Cockades and Political Rows
Political scuffles are nothing new... and the really exciting ones include cockades!
I am often amused when I hear someone insist that there is too much violence and bickering going on concerning modern politics. You should check out some of the political arguments of the past - in comparison we're downright polite and civil these days!
Here are some entertaining political rows of the 1860s, and of course what drew me to them was the badges and cockades.
A Serious Altercation
The National Republican newspaper tells of a political fight which, they assure us kindly, was not dangerous "although a knife was used." Isn't that heartening?
Political Altercation. – On Thursday night, quite a serious altercation occurred on the avenue, having its origin in politics. It commenced in the National Hotel, between a secessionist wearing a cockade and an anti-secessionist, the latter threatening to cut the emblem of disunion from the coat of the former. The parties repaired to the street, and a fight ensued, when the cockade was clipped off, and both parties bruised, but not dangerously, although a knife was used.
We could not learn the names of the parties engaged in the affray. There was no arrest.
A Breach of the Peace
Although troops were often employed to keep the peace, sometimes they were actually the ones who broke the peace - as in the case reported by this Pennsylvania newspaper concerning some "insulting" Copperhead badges.
Last Spring, in Turbutsville, a company of returned volunteers deemed themselves and their cause insulted by a display of Copperhead badges, at their public reception, and some of them tore off the offensive emblems, resulting in a breach of the peace. At the last term of Northumberland county court, five of the boys were fined $20 each, and the costs jointly, for this resenting of an insult – and three were acquitted. Rev. J. Green Miles was a spectator, and interfered only to stop the contest, but some of the Cops thought it a chance to punish that loyal man for his faithfulness to his country’s cause: they failed, and he stands legally as well as morally clear of any wrong in the premises.
A Disgraceful Row
According to this account, picking on young boys wearing badges made you liable for prosecution for "assault and battery" in Bedford, PA but drawing pistols and throwing stones was apparently not as big of a deal, since "nobody was much hurt." Sounds like a "friendly" little town, eh?
A disgraceful row occurred in our usually quiet borough, on Monday last. The trouble arose from a soldier attempting to take a Copperhead badge from a citizen of Monroe township, who was on a visit to town. Several quarrels sprung from this, and finally the military drew a pistol and began to throw stones. The upshot of the whole affair was that nobody was much hurt, our Monroe friend going out of town with his badge displayed on his coat collar.
In the evening some of the brave Abolitionists in this neighborhood, with clubs in their hands, signalised [sic] their chivalrous nature by pulling off Copperhead badges from half grown and very small boys. This ended in a prosecution for assault and battery, and the grand finale of the drama was the administering of a sound thrashing to a half a dozen young ruffians by a Democratic boy about fifteen years of age.
We can only say that we do not wholly blame the soldiers engaged in this foolish and disgraceful business. The men who lie continually about their neighbors’ loyalty, who speak and print in such a manner as to arouse the feelings and prejudices of the unthinking against their own friends, who call Democrats Copperheads, and then, when Democrats, good-humoredly assume the reproach, denounce and abuse them for doing so, - those men are responsible for scenes of this kind.
Protected By the Police
Of course, no compilation of cockade-inspired riots is complete without mentioning Baltimore. This incident apparently made such an impression on the public that I found numerous accounts of it in newspapers across the country.
About four o’clock, however, the crowd again became excited by the appearance of another “cockade” upon Baltimore street. Many of those assembled made a rush toward the party wearing it, who proved to be a gentleman from North Carolina, who was stopping at Barnum’s Hotel, and cries of “Go in Union men,” “Rally, minute men,” “Take it off the d—d secessionist,” and other riotous shouts were heard. The crowd pressed rapidly around the stranger, and although he was immediately surrounded by a number of sympathizing friends, he was forced up Baltimore street until opposite the clothing establishment of Noah Walker & Co., when a decided stand was taken, and with the assistance of Sergeant McComas, of the Police Department, the gentleman was enabled to return to the hotel, the crowd following him with shouts and yells of every description.
Not As Bad As It Could Be!
There now, don't modern-day politics seem downright tame in comparison? At least I haven't encountered any knife-welding opposition when I wear my cockades around town!
Fall reenacting season is in full swing now, and many heritage groups are getting ready to meet again as well. I have hundreds of cockade styles for living historians and history lovers! If you have a large order, contact me as soon as possible so I can make sure to work with your deadline.
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See you next week!
~Heather
Well done, Heather. I enjoy your emails and find them very informative.