Part 130

A. In this way. In the morning when we heard that General Brinton had escaped from the round-house, Captain Aull was there, and an order was given to him to convey to General Brinton. No other officers were around, and I volunteered to go and find General Brinton, if I could. I knew very well that General Brinton, perhaps, would not respect my order if I did convey it, and therefore it was mentioned in the order to Captain Aull, that he should consult with me about the situation. I started with Colonel Stewart in a carriage, and reached General Brinton beyond Sharpsburg, just on the hill. I explained the purport of the order sent by Captain Aull, and by the way, the order was but a sequence of other orders he had received during the night. He told me he had not taken the direction he was ordered to go, because he wanted to escape to the hills and entrench, where he could protect himself from the mob. I suggested to him to return to the town of Sharpsburg, but he said there was a worse feeling, or as bad a feeling manifested there as in Pittsburgh, and that directly he would have two hundred and fifty thousand people of the county about him. We had some conversation why he didn't take the route to the east, and he said he had been followed by a large crowd of men. I knew nothing about that, because I saw no armed men on the way to him. General Brinton certainly understood the purport of the order given to Captain Aull, because his conversation evidenced that--there is no question about that. As to the propriety of his going the way he did, going on his own discretion, I have nothing to say about that. But he certainly knew what the purport of the order was, which was that he was to make a junction with Colonel Guthrie, and the other troops at East Liberty.

Q. Were you present when the order was given to Captain Aull by General Latta?

A. Yes.

Q. Was any direction given to him as to what route he should take to reach General Brinton?

A. I don't remember any further, than by the most immediate route. I passed Captain Aull myself on the way; as he had a buggy, I presumed he would reach there before we did.

Q. How were you traveling?

A. In a cab. I then overtook General Brinton, and told him if he would come back to Sharpsburg, that we might possibly get provisions and ammunition to him. That was his great complaint. I suggested that cars were running to and fro--and while I was there a Pullman train was just passing. He didn't even stop to consult with me or stop his command until it was stopped by the surgeon's request--stopped to take a ball out. I walked at least a mile with General Brinton, leaving the carriage behind. I know it must have been that far, from the distance I had to walk back. I wanted him to go back, but he said he would wait half a mile beyond--on the hill beyond, but I ascertained afterward he didn't stop there. I immediately went back.

Q. From what point did you start when you started to reach General Brinton?

A. From Union depot; and I came back to Union depot.

Q. What time of the day was it?

A. I won't be positive about that. I cannot say what time. I will not be positive--probably about eight or nine o'clock in the morning. It was shortly after their exit from the round-house. It was not a very great length of time afterwards.

Q. What time did you learn of their exit from the round-house?

A. I presume it was about half an hour before I started--possibly it might have been three quarters.

Q. How did the news reach you?

A. It came from Captain Breck. He came down the track with some eight or nine men--no, I think the first information we got was from Captain Aull. He said he had seen the command start down the street, and we discredited it, and went down to make some inquiries, and discovered Captain Breck, and he said it was so. Then the suggestion was made that the command be reached by somebody, and then Captain Aull and myself were sent.

By Senator Yutzy:

Q. Did you see any messages or dispatches while in the round-house from General Brinton to General Latta?

A. Yes.

Q. How many.

A. I should think three or four, carried by the messenger that was passing to and fro.

Q. Can you give the purport of those messages?

A. Well they were chiefly calling for provisions and for ammunition, and explaining the situation.

Q. Did he ask for any assistance?

A. I believe he did. I didn't see what assistance could have been furnished him just then, further than to supply him with ammunition and provisions, and every effort was made to do that.

Q. Did he ask about the regular troops--whether they were on the way?

A. I really don't recollect. He possibly may have done so--I cannot say at this time. I think there was some information given about the coming of Colonel Rodgers and other troops from the east and General Huidekoper's command from the north. I think there may have been some inquiries about that. I think possibly there were.

Q. Did you infer from any of those messages received from General Brinton that his men were in a demoralized condition or inefficient?

A. From one portion of them. There was a dispatch that conveyed that information in unmistakable terms. I remember that distinctly, for I remember the regiment he named.

By Mr. Lindsey:

Q. What regiment did he name?

A. I would rather not say that, unless you insist.

Q. Was it the Sixth regiment?

A. Yes. I think myself from the temper of the people about there, that General Brinton would have been ordered to take the street, had it not been for that dispatch. So far as I was personally concerned, I thought it was a piece of folly to remain there. I was satisfied, at any time, if a proper movement had been made that he could have gotten out. I saw the mob probably better than they did themselves--I saw a great deal of it--in the night and in the morning. It was very much worse in the morning than in the night, because it was aflame with rum, and utterly irresponsible at that time. I think it just simply exhausted itself.

