Part 113
Q. And all you know about ammunition or provisions is what you were directed to do in relation to it?
A. Of course that is all.
Q. In your testimony heretofore you stated that Brinton made a remark that he would be God damned if he would return to Pittsburgh again. Are you certain he made that remark and used that language?
A. I am under oath, am I not?
Q. Refresh your memory and see whether he made that remark?
A. The general knew Colonel Norris better than he knew me, and of course, was speaking to him.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Mr. Yutzy asks you whether you are certain that he made that remark?
A. I most positively assert that General Brinton made that remark.
* * * * *
Major Lewis D. Baugh, re-called:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. State whether you were with General Brinton's command on Sunday morning on their retreat?
A. No, sir; I was not.
Q. State what knowledge you have of the dispatches sent by General Brinton to General Latta during the night of Saturday?
A. I cannot, without my memorandum. I was present when the dispatches came in, several of them, two of them brought in by a scout, I think.
Q. From whom?
A. From General Brinton.
Q. To General Latta?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. You were in General Latta's office?
A. I was in General Latta's office.
Q. When two of them were brought in?
A. I think one or two, I cannot recollect. I was there when the scout came in.
Q. When the first dispatch was brought in?
A. I think so, yes, sir. I came in the room and found him there. If I had a report here I could talk more plain.
Q. You mean the Adjutant General's report?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Can you state the nature of the dispatch?
A. If I saw the book I could state which dispatch it is.
Q. Did you see any other one than those that are published in the Adjutant General's report?
A. I don't recollect of seeing any other. I was in General Latta's head-quarters off and on during the evening, being cut off from my division, and naturally went to the next head-quarters, and I was in there during the evening, trying to get my rations out to the troops. I was commissary of the first division, acting quarter-master at the time, I had some ammunition there as well as rations, and I was in the room and out of it until pretty near midnight, and then I attempted to join General Brinton by myself, and went up street in citizen's clothes.
Q. Did you succeed?
A. No, sir; could not get to the round-house, found that I would get shot very likely by our own men as I was in citizens clothes, and looked about as much like a rioter as any of the rest of them.
Q. Did General Brinton complain of being short of ammunition in any of those dispatches?
A. I think he did, short of ammunition and short of provisions.
Q. Do you recollect what he said about it?
A. No, sir; I do not, because it is all written down, and I had the report.
Q. Are all the dispatches that you read or saw, as coming from General Brinton that night, published in the Adjutant General's report?
A. I think they are. There may be some more that I did not see. I read it over, and found it pretty near as I knew. I tried my best to get provisions to him, and I delivered ammunition--four boxes--to somebody, to take out to some other station to some other troops.
Q. Torrens station?
A. Torrens station, I think it was. I recollect going down in the cellar of the hotel and getting them out; it was pretty hard work for some one or two people, besides myself, to lift them up. The elevator was stopped.
Q. You were the commissary of General Brinton's staff?
A. Yes, sir; I am regular commissary of the First division--General Brinton's division.
Q. And as such were in consultation with the general during the night?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you know of any supplies being provided to General Brinton's command during the night, or at Torrens station?
A. No, sir; not that I know of. There were some supplies I sent down there, but whether they reached or not I do not know; I don't think they did. Some started out there. The supplies went out in a wagon; I did not send those out--out to the round-house. When General Brinton started, he directed me to remain there and make arrangements to ration the troops in the evening and following morning. I made the arrangements, and after getting through with that arrangement I went on the track, and found there had been a fight.
Q. You say you were not with General Brinton when Colonel Norris reached him?
A. No, sir.
Q. When did you see General Brinton after that?
A. I think about three o'clock in the afternoon, as near as I can recollect, without having any watch on me.
Q. Of Sunday?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did General Brinton say anything about having seen Colonel Norris?
A. I do not know that he did--I do not recollect it.
Q. Did he tell you anything about Colonel Norris having been to see him?
A. I don't think he did. As soon as I found they had left the round-house, I heard they had gone to the arsenal. I heard Captain Breck say to somebody that they had gone to the arsenal. I drove there, and found they were not there, and somebody said they had gone to the right. I followed out, and crossed the railroad track, and came to the hospital, and down to the hotel again. I found they had gone to Sharpsburg. I hired another carriage, and drove out to Sharpsburg; and when I got to Sharpsburg, I was bothered which road to take, and I daresn't ask anybody. I found the mark of the shoes that the column had moved in the road, and I followed up that road some distance.
Q. General Brinton did not mention the fact of Colonel Norris having met him that day?
A. I don't recollect of it.
Q. Did he say anything about having received any orders from General Latta?
A. No, sir; he asked me for orders as soon as I got there. I told him I had none. Then I went back to General Latta for the orders.
