The record-union., 1894-10-26

peao Oh the column an entry into the
! depot could have been effected without
trouble or loss of life
The evidence shows that General Di-
mona old, after some delay, issue the
necessary orders to take the depot, and II
1t had not been for the delinquency of
some OF his subordinate officers the depot
would have been occupied. AS herein
more fully set forth, General Dimond is
sued orders TO his brigade commanders,
IN positive terms, authorizing and direct
ing tnem to use all force necessary to dis
lodge tue strikers, and they were directed
TO use the bayonet or lead if necessary.
1t therefore results that the failure to
take the depot does not rest entirely on
the shoulders of the division commander.
BRIGADIER-GENERAL sHEEHAN.
There seems to be an impression that
Brigadler-GeneralS Sheehan was response
| Die Tor the stoppage of the trains at
1Wenty-frst street, but in view of the
testimony we cannot find that he is
| Dlamable IN the matter. 1t was evidently
! the wish OF the Southern Pacific Conn
pany TO stop trains going into Sacramento
/ 10y way OF Stockton) at Twenty eighth
I street; and in the absence of any orders
to the contrary, the sections containing
the First and Third Regiments would, in
all probability. have stopped at that
point.
General Sheehan, in response to tele-
phone message from the railroad officials
| on the night Of the Sd, suggested
! IWenty-frst street. instead of Twenty
| eighth street, and the trains were stopped
| at that point. On this question the rail-
road company is perhaps blamable, al
though, III all probability, the railroad
agents would have run the two sections
! OF the train TO such points as might have
| been ordered.
At the suggestion of Brigadier- General
Allen, Brigadier- General Sheehan di-
| rected the CluartermaSter OF the Second
infantry to prepare breakfast for the San
Francisco troops which were expected
| early III the morning. 1t being ii p NJ
1t was difficult to buy provisions and as
no positive orders had been issued, there
seems to have been no one who had any
| real charge OF these arrangements. In
! any event, 1t seems to the court that If
determined effort had been made, coffee,
bread and canned meats could have been
! provided sufficient to furnish meal; but
the breakfast was not sufficient in guam
i tlty to afford even a portion of meal to
! the troops.
Under all the circumstances the break
fast was i'll advised, as it consumed nearly
three hours of valuable time, and it would
nave been much simpler proposition 10
have taken rations in bulk and distrib-
uted them to the troops while on the
march or at the depot. Time on that day
was Of vital importance.
General Sheehan had under his COM
mand two companies of Sacramento
troops, Two companies of Stock ton troops
| Gatllng-gun detachment and detail
| from the Signal Corps. This was vir-
tually only battalion; and there were
present with these tour compauies Col
onel Guthrie of the Second Infantry OF
Sacramento and Colonel Nunau of the
Sixth Infantry of Stoc lton, one Lien
tenant-Colonel and two Majors. Cen
eral Sheehan virtually insisted on his
right to command this small body of
men, and appears to have given his or
ders directly. to the troops, and not
through his immediate subordInates.
The line OF march from the armory was
not well devised; more care should have
been exercised in selecting the route. A
part OF Second street, over which the
command moved, was torn up for re-
pairs, the street was filled with stones of
convenient size for throwing, old lum Der,
boxes and barrels lined the streets and in
places greatly impeded travel. A deter
mined mob could have easily barricaded
this street and used the loose stones with
serious effect
Crowds Of people, men, women and
children, gathered along the streets and
Sidewalks, and accompanied the troops
to the depot. No attempt was made 10
restrain this crowd or keep them back.
II 1t was deemed proper TO move the
command III one column, some street
SuOuLt HaN0 De0l Sel6cJeu tnat was Tree
from Impedlments; the entire street. in
Guiding sidewalks, should have been oc-
cupled by the troops. General Sheehau
is responsible for the route selected, as it
appears that Maior-General Dimond re-
lied upon information received from him.
When General Sheehan's command
reached the place where the crowd was
gathered in his front, his command was
marching i'll close column OF companies
and with front of sixteen files. There
were no orders to deploy, no thought of
skirmish line, but the first company
was allowed 10 bump up against the mob
until they stopped without orders. Photo
graphs taken at the time, which are in
possession OF the court (and which are
herewith forwarded show literally the
position OF the crowd. There was a Cat
ling gun between the Sacramento and
Stockton companies. Citizens were
standing between the companies, around
the gun, SO that determined mob could
have made rush through the flanks,
destroyed the formation and captured the
gun.
a General Sheehan not only addressed the
mob several times at length, but he
pleaded with the strikers and requested
them to leave the depot and allow him to
take possession. In this he forgot his
duty as an officer and violated the law as
laid down IN regulations paragraph 1910, !
which expressly prohibits the making
OF a speech TO mob.
General Sheehan claims that General
Dickinson should have co-operated with
him and taken the depot by marching in
on the east end; but if he had expected
such movement he made no preparation
to support it, and allowed his forces to
stand at one point surrounded by the
crowd. When ne received his orders to
guard the bridges he ordered the Sacra-
mento companies to perform the duty,
and then personally y requested the mob to
move back sufficient space to allow him
to execute 'fours right" and when the
crowd voluntarily made way for him he
marched from the ground with his
Sacramento companies and left Colonel
Nunan IN command of the Stock ton COM
panles, without any instructions or i'm
mediate commander On this march to
perform the duty OF guarding the bridges,
he left the Sacramento companies half
way to the bridge and did not immedi-
ately return to the depot
The court is of the opinion that greater
portion OF the responsibility for the fail
ure to take the depot at Sacramento on |
july 4th is due to the suggestions made
and advice given by General Sheehan and
to the faulty handling of his command.
especially when in the immediate pras.
ence Of the mob. The facts lead to the
Irresistible conclusion that the acts of
General Sheehan in stopping to plead
and argue with the mob, instead of pro-
ceeding to take the depot by force. when |
ordered to do so, make him liable to
severe censure.
BRIGADIER-GENERAL DICKINSON,
General Dickinson was aware on June
3Oth that III all probability a portion of !
his brigade would be ordered on active
Itafxr nd hn aI, ii