By Mr. Larrabee:

Q. Was any one present when you communicated the substance of this order to General Brinton?

A. There may have been several officers around. I think there were.

Q. Do you remember who?

A. I don't, because I walked along half a mile, or a mile, possibly--half a mile at least. I suppose that some of General Brinton's staff officers were around. The conversation was just in the way I tell you. I gave him no direct order, because I doubted whether I had the authority, and he intimated he would not take such information, anyhow. He said if he got a direct order he might move back. I didn't pretend to convey any positive order to him.

Q. You say you found the command at Sharpsburg or Claremont?

A. Yes.

Q. How far is it from Sharpsburg to Claremont?

A. I really cannot tell you.

Q. How far did he march after you met him?

A. I heard some seven or eight miles. I don't know anything about that; but, when I asked where they found him, they told me some seven or eight miles from where I met him.

Q. Do you know where he encamped that night?

A. I do not. I was in Pittsburgh.

By Mr. Lindsey:

Q. Were you with General Latta during Sunday evening?

A. Yes.

Q. And remained with him until Monday?

A. Yes.

Q. Did any officer or any person reach General Latta from General Brinton asking for orders, on Sunday evening?

A. I saw one or two of his officers, but I have no recollection whether they were after orders or not.

Q. Where did you see them?

A. At the hotel.

Q. The Union Depot?

A. No; the Monongahela house. When I came back from General Brinton, the Union Depot hotel had been abandoned.

Q. What time did these officers come to the Monongahela house?

A. In the evening, about seven o'clock--possibly later.

Q. Did they return to General Brinton that night?

A. That I cannot say.

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Thompson Lennig, re-called:

By Senator Reyburn:

Q. You were a private in the artillery corps, Washington Grays?

A. Yes; I served as such on that occasion.

Q. Were you in the company detailed to clear away the crowd at Twenty-eighth street?

A. Yes; after the First regiment had been divided, the rear rank remained on the left hand side of the railroad; and the front rank was marched across the railroad, extending west from Twenty-eighth street, and the Washington Grays, to which I was attached at the time, were taking charge of the Gatlings. We were ordered to come front, march through the two ranks, and take charge of the crossing. We only had nine men and one officer. We had received short notice to leave, and that is all the men we had. We were ordered to push the crowd back with arms aport. It had no effect. They outnumbered us six or eight to one. Then the Weccacoe Legion was ordered up, a company with from twenty to twenty-five men at the outside. The Grays were divided, five men to one side, and four men on the other. We were then ordered to push the crowd back again. Being a little heavier, we succeeded in pushing them back; but they began to grab our pieces, and I saw one of the Grays who had his piece almost taken out of his hand. The crowd then began to draw their pistols. We had received no orders to fire whatever. This man simply retained his piece by using his bayonet, and my impression is he run the man through. His piece was rusty the next day. At that time the pistol firing began at Twenty-eighth street. The mob were all yelling and hooting. I then heard a rifle shot on our right; that is to say, the rear rank of the First regiment, which had been marched toward the hill. At the most, in thirty seconds not a man in our command would have had his piece, they outnumbered us so. Other shots followed, and I think that the general impression was that the command had been given. Every man felt that it was necessary it should come. The shots followed each other, and I think the whole command fired spontaneously. I heard no command to fire, and I don't think any other man in the command did.

Q. Could you have heard a command?

A. No; the only command I heard was from Colonel Benson, as the First regiment was coming up, and from the evolution which followed, it must have been "four paces left." Colonel Benson has a powerful voice. I only judged what it was from the evolution that followed. All the rioters were yelling and screaming at the same time, and it was utterly impossible to hear any command.

Q. How many pistol shots were fired before this shot?

A. It would be impossible to say.

Q. Generally speaking?

A. I think there had been firing, perhaps, two or three minutes. There were a number of cars standing there, and a number of rioters were underneath the cars, and the shots came out from underneath, and many of our men, I have heard, were wounded in the legs. I saw myself men drawing pistols in front of us, and heard them all calling us opprobrious names, and saying that no one would get home. They evidently thought we never would fire at all. As soon as the firing did take place, they scattered completely, and to all intents and purposes, it struck me that the riot was quelled. If there had been a little more determination after that, I think there would have been no further trouble.

Q. You were in the round-house?

A. Until nine o'clock, then the Washington Grays were ordered out with one of the guns or Gatlings, facing on Liberty street, on the opposite side from Captain Ryan's command, and we were there all night.

Q. What was the conduct of the soldiers during the night?

A. I saw nothing that was not thoroughly soldierly. This Sixth regiment, of which they speak, was in the paint-shop, and we could not see them where they were. I heard no complaints for want of food, yet, of course, we didn't have food. We had an ample supply of water in the round-house. I heard no complaints for want of food.