Q. Why did you go back?
A. He wanted orders.
Q. Did General Brinton send you back for orders?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Where did you go?
A. Drove down the river road to the bridge, about opposite to the Monongahela House; crossed there, and went to the Monongahela House, and went to General Latta's room, and found him, and delivered a note to General Latta.
Q. From whom?
A. General Brinton.
Q. What did General Latta say in reply?
A. Asked where General Brinton was, and I told him back on the hills about the poor-house, as near as I could tell, being a stranger there, then he gave me written orders to give to General Brinton.
Q. When did you tell this to General Brinton?
A. When he gave me the written orders, I asked him about provisions, and he says, I was commissary and it was my business to feed them. Says I, "Yes, but it is your business to give me some stuff." They had not time, and they left me there. Major Lazarus, one of the special officers, was in the room all the time, and there was a captain of the first regiment. I took them down with me, and turned around to Lazarus, and says I, "You read these orders. In case I do not reach General Brinton, or you see him first, give him these orders." Then there was two of us, in case one got picked up then the other would deliver the orders. When I crossed the river at the West Pennsylvania depot, he drove down and delivered the orders. As soon as I got out in the morning, I overhauled General Brinton and gave him the written order.
Q. Do you know what those orders were?
A. If I had a report here, I could tell you, sir.
Q. They are published in the Adjutant General's report?
A. Yes, sir. The substance was to proceed to Altoona.
Q. What is the date of the order--can you give that?
A. Sunday night, about nine o'clock, when I received it.
Q. You may give the substance of the order, as near as you can recollect?
A. To proceed to Altoona, and Mr. Creighton would furnish transportation. When I went back General Latta gave me orders that General Brinton should have it to-night. I went out, and jumped in a wagon, and started over.
Q. While you were at the Monongahela house, did General Latta say anything about General Brinton having disobeyed his orders?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did he say anything to you about having sent orders to General Brinton?
A. Not to me. Didn't hear him say a word about it.
Q. Did he mention having sent Colonel Norris or Captain Aull with orders?
A. No, sir; didn't say a word to me about it. I took General Brinton a note in, and handed it to him, and he then dictated an order. The order was written out, and handed to me, and delivered to General Brinton.
Q. Do you know whether Colonel Norris had returned?
A. I don't know anything about him.
Doctor J. E. Mears, re-called:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. State whether you were at the Union depot on Saturday morning, when Colonel Norris was sent by General Latta and General Brinton.
A. I was, sir.
Q. You may state what conversation took place between General Latta and Colonel Norris?
A. I don't know that I can state positively the conversation. I came to the hotel about eight o'clock on Sunday morning, went to General Latta's room, and reported that the troops had left the round-house, having learned that fact at the hospital, where I had spent a portion of the night, and said to him that I proposed to purchase some medical stores, and join him at once, and asked him where I should go to join him, and he told me to go to the arsenal. At that time, Colonel Norris was making preparations to join General Brinton also. What their conversation was, I cannot state positively, or what the nature of the instructions given to him were. I knew that he was going to see General Brinton, and, at the time, my impression was that he was going to see him in a friendly way. I knew that he was not officially connected with the National Guard, and the impression I had arrived at, at that time, was, he was simply going out to see him in behalf of General Latta, as a friend of General Brinton, to see what had happened and what condition they were in, but I didn't understand, at the time, that he was going officially to him.
Q. Was Captain Aull there, at the time?
A. That I cannot state positively. I went into the dining-room of the hotel, and had a conversation with Captain Breck. That I remember, but I don't remember of meeting Captain Aull, at the time.
Q. Did you see the major, Saturday?
A. I didn't, sir. I may have seen him not to know him.
Q. Did you see Colonel Norris when he started in the carriage?
A. I didn't; because Colonel Norris started before I did. He took a hack, and I was going to a drug store to get some medical stores, and also going to a livery stable to get a conveyance, and Colonel Norris left the hotel before I had left Pittsburgh. As I said in my testimony before, I met once, after he had seen General Brinton.
Q. State what conversation you had with him?
A. I took with me, at the suggestion of Captain Breck, a man who had acted as scout during the night, a member of Murphy's cavalry, I believe. He went with me on account of my being a stranger in Pittsburgh, and showed me the way to the arsenal. When we reached the arsenal and found the troops were not there, and when I was denied admittance by the guard at the gate, or refused to be permitted to go near the gate or have conversation with him, I drove on, and the crowd knew nothing at all about the country beyond that point, so that the way was ascertained by asking persons, of course very cautiously, so as not to let them know what our object was. I followed the command by watching the road and seeing the foot-marks across the bridge going through Sharpsburg, and got through Sharpsburg and passed into the country, turned to the left, and I should think, not more than a quarter of a mile from the point at which I met Colonel Norris returning to the city. He was in a carriage with another person whom I did not know, and to whom I didn't pay particular attention. I got out of the buggy and halted them. They didn't seem to be very desirous to be halted, because it was not desirable that it should be known who they were in that portion of the country. I asked the colonel where the command was, and he told me it was about a quarter of a mile beyond, on the hill. That was the only conversation I had with Colonel Norris. As I said before, he wasn't desirous of stopping very long to give me any information. His words and manner was such as indicated that it was not desirable that we should be seen conversing together, or holding any communication which would indicate that they were in any way associated or connected with the troops, as there were persons along the road that had followed up the command. I joined the troops, certainly no more than a quarter of a mile beyond. I found them resting in good order.
