Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-10-23
"REMINISCENCES.
wafrTxs FoR rHx AARfrsssURs rsDErsSpEsT
BY A BERKELEY BOY.
Among the Irish ON the Canal.

/ Among the Irish on the Canal.
| While writing the descrip ton OF
! she "slave instruction" scare at
| Winchester, when / came to think
of my participating in the patrol
that flew to arms to protect our
homes and firesides from the i'm
aginary sable foe, marching upon
the town from Apple Pie Ridge,
association of ideas very wildly
recalled similar event at Will
Transport, while | was studying
medicine there under Prof. Fin
ley, in 1884. Between the two
events referred to, the difference
was that in the last named, the ac-
tors were not negroes, but negro
hating Irishmen.
At the date In reference, the
Chesapeake ard Ohio Canal was in
course of construction, and a large
number of Hibernians were en-
| ployed on the work These were
| from different sections of Ireland,
and belonged to the clans known
as the "Fardowns" and "Corkoni-
ans" In coming to find employ
ment on the "public works." as
they habitually spoke of railroads
and canals, they brought their
quarrels with them. The conse-
quence was that they not unfre-
quently carried them so far that
| they ended in riot and bloodshed.
About the time the "high rocks"
above Williamsport were being
cut through, Dam No. was being
built below Williamsport. Labor
ers of the one clan worked at one
of tie jobs while those of the OPP
posing clan were engaged at the
other.
One day the residents of Will
Transport were thrown into great
comm0tion by the rumor that the
Irish were about TO march up from
Dam No 4, for the purpose of at
lacking the place. Thereupon the
posse conaitatis was ordered out to
protect the town. 1 was one of
the posse.
AS required, / was "duly armed
and equipped" with an old mus
ket very much in the same condi-
ton as that used by me at Win
chester-that is, the lock was so
much out of order that not spark
could be got from the flint that was
then used, for percussion caps had
not been applied to guns of that
class as yet, at least such as had
been distributed to the militia
But it served the actual needs of
the hour just as well as if fresh
from the Harper's Ferry Armory,
as we shall see.
While we stood in battle line
near the Aquaduct, in the southern
part of the town, sure enough the
expected Irishmen made their ap-
pearance. They at once sent flag
! of truce to our forces, assuring US
that they had no thought of harm
for us, with whom they had no
quarrel They merely requested
permission. they said, to cross over
the Aquaduct and punish their en-
emies who had been sending in
sulting messages and trying to
wrong them in competing for work
on one of the contracts. This state
ment was, l confess, great relief
to my fears, as l could plainly dis
Germ it was to my companions in
arms.
After more or less Of a par
ley through the truce-bearers, we
finally consented to let them
pass over the Aquaduct. L
repaired at once to DIR. Fin.
iey's office, anticipating that
the surgical services of my pre-
ceptor would be in demand so soon
as they reached the contract where
the objects of their vengeance
were at work. In that event, /
knew, I would be dispatched 10
his stead, for he had a mortal
dread of going among tho Irish,
even in ordinary aud more pacific
times. / had no tear of them at
all. 1t turned out as 1 expected,
observing how their priests and
the bosses, ordered them around
successfully as one in authority, /
simply initiated them. When the
Fardowns and Corkonians at
length met a number of bloody
heads was the result. and / had
my share of them to dress by way
OF affording experience in what is
known to the profession as minor
surgery. Nobody was "kilt," and
strange to say, nobody was very
seriously hurt, at least in the Hi
bernian sense of the phrase, al
though shovels and picks were
used with great freedom on both
sides. Indeed, as I came to under
stand, 1t was pretty difficult TO pro-
duce anything deeper or more
serious than q scalp wound en- the