Ozaukee County's
War History
by Daniel E. McGinley

as extracted from THE PORT WASHINGTON STAR
May 23, 1896



The Draft Riot

We now come to the one dark chapter in the war record of Ozaukee county, the one of which every good citizen is heartily ashamed, it being the chapter which tells the story of the notorious draft riot of 1862. Thousands of the ìstate rightsî people had, since the beginning of the war, been fostering disloyalty by constantly reading and believing certain newspapers which were in sympathy with the slaveholders and bitterly opposed to the government at Washington. One of these papers, which weekly found its way into hundreds of the homes of our German population, was noted for its scurrilous personal attacks on President Lincoln, and it is said openly advocated an utter disregard for the laws made at Washington. The situation in this county gradually grew worse. The brave boys who were leaving comfortable homes to endure the privations of a soldier's life, and to risk life and limb for the preservation of their country were openly insulted and called "Lincoln Hirelings," "Nigger Lovers," and names even worse, while the ladies of their families were not safe from insult on the street or in any public place.

Finally the crisis came. In the fall of 1862 many of the counties in the state being behind in filling their quotas of volunteers, and the general government being much in need of the men, a draft was ordered in such counties. Ozaukee lacked between 700 and 800 of filling her quota, the drafting of which number, at one time, was a heavy pull on so small a county. Several hundred of her loyal sons had already entered the Union army voluntarily, but for various reasons they were not all credited to the county; and although plenty of young single men were left to fill the quota they did not choose to do so, and the draft came.

The leaders of the opposition charged that Ozaukee county's quota was much larger than it would have been had there been an honest apportionment; but while the charge added to the dissatisfaction of the ignorant classes, it was never substantiated. And the appointment of W.A. Pors, an attorney of Port Washington, as draft commissioner, and of Dr. Theo. Hartwig, of Cedarburg, as examining surgeon, gave umbrage to the "state rights" party. Thus the storm kept gathering, the deluded people being led to believe that the law providing for drafting soldiers was unconstitutional, and that if they offered a determined resistance the government would not dare to attempt to enforce it. Many other arguments were used to fan the flame, and when on the 10th of November, Commissioners Pors entered the court house at Port Washington to begin the draft, hundreds of men and women were in waiting wild with the delusion that they were being grievously wronged, and determined to stop the draft there and then. But, to the eternal disgrace of our county, especially of its sheriff and other peace officers, as well as of the rioters, they adopted ways and means that would bring the blush of shame to the cheek of a savage.

The crowd poured into the court room and when Pors was about to commence the drawing of names a rush was made, Pors was knocked down, beaten and dragged down the two flights of stairs by the hair. When they reached the street Probate Judge S.A. White interfered and tried to save Pors, and in the melee which ensued Judge White received severe injuries, among which was a broken leg, but Pors managed to break away and ran down the street pursued by the frantic mob. He finally reached the post office, where he was hidden for a short time, and then escaping by the back door he procured a team and drove by the lake shore route to Milwaukee, whence he telegraphed to Governor Salomon.

In the meantime the mob had made kindlingwood of the drafting apparatus and the furniture of the court room, had destroyed the Commissioner's draft rolls, and had then proceeded to maltreat every Union man whom they could lay their hands on. Some of the rioters wanted to burn the public buildings and the residences of all known Union men, but better counsel prevailed. The mob then went to Mr. Porsí residence and wrecked the building and premises as badly as they could wreck them without fire. The residence was completely gutted, the doors and windows smashed beyond repair, the chimneys torn down, the furniture, clothing and everything else in the house was destroyed or carried away, and even the barn and fences were wrecked. The mob treated in like manner the residences of Dr. H. W. Stillman, H. H. Hunt, J. C. Loomis and A. M Blair. It then made the rounds of the saloons, hotels and groceries, helping itself to food and drink until it grew hilarious. It then procured a flag, tacked on the words "No Draft" in large letters, and paraded up and down the principal streets all the afternoon and far into the night, stopping every little while for refreshments, making the village ring with the most demoniac yells, and treating the frightened inhabitants to a genuine reign of terror.

The next morning part of the mob had sobered up, and learning that soldiers were coming from Milwaukee, some of the cunning ones slipped away and went home. Those who remained were reinforced by new additions to their number from different parts of the county. The old Fourth-of-July cannon was heavily loaded and hauled out on the pier, where it was left in charge of a squad which was instructed to fire into and sink any steamer that might attempt to land troops there. Then the mob went back to the streets and kept up their parading, drinking and carousing until late that night.

During that day, acting under the orders of Gov. Salomon, Provost Marshal McIndoe, a one-armed veteran, with eight companies of the 28th Wis. infantry, boarded the steamer "Sea Bird" at Milwaukee, and steaming up the shore that evening landed part of the troops at Port Ulao, from whence they marched to Port Washington, reaching that place at midnight and capturing the cannon and rioters on the pier without the slightest resistance.

The next day, Nov. 12, martial law as proclaimed in Ozaukee county, and the Provost Marshal established his drum-head court in the court room of the court house. Squads of soldiers were sent to the different parts of the county, and all of the rioters that could be found, with many of their advisors and abettors, were arrested and brought to the drum-head court. One hundred and twenty were found guilty and sent to Milwaukee and thence to Camp Randall, Madison, where they spent the winter in the "bull pen." They were in time given their liberty, and after the close of the war sued Gov. Salomon for false imprisonment, but nothing came of the suit except fat fees for the lawyers. The county had to pay for all the property destroyed by the mob, the value of which, with various costs amounted to many thousands of dollars.

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