Q. When you joined the troops and met General Brinton, did he say anything about having received any orders from Colonel Norris?
A. No, sir; he didn't.
Q. Did he say what he intended to do?
A. I asked him the question, and he replied that he was going to the poor-house to get a place to rest his command, and also to get food, and I asked him whether he knew where the poor-house was, and what his information was, and he said that a citizen or some person at Sharpsburg had directed him, and told him to go there, that he could get food there, and get an opportunity to cook his rations.
Q. Did Colonel Norris say anything to you as surgeon of the division about having the column halted at any point?
A. No, sir; he didn't.
Q. To dress any wounds?
A. No, sir; not a word. It was as much as I could do to get him to halt them enough to ask him what I regarded as a very important question, where the command was, that I should join him.
Q. Did he say anything about what his business had been to the command?
A. Not a word; no, sir.
Q. Was there anybody in the carriage with him?
A. There was a person, sir, whom I didn't know. They were sitting--both of them--back in the corner of the carriage very closely.
Q. Would you recognize the person now?
A. No, sir. I didn't see anybody in the room whom I should recognize as being with Colonel Norris. I didn't closely examine the person. My business was with Colonel Norris, because I knew him, and desired simply to get the information from him.
Q. Did you know Colonel Norris?
A. I knew him by sight, having met him with the Governor's staff on one or two occasions. I had seen him at the hotel before.
At this point the committee adjourned, to meet to-morrow morning, at Reading, Pennsylvania.
* * * * *
READING, _April 19, 1878_.
The committee met at the Mansion house, at eleven o'clock, A.M. Mr. Lindsey in the chair. All members present except Messrs. Reyburn, Larrabee, and Yutzy.
George S. Goodhart, _affirmed_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. State whether or not you were coroner in July last, at the time of the difficulties here among the railroad employés?
A. I was coroner; yes, sir?
Q. Still holding that position?
A. Still hold that position. I was elected at the same time that Samuel J. Tilden was elected--elected, I say, that is my opinion.
Q. Can you state what day the first difficulty among the railroad employés broke out here, or commenced?
A. No; I cannot. I cannot state the day. I presume it was within a week or somewheres about the 16th--15th or 16th of July. I would date it about a week anterior to the time these men were killed, which was on the 23d, Monday. The excitement ran very high throughout the day of Sunday.
Q. Will you please give us a history of how it first started, and then trace the extent of the difficulty and troubles along up until you come to the date of the conflict between the strikers and the militia?
A. Well, I don't know that I can answer that question with much accuracy. There had evidently been for some time before considerable contending between these engineers who were suspended and the Reading Railroad Company. It is that, I presume, that led to the difficulty.
Q. What time were the engineers suspended by the railroad company?
A. That is more than I can say.
Q. Was it some time prior to this difficulty--outbreak?
A. Yes; certainly it would be prior to this.
Q. How many of them had been suspended?
A. That I cannot say--a large majority of them, I think, that were on the road were suspended.
Q. Were there a large number of them suspended, and were without employ in and about the city of Reading?
A. It was generally so supposed.
Q. And the first dissatisfaction was among that class of men, was it?
A. Yes; and those who sympathized with them. There were differences of opinion among the citizens here. Many sympathized with the railroad company, and many, also, with these employés, and the feeling during the day of Sunday was very much against the Reading Railroad Company.
Q. That was Sunday, the 22d?
A. Yes; the 22d, and on Monday the general impression was here, with those that I had interviews with, that property and shops would be set fire to that night.
Q. The railroad shops?
A. Yes; during the day of Sunday, there was a good deal of excitement on the street here, on Penn street, and a great many people congregated out about the corner of Sixth and Penn and Seventh and Penn.
Q. What class of people generally gathered?
A. They were mostly workingmen, men thrown out of employment.
Q. Men from the manufacturing establishments?
A. Manufacturing, yes, sir; mechanics and laboring classes, principally.
Q. How large a number assembled?
A. I presume I saw as many as fifty to seventy-five, probably one hundred at times during the day on Sunday.
Q. What day was the railroad bridge across the Schuylkill burned?
A. It was burned that same night.
Q. Sunday night?
A. Yes; sometime during the night, about midnight, I think.
Q. This assembly of men on Sunday, was it composed of railroad men--were they actually engaged in running trains then--or was it men who had been discharged?
