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
Aull was on the way to him with an order from General Latta, and
communicated to him the substance of the order. He further said General
Brinton said he might return if he got positive orders to do so. This
remark shows that General Brinton did not receive it as an order.
And further, Captain Aull not reaching General Brinton during the day,
in the evening he sent Major Baugh, a member of his staff, to the
Adjutant General's head-quarters, at the Monongahela House, for orders.
The Adjutant General gave Major Baugh a written order, which he
delivered to General Brinton, who obeyed it promptly. If Colonel Norris
had reported it to General Brinton as an order coming from General
Latta, and General Brinton had received it as such, he would not have
sent to head-quarters for orders, as he did. As your committee
understand the evidence, all that Colonel Norris claims is, that he
told General Brinton that Captain Aull had an order for him, and
communicated the substance of it to him, and that General Brinton
understood it. True, that in this he is disputed by General Brinton,
but it is not necessary for your committee to settle this question of
veracity between them. The only question for us to settle is, did
General Brinton disobey the order? We do not think that he did. Colonel
Norris does not say he gave him the order. He simply told him Captain
Aull had an order, giving him the substance of it. General Brinton, it
seems, did not consider it his duty to act until the order reached him.
Captain Aull not reaching him, he did what was very proper, sent to
head-quarters for orders.
General Brinton has been censured for going so far out from the city,
and not staying in its immediate vicinity. No one in his position could
be expected to do differently. Ordered into the round house, not
allowed to fire on the mob which was gathering around with the avowed
purpose of killing his men, hooted at by the same mob which cheered the
Pittsburgh troops, the Pittsburgh troops disbanded at a time when the
mob had surrounded and besieged the shops in which his command was
stationed, fired at from the windows of the houses, street corners, and
even from a police station, not an official (except the sheriff) or
citizen of the place to come near him at any time, or express a word of
sympathy or encouragement in the disagreeable and delicate duty he was
bound to perform, and after all, rebuffed at the United States arsenal,
where he expected aid and sympathy, he had good reason to believe he
was not wanted in the city, and needs no excuse for putting a
reasonable distance between his command and that place.
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