he had lost much of his control over the newspaper, but wrote an editorial expressing defeatism regarding Lincoln’s chances of reelection–an attitude that was echoed across the country when his editorials were reprinted.
The New York Herald
New York Herald
The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835, and 1924.-History:The first issue of the paper was published by James Gordon Bennett, Sr., on May 6, 1835. By 1845 it was the most popular and profitable daily newspaper in the UnitedStates...
, under owner James Gordon Bennett, Sr.
James Gordon Bennett, Sr.
James Gordon Bennett, Sr. was the founder, editor and publisher of the New York Herald and a major figure in the history of American newspapers.-Biography:...
, was a constant source of criticism of Lincoln's administration and policies, although Bennett and his paper strongly supported the Union. He had endorsed John C. Breckinridge
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...
early in the 1860 presidential campaign, then shifted to John Bell
John Bell (Tennessee politician)
John Bell was a U.S. politician, attorney, and plantation owner. A wealthy slaveholder from Tennessee, Bell served in the United States Congress in both the House of Representatives and Senate. He began his career as a Democrat, he eventually fell out with Andrew Jackson and became a Whig...
. In 1864, Bennett promoted George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
against, but officially endorsed neither candidate.
In addition to the powerful newspapers, New York City housed the printing presses of several other important periodicals such as Harper's Weekly
Harper's Weekly
Harper's Weekly was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor...
, Frank Leslie's Illustrated News, and New York Illustrated News. Political cartoonist Thomas Nast
Thomas Nast
Thomas Nast was a German-born American caricaturist and editorial cartoonist who is considered to be the "Father of the American Cartoon". He was the scourge of Boss Tweed and the Tammany Hall machine...
became a well-known commentator on the war, and his efforts helped stir patriotism and fervor for the Union. Field war correspondents and artists such as Alfred Waud
Alfred Waud
Alfred Rudolph Waud was an American artist and illustrator, born in London, England. He is most notable for the sketches he made as an artist correspondent during the American Civil War.-Early career:...
provided the public with first-hand accounts from the Northern armies.
Two journalists for the Brooklyn Eagle
Brooklyn Eagle
The Brooklyn Daily Bulletin began publishing when the original Eagle folded in 1955. In 1996 it merged with a newly revived Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and now publishes a morning paper five days a week under the Brooklyn Daily Eagle name...
conspired to exploit the financial situation during early part of 1864, a plot known as the Civil War gold hoax
Civil War gold hoax
The Civil War Gold Hoax was an 1864 hoax perpetrated by two US journalists to exploit the financial situation during the American Civil War.On May 18, 1864, two New York City newspapers, the New York World and the New York Journal of Commerce, published a story that President Abraham Lincoln had...
. On May 18, two New York City newspapers, the New York World
New York World
The New York World was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers...
and the New York Journal of Commerce, published a false story that President Lincoln had issued a proclamation of conscription of 400,000 more men into the Union army. Share prices soon fell on the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
when investors began to buy gold, and its value increased 10%. Officials finally traced the source of the story to the two men from the rival Brooklyn newspaper and arrested them.
In another celebrated case, Thomas W. Knox
Thomas W. Knox
Thomas Wallace Knox was a journalist, author, and world traveler, known primarily for his work as a New York Herald correspondent during the American Civil War...
, a veteran journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
for the New York Herald, published a series of scathing attacks on General William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
and his men, which helped fuel speculation over Sherman's sanity. Knox also printed important information pertaining to the Vicksburg Campaign
Vicksburg Campaign
The Vicksburg Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi River. The Union Army of the Tennessee under Maj. Gen....
that led to him being charged, tried, and found guilty of disobedience of orders, although he was acquitted on espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
charges.
1864 Election Day sabotage
Secret agents from the Confederacy had been in New York City throughout the war, providing information on troop strengths, political views, shipments, etc. back to RichmondRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. Some of these agents planned an act of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
for Election Day in November 1864, when they would simultaneously burn down several leading city hotels. The plot was initially foiled due to a double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
who turned over communications to Federal officials, and to a massive military presence that deterred the plotters. Election Day passed without incident. However, on November 25, the saboteurs finally struck, setting fires at several hotels and other leading landmarks, including P. T. Barnum
P. T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum was an American showman, businessman, scam artist and entertainer, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the circus that became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus....
's museum. Fervent efforts by the city's firefighters extinguished most of the blazes, and most of the conspirators fled to Canada.
Civil War notables from New York City
- John Jacob Astor IIIJohn Jacob Astor IIIJohn Jacob Astor III was the elder son of William Backhouse Astor, Sr. and the wealthiest member of the Astor family in his generation...
- financier, brevet brigadier general in the Union Army - Richard DelafieldRichard DelafieldRichard Delafield served as superintendent of the United States Military Academy, was Chief of Engineers, and was a major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
- major general in charge of New York's defenses - Thomas DevinThomas DevinThomas Casimer Devin was an United States Army officer and general. He commanded Union cavalry during the American Civil War and during the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
- cavalry divisional commander in the Union army - Hamilton FishHamilton FishHamilton Fish was an American statesman and politician who served as the 16th Governor of New York, United States Senator and United States Secretary of State. Fish has been considered one of the best Secretary of States in the United States history; known for his judiciousness and reform efforts...
- former Congressman; financier and commissioner - Benjamin F. IsherwoodBenjamin F. IsherwoodBenjamin Franklin Isherwood was an engineering officer in the United States Navy during the early days of steam-powered warships. He served as a ship's engineer during the Mexican–American War, and after the war did experimental work with steam propulsion...
- U.S. Navy officer who pioneered engineering innovations - Alexander S. MacKenzieAlexander Slidell MacKenzie (Civil War)Alexander Slidell MacKenzie was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
- U.S. Navy officer - Dennis Hart MahanDennis Hart MahanDennis Hart Mahan was a noted American military theorist and professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1824-1871. He was the father of American naval historian and theorist Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan...
- USMA professor at West Point; expert in siege warfare - Wesley MerrittWesley MerrittWesley Merritt was a general in the United States Army during the American Civil War and the Spanish-American War. He is noted for distinguished service in the cavalry.-Early life:...
- cavalry general in the Union Army - Timothy H. O'SullivanTimothy H. O'SullivanTimothy H. O'Sullivan was a photographer widely known for his work related to the American Civil War and the Western United States.O'Sullivan was born in New York City. As a teenager, he was employed by Mathew Brady...
- pioneer photographer - James B. RickettsJames B. RickettsJames Brewerton Ricketts was a career officer in the United States Army, serving as a Union Army general in the Eastern Theater during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
- Union army general - Daniel SicklesDaniel SicklesDaniel Edgar Sickles was a colorful and controversial American politician, Union general in the American Civil War, and diplomat....
- corps commander in the Army of the Potomac - John SlidellJohn SlidellJohn Slidell was an American politician, lawyer and businessman. A native of New York, Slidell moved to Louisiana as a young man and became a staunch defender of southern rights as a U.S. Representative and Senator...
- Confederate political agent - Alexander S. WebbAlexander S. WebbAlexander Stewart Webb was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry at the Battle of Gettysburg...
- division commander in the Army of the Potomac