A. I am not prepared to answer that question, because I know very few of the engineers on the road. I do not know that I can point out a single man of them.
Q. Did the Reading railroad continue to run their trains?
A. They did on Sunday, I think, and a part of the day on Monday. On Monday, towards evening, some of the trains were stopped here in the city by some parties. It seems some of them were boys. Young men got on to the trains, on to the locomotive. At one time, I understood a boy--however, I don't know that I can say that, either, it was so stated by some of the witnesses, that a certain boy got on to a locomotive, and moved it back and forth, just about as he would a little wagon--made a plaything out of it.
Q. Drove the engineer from his engine?
A. Yes; they got off some way.
Q. You did not see them?
A. No; I did not see them. In fact I did not go on Seventh street at all on that day. I don't think I was on Seventh street on the Monday.
Q. Did the crowd remain together during the night of Sunday night, or did it disperse during the evening?
A. That is more than I can say, but I should suppose that it did not disperse very early--I think it highly probable that they kept up looking round for news.
Q. What street were they on on Sunday?
A. Principally, Penn street--corner Sixth and Penn streets.
Q. What was the character of the crowd, as being demonstrative?
A. Well, they were anxiously looking for news from other quarters, from Pittsburgh and Baltimore, where they had been on the strike, and, as a matter of course, they would congregate in front of the telegraph offices. Well, the news came pretty direct to the _Eagle_ office, and they looked there to the bulletin boards for exciting news, and they came around for that purpose, and there was some of them, no doubt, were hard cases, and ready for any emergency.
Q. Were they noisy and boisterous?
A. I cannot say that they were.
Q. Did you have any conversation with any of them?
A. No; I did not.
Q. What seemed to be their troubles and grievances. Did they make them manifest in any way?
A. Well, the main grievance among them, that I could learn, was the depressed state of things, being out of employment, not able to get any-anything to do, and want generally.
Q. Who did they seem to blame for that state of things?
A. There was a good deal of censure placed upon the Reading Railroad Company, more than perhaps any other.
Q. On Monday morning was that crowd still in the streets?
A. Yes; there were some there on Monday morning.
Q. How large a crowd?
A. Probably not so many. I do not think there were so many there that morning as there were on Sunday evening and during the day on Sunday.
Q. Had the news of the burning of the bridge reached you then?
A. Well, not until during the night. I heard the fire alarm bell, but I did not get up. I did not go out at all.
Q. The fire alarm was sounded, was it?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were there any efforts made to extinguish the fire by the fire companies or civil authorities of the city?
A. Well; yes, sir. They went out, as was stated, before the inquisition--before the inquest; the firemen went out, Chief Boyer was there and a number of others, and it appears they could not do anything towards arresting the fire in any way. Some of the cars, I think, were set on fire, some box cars they had out there. Afterwards, it appears, that the report came that the bridge was on fire--that was stated before the inquest, that the mob was so great that they threatened the engineer, the chief of police, and other parties there that intended to suppress the flames--to put down the excitement.
Q. The mob would not permit the firemen to work?
A. Would not permit them to work--to put any water on the fire at all.
Q. Did they use any violence towards the firemen?
A. Not that I could learn.
Q. Did they make any efforts?
A. Not any that I know of.
Q. Do you know whether the police of the city were there--any of them to protect the firemen?
A. The chief of police was there, and no doubt he had a number of the police with him.
Q. Did you see the crowd during the day? How large a crowd was there during the day on Monday?
A. I suppose it would vary, likely, from one hundred to one hundred and fifty.
Q. Where were they mostly during the day?
A. Between the Keystone house, and the _Eagle_ office.
Q. They still continued to gather around the bulletin boards?
A. Yes; around the bulletin boards. Some of them would come over, occasionally, to look at the _Times'_ office, but most of the news came through the _Eagle_ office, and the consequence was, the most of the crowd were in front of the _Eagle_ office, there and at the Keystone house.
Q. How was it at the railroad depot, and about the railroad offices?
A. I don't know, for I didn't go there at all.
Q. Do you know how large a crowd was there?
A. No.
Q. Do you know whether there was any efforts made by the civil authorities of the city to disperse the crowd during the day?
A. Well, there was an effort made, at least it so appeared in the inquisition, that parties went to the sheriff, with a view of getting him to render some assistance. One party, a man by the name of Miller, proffered to suppress the mob with fifty men. Said that if the sheriff would allow him to, that he thought he could procure that number of men. This was sometime during the day of Monday that this statement was made. The proffer was made to the sheriff.
Q. Made by Mr. Miller himself?
A. By Mr. Miller, in company with Mr. Wood.
Q. What reply did the sheriff make to that offer?
A. I don't know the exact words--I have all that testimony down.
Q. Give us the substance of it--of his reply?