Saboteurs set firebombs in 19 NYCity Hotels

[HerbS]

On November 23,1864 terrorists set fire to 19 hotels in NYCity."The Safety Of New York City"The following dispatch was received by His Honor the Mayor:Washington,DC-November 3,1864---This department has received information from the British Provinces to the effect that there is a conspiracy on foot to set fire to the principal cities in the Northern States on the day of the Presidential election.-WH.Seward- Secretary of State.The fires were started in hotel beds,luckily their staffs extinguished the fires!As legend has it,one of the terrorists escaped to an island in the St.Lawrence River.His unidentified remains were found on Grindstone Island.The question still remains as to his identity.

[LincolnMan]

And if I remember correctly- wasn't John Wilkes Booth performing in town that very evening?

[J. Beckert]

The Booth Benefit for the statue of Shakespeare was on Nov. 25th., 1864 at the Winter Garden Theater in NYC. Supposedly these incidents created a large argument between the brothers.

[BettyO]

(07-30-2012 08:31 AM)HerbS Wrote:  On November 23,1864 terrorists set fire to 19 hotels in NYCity."The Safety Of New York City"The following dispatch was received by His Honor the Mayor:Washington,DC-November 3,1864---This department has received information from the British Provinces to the effect that there is a conspiracy on foot to set fire to the principal cities in the Northern States on the day of the Presidential election.-WH.Seward- Secretary of State.The fires were started in hotel beds,luckily their staffs extinguished the fires!As legend has it,one of the terrorists escaped to an island in the St.Lawrence River.His unidentified remains were found on Grindstone Island.The question still remains as to his identity.

Captain Robert Cobb Kennedy, a Louisiana soldier and more than likely later Confederate spy was hanged in March of 1865 for being one of the saboteurs who set the fire in Barnum's Museum. He escaped to Canada and then was captured when he attempted to sneak back into the US via Detroit. Lew Powell was supposed to be part of this plot as well; but there is certifiable verification that Powell was with Mosby at this venture - up until he left on January 1, 1865. There is no confirmation that Powell was ever a part of this particular plot, although David Homer Bates attempts to claim so.

[HerbS]

Thanks everybody for your knowledge about this terrorist attack-Booth was in town performing with his brothers on November 25,1864 in Julius Caesar-to benifit the Statue of Shakespeare in Central Park.Booth did speak with the terrorists a month earlier in Toronto with Jacob Thompson,John Headly,and the Kennedy brothers.At first, they thought the remains were Powell's on Maple Island not Grindstone.New York Times said,"Bombing Plot:"One of the most fiendish and inhumane acts in modern times".Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper said,"The Most Diabolical Attempt at Arson and Murder of which there is any record in our Country".

[LincolnMan]

New York,it seems, has long been a target point for terrorism. 9/11 was not new.

[Gene C]

Shows you how desperate some leaders of the confederacy were at this time in the war. They were not even trying to destroy military targets. There sole intent is to create social chaos.

Wasn't Mary & Tadd in NY city at this time?

[HerbS]

Gene,It shows how hard-up they were:Terrorism and the use of "old men"and "young boys"in battle!

[BettyO]

Just remember ya'll....we're not re-fighting the civil war here -- but there was plenty of aggression and "terrorism" on the Northern end as well!

Just say the word "Sherman" in Atlanta, Georgia today and watch what happens!" HA!

[Gene C]

(07-30-2012 02:04 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Just say the word "Sherman" in Atlanta, Georgia today and watch what happens!" HA!

At least Shermon tried to give some advance warning he was going to burn the city....it wasn't a total surprise. It's still debated on how much he burned, and how much the confedereates burned trying to keep supplies out of union hands. It's still bad what some people will do in the name of freedom and liberty.

War is ugly and innocents suffer. We must all be gratefull for the sacrifice others have made on our behalf

[HerbS]

Betty-You are a trip!

[LincolnMan]

Betty: my paternal grandmother-born and raised in Tennessee used to talk about Sherman (negatively)-even though she was born in 1901 and had no memory of what happened. However, the recollections got passed down to the generations. She would talk as if she had been through it herself. Its sort of a "collective memory" that continues on...

[Laurie Verge]

Phil Sheridan is a dirty word to many people I have known in the Valley of Virginia. Unfortunately, the horrors of war carry on from generation to generation - and both sides in any war are guilty of atrocities.

My father carried a dislike of Japanese to his death because he had just left Pearl Harbor when they struck and killed many of his friends in their attack. During the war, he served in Air/Sea Rescue and had to deal with the dead. He then went through the Korean War, and became jaded. Trust me, he was a gentle man, but he had experienced too much war in his 26 years of military life.

Philosophy class dismissed.

[HerbS]

Betty,Sherman has never been my Civil War Hero.Why do think they named a "Tank"after him?Because he was Nasty!My favorite Civil War Generals are-Howard and Longstreet! I am sorry if you were offended by my post.

[BettyO]

(07-30-2012 03:36 PM)HerbS Wrote:  Betty,Sherman has never been my Civil War Hero.Why do think they named a "Tank"after him?Because he was Nasty!My favorite Civil War Generals are-Howard and Longstreet! I am sorry if you were offended by my post.

Herb, m'dear! I'm not offended by ANYONE'S post! All are equal here....like I told a friend of mine (southern) years ago who got offended at something said by another friend of mine (northern) - "The War's over - we lost. Live with it!" It doesn't offend me in any way -- only makes it more interesting!