The herald., 1894-08-28
But No One Wants to Father
Them.
Not Though the Soldier Knew Some
One Had Blundered.
General Dimond's RAPPORT on thu Mem
orable Military Campaign at
Sacramsnto-He shifts the
Rcsponsibility.
Rvthe Associated Press,

siderable length. and the major portion
of it is devoted to review OF the events
at Sacramento on July 4th. He quotes
number OF kilograms that passed be-
tween him and the state authorities and
National guard officers. in particular the
one received from the governor author
izing him to proceed TO Sacramento with
troops and directing him to use his
''best judgment az to the number, equip
ment and mode of transportation"
General Dinond, in view of the fact
that the troops suffered much from hun
ger on the first day OF their arrival at
the capital. lays great stress on the fact
that in issuing orders to the command
ers he repeatedly directed that two days
rations be taken along. which orders, he
says, "for some reason not yet known
were not complied with"
He also quotes kilograms to chow
that he had made inquiries as to the
loyalty of the troops, and had been as
sured that they would do their duty at
all hazards.
The depot campaign is set forth at
length, but the facts do not differ mate
rally from those published at the time.
IL appears that the general had ar
ranged to take the troops direct to the
depot, but through orders, the response
bility of which he has not been able to
place, he was taken to Twenty-tirst
street. and found it necessary to disem-
bark his troops there. This he refers to
as "a serious and fatal mistake"
The responsibility Of the movement of
General Sheshan's troops from the head
OF the column is placed on Marshal
Baldwin. General Dimond states that
General Sheehan saw the necessity of
occupying the end of the depot which
was clear of strikers, and sent a request
to General Dickinson to that effect.
General Dickinson refused, saying he
preferred to receive such orders from
General Dimond. When General Di-
mond finally sent the desired orders
by the heat. The removal OF the COM
panies from the head of the column TO
guard the bridges was opposed by the
officers, as demoralizing to the soldiers
and encouraging to the strikers. But
Marshal Baldwin, who had assumed
command of the troops, insisted on his
orders being carried out.
The report continues: "The division
possibility OF the management of the
campaign resulting from the late strike,
but respectfully submits that he cannot
be held responsible for occurrences due
to matters beyond his control or based
upon information and advice given him
by officers who, being on the spot, were
better able to judge than he, and who
perhaps through an underestimate OF
the intention OF the strikers, gave in
formation which the result proved to be
misleading. 1t is manifest that mis-
takes were committed and [ desire to
draw the special attention of the COM
mander-in-chief to the following"
Then is recited the generals viewe on
the events of that notable Fourth, from
which are selected these as being mate
rial:
The failure of the San Francisco
troops to carry rations as directed in his
telegram BY the adjutantgeneral and
positively ordered by the division COM
mand5r. These orders are stated. were
properly transmitted to General Dckin-
son. and the responsibility for the fail.
ure to comply with the same has not yet
been fixed.
The disembsrking of the troops at
Twenty-6rst street proved to be q very
grave mistake. This arrangement was
made without the knowledge OF the
division commander and was scquiesced
in by him only upon the advice given
him by the prominent Sacramento Off
GERS who met the command at this
point. This resulted in long and
fatiguing march to the troops and their
unnecessary exposure to the sun for
three hours. This, added to the fact
that many of them had had no dinner
the evening previous and the fatigue
caused by want of sleep during the long
railroad trip, very much impaired the
strength of the men who, coming from
the cool climate OF San Francisco and
unaccustomed to the extreme heat of
Sacramento July day, were not in any
condition to stand up against it,
The confident assurances by the COM
manding officer of the Fourth brigade,
confirmed by the views OF the adjutant
general that the strikers would make no
opposition to the occupation OF the
depot by the troops, naturally caused
| the division commander to be guided bv
their advice. This proved very unfor-
tunate. After the troops had their
breakfast, the column being formed,
they were marched to the depot and met
this crowd of several thousand people,
strikers, sightseers, women snd children,
Q crowd which played Into the hands Of
the strikers and proved to be i'm possible
to move. To have fired upon such
mob would have been murder; and in
spite of the efforts and arguments of the
United States marshal and the com.
msnder of the Fourth brigade, the crowd
stood immovable and prevented any
further movement of the troops.
Placing the Sacramento troops at the
head OF the column proved to be mig
take, but they were used at the request
OF their general (see Telegram No. III
and approved of by the eadjutant-general,
and If they were employed at all, they
were entitled to this position by the
seniority OF their commander, and this.
as before stated, was entirely satisfac-
tory to the commander of the Second
brigade, who was not thereby disbsrred
from cooperating in any movement
which might be found beneficial to the
the common end in view. To have de.
prived General Sheehan and his com. &.
mand OF the position in line to which
his rank entitled him. would have been
an unwarrantable reflection upon their
loyalty.
The orders given by the United States
marshal to General Sheshan to move
the two Sacramento companies to the
bridges WAS unfortunate and against nv
/ t~<,s H..