* * * * *

Robert M. Brinton, re-called:

By Mr. Lindsey:

Q. Were there any of your division that failed to report to you at Pittsburgh, after being ordered out, and if so, why?

A. There were quite a number--probably one half of the division. More than one half. They failed to report at Pittsburgh on account of the shortness of the notice they received in Philadelphia. They subsequently followed, however, and a number of them reached, I believe, Walls station--some three hundred and fifty, under Colonel Rodgers. Colonel Lyle, with probably as many men, reported at Altoona, where he was stopped. He reported there and did duty with General Beaver. I believe the only reason they failed to report was because of the impossibility of receiving timely notice. Wherever men failed to report, when we returned, the brigade commanders made strict investigation into the cases, and all those men were called before a regimental court of inquiry.

Q. Some evidence has been given before the committee of a detachment who, in coming back, stopped across the river from Harrisburg, and were escorted over the river by some parties in Harrisburg. Was that part of your division?

A. I have heard that an officer and some twenty or thirty men were, when we were returning, escorted over the river, and their arms taken away from them. I have had that officer placed under arrest, and a court-martial ordered, and the trial was in progress when, unfortunately, the president of the court tendered his resignation, and his resignation was accepted and forwarded to him, and the court was dissolved. Since then another court has been appointed, and that court is now sitting in the investigation of the conduct of that officer. For the last six months we have had courts-martial going on in the division, and in the case of one officer tried, I think the testimony amounted to twenty-seven pages, closely written matter. The finding was cowardice and absence without leave, and the court said under extenuating circumstances. I reviewed the testimony carefully, and from the testimony couldn't see how cowardice could be substantiated--how that verdict was proper. In regard to being absent without leave, I thought that the testimony was not sufficient to exonerate the officer, although he was ill at the time, as he could have communicated with the commanding officer to know where he was. In every instance where we could detect any omission of duty, we examined into it carefully.

Q. Did you ascertain who the privates were with that crowd?

A. Yes; and those men will be tried.

Q. They have not been tried yet?

A. Not to my knowledge. I don't officially know anything about the inquiry until it comes from brigade head-quarters; but I know that proceedings have been instituted against every man we could find that deserted his command or who didn't go out. The pay of this officer who was on trial has been stopped. He has not been paid, and it is hanging in that way until the case is decided.

Q. The case you speak of now, as reviewing, is the one alluded to by one of the witnesses--Colonel Benson?

A. Yes.

Q. Did that detachment afterwards report for duty?

A. I think it did. I think it afterwards joined us when the Governor came and opened communication with us at Blairsville.

Q. State what time Colonel Norris reached you on Sunday?

A. We had crossed the bridge near Sharpsburg, and had gone beyond the limits of the town, and were halted on the side of a stream when T first saw Colonel Norris. He stopped his barouche below and came up and stood along side of me. Colonel Wilson and General Loud were with me at the time. I am not mistaken on the subject. He gave me no orders whatever. I have tried to tax my memory, because it was what I wanted all the time. I thought it was a singular thing, because after our column had marched from the round-house, where it was impossible to get orders, I thought possibly I might get an officer to guide our column, and when I saw Colonel Norris, I was glad to see him, expecting orders.

Q. What did he state his mission was?

A. His mission was to find out where we were, and to attempt to ration us. That seemed to be his particular mission. So far as giving me any orders or consulting me in regard to them, I positively deny it.

Q. Did he state to you that Captain Aull had received an order from General Latta, to communicate to you?

A. I don't remember that he did that. I didn't know Captain Aull at the time. He was not on the Governor's staff. I had been on the Governor's staff myself, and I knew no such officer on the staff.

Q. Did Captain Norris claim to be acting on the staff of General Latta, or on that of the Governor in any way? Was he a staff officer?

A. At that time, no.

Q. Did he represent himself to be?

A. No, sir; he didn't.

Q. Or that he was authorized by the Adjutant General to convey orders?

A. Our conversation--I remember the first thing he said, was when we got up, "Bob, my God I am glad to see you;" that was the first expression he used. He asked where I was going to, and I said I was going to get something to eat, and that I had moved up the hill because I didn't want to remain in Sharpsburg, where some of the Fourteenth regiment had been shot, and where I thought there might be further difficulty, it being Sunday, and the men all idle. He walked along with us, and halted with us. We were halted when he joined us. We halted there for some little time. I remember going down and getting a drink out of a brook, and quite a number of men did so also. He walked with us for probably quarter of a mile. I said to him, for Heaven's sake Norris, try to get us some rations and some ammunition. Major Baugh joined us, and I sent him back immediately. I asked him whether he had any orders, and then I told him he would be obliged to go right back to Pittsburgh and get them. Major Baugh went back and got the orders he showed here to-day.

Q. Does anything else occur to you?

A. Only this; those officers who were with me, they may remember what Colonel Norris said; they may have refreshed their memories. I should like you to re-call those officers who were with me at the time.

