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the

Maryland Line

Christopher L. Kolakowski was born and raised in Fredericksburg, VA. He received his BA in History and Mass

Communications from Emory & Henry College, and his MA in Public History from the State University of New York at Albany.

Chris has spent his career interpreting and preserving American military history with the National Park Service, New York State

government, the Rensselaer County (NY) Historical Society, the Civil War Preservation Trust, Kentucky State Parks, and the U.S.

Army. He has written and spoken on various aspects of military history and leadership from 1775 to the present. He has published

two books with the History Press: The Civil War at Perryville: Battling for the Bluegrass and the Stones River and Tullahoma

Campaign: This Army Does Not Retreat. Chris is a contributor to the Emerging Civil War Blog, and his study of the 1941-42

Philippine Campaign title Last Stand on Bataan was released by McFarland in late February 2016. In September 2016 the U.S.

Army published his volume on the 1862 Virginia Campaigns as part of its sesquicentennial series on the Civil War.

Chris lives in Norfolk, Virginia, where he is Director of the MacArthur Memorial.

March 2017 Volume 36, Issue 7

In 1861, New York was a very different place

from the metropolis we know today. The busiest

and most important port in the U.S., secession

rocked the city financially. New York itself

contemplated seceding for a time, but chose to

stay with the Union.

New York State sent more men to the Civil War

than any other state; one-quarter of the units raised

came from New York City. Quite a few (69th,

79th, 20th, 58th, 39th, and others) came from

specific ethnic groups in the city. Many units

developed noted combat records on battlefields in

Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, among

other places.

As the war went, on New York Draft Riots in

July 1863, which was the largest insurrection of its

kind in United States history. Suppressing these

riots and ensuring they didn’t recur occupied

Union forces for much of the last half of 1863.

There was much more that happened to the

Union’s largest city during the Civil War. The

presentation will explore these stories and some

other ties.

New York City’s Civil War By Christopher Kolakowski

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The New York City draft riots : their

significance for American society and

politics in the age of the Civil War https://www.buffalolib.org/vufind/Record/563433/Reviews

By Iver Bernstein

For five days in July 1863, at the height of the Civil War,

New York City was under siege. Angry rioters burned draft

offices, closed factories, destroyed railroad tracks and

telegraph lines, and hunted policemen and soldiers. Before

long, the rioters turned their murderous wrath against the

black community. In the end, at least 105 people were

killed, making the draft riots the most

vio lent insurrect ion in American his tory.

In this vividly written book, Iver Bernstein tells the

compelling story of the New York City draft riots. He

details how what began as a demonstration against the first

federal draft soon expanded into a sweeping assault against

the local institutions and personnel of Abraham Lincoln's

Republican Party as well as a grotesque race riot. Bernstein

identifies participants, dynamics, causes and consequences,

and demonstrates that the "winners" and "losers" of the July

1863 crisis were anything but clear, even after five

regiments rushed north from Gettysburg restored order. In a

tour de force of historical detection, Bernstein shows that to

evaluate the significance of the riots we must enter the

minds and experiences of a cast of characters-Irish and

German immigrant workers, Wall Street businessmen who

frantically debated whether to declare martial law, nervous

politicians in Washington and at City Hall. Along the way,

he offers new perspectives on a wide range of topics: Civil

War society and politics, patterns of race, ethnic and class

relations, the rise of organized labor, styles of leadership,

philanthropy and reform, strains of individualism, and the

rise of machine politics in Boss Tweed's Tammany regime.

An in-depth study of one of the most troubling and least

understood crises in American history, The New York City

Draft Riots is the first book to reveal the broader political

and historical context--the complex of social, cultural and

political relations--that made the bloody events of July 1863

possible.

The Aftermath https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_draft_riots

The exact death toll during the New York Draft Riots is

unknown, but according to historian James M. McPherson

(2001), 119 to 120 people were killed. In all, eleven black

men were lynched over five days. The riots forced hundreds

of blacks to flee the city. Violence by longshoremen against

black men was especially fierce in the docks area.

Historian Samuel Eliot Morison wrote that the riots were

“equivalent to a Confederate victory”. Fifty buildings,

including two Protestant churches and the “Colored Orphan

Ayslum”, were burned to the ground. During the riots,

landlords, fearing that the mob would destroy their

buildings, had driven blacks from their residences. As a

result of the violence against blacks, hundreds left New

York, including James McCune Smith, moving to

Williamsburg, Brooklyn (still a separate city until 1898) and

New Jersey.

