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
Q. Will you give us the time when Colonel Carpenter's regiment reached
Greenville?
A. All the regiment didn't reach Greenville. Some of the companies kept
back in Meadville. Having only one train, one engine, and one engineer
under our control, the officers decided very wisely, as I should have
done, to remain there until the division should be concentrated, and
then move down together. The whole division was not concentrated at
Greenville. There was a company from Ridgway, one from Corry, one
company from Union, two companies from Meadville, and there was one
company from Clarion county, which was not ordered out, because it was
so far away at the time.
Q. The order you sent for Colonel Carpenter to go to Rochester--do you
know whether he received that order or not?
A. I didn't send it directly to Colonel Carpenter, for at no time was I
certain Colonel Carpenter was there; but to the officer in charge of
the troops. I was not certain my adjutant general was there.
Q. The North East company, and the Erie company, and the Conneautville
company were at Greenville?
A. If I remember right, the North East company, under Captain Orton;
Captains Riddle and Curtiss's company, of Erie; Captain Rupert, of
Conneautville; Captain Kreps, of Greenville; Captain Fruit, of
Jefferson; Captain Dight, of Pine Grove; and Captain Wright, of
Mercer--eight or nine companies.
Q. What day did they assemble at Greenville?
A. They probably got there Sunday morning--possibly some of them
Saturday night.
Q. Did Colonel Carpenter, who was in command there, receive your orders
to move to Rochester?
A. He received the orders to move to Rochester, because he replied that
the men were at dinner, and that as soon as dinner was over they would
move.
Q. Did he receive any orders from you before that?
A. No; I don't think I sent him direct orders before that. The orders I
sent before were from Chicago to Colonel Clarke to move the division to
Rochester.
Q. Then it was three or four o'clock on Sunday afternoon when you sent
the order to him to form?
A. No; about twelve and a half o'clock.
Q. Then he had no time to start?
A. No; they were about starting out the depot when I got my order not
to start.
Q. Did you approve of his course in remaining at Greenville?
A. I did. Captain Riddle wanted to move down right away with all the
men they had, but some of the rest didn't want to go, and Colonel
Carpenter said to me that he had got into somewhat of a trouble about
moving, and asked if I approved of his action, and I said perfectly--I
didn't expect the division to move until it was in shape to take care
of itself, and I entirely approve of your course. I went to Riddle, and
called him to one side, and said this thing has gone further than I
expected, and I don't want any more trouble. I didn't want the division
to move down without being strong enough, although we had men enough I
am confident, if we had ammunition, to wipe the whole city of
Pittsburgh right out.
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