Part 121
A. I told him we had been in the company's shops all night, and that we were burned out, and that the men were out of ammunition, and that I wanted something to eat, and wanted to form my men there until I could get some further orders.
Q. You wanted to form your men in the arsenal grounds?
A. Yes.
Q. Did he refuse?
A. Most peremptorily, and said that we could not come there. I asked where I could encamp or could bivouac, and he said that I couldn't come in there, but could go somewhere else. I said I was a total stranger in the city, and wanted somebody to direct me--nothing more than a civil question, and he said he didn't know, that I would have to go away, and turned on his heel and left.
Q. What excuse did he make, if any, for refusing you admission?
A. I think that he had very few men there. The purport was that he was afraid we might draw the fire of the mob. That was the impression left on my mind.
Q. Did he say anything about a large amount of valuable ammunition and stores?
A. Not to my recollection. He might have said so; but I don't recollect. I know he said he had no ammunition for us.
Q. Did he say he had artillery ammunition, but no ammunition for infantry?
A. I do not recollect that he did.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did you rap at the door or call at the door, and meet him outside, or did he come out before you arrived at the house?
A. Two men were at the gate, and one ran ahead, and I think, told him. I think he rapped at the gate.
Q. Did you have any conversation with Lieutenant Lyon?
A. I do not remember seeing him.
Q. I understood you to say that you called at Colonel Scott's office, and was there shown the communication from General Latta?
A. Yes; I got my dispatch over the Pennsylvania railroad lines.
Q. Was it directed to Colonel Scott or to you?
A. To me.
Q. It went over their line?
A. Yes; all the time I was away we used their wires.
Q. Did you receive any orders from any one else before you left Philadelphia, than from General Latta?
A. No.
Q. Did you receive any communication from General Latta at Pittsburgh, while you were in the round-house, after General Pearson left you, before you sent a communication to him?
A. There was a communication, which came over the wires, directed to General Pearson. A dispatch which I did not understand, saying something about when the troops arrive, make disposition for them--a dispatch could not understand, directed to General Pearson, from General Latta.
Q. That was from General Latta?
A. Yes; but immediately after that the wires were cut, and we had no other communication.
Q. Did you send a communication to General Latta by a messenger, before you received the orders from him to hold the round-house?
A. I did. It was by the messenger whom I sent to General Latta that I received those orders.
Q. That was in reply to your communication?
A. Yes.
Q. There was no other communication from General Latta?
A. I sent him two. The first communication was--the purport of it was--that General Brinton had left there, and that we were suffering for ammunition and for rations, and also had but two friction primers. I have a copy of this, and one of the Sunday papers, I believe, copied it.
Q. That was the first?
A. Yes.
Q. Can you give us the original of that?
A. I think I can give the original--I can give you the original of one. _The Sunday Republic_ published it.
Q. What was the second communication--the one you received and replied to from General Latta?
A. I received a reply to both from General Latta.
Q. Give us the nature of the second communication?
A. I cannot remember the exact phraseology of it.
Q. Give it in substance, as near as you can?
A. It was a mere reiteration, asking for ammunition, and asking for rations--saying that we must be provisioned--that the troops were in a terrible state, nearly starved, and suggesting in one of the dispatches, how they could get in there with their engines, that they might run down and we would try to have the gates ready for them to come in, and the engine, I believe, was subsequently loaded, and the engineer refused to take it.
Q. Did you try to convey the idea to General Latta, that your troops were unfit for duty?
A. No; I conveyed the idea, or attempted to, that they were worn out, not being properly cared for or rationed, and that I had no sufficient amount of ammunition. I tried to convey that idea.
Q. That they were demoralized?
A. No--I did not.
Q. Could there have been such a construction placed on your message?
A. No; I don't think so. A few of my men were not in the best condition, morally, but very few. I only placed them in another part of the building. I designated those.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did you designate those in your message to General Latta?
