No Draft

One of the first draft riots during the Civil War occurred November 12^th 1862 in Wisconsin.

On the morning of November 12^th 1862, William Pors a Wisconsin draft officer entered the County Court House at Port Washington, Wisconsin to begin working on a draft.  A mob made up mostly of immigrants dragged him out of the Courthouse and threw Pors down the steps.  Pors hid in the basement of the Post Office while the mob marched on his home and other nearby houses.  They moved on through the town chanting “No draft, no draft” looting, starting fires and causing destruction.  The mob took the town cannon, normally used in the 4^th of July celebration.  The rioters formed a line along the river and prepared to battle the Union Army, which they heard was on its way.

Union troops located in Ulao, Wisconsin marched to Port Washington where they set up a line surrounding the village.  In the meantime the 28^th Wisconsin was brought up by steamer and dropped behind the rioters.  Most of the mob fled, but 136 were captured were transported to Madison, Wisconsin and placed in Camp Randall, where they were held for about a month.  Of these 13 were drafted into the army.