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Guide to the Vigilance Committee Records, 1856
324
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Title: Vigilance Committee Records,
Date (inclusive): 1856
Box Number: 324
Collector:
Mittlestaedt, Richard E.
Repository:
California State Library
Sacramento, California
Language:
English.
Unrestricted.
Please credit California State Library.
Copyright has not been assigned to California State Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts
must be submitted in writing. Permission for publication is given on behalf of California State Library as the owner of the
physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by
the reader.
[Identification of item], Vigilance Committee Records, California State Library.
San Francisco Committee of Vigilance of 1856.
Vigilance--California--San Francisco.
Vigilance committees--California--San Francisco.
Correspondence, statement of ordinance, schedule of arms, items concerning military matters.
The Vigilance Committee of San Francisco was founded in 1856 following the murder of William H. Richardson by Charles Cora
And James King of by James Casey. The leader of the new committee was William T. Coleman and its headquarters was Fort Gunnybags.
On May 18, 1856, 2,500 armed vigilantes seized Cora and Casey from the sherriff's custody, tried them and publicly hanged
them four days later. Following a fight in which the vigilantes seized arms from the state militia, the Committee held a parade
of 6,1000 followers and then disbanded.
Although highly popular, the Committee did not enjoy universal support. Letters in this collection present the side of the
"Law and Order" forces in opposition to the Committee. The Committee ceased operations in the fall of 1856.
- Johnson, James Meely.
- Kibbe, William C.
- Allen, C. E.
- Boutwell, E. B.
- Cazneau, Thomas N.
- Coleman, William Tell, 1824-1893
- Howard, Volney Erskine, 1809-1885
- Hungerford, D. E.
- Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891
- Ward, George R.
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Title: Anthony Lewis Tasheira Collection, 1849-1860