The white elite in New York organized to provide relief to

black riot victims, helping them find new work and homes.

The Union League Club and the Committee of Merchants

for the “Relief of Colored People” provided nearly $40,000

to 2,500 victims of the riots. By 1865 the black population

had dropped to under 10,000, to the lowest since 1820. The

white working-class riots had changed the demographics of

the city, and whites exerted their control in the workplace;

they became “unequivocally divided” from blacks.

On August 19, the government resumed the draft in New

York. It was completed within 10 days without further

incident. Fewer men were drafted than had been feared by

the working class: of the 750,000 selected nationwide for

conscription, only 45,000 were sent into active duty.

While the rioting mainly involved the working class,

middle and upper-class New Yorkers had split sentiments

on the draft and use of federal power or martial law to

enforce it. Many wealthy Democratic businessmen sought

to have the draft declared unconstitutional. Tammany

Democrats did not seek to have the draft unconstitutional,

but helped pay the commutation fees for those who were

drafted. In December 1863, the Union League Club

recruited over 2,000 blacks soldiers, outfitted and trained

them, honoring and sending men off with a pararde through

the city to the Hudson River docks in March 1864. A crowd

of 100,000 watched the procession, which was led by police

and members of the Union League Club.

New York’s support for the Union cause continued,

however, grudgingly, and gradually Southern sympathies

declined in the city. New York banks eventually financed

the Civil War, and the state’s industries were more

productive than those of the entire Confederacy. By the end

of the war, more than 450,000 soldiers, sailors, and militia

had enlisted from New York State, which was the most

populous state at the time. A total of 46,000 military men

fro New York State died during the war, more from disease

than wounds.

The “Colored Orphan Asylum” was burned during the riots.

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Upcoming Speakers Apr 13: Phil Greenwalt—Maryland in the First Two

Years of the War

May 11: Chris Mackowski—Memoirs: Grant’s Last

Battle

Receive Your Newsletter by Email! Like everybody, we are trying to tighten

our belts. One way is to receive

newsletter by email. You will receive

your newsletter earlier, in color, and most

importantly—in one piece. So if you

would l ike to rece ive your

newsletter by email, contact Vivian Eicke

at vive01@verizon.net, and I’ll put you

on the email list.

Has Your Address or Email Changed?

Has your mailing address or email changed

recently? If there has been a change in either of them,

please email Vivian Eicke at vive01@verizon.net and Bob

Clark at BobClark3@aol.com or at 301-253-2485.

Don’t Forget Our Monthly Dinner! Don’t forget our monthly dinners before the

presentation! It’s a great time to meet the speaker, and

believe it or not eat some really good food. We do ask

that you make a dinner reservation with Bob Clark so he

knows how many will be attending dinner. Bob’s contact

information is: 301-253-3485 or BobClark3@aol.com.

March Civil War Traveler Events For further events go to: http://civilwar.travel/mobile/

4 DC/VA Bus Tour, “Civil War Battles at Kelly’s Ford and

Bristoe Station,” a Smithsonian tour with Ed Bearss. Leaves

550 C St SW, Washington. 7:45 am-7 pm. $190.

smithsonianassociates.org (click Civil War).

4 VA Bus Tour, “The Marks They’ve Left Behind,” Civil

War graffiti at Ben Lomond, Blenheim, Brandy

Station, and others. 8 am-5 pm. $80/lunch included.

703-367-7872.

4 MD Lecture, “Nurse Cornelia Hancock,” at the National

Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, 2:30 pm. Free

with admission. civilwarmed.org.

4 PA Lecture, “’In violation of the laws and customs of

war’: Andersonville and the Trial of Henry Wirz,” at the

Gettysburg NMP visitor center. 1 pm. Free.

nps.gov/gett/planyourvisit/interpretation.htm.

5 PA Lecture, “’It was, indeed, a scene of unsurpassed

grandeur and majesty’ - An Audio-Visual Presentation of

NPS Coverage of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War,”

at the Gettysburg NMP visitor center. 1 pm. Free.

nps.gov/gett/planyourvisitor/interpretation.htm 11 VA Sign dedication and tours at Cockpit Point, 18245

Cockpit Point Road, Dumfries. 10 am dedication free; tours

at 11 am, 1 and 3 pm are $20. Reservations: 703-792-4754.

