Some little-discussed American history

Recently I posted about the role of immigration in the War Between the States. A few days ago, I came across an old book, The Human Side of American History, which was apparently used in the schools once upon a time. More to the point, it was written just on the cusp of the present Politically Correct era, so the material is presented in a way that may not fit the current template of how things were then.
The book is full of primary source information from people who were there at the time and place of certain historical events. One of the excerpts was from letters written by an eyewitness to some of the troubles, describing his experiences in the New York City draft riots of 1863.
This is something about which I have read very little, and it is somewhat jarring to realize how serious these riots were.
Rather than post the excerpt here, although it is not overly long, I posted it at the Forum where you may read it if you are interested.
Other links from the web, with witnesses' accounts:
Martha Derby Perry: Eyewitness to the 1863 New York City Draft Riots
also, here and here, where you can view images of contemporary Harper's magazines reporting the riots.

Labels: American History, Immigration, War Between The States