Resumption of the Draft - Inside the Provost Marshal's Office, Sixth District - The Wheel Goes Round
(GLC 00623 p.573)
Harper's Weekly, Sept. 5 1863 - In this illustration, anxious citizens
gather around "the wheel" at the Provost Marshal's
house to see if their names will be selected for the draft.
In July of 1863, after learning of Lincoln's plan to institute
a national draft, thousands of citizens throughout the
city rioted in protest to forced military service. Dozens
of people were injured and killed and eventually federal
troops were deployed to quell the riot. Five weeks later,
after tempers had simmered, the draft resumed in New York.
The draft wheel was a hollow box with an axle through
it mounted on a perpendicular frame. It was filled with
7,000 scrolls containing enrolled names of potential
draftees. The person responsible for pulling the names
was always blindfolded to ensure fairness during the
procedure. Once a scroll was pulled, it was opened and
the name of the draftee was announced.
| 
