Henry F. O'Brien (c. 1825 - July 14, 1863) was the colonel of the
11th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment who was killed during the
New York City draft riots
The New York City draft riots (July 13–16, 1863), sometimes referred to as the Manhattan draft riots and known at the time as Draft Week, were violent disturbances in Lower Manhattan, widely regarded as the culmination of white working-cla ...
in 1863.
As commander of the Fire Zouaves, he rallied around 150 infantry against approaching rioters in front of ''Oliver's Livery Stable'' near the
East River
The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates the borough of Queens ...
. As police under Inspector
Daniel C. Carpenter began withdrawing after fighting with rioters on
Second Avenue, O'Brien arrived with two companies at
34th Street and Second Avenue.
After a brief skirmish with the rioters, the mob retreated and O'Brien left his command and walked up the avenue entering a nearby drugstore. However, after a few moments, he was attacked by a group of rioters who had recognized him as he left the building. Severely beaten by the crowd, he was kicked and hit with stones as he lay on the street, which continued for more than an hour.
Although some local civilians attempted to help, rioters attacked civilians attempting to bring him food and water. He was eventually taken by rioters to his nearby home where he was tortured to death and mutilated beyond recognition. After rioters had left, O'Brien's body was transferred to
Bellevue Hospital
Bellevue Hospital (officially NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and formerly known as Bellevue Hospital Center) is a hospital in New York City and the oldest public hospital in the United States. One of the largest hospitals in the United States b ...
and subsequently buried in a pauper's grave at
Calvary Cemetery.
References
General
*
Asbury, Herbert. ''The Gangs of New York''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928.
*Barnes, David M. ''The Draft Riots in New York, July, 1863: The Metropolitan Police, Their Services During Riot Week''. New York: Baker & Godwin Printers and Publishers, 1863.
*Berger, Meyer. ''Meyer Berger's New York''. New York: Fordham University Press, 2004.
*Hoehling, Adolph A. ''Disaster: Major American Catastrophes''. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1973.
Specific
External links
* John William Tuohy
Narrative AmericanMafia.com; accessed January 2, 2017.
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1820s births
1863 deaths
Union Army colonels
Military personnel from New York (state)
People murdered in New York City
American torture victims
Deaths by beating in the United States