t, when
read between the lines, it is unjust for the Government to draft you
men; I will try and get the Government to rescind its order, and until
_then_ you are respectfully requested to suspend your violent acts
against _property_. But the riot went on. When the troops under Gen.
Wool took charge of the city, thirteen rioters were killed, eighteen
wounded, and twenty-four made prisoners. The rioters rose ostensibly
to resist the draft, but there were three objects before them:
robbery, the destruction of the property of the rich sympathizers with
the Union, and the assassination of Colored persons wherever found.
They burned the Colored Orphans' Asylum, hung Colored men to lamp
posts, and destroyed the property of this class of citizens with
impunity.

During these tragic events in New York a gallant Negro regiment was
preparing to lead an assault upon the rebel Fort Wagner on Morris
Island, South Carolina. On the morning of the 16th of July, 1863, the
54th Massachusetts--first Colored regiment from the North--was
compelled to fall back upon Gen. Terry from before a strong and fresh
rebel force from Georgia. This was on James Island. The 54th was doing
picket duty, and these early visitors thought to find Terry asleep;
but instead found him awaiting their coming with all the vigilance of
an old soldier. And in addition to the compliment his troops paid the
enemy, the gunboats "Pawnee," "Huron," "Marblehead," "John Adams," and
"Mayflower" paid their warmest respects to the intruders. They soon
withdrew, having sustained a loss of 200, while Gen. Terry's loss was
only about 100. It had been arranged to concentrate the Union forces
on Morris Island, open a bombardment upon Fort Wagner, and then charge
and take it on the 18th. The troops on James Island were put in motion
to form a junction with the forces already upon Morris Island. The
march of the 54th Mass., began on the night of the 16th and continued
until the afternoon of the 18th. Through ugly marshes, over swollen
streams, and broken dykes--through darkness and rain, the regiment
made its way to Morris Island where it arrived at 6 A.M. of the 18th
of July. The bombardment of Wagner was to have opened at daylight of
this day; but a terrific storm sweeping over land and sea prevented.
It was 12:30 P.M. when the thunder of siege guns, batteries, and
gunboats announced the opening of the dance of death. A semicircle of
batteries, stretching across the island for a