Part 40
Q. I would like to ask you another question or two in relation to this citizens' meeting in Allegheny City. Were the people generally in Allegheny City unwilling to respond, or did they willingly respond to the call of the mayor, and organize themselves into a military organization.
A. I think so--all that was needed. I think there was no difficulty there.
Q. How large was the response--was the meeting in response to the mayor's call?
A. This thing of fixing numbers is kind of guess work. I don't know. There was two or three hundred, perhaps, when I saw them. I think, if you would call Mayor Philips, he could give you that perhaps better than I could.
Q. Was there anybody who refused, to your knowledge?
A. I don't know of a single one that refused in Allegheny City--I don't know of any.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Did Mayor Philips take active measures to raise a force for the purpose of preventing or suppressing violence and riot?
A. I so understood that he did.
Q. He did his duty well?
A. I think so; and the evidence of it is, that he had his men at these bridges, guarding them, and keeping them there for a week, a piece of artillery and twelve or sixteen men at every bridge.
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George Olnhausen, being duly _sworn_, testified as follows:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Over on the south side, on Carson street.
Q. What is your business?
A. Window glass business.
Q. Were you a member of any of the military companies?
A. Yes; pay-master of the Fourteenth regiment.
Q. On the ground or scene of the riots?
A. Yes; I was there.
Q. What day first?
A. It was on Saturday. We started on Friday afternoon, or rather Saturday morning, to go up there, about four or five o'clock.
Q. Were you there before the arrival of the Philadelphia troops?
A. Yes; we arrived about three or four o'clock.
Q. Colonel Gray and the entire Fourteenth regiment?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was he there on Saturday?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. In command of his regiment?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. How many men did he have on arrival?
A. On arrival we had twenty-seven officers and one hundred and seventy-eight men on Twenty-eighth street.
Q. How long were you on duty there before the arrival of General Brinton and his troops.
A. I think when we got there it was between four and five o'clock, and stayed there until Brinton came. It was, I think, perhaps two or three o'clock; I think somewheres near that time.
Q. Was anything said or done by Colonel Gray about clearing the track before the arrival of General Brinton?
A. Yes. In the morning when we first got there there was a little excitement--it didn't amount to really very much, but by ten or eleven or twelve o'clock, one, &c., it got on worse all the time; that is, there was a great many more men got there, and Colonel Gray sent me down--I think it was between two and three o'clock--to give Colonel Hartley Howard his compliments, and said, if they would cooperate with them he would clean that track. Colonel Howard acknowledged the compliments, and said he didn't think it was proper to do that.
Q. What regiment did Colonel Gray command?
A. The Nineteenth.
Q. Where was he stationed then?
A. He was laying just about this gate Mr. Fife spoke about here a little while ago.
Q. Where abouts was the Fourteenth regiment then?
A. Right up on the hill.
Q. Commanding the hill?
A. Commanding the hill--that is, we were laying there. I went and reported the matter to the colonel, that Colonel Howard didn't think it was justifiable in doing that, and that ended the matter.
Q. Which officer was senior in command then, Colonel Gray or Colonel Howard?
A. Colonel Gray is senior in command. Colonel Gray sent down that word. I don't suppose that he meant or wanted to shoot or use any extra force, just simply wanted to get them to go away from the track; at least that is my impression.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Was the message in the form of an order to Colonel Howard from Colonel Gray?
A. No, sir; I don't think it was in the form of an order. Just simply stating, that, if he would cooperate, they would clear the track together. At that time we had four or five companies, and just as soon as one company would march by they would rush in again, and kept on that way all the time, from ten o'clock until the afternoon. It was very annoying, because the men were very nearly played out.
Q. You may state what condition Colonel Gray's regiment was in, as to obeying orders, and whether it was disposed to obey orders.
A. The majority of the men were. Of course, there were some few that were in sympathy with the strikers. In fact, almost everybody in Pittsburgh was in sympathy with the strikers.
Q. How many of Colonel Gray's regiment was in sympathy with the strikers?
A. I should judge there would be about thirty-two.
Q. That couldn't be depended upon in case of an attack on the mob?
A. I suppose there might not have been that many, not quite thirty-two you couldn't depend on, but there was thirty-two missing that night, and I didn't hear of any of them being shot, and I suppose they must have gone away.
Q. They skulked, in military parlance?
A. Yes; that was generally the case. I would also state, that when we were disbanded at the Union depot we had twenty-eight officers and one hundred and forty-six men. We had one officer more.
