George Washington Walling - To Protect And Serve, The Mayor's Office, A City In Crisis The Conscription Act
york police chief force
Born May 1, 1823 (New York)
Died December 31, 1891 (New York)
New York City police chief
George Washington Walling was the police chief of New York City from July 1874 until June 1885. Walling gained a reputation as a tough but fair and honest law officer during his decades on the force. He was elevated to the position of chief of police because of his personal heroics during the New York City Draft Riots of 1863 while serving as captain of the twentieth precinct on the lower West Side of the city. His able leadership helped restore order to a city in crisis during the American Civil War (1861–65; war in the United States between the Union [North], who was opposed to slavery, and the Confederacy [South], who was in favor of slavery). Throughout his law career Walling worked toward bringing professionalism to the New York police force by freeing it from connections to corrupt city politics. Professionalism in policing made giant strides in the later half of the nineteenth century due to the work of Walling and others.
For More Information
Books
Astor, Gerald. The New York Cops: An Informal History. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1971.
Bernstein, Iver. The New York City Draft Riots: Their Significance for American Society and Politics in the Age of the Civil War. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.
McCague, James. The Second Rebellion: The Story of the New York City Draft Riots of 1863. New York: Dial Press, Inc., 1968.
Walling, George W. Recollections of a New York City Chief of Police. New York: Caxton Book Concern Limited, 1887.
Additional Topics
Walling was the son of Leonard Sr. and Catherine Aumack Walling. He joined the New York City police department at a time when badges were made of stamped copper. Since policemen wore civilian clothes while on duty, their only identification was their patrolman's badge. It earned the officers the nickname "coppers" which, over time, was shortened to "cops." During…
In 1854 Fernando Wood (1812–1881) was elected mayor of New York City. During his first term of office conditions went from bad to worse because of his corrupt administration. In a rigged election in 1857, Wood won a second term in office and the state legislature stepped in. They shortened his term from two years to one and created a Metropolitan police force to replace Wood's corrup…
The U.S. Congress passed the Conscription Act in March of 1863. The Civil War had been going on for almost two years with no end in sight. The Union Army lacked new recruits to join the fight but also needed to control the vast number of deserters who were leaving the battlefields illegally. The new law, called the "Act for Enrolling and Calling Out the National Forces," created a na…
The Metropolitan police district was without a superintendent and communication lines had been cut off throughout the city. Authorities began mobilizing larger units of several hundred police to control troubled areas. By midafternoon the rioters had divided into those who had gathered for antidraft protesting and those who were inclined to looting, arson, and murder. After Monday the crowds turne…
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User Comments
about 3 years ago
Hello,
George Washington Walling was my Great-Great Grandfather. He was born in Middletown, Monmouth County, NJ. He died in Keyport, Monmouth County, NJ.
After his ouster (by the NY legislature) he returned to NJ and became the Fire Chief for the Keyport Fire Department. He held that position until his death.
You can verify any of this information with his auto-biography and the NY Times archives.
Thank You,
Gregg Simmons