San Francisco Committee of Vigilance of 1856

Background. The San Francisco Committee of Vigilance was originally formed in 1851. It was revived in 1856 in response to rampant crime and corruption in the municipal government of San Francisco, California. The 1856 committee was much larger than the 1851 committee, claiming 6,000 in its ranks. Unlike the earlier committee, the 1856 group was concerned with not only civil crimes but also politics and political corruption.

Operations. The 1856 committee engaged in policing, investigations, and secret trials, exceeding its predecessor in audacity. Its headquarters consisted of assembly halls, meeting rooms, a military kitchen, armory, infirmary, and prison cells, all fortified with gunny sacks and cannons. In July 1856, the committee was in Musical Hall when presented with a flag made by the ladies of the city.

Executions. Four people were officially executed in 1856. Charles Cora and James Casey were hanged as murderers by the Committee of Vigilance. The death toll also includes James "Yankee" Sullivan, an Irish immigrant and professional boxer who killed himself after being terrorized and detained in a Vigilante cell.