NEW YORK, July 2, 1863.

TO GOVERNOR CURTIN, Harrisburg, Pa.: ·

Your telegram is received. Troops will continue to be sent. One regiment leaves to-day, another to-morrow, all in good pluck. JOHN T. SPRAGUE, Adjutant-General

CHAPTER XII.

THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST NEW YORK.

WHEN the future historian shall tell the story of our late civil war, among other facts which will arrest his attention will be the circumstance that the city of New York was for a long time left in a defenseless condition. The destruction of this city would have been a fatal blow to the Union cause. It was not only filled with a vast amount of stores and materials of war which were essential to our armies, but it was the great financial center which supplied the money, without which the Government would have been paralyzed. Upon his entrance into office, Governor Seymour learned that the fortifications of the harbor of New York, inadequately manned, were a peril, and not a protection, to that great commercial point. A few men entering the harbor from the sea could have seized them, have turned their guns against the city; and, before they could be dislodged, could have wrought vast injury, or have extorted large sums of money to induce them to stop their work of destruction. It is well known that hostile cruisers destroyed our shipping at no great distance from the coast. Fortunately they did not know the condition of affairs in the harbor itself. Every effort was made by Mr. Seymour to have these fortifications properly manned. He offered to raise

soldiers for the purpose, who should be placed under the command of the General Government, or to make arrangements with the different regiments of the National Guards to hold in turn these important strongholds. The administration at Washington gave no heed to his warnings and showed no respect to his wishes. In the month of July, 1863, he visited the city and harbor of New York with Senator Morgan and Comptroller Robinson, to learn the condition of its defenses. They were under the control of General Wool, who then commanded the Department of the East. This able and distinguished soldier showed the deepest anxiety to have a sufficient force placed under his command to repel any attacks which should be made. He advised the Governor that he had only 500 men available for the defense of the city, and that but one half of them could be relied upon as artillerists. He also stated that every vessel of war in the harbor of New York or at the depot had been ordered to Hampton Roads, whence, in case of need, no one could be made available in less then ten days. On the 10th of July, the following letter was received by the Governor from General Wool:

HEAD-QUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THIS EAST,

HIS EXCELLENCY, H. SEYMOUR,

YORK 9, 1863.

Governor of New York:

SIR-For want of troops, this city is in a defenseless condition. I require, including a regiment of heavy artillery, expected from General Couch, at Harrisburg, reported by Brigadier General Miller, Inspector-General of New York, to be about four hundred strong, eight companies of artillery, of volunteers or militia, to be placed in

the nine forts of this harbor. These ought to be furnished with as little delay as practicable.

If you have a capable major of artillery, I should be gratified if you would send him with the companies.

Yesterday, I received an order from the War Department, directing me "to organize immediately, by detachment or otherwise, four companies of infantry for service at the draft rendezvous established in the State of New York, two of the companies to be sent to report to the commanding officer at Riker's Island, one company to the commanding officer at Buffalo, and one company to the commanding officer at Elmira, N. Y."

As I have no infantry companies in the State of New York for this service, I would respectfully ask your Excellency to order the four companies to be furnished as soon as practicable.

I have the honor to be,

Very respectfully,

Your ob't servant,

JOHN E. WOOL,
Major-General.

To which the following reply was immediately made:

STATE OF NEW YORK:

INSPECTOR-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
NEW YORK, July 10, 1863.

MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN E. WOOL, Com'dg Dep't of the East, N. Y.:— GENERAL-Your communication addressed to his Excellency, Governor Seymour, under date of July 9th, inst, received yesterday, stating that for the want of troops this city was in a defenseless condition; and further stating that you require, in addition to a regiment of heavy artillery, expected from General Couch, reported to be about four hundred strong, (but since reported to me as about five hundred strong), eight companies of artillery, of volunteers or militia, to be placed in the nine forts of this harbor, and that these ought to be furnished with as little delay as practicable.

His Excellency, the Governor, directs me to say in reply, that, referring to the conversations had by you with him and myself, and to the communications on this subject I had the honor to address to you on the 8th inst., you will observe that State troops in excess of the number now required by you, are in readiness for the service

specified, only waiting orders from the Governor, conveying the assurance that they will be received on reporting at your headquarters as State militia, temporarily placed under your orders by the commander-in-chief for service in the forts of this harbor, and that they will be subsisted by the Government on reporting for duty.

As soon as the Governor is notified that you concur in these views, the troops will be ordered to report to you; they will be furnished with clothing for sixty days from the Quartermaster-General's department, and the subject of pay, &c., will hereafter, be submitted for the consideration of the General Government.

Awaiting a reply upon these points, at your very earliest conveni

ence,

I remain, general, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,

JOSIAH T. MILLER,
Inspector-General.

As the National Guard of the city of New York were in Pennsylvania, orders were at once issued to regiments in the interior to report to Gen. Wool. Several regiments were on their way, and had reached Albany and Binghamton, when the Governor received the following dispatch from Gen, Wool, and was at the same moment advised by telegraph of a riot in the city, growing out of the en forcement of the draft:

To Hon. H. SEYMOUR:

NEW YORK, July 13, 1863.

SIR-Orders just received from the-War Department superseded the necessity of the two companies I required of those now recruiting at New Dorp, and, until further advices, please countermand any militia that is ordered to this place.

J. E. WOOL, Major-General.

Thus, through the refusal of the Administration to allow troops to be placed in the city, under the command of Gen. Wool, it was laid open to the