The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-03-30
The Great Strike Of 1877.


panies, and these were not half full.
Gen. Pearson, fearing that majority
of the men in these regiments sympa-
thized with the strikers, telegraphed
Adjutant General Latta to that effect.
and suggested that troops from Phila-
delphia be sent. on, advancing the
opinion that 1900 troops would be
necessary to dispense the mob, as it was
now (6:35 p. NO. very large, numbering
1000 to 5000 men, and increasing hour
ly. Gen. Latta at once telegraphed
Maj.-Gen. Brinton, commanding the
First Division, National Guard, to get
his command ready to move to Pitts
burg. Gen. GrintOn received this order
in the evening, and at 2 o'clock on the
morning of the 21st he had 600 men at
the railroad depot ready to start. At
Harrisburg he received some ammuni-
ton and two Calling guns, and reach
ed Pittsburg at l p. M, reporting to
Gen. Latta at the Union Depot Hotel,
where he distributed twenty rounds of
ammunition to his men.
About o'clock a. m. of the 21st (be-
fore the arrival Of the Philadelphia
troops), the Nineteenth Regiment and
Breck's Battery were sent out to
tWenty-eighth street, the great gather
ing point of the mob. These troops had
been ordered by Gen. Pearson to hold
this position, and to keep the track
clear at the TWenty-eighth street cross
ing. About 4 a. m. of the same day
the Fourteenth Regiment was sent to
1,ytxy Ia
effort seems to have been made dur
ing the day to carry out Gen. Pearson's
orders, and the soldiers fraternized with
the mob, with arms stacked. About
4 .. m. the Philadelphia troops were
marched out the railroads tracks, a
portion of the troops being left on
Twenty-fifth and TWenty-sixth streets,
where the trains that had been prepar-
ed to send out stood, and the remainder
under command of Gen. BrintOn, pro-
ceeding to the Twenty-eighth street
crossing to cooperate with the Pitts
burg troops in clearing the tracks at
that point, and when this should be
accomplished the trains were to be
started. The mob at TWenty-eighth
street being very large and determined,
it was deemed necessary to order two
companies, which were engaged in an
attempt to- clear the tracks, to charge
bayonets. They did so, but made no
impression upon the crowd. Many of
the guns Of the militia were seized and
the bayonets nearly twisted off. While
these movements were being made the
mob was growing more noisy, defiant
and boisterOus, and stones and other
missiles were thrown at the troops
several of whom were struck, and one
or two seriously injured. Several pistol
shots were also fired by the crowd, and
then the troops began firing on the
mob. The firing was scattering, COM
mencing at point where the pistol
| firing took place and running along
the line until it became almost a vol
ley for a moment. 1t was very quickly
| stopped by the officers. Several per-
sons were killed and wounded. The
coroner held fnql ests Fof, odiesaoi
twenty persons III alt most Of
whom were killed by the soldiers at
this time at TWenty-eighth street, but
a few were killed the following night
and Sunday morning at or near Tween
| ty-sixth street. The firing at once dis
persed the crowd, which fed in all di-
| rection, and left the troops in full pos
session Of the. Twenty eighth street
crossing and the tracks in the vicinity;
but no attempt seems to have been
| made to move the trains supposed to
! be ready at Twenty-sixth street, and
the cars remained there until they and
| their contents were burned. About
| p. M, Gen. Brinton's command was or
| dered by Gen. Pearson to move into
| the lower round-house and machine
| shop, near Twenty-sixth street, and re-
| main for the night, as oil attempts to
| move trains had been abandoned, and
the troops needed rest and food, hav-
ing had no regular meal since leaving
Philadelphia. The mob, meantime,
came together again gradually, and,
| having broken into two or three gun
stores, began, soon after dark, to fire
Upon the round-house and machine
shops, firing in at the windows at any
soldier they could get sight of. Two
of the soldiers were wounded during
| the night. About 10 p. m. the mob
| began setting fire to the cars on the
adjoining tracks. and running them
down the track nearest the round
house, in order, If possible, to set 1t on
fire, and thus drive out the troops. The
round house, however, was we'll sup
piled with water, and the troops were
ena bled to keep the fire from communt-
eating with the buildings during the
night.
| About / o'clock on the morning of the
22nd Sunday, twas discovered that
the crowd had field piece on Liberty
street, ready to fire on the round-house.
BY Gen. Brinton's orders his men were
stationed at the windows ready to fire,
and the strikers were notified that IT
they attempted to discharge the gun
they would be fired upon. The paid nc
attention to the warming, and, when
one of them was seen with the lanyard
in his hand ready to discharge the
piece, they were fired upon by the
! troops, and several of the mob fell, the
rest running away. During all this
night efforts to send provisions to the
soldiers were without avail, as the moi
captured and destroyed, or used the
food sent out for that purpose. About
A. ~ ~~