Q. When were you disbanded?
A. It was about eleven o'clock Saturday afternoon.
Q. For what purpose--why did you disband?
A. So far as I can learn, as General Brinton gave the orders to Colonel Gray, Colonel Gray gave it to the officers and his men, and he disbanded--staff officers.
Q. I would like the general to explain what he means by disband.
A. He meant that we should go to our homes.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Broke ranks for the evening?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were you re-assembled the next morning?
A. No, sir; we didn't re-assemble the next morning. I was over, and a great many of the other officers were over, to see what we could do, but we didn't re-assemble.
Q. To whom did you communicate these facts?
A. I communicated them to a number of persons.
By Senator Clark:
Q. Will you give the names of those persons?
A. I want to state this fact right here, that I understand this committee to be appointed for the purpose of investigating this transaction. Now, with all due respect to the committee, my idea is, that the committee is appointed for the purpose of investigating the facts.
Q. As a regiment you were not re-organized until Monday morning?
A. Yes, sir; a great many of the officers were there, and I suppose a great many of the men. Everything was so exciting we could not get them together.
Q. While you were on the hill, during Saturday, did your soldiers mingle among the rioters, or did they preserve order?
A. They preserved order. There was a few that would get leave of absence to go down street for something or other--very few.
Q. Did they remain in ranks.
A. Remained in ranks.
Q. You staid there until what hour?
A. We all remained there until the Philadelphia regiments were coming up there, and I got instructions from Colonel Grey to have the troops got ready to move.
Q. At what time did you abandon the hill?
A. I think we received orders to move down there about six o'clock. I guess, perhaps, a little later than that--perhaps a little earlier--I am not positive. We marched down there.
Q. Down where?
A. Down the hill, on to the railroad track at Twenty-eighth street, and then down to the transfer depot, and stayed there until eleven o'clock, or near eleven--half past ten, anyway.
Q. Did you hold your position on the hill until six o'clock----
Senator Yutzy: On Saturday, at the time of the firing?
A. Yes, sir.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Did the Nineteenth regiment remain on the hill?
A. They were laying below us at the gate.
Q. Did they hold their position until six o'clock?
A. There was some of them did, and some of them did not.
Q. How far is the transfer depot from the round-house.
A. I think the transfer depot is on Sixteenth street--six or eight blocks.
Q. Where were the mob when you marched down to the transfer depot?
A. They were mostly all down along the railroad, at Twenty-eighth street.
Q. Did you meet with any resistance in marching down?
A. No, sir.
Q. Where were they when you disbanded, at eleven o'clock?
A. They were most everywhere then, because, it seemed to me, that all the workmen from the south side, Allegheny City, Sharpsburg, and all from the country had come in here, and so far as I could learn, they were going to clean out the Philadelphia troops.
Q. Had the burning commenced when you disbanded?
A. No, sir; not that I know of. When I got home, I could see over that they were burning--that was about twelve o'clock.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Your regiment was resting on the hill, in good order. What position did they have during the day. Were they at rest--stacked arms?
A. Yes, sir; stacked arms, and we had a guard there.
Q. Your men laid close by the arms?
A. Close by the arms.
0. When you broke ranks down by the Union depot, did you have orders to re-assemble at any time?
A. No, sir; we did not.
Q. Who gave the order to break ranks?
A. Colonel Grey gave orders to his regiment. So far as I could learn, General Brown gave him the orders.
Q. Did they take their arms to the armory, or did they go away, each one taking his own gun home with him?
A. Yes, sir; we were not marched to the armory.
Q. Broke ranks right there at the depot?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was there any mob there at the depot?
A. Yes, sir; they were running all up and down the street, yelling and shouting.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. Was there any effort made by your regiment on the 19th to clear the crossing, or keep it clear that day?
A. We were there from three or four o'clock in the morning and until the Philadelphians came in that day, and kept it clear.
Q. How happened there to be such a large----
A. That is to say, suppose this was the track. We would go and clear this off, and then they would get in behind us, shouting and howling and cursing. It kept three or four companies going there all day.
Q. Did you undertake to hold possession of the crossing of the track any distance there at the crossing, or merely clear it off and fall back?
A. Then they would rush in behind us, and we would have to send another company.
Q. How happened there to be such a large crowd on the crossing at the time the Philadelphia troops marched up?
A. I think our regiment had orders--that is the companies--had orders to fall back and let the Philadelphians in. Our orders were, so far as I can remember, that we were to go on a train, and go out.
