“Meeting adjourned to 7:30 o’clock P. M.
“Pursuant to adjournment, the corps assembled at the armory, when the following preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted upon the call of the roll:
“Whereas, the request for the return of our arms and accoutrements has been refused, we find ourselves wholly unable to equip our members, and deprived of the power to respond, as ever heretofore, to the call of duty that may be made upon us, therefore,
“Resolved, That the ‘City Guard’ do hereby disband.
“Resolved, That the events of the past few days prove that we have ever held ourselves ready for the prompt discharge of a soldier’s duty.”
These resolutions were signed by the sixty-one members.
On Tuesday evening, May 27, 1856, the members again met and organized the “Independent City Guard,” and elected the following officers and non coms.: Captain, John A. Clark; First Lieutenant, George F. Watson; Second Lieutenant, Asa L. Loring; Bvt. Second Lieutenant, Peter Van Pelt; Orderly Sergeant, E. M. Crowell; Sergeants, Wm. H. Watson, H. Van Pelt, Nathaniel M. Ford; Corporals, H. H. Thrall, Luke Wilder, John Ames, and Chas. E. Rand; Quartermaster Sergeant, Ephram B. Clement; Treasurer, W. H. Watson; Secretary, John Ames. By-laws were adopted on June 25th following.
Through the generosity of the citizens who fully indorsed the action of the company, the “Independent City Guard” was fully equipped with a full set of arms and accoutrements similar to those taken away. The donations thus furnished for the equipment amounted close on to $2,000. The corps retained, of course, the uniforms previously adopted, they being the personal property of its members.
Immediately following the shooting of King, and of the events above described, many prominent business men and citizens determined upon decisive action, and, without further delay, the Vigilance Committee was formed, many companies armed and equipped. Within a comparatively short time three thousand men were enrolled into the companies and regiments thus raised. Although the “Independent City Guard” took no part as an organization, the members individually did, and they played a very prominent part in this array. Chas. Doane, afterwards captain of the company, was Grand Marshal over all the troops, Watson and many others being officers therein, while the balance went into the ranks.
On Tuesday, May 21st, Casey, together with Cora, who had killed United States Marshal Richardson, were taken from jail, there being no resistance, and hurried to the headquarters of the committee. There they were tried, convicted, and both hanged on the 22d, the day that King was buried.