Jacob B. Warlow (c. 1818 – August 27, 1890) was an American law enforcement officer, detective and police captain in the

New York Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

. A twenty-year veteran, he led police squads against rioters on the New York waterfront and later defended the ''

New York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s through the 1860s it was the domi ...

'' during the New York Draft Riot of 1863.

Biography

Early life

Jacob B. Warlow became a patrolman for the

Metropolitan police force The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...

around 1851. He later served as a sergeant in the Twentieth Precinct and, in December 1861, was appointed captain of the First Precinct.

Role in the 1863 New York draft riots

In July 1863, a

riot A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...

occurred that commenced on the first day eligible men were drafted for service in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

,The Draft Riot In New York City 1863 Part III: The New York Draft Riot.
From the History Box website. leading to rampant

pillaging Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. ...

and

destruction Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a term from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger * Destructive narcissism, a pathological form of narcissism * Self-destructive behaviour, a widely used phrase that ''conceptualises'' certain kind ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

.Metropolitan Police: Their Services During Riot Week. Their Honorable Record.
By David M. Barnes. This riot became known as the New York Draft Riot and was the largest civil insurrection in

American history The history of the lands that became the United States began with the arrival of the first people in the Americas around 15,000 BC. Numerous indigenous cultures formed, and many saw transformations in the 16th century away from more densely ...

apart from the Civil War.Foner, E. (1988). '' Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution - 1863-1877. The New American Nation series'', p. 32, New York: Harper & Row Upon the outbreak of this riot, Warlow led police squads against ruffians at Broadway and Amity Street and was able to clear out the area. While returning to their own district, Warlow and his unit contended with a mob on Broad Street and quickly rescued another beleaguered police unit on New Street. In their station house on Broad Street, Warlow soon received orders to defend the offices of the ''

'' where a mob had assembled with the intention of

lynching Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...

the editor

Horace Greeley Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congressm ...

and setting the ''Tribune'' office on fire. Asbury, Herbert. ''The Gangs of New York''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928. (pg. 130–132) Warlow and his men marched up Nassau Street and, at Printing House Square, were met by another squad from

New York City Hall New York City Hall is the Government of New York City, seat of New York City government, located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center, Manhattan, Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway, Park R ...

under the command of Captain Thomas Woolsey Thorne. The two officers decided to join forces and, with approximately 100 police officers, attacked the rear of the mob and were quickly able to clear the building of rioters, as well as put out half a dozen small fires before they could do any damage. The mob fled in panic up Park Row and through

City Hall Park City Hall Park is a public park surrounding New York City Hall in the Civic Center of Manhattan. It was the town commons of the nascent city of New York. History 17th century David Provoost was an officer in the Dutch West India Company. Hi ...

where they were finally confronted and dispersed by Inspectors Daniel C. Carpenter and John S. Folk. Later in the course of the riots, Warlow was instrumental in defending the

Brooks Brothers Brooks Brothers, founded in Manhattan, New York, in 1818, is the oldest apparel brand in continuous operation in America. Originally a family business, Brooks Brothers produces clothing for men, women and children, as well as home furnishings. B ...

clothing store, continuing to fight even after he was hit on the foot with a stone and two of his toes smashed. Warlow was among those officers and patrolmen commended for their conduct and service during the riots.

Later life

In the next few years, Warlow served as precinct captain to other districts in Manhattan. However, increasingly poor health forced Warlow to resign his position on August 5, 1871, which officially took effect near the end of the month. He was succeeded by Sergeant John Murphy as Captain of the Seventh Precinct. He remained with the department for another five years, working as a detective under Captain James Irving at the NYPD Police Headquarters, until the police force was reorganized in 1875. Warlow died of

apoplexy Apoplexy () is rupture of an internal organ and the accompanying symptoms. The term formerly referred to what is now called a stroke. Nowadays, health care professionals do not use the term, but instead specify the anatomic location of the bleedi ...

at his home in Whitestone,

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

on the morning of August 27, 1890, at the age of 72.

Biography

Early life

Role in the 1863 New York draft riots

Later life

References

Further reading