The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-07-28

The Sixth Regiment OF Baltimore Ordered Out
They arr stoned Back by Mob aud the ArmOry
Rescged-A Attempted March Through the CITY
Nine Citzens shot aud Sixteen Wounded-Out.
break at Pittsburg, pa--Soldiers Mobbed and
killed-tircal Loss Of life--l25 Locomotives and
1850 Freight Cars Bumesl--Immcnse loss Of Mer
chandize-A Harvest f0r TTamps and Thieves
H eS Sars new Ssse I tP9SsRS9S e
West Virginia, Ohio Missouri Indiana Illinois
aud California Involved. ...
The strike of the engineers and iiremen of
the freight trains on the Baltimore aud Ohio
Railroad, which commenced at Martinsburg,
West Va, on Monday, the 10th instant, cx.
tended as far west as Wheeling, and east to
Baltimore. The principal details OF which
were published last week. On Friday after.
noon the strike assumed such fearful att.
tude that it was deemed necessary for the
safety aud peace of Baltimore that Ode 9th
and 9th regiments of that city be called out
and placed in guard OF the Company's prop
erty. Unfortunately the military alarm, l6l
was sounded by some unauthorized person
from the City Hall bell at about o'clock,
just as the employees of the various establish.
ments were ON their way home, and at once
a rush was made for the Sixth Regiment Ar.
mory, located at the corner of Front and Fay.
cite streets. The mob soon increased in
| numbersuntil over 5000 persons were present,
and a like number established at the armory
OF the 9th Regiment on Howard street. Gov.
Carroll issued a proclamation in the morning
calling upon all to abstain from acts of law
lessness and 10 assist the authorities in their
efforts TO preserve the peace. AT $50 orders
We're issued by Gen. Herbert for Col. Peters,
O: the 9Th regiment, to send 100 men in three
/ companies, under his most trusted captains,
to Camden depot at p m, the colonel To
await further orders with the residue, about
| 100 men, at the armOry. Gen. Herbert or
| dered 80 men from the Fifth to the point Of
! debarkation at the same time, aud at about
| 1880 p. M, Gen. Herbert and his staff drove
to the depot in hack.
The Baltimore papers of Saturday give the
| following particulars
Col, Peters and Adjt Bishop were the first
| of the Sixth Regiment to arrive at the armo-
ry, corner of Fayette and Front streets, oppo-
site the shot tower. The armory is in the
second story Of the large building ON the cor.
ner, the entire story, which is divided into
several raoms, being used for the purpose
| The entrance to the armOry is on Front st.. ,
about thirty feet from the corner of Fayette
street. There is n double door, about Al feet
wide, a small platform, and stairs ascending
from it to the second story, admitting the pas.
| sage Of about three men abreast.
| AT the sound Of the military alarm the sol.
diers Of the Sixth came rapidly to their ar.
mory, and the crowd which had gathered
about the front of the building as spectators
| began to increase very rapidly The crowd
was composed in n considerable proportion
of halfgrown youths, men, and some women
The assemblage gradually filled up Front st. e,
before the armory, the crowd extending some
distance towards Baltimore street, and on
! Fayette street east and west Of Front street.
About Z p m, the crowd began to exhibit
turbulent symptoms, and occasionally man
IN uniform was roughly handled.
The commissary, q. c. Brown, Lieutenant
Wales and Major A. j. George, the latter not
in uniform, and some Of the artillerymen con.
nected with the regiment were struck, receiv-
| ing slight bruises on the arms, legs and body
from brickbats and stones. Occasionally u
stone crashed through window, and as dark.
| ness, approached the use of missiles grew to u
regular stone battle. The streets being torn
up for laying gaspipes in the vicinity aud bull
dlngs in process of erection furnished the ma
terial of warfare While the armory was
being stoned from the outside Col. Peters
and his command occupied the large drill
room. Every pane of glass on the Front.street
side or main entrace of the armory was
smashed, and tho shower of missiles drove in
the guard from the pavement and the senti.
nels in the vestibule. The rioters did not in.
wade the building. The drill room being in
the rear, afforded shelter for the soldiers who
were very much excited.
| Col. Peters personally superintended de.
tails OF preparation for marching Two hun.
dred and twenty men answered to roll call.
! In obedience TO orders three companies were
detailed to go to Cumberland, viz Company
l, Capt. VIM. Ii. Taper, forty men; Com.
1 pauy +, Capt. John G. Fallon, forty men;
| Company b, Capt. John Ii. Duifey, forty
men; total one hundred aud twenty men.
/ The band and drum corps were present and
| intended to march with music to Camden
street depot with the command but we're de.
tered by the further proceedings on the out.
side. Twenty rounds of ammunition were
! distributed TO each of the men, who carried
breach loading rifles, They also carried KNAPP.
sacks, rolled blankets and one days ratons.
At S.l5 O'Clock the detachment was formed
III two ranks and marched by twos down the
stairs, and on reaching the front door the
head OF the column was greeted by a shower
OF stones, caWing it to recoil and turn back.
very many Of the men were struck, and the
shower Of sto les and bricks covered the floor
OF the yestitule. This momentary success
greatly elated the crowd, which cheered cheer
after cheer.
Previous to the assault on the command
there had been very general and strong ex.
preston OF dis satisfaction with the use OF the
regiment in .half of the railroad. There
were cries and cheers for the strikers. The
demonstration had been growing for fully an
hour, and several thousand persons assembled
IN the crowd. Col Peters thought it neces.
sary to send for the police to clear the way to
obYlate the necessity of using the military
force and arms. The few policemen on the
spot were powerless TO quell the riotous man.
hesitation, aud a policeman was dispatched
Tor more men, but when a larger squad came
with Captain Lannan, they were unable to
restore order, so that when the military were
ready to march the wild spirit of the crowd
was unrestrained and apparently resistless
except by the terror of arms, at least as a
menace.
1t was not the purpose of the officers to fire
ON the crowd, but after the first recoil when
| Company again moved to the door and were
received with another terrific stone assault.
! the soldiers seemed to lose control of them.
| selves so far as TO think only OF their own de-
Tense. The firing began at the door, and the
officers claim that it was without orders from
them. Company /, with fixed bayonets. NOV.
ed on Front street towards Baltimore street.
and we're followed at an interval of about
thirty feet by Company F., who were also re.
ceived with showers of missiles and responded
with occasional volleys of musketry. A vol.
ley was fired along Fayette street towards the
bridge, driving the crowd in that direction.
! These two companies marched by Front street
to baltimore street, and up Baltimore street
to Gay lighting their way at every step, and
doing sad execution with the Minnie balls
from their rifles. BY the time they had pass.
ed the corner of Baltimore and Harrison
streets, one man dead with ball through The
breast and three others dangerously wound.
ed, had been carried into q drug store At that
point The two companies continued up Bal.
timore street towards the Camden Station.
Company B, Capt. Outlay, by order of Col.
| Peters. being the last to leave the armory.
marched by way of Front street and up Cav
TO Baltimore street, and thence towards the
depot. This route was takee to avoid the
hostile crowd. While moving out of the ar
mory Col Peters directed the companies from
the head Of the stairs, going with the less ex
| perieneed officers TO the door.
| number of the attachments on Baltimore
street were driven from the ranks. The scene
from Front street up 10 the depot, Camden
Station, was one Of terror. The firing con.
] tiuuad AZ aaiair sntawuais g.. Al