A. I probably did.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Were they officers or men?
A. A few of the men--none of the officers. But so far as the men were fatigued or worn out, I tried to convey that in the strongest terms.
Q. For the purpose of getting supplies?
A. For the purpose of getting something to eat and ammunition.
Q. Did General Latta say anything in his communications to you that you were left in command of the round-house, and that you were expected to act on your own discretion?
A. No; on the contrary, he gave me specific orders what to do, and when I left where to go.
Q. Did you expect to receive further orders from General Pearson when you received your communications from General Latta?
A. I cannot say that I expected to, although I would not have been surprised to have received them.
Q. Did you consider it your duty to take command of the force and to act at your own discretion after General Pearson had left you and you were not able to communicate with him?
A. No further than I did, because communications should have come the other way. I was ordered to do a certain thing, and it was possibly superseding my duty to send out an officer after orders. It would probably have been more soldierly for me to stay there and receive communications from my superior than to send after them.
Q. Didn't you consider it proper, as a military man, to exercise your own discretion in an emergency of that kind, and take the responsibility of it?
A. No; I do not think I did, nor do I yet. The responsibility rested on me to obey orders, and as I had no means of ascertaining what was going on outside, I resolved to hold that place as far as I could, and didn't move out until the men were nearly choked with the smoke. We held it for two hours longer than we were ordered to hold it.
Q. Was the round-house on fire when you left it?
A. It was.
Q. And the shops adjoining the round-house?
A. Yes; the machine shops adjoining the round-house were entirely on fire. The roof was on fire and the floors were saturated with oil and General Matthews sent to me two or three times saying that the smoke was so intense that they could scarcely stay there. Then I moved them out into the yard.
Q. The floors were saturated with oil?
A. Yes; it was not twenty minutes after leaving the place until it was a cinder.
Q. How did that place become saturated with oil--by the mob?
A. No; the employés of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company put it there while greasing the engines.
Q. Did any whisky or high wines run down into the round-house while you were there?
A. Some whisky ran into the cellar of the office while we were there. It was lower than the pavement, and when they threw the cars off the track there, some barrels got down on the pavement.
Q. Did it run down into the cellar?
A. Yes; into the cellar or basement where the telegraph batteries were stationed.
Q. Was the office connected with the round-house or the building you were in?
A. They were some of the buildings we were in, but not connected although not over three or four feet off them.
Q. Did you see Colonel Norris on your march from the round-house to Claremont?
A. I saw Wilson Norris after we had passed Sharpsburg, between there and Claremont.
Q. Did you receive any orders from him?
A. I have no recollection of receiving any orders from him, and I have questioned my staff who were around me at the time, and they have none.
Q. Neither verbal or written?
A. Neither verbal or written.
Q. Did you receive any orders from any one else before you reached Sharpsburg or Claremont?
A. No.
Q. No orders from any one to go to Torrens station during Sunday?
A. Whilst in the round-house, to proceed east out Penn Avenue, towards Torrens, from General Latta. I did not go there for this reason: Colonel Guthrie was to be at the outer depot at six o'clock in the morning, and we waited there until ten minutes after eight, waiting for him two hours and ten minutes. The suggestions which General Latta gave me were based on Colonel Guthrie's being at Torrens station, but considered I would only be exchanging places with Colonel Guthrie, and for that reason I concluded to go to the arsenal. In the second place, General Latta or the authorities had said it was impossible to ration us.
Q. Did you receive any communication from General Latta, or any other superior officer, before you got to Blairsville?
A. Yes; from General Latta, to proceed to Altoona, which we immediately proceeded to do.
Q. Through whom?
A. Through Major Baugh, whom I sent back to General Latta for instructions--sent him back to Pittsburgh.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. On Saturday afternoon, when the firing commenced--where did it commence?
A. The firing commenced from the Weccacoe Legion.
Q. Facing east?
A. Yes.
Q. It was the first firing from the troops?
A. The first firing came from there.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. From what direction did the stones and other missiles come?
A. They came from every direction.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. Was there any pistol firing from the side of the hill?