Q. Captain Aull didn't reach you that day?

A. I don't remember to have seen Captain Aull that day. He didn't reach me at all. The orders I received, said to be handed to him for me, were given me one week afterwards, by Colonel Guthrie. If I had received those orders, I should have obeyed them implicitly.

* * * * *

E. DeC. Loud, re-called:

By Mr. Lindsey:

Q. Were you with General Brinton when Colonel Norris reached him on Sunday?

A. I was.

Q. State what Colonel Norris said?

A. When Colonel Norris came up he jumped out of his barouche, and said what General Brinton has testified to--my God, Bob, I am glad to see you; where are you going--and he came up and shook hands with him. He said he was glad to know that we got out, and said it was a pretty good thing to get out all right. General Brinton asked about rations. We were more interested in that than anything else. We sat down on a rock along by a little run, and talked there awhile.

Q. Did you hear him say anything about Captain Aull having received any order from General Latta?

A. I don't know him.

Q. Did you hear him call his name?

A. I don't think I did. I think if there had been anything of the kind I should have noticed it, because I was with General Brinton, and my relations with General Brinton, after we got into the round-house, were closer than any other officer, except the Adjutant General. I was with him--I was with him when the scout came in and went out, and was walking with him all the way out. I was with him from the time my brigade took the right of the line, until Doctor Maris came along, and he got into the carriage with Doctor Maris. I was not away from him five minutes during all the time.

* * * * *

Walter G. Wilson, re-called:

By Mr. Lindsey:

Q. Were you with General Brinton when Colonel Norris reached him?

A. I was standing right alongside of him.

Q. State what Colonel Norris said?

A. The first remark that Colonel Norris made was, my God, Bob, I am glad to see you alive, and he went on to ask some men as to what had taken place during the night, and said, where are you going? The general said, I am going to get something to eat. He said, I have been promised rations on this side of the river. He said, why don't you stay down in Sharpsburg? When he said, I am informed that there is a worse feeling in Sharpsburg than in any other part of this neighborhood, and I deem it best, if that is the case, to take possession of the hill above, only a short distance, probably a quarter of a mile. He said, I had been offered provisions for my men if I came over here, and I have done so. These men are hungry and tired, and worn but, and they really need food. They went on and had some further conversation in relation to what had taken place during the night. The general asked about some matters in relation to the movements of the troops, I believe. He had received a dispatch from General Latta during the night, announcing that a certain division had been ordered there. Colonel Norris then wanted to know whether he should stay, and the general said no; that he would rather he should go back and get some orders, and, if possible, make an effort to get provisions and ammunition.

Q. Did he mention Captain Aull's name?

A. He did not.

Q. Did you walk along with him?

A. I was at no time further away than from your phonographer here, (three or four feet.) We got up from the brook and walked up the road--probably walked a distance of a couple of squares on the road. Then Colonel Norris went back, and said he would use his utmost efforts to communicate with him again, and furnish him with ammunition and rations. Captain Aull's name I never heard mentioned in any way, shape, or form until the night of the 31st of July, when at the Duquesne Club, Colonel Guthrie came up to General Brinton, and said I have got a dispatch for you--the order.

By Senator Yutzy:

Q. Were you within hearing distance all the time?

A. Yes; at no time further away than from this gentlemen here, (the stenographer.) I considered that my post, and was always there ready for anything the general might want.

* * * * *

H. S. Huidekoper, _sworn by the uplifted hand_:

By Mr. Lindsey:

Q. Where were you when the news of the Pittsburgh riots reached you?

A. I was in Chicago.

Q. How did they reach you?

A. I got the first news of the riot on Friday evening, I think. I was attending the United States court there, and couldn't leave, but had requested General Latta by letter, early in the week, to notify me by letter if the services of my division were needed, and, relying on that, I waited until Saturday morning, when I saw by the newspapers that my division had been ordered to Pittsburgh. I took the eight o'clock train, sending three telegrams, one to General Latta, that I would be in Pittsburgh on Sunday night; one to my brother for my uniform, and one to the assistant adjutant general of the division to move the division to Rochester, Pennsylvania, and await my arrival. I found afterwards that my request to General Latta had escaped his memory, among the many things he had to look after.

Q. What is your rank in the National Guard?

A. Major general of the Seventh division, commissioned eight years ago.

Q. Where is your residence?

A. In Meadville, Pennsylvania. I had command of the Fifteenth and Seventeenth regiments.

Q. Who is colonel of each of those regiments?

A. The colonel of the Fifteenth regiment is Colonel Carpenter, and of the Seventeenth regiment is Colonel Magee, of Oil City, then lieutenant colonel.

Q. Who was your assistant adjutant general?

A. John M. Clarke, of Meadville.

Q. Is he the one you directed to move the division to Rochester?

A. Yes.

Q. State what time you arrived at Rochester?