This is a continuation of the diary of Benjamin H. Ellicott of Baltimore during the events of the Civil War in 1863. During the latter half of July, the famous draft riots broke out in New York City,\u00ac\u2020and later in the month, Ellicott describes a scene of violence in Baltimore.\u00ac\u2020Meanwhile, Lee and his army become elusive, and the second blockade of Charleston is begun.^{1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n}

The New York City draft riots of 1863 were appropriately called an insurrection and took an enormous toll, even worse that those of the late 1960s and 1970s. The draft was in fact the last straw for Irish workingmen who could not afford the $300 required for hiring a substitute, and who had been antagonized against blacks by demagogic politicians\u00ac\u2020for many years. Adding insult to injury was the fact that many immigrants were automatically signed up for the draft when they arrived, whereas blacks, not being considered citizens, were not drafted.<\/p>\n

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