Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-08-01
Alefarl0rla 0azette
WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST.
Fight With the Reading Mob.

II
| DEAR SIR: Your notification, dated July
81 covering certain inquiries to which you Co.
sire replies, was duly received by me. While
| do not for one moment eonceae your right to
demand such replies from me at this time, while
| | know perfectly We'll that my official report Of
the occurrences at Roadiug on The 23l lost. TO
my superior officers is the Gully account whie,
can at This time be required to make, am
nevertheless quite willing to furnish you with
whatever information is in my possession calcu.
lated to throw light upon the sutj ject matter now
under official Investigation by you. To that
end reply categorlcaly to your questions as
follows:
| Q. Who ordered your command to this place?
4. was ordered 10 Reading with the Fourth
j. Bolton, conlmauding SccoDd division, Ma
tional Guards, Pennsylvania.
| Q. Who gave you orders to march through
the cut to Seventh and Penn streets a. | re-
ccived no orders to march through the cut, but
l was requested to march into the cut to libe
rate train in the possession Of the rioters by
az official Of tho Reading Railroad Company
| q. Who ordered you to fire upon the crowd
| A. No person ordered me to fire, neither did
| lire u0r direct any other person to tirc upou
| the crowd.
@. Which of the companies discharged their
! guns, ard how often a. All the companies
| did firing, but 40 living creature can give the
further information doaircd.
Q. Did you acquaiIt the High Sheriff Of this
county With your coming and presence in the
city? If not, why not? A. did not; it was
not NY duty to acqusiut him With my coming,
aud it was w!iic was proceeding in the direc.
tion Ct the High SherIif's house that my con-!
mand was attacked by the mob; upon receiving
orders 10 repair to Heading, took cars with
my c0mmaDd at & Acntown, and proceeded with.
cut incident tc Temple, where the train was
boarded by Mcss:s. EItz and paxou, railroad
officials; thcso gentlemen Informed ne that the
Reading depot was in possession OF mob num-
boring from two to three Thousand. desired
them 10 stop the tr.in just cut OF sight OF ;hc
depot, which bciug done | discuubarked the
troops, ard having formed we marched to the
derot, fad!Dg it 10 the hands aad under pro-
lection of the coal and iron police. l was then
requested to release train from the hands Q!
the strikers and was Informed that this cut was
the direct road 10 the Pcnu street crossing,
which it wss necessary to clear to permit the
running of trains. l moved my command in
tho direction Of the cu; but before reaching it
we were met BY q large body OF men whose vo-
lent gestures, coGrso INSULT, unspoken threats
apd general bearing suggested the idea of halt
ing the regiment, loading the pieces and NOV
Jog the musicians to the rear.
Before entering tho cut VIC were saluted
by the crowd With volley Of stones and
some pistol shots. We moved down the cut,
stoned at every step by a yelling mob with
out firing shot or speaking word 10 reply
to the shouts which almost dcaieped us,
until We reached the second bridge. During
the march, [, seconded by all the other officers
Of the command, constantly cautioned the men
not to fire, Notwithstanding that every step was
beDg marked by the blood Of the men, and
that many Of the troops had been Knocked down
by tho hglDg stones.
Near the second bridge single shot, fired
without orders, was the signal Tor dropping
fire, which, while doing little or 90 damage to
the mob of rioters, served to check the last fall
Ing shower of sorca Pressing on, the com.
nand reached Peru street and was confronted
by a largo crowd Of persons, VINO met us by
hurpg stones and firing pistols at the regiment
which was ony stopped By what have 5lnce
learned wes 8 very effective voliey, which en-
tirely dispersed them. No. siugle shot was
fired by US on Penn street, either up or down.
Def wss there G single Slot fired alter the last
halt vas mado by US oo Seventh street.
OF the five carloads Of stones which !
heard the next day wcro collected in the cut
very few were thrown after the first shot was
fired Most Of the stCpes were OF such size and
weight that it IL almost cartaln strong arms
we're employed ia The work
Upon reaching Pcun square | inquired for
the Mayor, and was told that he was at the sea
shore. [ also inquired for Tie high Sheriff.
but could learn DO tldings or his whereabouts.
| tbereupon returned TO the depot which had
been asked to protect from tho mob Later in
the pight tho Mayor having returned to the
city, was requested by him 10 send COM
ppry OF troops into the Gu. to drive of tho mob
| then alleged to be engaged in tearing up the
railroad rack. This declined to do, rrlucl
pally because was short O! ammunition, hav-
| ing had but 1900 rounds.
| am led to supplement this narrative With
word or two 10 defence OF tho military iroprIe!y
/ of moving into the cut by tho structures which
| YOUR District Attorney and one CT your daily
papers have been pleased to make upon INC iDr
having selected that route ior nay advance INTO
| the toWo. Raw recruits run greater risks from
having their formation destroyed and the con
fusion incident upon broken aligncments than
| from apy other cause Had the mob succeed
ed in brcekiug its formation, tic Fourth rcg'-
mcnt might itself have dcgcne!atod into noh
and would have been completely at the mercy
OF the rioters This might have been accom-
plished had We been in wide street where The
mob could press upon our Aanks, but 10 the cut
! it was impossible, as our nanks were clear, our
formation WAS preserved, the men had room to
| use their rifles with reasonable effect, and We
emerged from tho cut without the loss Of a Sln'
gle soldier. think can safely rely upon the
result Of the battle With the mob as tho most
uneps1erablc argument against tho theory OF
military b!un1er La accordance with your re
| .uaet ] annl this Latter as 6 sWnrn statement.