A. After the firing commenced it was very hard to detect in which direction it came. It seemed to come in all directions, and the stones were striking against the muskets of the men as they held them up. It was very hard to detect where the firing came from.
Q. Was there any positive order given to fire?
A. I didn't hear it, and I didn't give it, and I don't think there was, further than the general order I gave, if we were attacked that we should defend ourselves.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Was General Pearson present when the firing took place?
A. I think he was--not that I saw him, but he gave me the order to clear the tracks, and the time was so short after he gave the order before the firing commenced, that I do not see how he could arrive at Mr. Pitcairn's office before the firing took place, although I didn't see him myself. He gave me those orders, and I ordered the Weccacoe Legion, which had about seventy-five yards to go, and the whole time didn't occupy over two minutes.
Q. How was he dressed?
A. I think in full uniform--my impression is that he was. I think he was.
By Senator Reyburn:
Q. What do you mean by full uniform?
A. Blouse and cap--regular fatigue uniform.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Suppose he had turned around immediately after giving you the order and gone to Mr. Pitcairn's office, could he have got there before the firing took place?
A. I do not think so, but I may be mistaken.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did he wear a hat or a cap?
A. I cannot tell you, sir. It really didn't make sufficient impression on me, but I think he had a cap on. That is my impression, because I knew him in the army a long time, and he always used to wear a cap there.
Q. Had he a sword and belt on?
A. Yes; a sword and belt on.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Were you in the late war?
A. Yes.
Q. What rank did you occupy?
A. I went out as a private in the Second Pennsylvania cavalry, and afterwards was promoted to different grades to major of a regiment, and brevet lieutenant colonel at Five Forks. I served two years as personal aid to General Griffin, of the Fifth Army Corps.
Q. When did you go out?
A. In September, 1861, and left the army in June, 1866.
Q. What rank did you hold when you left?
A. I was major and brevet lieutenant colonel.
Adjourned, to meet at two o'clock to-morrow.
* * * * *
PHILADELPHIA, _Saturday_, _March 23, 1878_.
Pursuant to adjournment, the committee re-assembled in the St. Cloud hotel, at two o'clock, P.M., this day, and continued the taking of testimony.
* * * * *
J. Ewing Mears, _sworn_:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. At No. 1429 Walnut street, in this city.
Q. What is your profession?
A. That of a physician.
Q. State whether you were a member of the National Guard, and if so, what position you held at the time of the riots?
A. I was the division surgeon of the First division, National Guard, under command of General Brinton.
Q. State whether you accompanied the command of General Brinton to Pittsburgh, and on what day?
A. I left the city of Philadelphia on the morning of Saturday, the 21st of July, in company with General Brinton, and arrived at Pittsburgh shortly after the middle of the day of Saturday.
Q. Go on and relate just what occurred after your arrival at Pittsburgh?
A. I don't know whether I can state it as you wish, without questions from yourself. After our arrival at Pittsburgh, the troops were disembarked, and orders were given with regard to their march up towards the round-house, and I was ordered by General Brinton to establish the division hospital in the mail-room connected with the railroad station. It was nearly opposite to the outer telegraph station, as the depot existed prior to its destruction. Before the command left the depot, I had assigned to the different brigades and regiments medical officers, taking from some regiments officers who were in access of the needs of the regiments; in other words, I distributed medical officers to the different commands, in accordance with the orders of General Brinton.
Q. Did you accompany the command at Twenty-eighth street?
A. I didn't.
Q. Where were you yourself?
A. I was at the depot. My orders from General Brinton were, to establish the division hospital at the depot, to which the wounded, if any happened to be wounded, could be sent.
Q. Did you send out surgeons with the command--as you distributed them, they went out?
A. Yes; there were two surgeons with the First regiment, one surgeon connected with the Second brigade, and one surgeon who was not acting as such among the other companies.