11 PA Lecture, “How Does the Civil War Qualify as the

First Modern War?” at the Gettysburg NMP visitor

c e n t e r . 1 p m . F r e e .

nsp.gov/get/planyourvisitor/interpretation.htm 12 PA Lecture, “Farms of Gettysburg: Lydia Leister

Farm,” at the Gettysburg NMP visitor center. 1 pm. Free.

nsp/gov/gett/planyourvisit/interpretation.htm

18 MD Hike, “The Irish Brigade at Antietam,” at the

Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg. 1-3 pm. Free

with park admission. nps.gov/anti

18 DC Symposium, “Abraham Lincoln,” at Ford’s

Theatre. 9 am-5 pm. Free. Registration, ticket info:

fords.org

18 PA Symposium, “The Environment in the Civil War,”

lectures and panel at the Seminary Ridge Museum in

G e t t y s b u r g . 8 : 3 0 a m - 5 : 1 5 p m . $ 1 0 0 .

seminaryridgemuseum.weebly.com 18 PA Lecture, “Farms of Gettysburg: William Culp

Farm,” at the Gettysburg NMP visitor center. 1 pm. Free.

nps.gov/gett/planyourvisitor/interpretation.htm 19 PA Lecture, “Farms of Gettysburg: George Weikert

Farm,” at the Gettysburg NMP visitor center. 1 pm. Free.

nps.gov/gett/planyourvisitor/interpretation.htm 25 PA Lecture, “Farms of Gettysburg: Basil Biggs Farm,”

at the Gettysburg NMP visitor center. 1 pm. Free.

nsp.gov/gett/planyourvisit/interpretation.htm

25 VA Walking tour, “Beyond the Battlefield,”

Alexandria’s Old Town Civil War sites. Begins at the

Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St, Alexandria. 10 pm. $20 at

door, $15 advance. leefendallhouse.org

25-26 VA Symposium, “Everything is New Here,” Prince

William County-Manassas event. Saturday lectures

including Civil War at the Old Court House, 9248 Lee Ave,

Manassas. 9 am-4 pm. $10. Bus tour of related historic

homes Sunday. $50. Information, reservations:

703-792-4754.

26 PA Lecture, “Farms of Gettysburg: Abraham Brian

Farm,” at the Gettysburg NMP visitor center, 1 pm. Free.

nps.gov/gett/planyourvisitor/interpretation.htm 31-April 2 MD Symposium, “Lincoln Assiassination

Studies: No Foolin’ - Just the Facts,” sponsored by the

Surratt House Museum in Clinton. $175.

surrattmuseum.org

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Montgomery County Civil War Round Table

10510 Moxley Road Damascus, MD 20872

Comments, Questions or Suggestions

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions

Contact Vivian Eicke at 301-681-6497

Next Month’s Meeting

Speaker: Phil Greenwalt

Topic: Maryland in the First Two Years of the War

Date: April 13, 2017

The Maryland Line Vivian Eicke, Editor

c/o MCCWRT

10510 Moxley Road

Damascus, MD 20872

Layout and Production Vivian Eicke

Substitute Meals If you have dietary restrictions, and require something other than what is on the menu, please let Bob know when you make your reservations.

Seventh Regular Meeting of 2016 - 2017 Season

Date: March 9, 2017

Place: Hilton Hotel

620 Perry Parkway

Gaithersburg, MD

Time: 7:00 p.m. - Dinner

8:00 p.m. - Speaker

Speaker: Christopher Kolakowski

Topic: New York City’s Civil War

Dinner: $25.00

Speaker only: $5.00

Reservations: Bob Clark

301-253-3485 Email: bobclark3@aol.com

Reservation Deadline: 9:00 p.m., Monday, March 6th.

Please remember that if you have made a dinner reservation and are a no show, then the Round Table has

to pick up the tab. So help us keep costs to a minimum

by honoring your reservation. Thank you.

Montgomery County Civil War Round Table

10510 Moxley Road

Damascus, MD 20872

Winter Weather Policy

Mother Nature has been having a field day with our weather as of late, so who knows what kind of weather we’ll have on the day of our

meeting. So as a reminder of our winter weather policy, we WILL NOT meet if the Montgomery County School system cancel their

evening activities. So if the weather looks iffy, listen to news for possible cancellations. We like y’all too much to lose any of you to an

accident.