Q. How long previous to the Philadelphia troops coming up there had you fallen back?
A. I suppose it was about a minute.
Q. Some testify that the mob was mixed up with the troops there near the crossing, and on the side of the hill?
A. They were only mixed up in that way, just as I told you.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. The troops were mixed in the crowd?
A. Yes; mixing in the crowd.
By Mr. Larrabee:
Q. How; were they on good terms--the crowd and the troops?
A. They didn't say anything. Some of them said they were going to clean out the militia, we didn't take any notice of that at all.
Q. No particular hard feeling by the crowd against your troops?
A. No, sir.
Q. They showed considerable feeling against the Philadelphia troops--it was supposed that they would clear the crossing there.
A. They were, of course, from Philadelphia, and they didn't like them--that was about it.
Q. Could not the force you had there--these two regiments--could not that crossing there, and the immediate neighborhood, been kept clear entirely by the force you had there?
A. I think they could. That is very hard to tell. We didn't know what might have happened.
Q. Were the efforts of the officers directed in that way--to keep it clear?
A. Yes; of course some of our men were in sympathy with the strikers, but if we were to take away two or three regiments, away to different cities or somewhere out away from Pittsburgh, 1 think they could pretty nearly clean out a city of this size.
Q. You don't think they were as firm in their duty as they would have been in some other city?
A. Yes.
Q. They were a little more tender of the people they were dealing with?
A. Yes; they were friends and relatives.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. Fraternize with the people--with the crowd?
A. I think if you would take the Fourteenth regiment out, in fact, even in another riot, they would do their duty. All of our officers were men in the army during the war except one or two. It is like all these other things that are unexpected, and like in the war at first; they were all demoralized, and didn't stand up as well as they did in the last part of the war.
Q. Was the military at any time deployed on the railroad track, and any attempt made to drive them off the track in both directions?
A. That was done all the time--they were kept off most of the time.
Q. Were the military deployed along the track of the railroad?
A. Yes; marched back and forward.
Q. Were they stationed with a skirmish line?
A. Not that I know of.
Q. In your opinion, as a military man, couldn't that mob or crowd have been kept off the track by deploying the men along the track as a skirmish line, or, say two skirmish lines, one on each side of the track?
A. No, sir; I don't think it could, unless you did some shooting.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. Could it have been done by doing some shooting?
A. If they had shot everybody that came they couldn't have got on.
Q. Could a skirmish line have maintained its position and kept the crowd back?
A. I don't think they could by shooting, for the reason men, women, and children would come in, and they couldn't have kept it clear--not kept the whole track clear.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. The reason I asked him that, was that he said the companies marched over on the railroad and they would fall in behind. I want to know if the military had been deployed with two skirmish lines, why they couldn't have kept the crowd away?
A. There was too many people.
Q. Were the people armed?
A. No, sir; not that I saw. They all might have had revolvers and such things as that, but they had no guns.
Q. Did all that crowd appear to be violent and riotous, or were there a great many there that were simply there out of curiosity?
A. Yes; there was a great many out of curiosity--three or four that were working for me.
Q. How many hundred men do you think there were there that were riotous or disposed to be lawless?
A. I should judge--of course it is a pretty hard thing to tell--there was a great many, indeed--two thousand, anyhow.
Q. What proportion of that crowd were disposed to be riotous or lawless?
A. There might have been five hundred in the first place, but after the shooting commenced all were or pretty nearly all.
By Mr. Dewees:
Q. At any time before the Philadelphia troops came, could you have or could the military have dispersed the mob at any time?
A. I think they could, yes.
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James I. Bennett, being duly _sworn_, testified as follows:
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. State where you reside, Mr. Bennett?
