Report of the Committee Appointed to Investigate the Railroad Riots in July, 1877: Read in the Senate and House of Representatives May 23, 1878Pennsylvania. General Assembly. Committee Appointed to Investigate the Railroad Riots in July, 1877
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Report of the Committee Appointed to Investigate the Railroad Riots in July, 1877: Read in the Senate and House of Representatives May 23, 1878
Pennsylvania. General Assembly. Committee Appointed to Investigate the Railroad Riots in July, 1877
After this consultation, those troops
were recalled, and brought on to the platform of the Union depot. A
number of us, Mr. Pitcairn, Mr. Cassatt, General Pearson, Mr. Watt, and
myself, and, perhaps, others, I do not recollect now, discussed the
matter there, and General Pearson said that he would await the arrival
of the Fourteenth regiment. When that came, probably about nine
o'clock, on Friday the 20th, he proposed moving out the tracks to
Twenty-eighth street, and hauling his guns after him. I objected to the
movement, and was asked the reasons for my objection. I stated them to
be, that I thought that at eight or nine o'clock that night the crowd
would be very large, and that the movement would be a mistake. I
suggested, instead of that movement, to wait until about three o'clock
in the morning, when the crowd would be at a minimum, and then move out
Bedford avenue with the Fourteenth regiment, and so give time for the
Nineteenth regiment to arrive by the time the ground was cleared by the
Fourteenth. Then, if the crowd did not go away, to drive them away, and
occupy the hill and crossing, and keep them clear. Then, I thought, we
could start the trains. After considerable discussion, that plan was
adopted. I remained at the Union depot, and met Adjutant General Latta
when he arrived.
Q. What time did he arrive?
A. On the fast line, that came in about twelve o'clock Friday
night--may be a few minutes later. General Latta was advised of the
proposed movement, and was particular in his inquiries in regard to it.
He first hesitated in authorizing it, fearing a precipitation of the
conflict. We argued that the probability of a conflict would be avoided
by making that movement; that perhaps there would only be a couple of
hundred men there and that we could occupy the place without
difficulty, and once in control could keep it without further trouble.
After the facts were presented, he declined to interfere with General
Pearson's arrangement. About two o'clock, the Fourteenth regiment was
ordered to return to the city, with the understanding that as soon as
they got to a certain point they were to turn and go out Bedford
avenue. Before this, however, I was directed to arrange to have two
gondola cars to mount the guns on, and to have two engines to push them
up. I was to man them and run them up on parallel tracks, with the
Nineteenth regiment supporting them. I went to the depot master, and
requested him to get the gondolas, and asked him how many engines he
had. He replied that he had one yard shifter. I told him to order out
two engines for the Pacific express, and told him I had authority from
Mr. Pitcairn to give the order. The engines were ordered out, but the
mob refused to allow but one to go. The Fourteenth regiment had started
out Bedford avenue. After my return, I started out the track, and went
up through the ravine there west of Twenty-eighth street, overlooking
the location of the mob, then I passed the Pest house and met the
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