Q. Did you remain at the Union depot during Saturday night?
A. No; I remained there until ten o'clock, then I left the depot, the object being to join the command in the round-house, if possible. I had, in the meantime, met the surgeon of the Pennsylvania railroad, Doctor Murdock, who was also surgeon of the West Penn hospital, and he informed me that some of the wounded of the division were in the hospital, and offered his services to me to assist, and also on behalf of the staff, the use of the hospital. In view of this fact, and as I had also completed my duty at the depot by sending all of the wounded to Philadelphia prior to ten o'clock, I left the depot to start to join General Brinton in the round-house, but being unable to do so by reason of the mob, I went to the hospital, where I found some of the command.
Q. How many wounded were brought to the Union depot?
A. Fifteen.
Q. Of the militia?
A. Yes.
Q. They were sent to Philadelphia?
A. Yes; I obtained from Mr. Cassatt a special car for that purpose.
Q. How were the different men wounded?
A. The majority were wounded by small Smith & Wesson balls--balls that belong to the ordinary pocket revolver, and the gun shot wounds were all in the lower extremities.
Q. Were any wounded with stones or clubs?
A. They were wounded both with bullets, and also with clubs and stones, the majority being wounded with bullets, and as they stated, the wounds being given to them by persons under the cars, the result of that being that the wounds were in the lower extremities. Some had scalp wounds, received from clubs and stones, and some of the wounds in the lower extremities were also from clubs or stones. I should say that 1 moved the hospital from the mail-room, which I had taken, into the hotel, and took for that purpose the two large reading-rooms of the hotel. There I dressed the wounds of those sent to me, and sent them home when I finished the work.
Q. On Sunday, where were you?
A. On Sunday morning, at seven and a half o'clock, I left the West Penn hospital, and came into the depot. I was aware then that the command had left the round-house, that is, I was so informed, and I came into the hotel for the purpose of getting the medical stores, and also for the purpose of getting means of conveyance to the command. I had received a requisition the afternoon before, from one of the surgeons for lint and medical stores, and I had purchased some the night before in a drug store, at Pittsburgh.
Q. The details we don't care for--just simply the number of wounded, and if you heard the firing, and was with the command at the time?
A. I didn't hear the firing, and there were more wounded than I saw, because some didn't come to the depot.
Q. Do you know the number of the wounded altogether?
A. I have endeavored to ascertain that, but have failed thus far. I understood there were about twenty-eight.
Q. How many were killed?
A. As far as I can ascertain, three were killed, two instantly, and one died from the result of a gun-shot wound.
Q. Did you go with the command when it retreated out Penn avenue, and across the river?
A. I followed the command as closely as I could, and joined them after they had crossed the river.
Q. At what time?
A. Ten and a half o'clock.
Q. Were you dressed in uniform?
A. No.
Q. In citizen's clothes?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you have any trouble in reaching the command?
A. No; I was not interfered with, although I drove through the mob. I had with me a guide, a member of one of the cavalry companies of Pittsburgh, but he knew nothing of the country after passing the arsenal. I acted on my own responsibility. I had received an order from General Brinton the evening before, about joining the command, and was directed to join him in citizen's clothes.
Q. Did you stop at the arsenal?
A. I did.
Q. Did you see Major Buffington?
A. No.
Q. Or Lieutenant Lyon?
A. No.
Q. Did you see Lieutenant Ash?
A. I didn't see him.
Q. Did you know that Lieutenant Ash was there?
A. I didn't at that time.
Q. You reached your command in safety?
A. Yes; with the stores I had taken with me. I had a wagon and a horse, and I placed them in the wagon, and took them to the command.
Q. Are there any other facts that you wish to state? State whether you heard any orders given by General Latta to General Brinton?
A. I heard orders dictated to his secretary or to an officer in his room--I did.
Q. At what place?
A. At the Union Depot hotel.
Q. At what time?
A. About eight o'clock on Sunday morning.
Q. What were they?
A. As near as I can remember them--I was not the officer supposed to hear them, but they were given in an ordinary tone of voice--the order was congratulatory to General Brinton on his retreat from the round-house, as to his generalship in getting out of the round-house, and upon his march out Penn square to the arsenal. That is a portion of the order I distinctly remember. Further, when I asked General Latta where I should join the command, he told me to go to the arsenal.
