241:. Decker arrived almost immediately after the orphanage was set on fire and did everything he could to prevent it. Despite having no police protection, Decker and his men made several attempts to break through the rioters. The rioters far outnumbered the firefighters and were turned back. A second attempt was made in three different parts of the building, Decker succeeding in confusing the rioters. The mob became angered at Decker for his repeated attempts to interfere and threatened his life if he tried another attempt to put out the fire. With this, Decker went up to the steps of the building and spoke to the 2,000 rioters and "declared it would be disgraceful to humanity and to the City of New-York to destroy a building whose only purpose was benevolence, and which had for its object nothing but good."
222:, Decker commanded the fire department, coordinating its operations throughout Manhattan. He was present at Third Avenue and 47th Street, on Monday, July 13, 1863, when the draft protests turned violent outside the Ninth District Provost Marshal's office. The volunteer firemen of Engine Company No. 33 (called "Black Joke," after an 1812 warship) halted the draft selection by smashing the window of the office and breaking the rotating lottery bin. When a gathering mob set the office on fire, Decker and Black Joke foreman
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317:. He died less than a week later at his home on the afternoon of November 18, 1892. At the time of his death, his brother, four sisters and other relatives were present. His funeral was held at his home the following week, organized by the Volunteer and Exempt Fireman's Associations, and was buried at the Presbyterian Cemetery at
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would be, with himself, five
Captains, "enough to sink any ship". No one was appointed in his place as a result and, on the night of August 31, 1865, Decker locked the doors of his office for the last time and went home. His last fire was that same day at a stable on Mulberry Street, in the rear of the canal.
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service with the modern New York City Fire
Department, he was legislated out of office. Although the city attempted to retain Decker as the working head of the new organization, Decker declined declaring that if the Commissioner proposed to superintend the work of the firefighters at the fires, there
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At age 17, Decker began working with Engine
Company No. 14 of the old volunteer fire department and, when he became of age, officially joined the department in October 1844. That same year, he became married to Mary Margaret Barton with whom he had three children. Two of these died in infancy while a
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in 1883, Decker reorganized the surviving members of the old volunteers and assigned them a place in one of the divisions of the
Centennial parade. Shortly thereafter, he founded the Volunteer Fireman's Association and served as its first president. Under his energetic leadership, the organization
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In 1847, he was made an assistant foreman of the company, serving three consecutive terms, elected foreman in 1850 and assistant engineer two years later. He was elected Chief
Engineer in 1860 and re-elected in 1863. During his time as Chief Engineer, he was responsible for establishing the First
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Decker was on duty throughout the five-day period and, at one point, narrowly escaped from being lynched. Moments before he was to be hanged, Decker told his attackers that they might "stop his draft, but could not stop the government drafts." He was rescued at the last moment by his men. The
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The half-drunken mob ignored Decker and set fire to the building once more. When Decker and his men put out the fire, which had been set in different parts of the building, the mob rushed towards Decker with the intention of killing him. Decker's life was saved only when his men, who quickly
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surrounded Decker, told the crowd that their fire chief would not be taken "except over their dead bodies." He and 15 of his men were eventually forced from the building and thrown out into the street where they once again stood by to watch the orphanage burn down.
186:, Decker served as a ships cook on a trading vessel for a year when he was 15 years old. Upon returning to New York, he worked with his father throughout his childhood. He eventually opened a wholesale oyster business himself, located on
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415:"Fire Chief Decker Dead; The Last Head Of The Old Volunteer Service. Gratefully Remembered For The Service He Rendered New-York's Citizens By His Bravery During The Draft Riots – He Loved The Fireman's Life."
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John Decker was born in the Third Ward of New York City on May 15, 1823. His father, David Decker, was a prominent businessman and oyster dealer in the city. Educated in a public school on
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in his leg and was confined to his
Vreeland Street home. He last left his residence, walking two blocks to the nearest polling station with the aid of a cane and crutch, to vote for
226:(a sometime city alderman and state representative) cleared a passage through the mob and enabled the Black Joke to put out the blaze before it burned down neighboring tenements.
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Fire
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The New York City Draft Riots: Their
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in the state assembly, receiving 2,336 votes and winning the majority vote, and later held a position at
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Life
Sketches of State Officers, Senators and Members of the Assembly of the State of New York in 1868
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Upon the reorganization of the fire department in June 1865, which effectively replaced the old
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Reminiscences of the Old Fire
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later described Decker as having "showed himself one of the bravest of the brave."
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where he became involved in real estate. Entering local politics, he represented
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Badges of the Bravest: A Pictorial History of Fire Departments in New York City
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Fire Department City of New York: The Bravest; An Illustrated History 1865-2002
145:(May 15, 1823 – November 18, 1892) was an American businessman, politician and
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313:. In early-November, Decker contracted a heavy cold which soon turned into
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Our Firemen: A History of the New York Fire Department, Volunteer and Paid
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The Second Rebellion: The Story of the New York City Draft Riots of 1863
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The Volunteers: A Historical Novel of New York City's Firemen, 1830-1865
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was established as one of the most prominent institutions in the city.
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John Decker being threatened by a mob during the New York Draft Riots
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386:. Albany: Weed, Parsons & Company, 1868. (pg. 225–226)
165:, from 1860 until 1865. He led the fire department during the
464:. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2005.
450:. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, 1986.
513:. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, 2002.
492:. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, 2002.
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On May 17, 1892, Decker developed symptoms related to
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That evening, Decker confronted the mob looting the
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third, their son, drowned while attending school at
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364:. New York: M. Crane, 1885. (pg. 423–430)
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483:Enjine!--Enjine!: A Story of Fire Protection
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574:Deaths from pneumonia in New York City
564:Members of the New York State Assembly
92:New Springville Presbyterian Cemetery
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448:The Man who Tried to Burn New York
290:the British evacuation of New York
108:Firefighter, politician, oysterman
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569:19th-century American legislators
324:Decker was portrayed in the 2006
478:. New York: A.E. Costello, 1887.
382:Harlow, S.R. and S.C. Hutchins.
462:Historic Fires of New York City
273:in 1867 and later relocated to
257:Retirement and political career
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506:. New York: Dial Press, 1968.
311:presidential election of 1892
155:New York City Fire Department
19:For the Wisconsin judge, see
288:At the 100th anniversary of
157:, the original colonial-era
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549:Politicians from Manhattan
544:New York City firefighters
481:Dunshee, Kenneth Holcomb.
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149:. He served as the last
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116:Last fire chief of the
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559:American Presbyterians
331:by Donald L. Collins.
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159:volunteer firefighters
263:volunteer firefighter
239:Colored Orphan Asylum
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178:Early life and career
554:American fire chiefs
509:Urbanowicz, Gary R.
420:, November 19, 1892.
220:New York Draft Riots
214:New York Draft Riots
204:Norwalk, Connecticut
197:John Decker in 1863.
167:New York Draft Riots
128:Mary Margaret Barton
16:American politician
360:Kernan, J. Frank.
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188:Ann Street
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