Crime wave?

[Kentucky Derby Cavalier.]

Was there a crime wave when the Civil War started? For this post I'm going to exclude Bush whackers and Jay Hawkers because I already know alot about that, I'm speaking of people who were purely in taking advantage of a chaotic situtation. It can be anywhere too. All the way from Maine to California. New Jersey to Washington state.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

I'm very interested in this topic, as there certainly appears to have been a crime wave after the war. The loss of men to their respective armies would have left a void in communities that was ripe for low lifes who wished to take advantage of women, children and the elderly.

Prior to the CW fraud and theft were the most common crimes. After the war, crimes of violence became more common and it is not unreasonable to think the trauma associated with battle fueled that increase.

 

[Bentonville]

I was wondering the same thing. I know there was a "partisan outfit" in California thay was a good excuse rough to rob. Also, and I heard this second hand so don't quote me; one of Quantril's men ended up there too.

Back home the 'home guard' did a pretty good job killing highwaymen who deserted in 1864-65 from either army. These men were praying on the population sometimes in conjuction with Nstive Americans who being made into outlaws would do anything to mess with.the federal. And the of course the enemy of of my enemy was just fine.

There Shocko Hill in Richmond too. Amd in any major city there were crimes innumerable. Just a higher rate.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

This looks like a promising report, Crime and Punishment on the Civil War Homefront.

https://journals.psu.edu/pmhb/article/download/43813/43534/43652

 

[Bentonville]

This looks like a promising report, Crime and Punishment on the Civil War Homefront.

https://journals.psu.edu/pmhb/article/download/43813/43534/43652

Ah, graphs. That is what I needed. Can't stand being generalized guy.

 

[leftyhunter]

Was there a crime wave when the Civil War started? For this post I'm going to exclude Bush whackers and Jay Hawkers because I already know alot about that, I'm speaking of people who were purely in taking advantage of a chaotic situtation. It can be anywhere too. All the way from Maine to California. New Jersey to Washington state.

We have to keep in there was no FBI until 1908 and there weren't that many law enforcement agencies and they didn't keep records. One would have to search court records if they even exist after all this time to see if there was a crime spike during the ACW. Not all crimes get reported anyway. One could look for annodetal evidence of crimes in newspapers assuming they have copies that old. The New York Times as a book of old newspaper articles from the ACW.
Leftyhunter

 

[damYankee]

There was an big demand for horses and beeves. Rustling was nearly an cottage industry.
One of the most famous events was the McCandless Massacre , it launched a young mans career, his name was Wild Bill Hickock

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ne-rockcreek/

 

[Kentucky Derby Cavalier.]

I was wondering the same thing. I know there was a "partisan outfit" in California thay was a good excuse rough to rob. Also, and I heard this second hand so don't quote me; one of Quantril's men ended up there too.

Back home the 'home guard' did a pretty good job killing highwaymen who deserted in 1864-65 from either army. These men were praying on the population sometimes in conjuction with Nstive Americans who being made into outlaws would do anything to mess with.the federal. And the of course the enemy of of my enemy was just fine.

There Shocko Hill in Richmond too. Amd in any major city there were crimes innumerable. Just a higher rate.

Thank you.

 

[damYankee]

I found the following article addressing crime throughout the early history of the US going back to the colonial era, but also covering the wild west during the Civil War, primarily in the Montana territory and the fringes of the western US. Although the other area with a crime wave was, believe it or not, was Texas, where organized rustling outfits working out of Mexico would raid ranches and homesteads rounding up every horse and cow they could and drive them north to US Army posts where they would be bought without any documentation of ownership, the demand for horses and beeves to support the war effort drove the market.

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-lynching/

 

[damYankee]

Idaho City is situated a few miles away from Boise, is 1863 it was one of the fastest growing towns in the west fueled by a gold rush that attracted thousands of deserters from both Union and Confederate armies as well as freelance gun fighters and all around bad guys. It was actually the capital city for a few months. You can still visit the old city, what's left of it after fires that have occasioned the old city. I have heard various reports of the number of murders some estimate around 250 in a short two year period, fueled by gold fever booze and conflicts between Union supporters and former Rebs.

Idaho City, Idaho – Queen of the Boise Basin – Legends of America

Idaho City, Idaho was once bustling with miners living in the largest town between St. Louis and San Francisco.

www.legendsofamerica.com

Silver City Idaho was another dangerous place;

War Under the Mountain - True West Magazine

John C. Holgate died first, pistol in hand, leading his men down a smoke-filled mining shaft. J. Marion More was gunned down in the streets of Silver City, Idaho—his supporters said murdered—only two days after signing a truce to end one of the era’s most violent mining conflicts. Prominent...

truewestmagazine.com

 

[Kentucky Derby Cavalier.]

If people are interested there is a short Doco on the Montana Vigalantees and there fight for justice.

 

[Kentucky Derby Cavalier.]

Idaho City is situated a few miles away from Boise, is 1863 it was one of the fastest growing towns in the west fueled by a gold rush that attracted thousands of deserters from both Union and Confederate armies as well as freelance gun fighters and all around bad guys. It was actually the capital city for a few months. You can still visit the old city, what's left of it after fires that have occasioned the old city. I have heard various reports of the number of murders some estimate around 250 in a short two year period, fueled by gold fever booze and conflicts between Union supporters and former Rebs.

Idaho City, Idaho – Queen of the Boise Basin – Legends of America

Idaho City, Idaho was once bustling with miners living in the largest town between St. Louis and San Francisco.

www.legendsofamerica.com

Silver City Idaho was another dangerous place;

War Under the Mountain - True West Magazine

John C. Holgate died first, pistol in hand, leading his men down a smoke-filled mining shaft. J. Marion More was gunned down in the streets of Silver City, Idaho—his supporters said murdered—only two days after signing a truce to end one of the era’s most violent mining conflicts. Prominent...

truewestmagazine.com

This is really interesting, thank you.