A. Allegheny city is my residence.
Q. Where is your business?
A. In Pittsburgh.
Q. And what is it?
A. Manufacturing of iron nails, &c.
Q. Been engaged in the business a long time?
A. Twenty years or more. About twenty years.
Q. What is your firm name?
A. Graff, Bennett & Co.
Q. Were you in the city during the riots of July last?
A. I was.
Q. Just give us a statement of what you saw, the hour and date commencing----
A. I was not in the riots. I was in the city, but I was not up to the depot until Sunday--until Sunday afternoon. I didn't feel very much concerned. Saturday is generally a busy day with us, but Saturday afternoon I became anxious about the matter. I had been accustomed to be in a good many of these quarrels with laboring men, and supposed the thing would be adjusted; but on coming home on Saturday evening, from what I heard, learned of the condition of affairs, I became considerably alarmed and very much concerned. I live down that side of the river at my residence, about three miles. After going home, I hitched up my buggy, and came back to the city. When I came into the city, the crowd was just coming, I think, out of Bowers' store. They had cleaned out a gun store--hardware store, on Third street. The first intimation I had of that was seeing a man with a gun, and I asked him what was going on. I was satisfied that he had no business with the gun. He told me there was a large crowd of men had been into Bowers' store and broken it open and taken all the arms that they could get there, and that they were marching then to the railroad. At one point I turned around my horse and buggy and drove back to Mr. Thaw's house, which is on Fifth street. I went to Mr. Thaw's house and I called him out, and we talked about the matter. Thaw didn't appear to be alarmed; he said he was going to his business. He thought there was no danger. I went up again to Third street and Fifth street, and was satisfied in my mind that there was a great deal of trouble, or was likely to be a great deal, and I went back to Mr. Thaw. He spoke of the military coming in, and he thought there was enough to protect. I advised him not to go up to the offices of the Fort Wayne road at all. I think I went back to Mr. Thaw's house the third time, and he then appeared to be very much more concerned and alarmed this time. I think one of his neighbors came down that had been up there. I left him then, and on my way home, in Allegheny city, I went to Mr. McCullough's house. We sat until perhaps eleven o'clock, talking together. Mr. McCullough at first felt entirely satisfied that the military would be sufficient to prevent any serious damage. I felt very much concerned, and advised him to be very careful and not put himself in the way of danger or any trouble.
Q. Who is Mr. McCullough?
A. Mr. McCullough is vice president of the Pennsylvania Company. He is managing man of the Pennsylvania Company's lines.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. I would like you to state what the Pennsylvania lines were?
A. The leased lines west of this.
Q. Pennsylvania Central?
A. Their offices are altogether; but they are connecting lines. I live in Allegheny city, and I felt concerned----
Q. What is Mr. McCollough's first name?
A. J. M. He told me there was a regiment coming up on the line of the road that night, and that there was a sufficient number of troops coming in that would prevent any trouble. He felt secure; but, as I said before, I did not. I told him that there was trouble certain ahead, and I felt very much concerned from what I could learn all around, that there was gathering into our city a very bad set of men, and it was hard to tell what the consequences might be. I left him, and started home about eleven o'clock, or perhaps a little after eleven. I got down to Strawberry lane, which is below the shops of the Fort Wayne road. I drove right into a crowd, I presume, of several thousand persons. I had come up that way that night, and there was no person there.
Q. The evening before?
A. That same evening. There were no parties there when I came up, and I drove in and called some of them to know what it meant. I was considerably taken aback, coming unexpected into it, and they told me they were waiting for a train of soldiers that were coming up. Three or four came out that knew me, and said, "Don't you go away;" says I, "Why?" Says he, "they have rifle pits just above there, and if the train comes in you will be in the line of their fire," and I was in sight of my house and my family was there, and I could see the situation, and drove rapidly past them, after inquiring what was going on there. When I came to the bridge crossing, perhaps, a quarter of a mile below there, as I drove up there, there appeared to be sentinels stationed along the line of the railroad across this bridge.
By Senator Yutzy:
Q. At what point was this?
A. A quarter of a mile below this place where they were waiting.
By Mr. Lindsey:
Q. On the line of the Fort Wayne and Chicago?
A. They were there patrolling the streets with their guns, as orderly as any soldiers. They were all very sober and polite men, nothing like rioters, and ladies from the adjoining neighborhood had come down to the bridge to see--that was the only place they could see anything--and about the time they expected the train in, these men had gone up to them and asked them to retire back behind the hill, lest a stray shot would reach them. There appeared to be a perfect organization.
Q. What bridge?
A. This was a bridge in Allegheny City, below the outer depot of the Fort Wayne.
Q. Bridge across the railroad?
A. Bridge across the railroad. There appeared to be an entirely perfect organization on that side of the river. They were armed, and were sober men. Some of them knew me--they all knew me--I could not name a great many of them, but most of them knew me.
Q. Were they railroad men--employés?
A. There were a great many of them employés. I was told by other persons they were employés. I could not tell certain, but I made an inquiry, and was told that a great many of those men were employés of the railroad company, and this organization appeared to me to be very perfect, and they were very orderly, and appeared to be very systematic. There was no fighting in this tremendous crowd above. The crowd was there, but they were orderly--no quarreling nor fighting going on.
Q. Were they all men that were in that crowd?