Q. Did you have any conversation with General Latta at that time?
A. I asked him where the command was, and how to get there.
Q. Did you hear any other command given by General Latta to General Brinton?
A. I did not. I met Major Norris returning from the command. He had joined them, and I asked him where they were, and he said on the hill, and that they were going to the poor-house. He said to me nothing at all in regard to any other destination. This hill, I suppose, was a quarter of a mile after the bridge had been crossed--after crossing the river.
By Mr. Means:
Q. Did you have any conversation with citizens of Pittsburgh, or come in contact with them?
A. I did, on Saturday night. I had taken, fortunately, a letter of introduction to a druggist in Pittsburgh, and I went to his drug store to make a purchase.
Q. Just state whether the citizens of Pittsburgh showed sympathy with the strikers?
A. Yes; most decidedly.
Q. Their sympathies were with the strikers?
A. Yes.
Q. And they were hostile to the troops?
A. Most decidedly. I had conversations with a number of medical men, and I was surprised to hear them, as medical men, express their sympathy with the action of the rioters.
Q. In plain words, they said that the strikers were doing right?
A. Yes; they approved their action.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. In what way did they manifest or express sympathy with the rioters?
A. In this way: they thought they were taking the proper action to redress the wrongs they had suffered.
Q. Did they say that the strikers were taking proper action?
A. They said that they thought they were doing right.
Q. What citizens said that?
A. I do not remember the names. I met one gentleman on the street. He was kind enough to conduct me back to the hotel, it being night, and I not knowing the way. He didn't know who I was or my business, and expressed himself very freely about the matter.
Q. Was he a business man?
A. I do not know that. He appeared to be a gentleman--he was dressed as such.
Q. Living in the city of Pittsburgh?
A. I suppose he did, sir.
Q. At the drug store, did you meet any citizens more than the druggist himself?
A. I didn't, because he advised me not to stay there long--that it would not be desirable for them to know who I was.
By Mr. Means:
Q. The druggist advised you not to stay there long--that he did not want the strikers to know you were in his place of business?
A. Or the citizens even to know it. It was rather out of regard for my safety, than possibly for himself. I went through the streets of Pittsburgh, when they were breaking into the stores and seizing arms, and the citizens looked on that indifferently, and no efforts were made to stop that.
Q. You went through the city of Pittsburgh, in disguise for your own safety, for fear of bodily harm you might receive.
A. I went into the streets of Pittsburgh in citizen's dress, in the first place, because I had been warned by General Latta, in regard to wearing my uniform. He advised me to remove it. He said it was not safe even for himself, or anybody connected with the military, to appear in uniform. That it would probably attract the mob to the hotel. I did it at his suggestion, and also, when I reflected on it, for my own safety.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where was that drug store?
A. I cannot tell you where, it was night.
Q. Do you remember the street?
A. I do not. I can go to it in daytime.
Q. Do you know whether it was the proprietor of the drug store with whom you had the conversation?
A. It was the clerk.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Did you get an introduction to the proprietor?
A. I did not.
Q. Who was the letter addressed to?
A. To Mr. Ottinger. I took it, thinking I should possibly want to purchase something.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. You cannot give the street?
A. I didn't see it in the daytime at all.
Q. Can you give us the language--what he said?
A. I cannot, because I didn't stop very long at his store. I had sent him an order, and asked that it should be filled, and I went for the order. It was not completed, and it kept us a few minutes. Further, to show the hostility to the troops, when I was taking the wounded to the cars, the mob had got into the station, and were jeering us and making use of insulting remarks, such as to show that they were gratified that they were going home in that condition.
* * * * *
Thomas A. Scott, _sworn_:
By Mr. Lindsey: