USA > Maryland > Fifth regiment, I., M.N.G. : a history of the regiment from its first organization to the present time > Part 6
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dable title of " The Devil's Den," but very few of the visitors were afraid of it. Claret punch, ad infinitum, was found in a thatched hut. The floor of this place was so springy, that walking on it was sometimes attended by astonishing leaps by the equally astonished walkers. A great tent had been erected, and in it were seats for two thousand people. Lunch was served at 11.30 A. M. and dinner two or three hours later.
The place where the corner-stone laying took place was some distance from the residence. Close by the "piggery " was a plat- form for five hundred people, and on a hillside were one thousand chairs. A marshal in court dress led the way to the " piggery." In the pen were five or six pigs and two buffaloes. A granite block hung from a derrick, ready to be placed in position. Music opened the exercises, and then followed addresses on pigs and patriotism, but chiefly pigs, by Governor Gaston, Colonel Andrews, C. B. Farnworth, and others. Mr. Baker then called for Colonel Jenkins, whom he said was lean, but not spare-ribbed; and when the Colonel came for- ward, a large box was opened, and Mr. Baker drew forth two young pigs, which he handed to Colonel Jenkins with much formality, while the Maryland men sent up three lusty cheers for "our pigs." Colonel Jenkins, Governor Gaston, Colonel Andrews and Mr. Farnworth then leveled the stone into its place, and the ceremonies were over. Mr. Baker continued his entertainment of the visitors in the same royal manner until they left. The two pigs, which were named respectively " Loney " and " Pontier," were sent home by the Fifth. They arrived on the Fourth of July, and were received at the foot of Broadway by a mock parade with a calithumpian band, all in command of Geo. R. McGee, who rode a little black mule. They were carried triumphantly in the procession to the armory in Balti- more. A beautifully engrossed set of resolutions hangs in one of the rooms of the armory as a memorial of the trip.
CHAPTER XIII. THE STRIKES OF 1877.
RAILROADS REDUCE WAGES AND A STRIKE IS THE RESULT .- THE STRIKE SPREADS .- FEARS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY .- THE FIFTH ORDERED TO CUMBERLAND .- THE GOVERNOR'S PROCLAMATION. -SALOONS CLOSED .- THE REGIMENT STARTS FOR CAMDEN STATION.
The railroad strikes of July, 1877, which were primarily caused by the "hard times " prevailing, resulted in one of the most formidable out- bursts of domestic violence in the history of the United States, re- quiring the aid of the Federal army for its suppression. The Fifth was, at an unexpected time, called upon to assist in a large degree in de- fense of the city of Baltimore, and the regiment discharged its duty COLONEL WM. P. ZOLLINGER. most creditably under the most trying circumstances. The im- mediate cause of the strike in Maryland was the action taken by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company in reducing the pay of their employes. On July 11th the following announcement was decided upon by the company and then posted in all places on the line of that railroad :
" To the Officers and Employes of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company : -At a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, held this day, the following preamble and resolutions were adopted : "Whereas, The depression in the general business interests of the country continues, thus seriously affecting the usual earnings of railway companies, and rendering a further reduction of expenses necessary, therefore be it
" Resolved, That a reduction of ten per cent be made in the present compen- sation of all officers and employes of every grade in the service of this com- pany where the amount received exceeds one dollar per day, to take effect on and after July 16th instant.
" Resolved, That the said reduction shall apply to the Main Stem and branches east of the Ohio river, and to the Trans-Ohio Divisions, and that it shall
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embrace all roads leased or operated by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company.
" It is hoped that all persons in the employ of the company will appreciate the necessity of and concur cordially in this action.
" The Board postponed action until some time after its great competitors, the Pennsylvania, the New York Central and Hudson River, and New York and Erie Companies had made similar reductions in pay, with the hope that this necessity would be obviated. In this they have been disappointed.
"The President, in announcing the decision of the Board, takes occasion to express the conviction and expectation that every officer and man in the ser- vice will cheerfully recognize the necessity of the reduction, and earnestly co-operate in every measure of judicious economy necessary to aid in main- taining effectively the usefulness and success of the company.
"JOHN W. GARRETT, President."
. The greatest discontent followed this announcement. A strike of all the engineers and firemen of the eastern part of the road took place, and the strikers lost no time in causing it to be generally understood that they intended to allow nobody to take their places. This, of course, resulted in a collision with the railroad company. Violence was first offered to men who attempted to run trains at Martinsburg, West Virginia, and soon extended to Cumberland. The local authorities there were unable to cope with the strikers, and Governor Carroll decided to send the Fifth and Sixth regiments to Cumberland, giving the following order to General Herbert :
" BALTIMORE, July 20, 1877.
" Brigadier-General HERBERT, Commanding First Brigade, Maryland National Guard :
"Sir : You will proceed at once with the Fifth Regiment of your command to Cumberland, to aid in the suppression of the riot and lawlessness on the line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, in this State, and there await further orders. " Yours, etc., JOHN LEE CARROLL."
About the same time the Governor issued a proclamation, which was distributed at Cumberland and other places along the line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Maryland. The proclamation read as follows :
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" WHEREAS, It has come to the knowledge of the Executive that combina- tions of men have been formed at various points along the line of the Balti- more and Ohio Railroad, in this State, and that a conspiracy exists, the object of which is to impede the traffic and interfere with the legitimate business of the said railroad company ; and,
" Whereas, Various acts of lawlessness and intimidation to effect this purpose have been perpetrated in this State by bodies of men with whom the local authorities are, in some instances, incompetent to deal ; and,
" Whereas, It is of the first importance that good order should everywhere prevail, and that citizens of every class should be protected ;
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" Therefore, I, John Lee Carroll, Governor of Maryland, by virtue of the authority vested in me, do hereby issue this proclamation, calling upon all citizens of this State to abstain from acts of lawlessness, and to aid the lawful authorities in the maintenance of peace and order.
" Given under my hand and the great seal of the State of Maryland, at the City of Baltimore, this 20th day of July, 1877. " JOHN LEE CARROLL, Governor. " By the Governor :
" R. C. HOLLIDAY, Secretary of State."
The Police Commissioners took the precaution of publishing the notice which follows :
" OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS, "BALTIMORE, July 20, 1877.
" On account of the riot now prevailing in the City of Baltimore, the Board of Police Commissioners deem it prudent to exercise the authority vested in them by section S18 of the Police Laws, to order all the bar-rooms, bars, drinking-houses, and all other places where liquor is usually sold in the City of Baltimore, to be closed until further notice. By order of the Board,
" W. H. B. FUSSELBAUGH, President."
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Fears were entertained on Friday that the Pan Handle route's employes would join the strikers, and, in fact, thoughtful men regarded it as very possible that the strike would spread to nearly every railroad centre of any importance in the United States, and go so far by its own momentum as to throw the whole country into a con- dition of anarchy ; nor were the sure signs wanting that there were men in every section who would greet with delight an opportunity to cast aside all social and legal restrictions, and make the one symbol of power the red flag of communism. The news received in Balti- more during the day from chief places on the line of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago road was not reassuring. The temper of the men of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern roads was the subject of gloomy dispatches. Ominous conjectures as to their future action were everywhere made. Strikes were hourly apprehended on the Ohio and Mississippi road, as well as on the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton line. Crowds assembled at the newspaper offices. The strike was the universal subject of conversa- tion among the business men and working people of Baltimore, but outwardly the city was quiet enough. One bulletin after another announced how rapidly the strike was spreading. Little groups of men gathered at the street-corners, but still without any alarming signs of excitement, though it was known that the strike had extended to Cumberland, that Ohio and Illinois were threatened, and that in
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Pennsylvania the State military forces, near the places immediately affected, had been called out in consequence of the action of the men of the Pennsylvania and Erie roads. The Western division of the Pennsylvania road was blockaded. On the Erie line, the situation was nearly as bad. The militia of New York had also been called out, and appeals for Federal aid were being made from many quarters.
After Colonel Loney resigned, in May, 1877, the regiment was at a lower ebb, numerically, than at any other time in its history ; and at the outbreak of the riots, the privates and non-commissioned officers did not number over one hundred and seventy-five. It is a fact of no little credit to the regiment, that when it marched from the armory to Camden Station on the afternoon of July 20, 1877, there were about one hundred and thirty-five muskets in line. But this represented some work. The colors were hoisted at the armory, and during the afternoon a corps of messenger boys were kept hurrying from place to place notifying the men, while others were summoned by their officers personally.
When apprehensions of a riot began to be entertained, about fifteen men of the Fifth Regiment, ten of whom were members of Company C, were at Willow Springs, a little summer resort on the north side of the Patapsco river, opposite Fort Carroll, enjoying a short holiday. It was a very popular place among some of the members of the regi- ment. These campers had to be summoned, and they were at their post at Camden Station early on Friday evening.
By 3.30 P. M. all of the men in the city connected with the regi- ment were at the armory. What explanation they needed was given in a few emphatic words.
It was no holiday parade that they were to start upon, nor was there a Cape May camp at its end. Looking back upon that eventful summer afternoon, over an interval of more than eleven years, it is not easy to appreciate the view which the men of the Fifth took of the situation. What a few hours might bring forth could not be conjec- tured, but the young soldiers suddenly found their mettle put to the severest test : severer, perhaps, than that of suddenly being called to war. It was a situation calling for more than courage. If they were to do their duty well, they were to behave with moderation, and to show self-restraint as well as an unflinching front. In warfare, their plain duty would have been to inflict the greatest possible damage to any declared enemy in arms. In quelling a riot, they were to repress all riotous demonstrations and actions, but with the least
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possible damage. Old soldiers had found it a trying position, and it could not have been otherwise to the young men of the Fifth.
The regiment was without a colonel, lieutenant-colonel, and major. The command, by virtue of seniority, fell upon Captain William P. ยท Zollinger. Twenty rounds of ammunition were distributed to each man. At 6.40 o'clock the assembly was sounded, and about seven o'clock the regiment left the armory. Company H had the right of the line, and Company C, commanded by Captain R. P. Brown, the left. At the corner of Eutaw and Franklin streets the regiment passed a crowd consisting principally of boys and young men, who threw a small volley of stones at the soldiers. But little harm was done by the stones, and no attention was paid to the crowd.
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CHAPTER XIV.
MARCHING THROUGH THE MOB.
THE CROWD BEGIN THE ASSAULT .- "LEFT FRONT INTO LINE, DOUBLE TIME !"-" BATTALION, HALT !"-" FIX BAYONETS !"- THEN THE DASH WAS MADE AND THE STATION WAS REACHED .- THE INJURED .- THE ATTACK ON THE TRAIN .- THE FIRE ALARM. -"CHARGE BAYONETS !"-HOW THE REGIMENT WAS HANDLED. -THE ORDER TO PROCEED TO CUMBERLAND REVOKED.
Down Eutaw Street the regiment marched in column of fours. Pratt Street had been passed, when the crowd grew seriously hostile. Near Camden Street a great mass of people blocked the way, and the stones commenced to fly, and shouts and yells arose. There was no eloquence wasted on the mob, in trying to persuade the men in it to get out of the way. They were in no humor to be coaxed ; and it was clear to every one, that amidst the raging and increasing excitement, either the crowd or the regiment would have to make way. So, as the regiment drew near to Camden Street, the command,- "Companies left front into line, double time!" was given, and the company front swung its solid line across the street from curb to curb, while a similar solid line was formed in the rear. For a short time, a regiment one thousand strong could not have answered the pur- pose more effectually.
" Battalion, halt !" was the next order, and the next, " fix bayonets !" gave the mob an idea of what was intended. "Carry arms!" was the command then given; and with the men in a position in which arms, shoulders, and rifle-barrels could be used as levers and fulcrums, the last order of the movement, "forward, march !" was given by the captain commanding, and the regiment went through and over the crowd. When the men who had made themselves the chief obstacles in the way had picked themselves up, and some distinct purpose had been formed by the crowd, the regiment was in the depot, and the entrance guarded by the sentinels of the Fifth, who had relieved the three policemen who were guarding the doors.
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BOARD OF OFFICERS' ROOM.
Shots were fired during the short struggle, and a storm of yells and curses followed the soldiers, the railway officers being called by name.
Twenty or more of the men, chiefly those of Companies C and H, were hurt by the volleys of stones, and had to be supported by their comrades. In the depot were the chief civil authorities of the city and some of the prominent officers of the Baltimore and Ohio. The mob's purpose was soon formed; it was to prevent either the Fifth or the Sixth regiment from going to Cumberland. In this the mob was successful, not by a forcible resistance, but by the riotous events of the hour which followed. The train which had been ordered to take the Fifth to Cumberland stood under one of the passenger sheds. It consisted of ten ordinary cars and a Pullman car for the officers. Steam was up on the engine and all was ready for departure, when the mob surged into Barre Street, and in an instant occupied the place. The engineer and fireman were driven from the cab, and the locomotive soon had the appearance of having been in collision with a brick house, so many were the bricks lying around and on it. In a few minutes the engine was disabled. As the darkness increased,
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the rioters took bolder measures. On the Fifth the work of guarding the greater part of the immense amount of property in and around the depot devolved, and the men responded to the call in a manner for which they never had any occasion afterwards to apologize.
It was not long before fire, always the rioter's most formidable weapon, began to be used by the mob. The train-dispatcher's office was set on fire, and it was not long before some of the cars began to burn. The wood-work of the lower part of the depot itself caught fire. The bells of the fire-engine houses told where the fire was, and the men of the department answered quickly enough, but the lines of hose were cut and the firemen driven away. The depot was the center of one surging mass, extending all around it. "Burn them out !" " Hang them !" " Shoot them !" were the shouts being constantly uttered, having reference to the railroad officials. The worst was to be feared, and Governor Carroll, after a consultation with the city and police officials, sent this telegram to President Hayes:
CAMDEN STATION, July 21.
His Excellency R. B. HAYES :
Sir :- An assemblage of rioters that cannot be dispersed by any force at my command has taken possession of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad depot here, set fire to the same, and have driven off all the firemen who attempted to extin- guish the flames ; and it is impossible, with the force at my command, to disperse the rioters. Under the circumstances, as Governor of the State of Maryland, I call upon you, as President of the United States, to furnish the force necessary to protect the State against domestic violence. The Legislature is not in session, and cannot be convened in time to meet the emergency.
(Signed) JOHN LEE CARROLL, Governor of Maryland.
A reply soon came. It was the following :
SOLDIERS' HOME, WASHINGTON, July 21.
To Governor JOHN LEE CARROLL, Baltimore, Md.
The President directs me to say that he will aid you to the extent of his power. Available troops will be sent, but a call upon neighboring States will probably be necessary. Communicate with me here, and I will advise you more definitely in a short time.
(Signed) GEORGE W. MCCRARY, Secretary of War.
The despatch given below came shortly after :
SOLDIERS' HOME, July 21.
Gen. Thomas M. Vincent, Acting Adjutant-General, has been ordered to send to your aid any available force, especially artillery from Fort McHenry, which, it is hoped, may prove very useful. If General French can be spared from West Virginia, he will be sent to your aid. Address any further commu- nication to-night to General Vincent, who has full authority.
GEORGE W. MCCRARY.
General Vincent received the following instructions at the same time :
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SOLDIERS' HOME, July 21-1.55 P. M.
General VINCENT, A. A. G., Washington :
You will order any troops now at Fort McHenry to respond to the call of the Governor of Maryland, to aid in suppressing the riot in Baltimore. Also order any artillery at the Fort to be used for the same purpose, under the Governor's orders. Also direct-General French to use, in his discretion, any troops under his command not needed in West Virginia. The President directs that all possible aid be extended to State authorities, and you may use discretion in ordering any force in reach to be sent to the Governor.
(Signed) GEORGE W. MCCRARY, Secretary of War.
After the men of the Fifth had entered the cars, Company C was ordered out to drive the mob away from the Barre Street crossing. When the company reached that street, it was found to be too small to reach from house to house. Company K was then ordered to assist it, and the two companies, in division front, under the command of General Herbert and Captain Zollinger, with fixed bayonets and at double time, charged up Barre Street nearly to Sharp Street, the mob scattering .in every direction. Some few who were not quick enough were hurt, more or less, by bayonet wounds.
The regiment's small numbers were offset by the manner in which the men were handled. While there were guards at all of the open- ings, nearly half of the regiment was employed in relieving the guard, marching constantly from one post to another, and making a show of numerical strength vastly greater than the actual strength. Trying work it was, but it had its effect. Had the rioters fully understood how few soldiers there were about the station, they would either have obtained possession of every part of the depot by open assault, or been subjected to a bloody repulse, which might have carried desolation to many a worthy house.
Events like these had made it out of the question for the regiments to go to Cumberland. Governor Carroll sent the following message to General Herbert:
Brigadier- General JAMES R. HERBERT, M. N. G.
Sir :- I have just received the following communication from his Honor Ferdinand C. Latrobe, Mayor of Baltimore :
" Dear Sir :- In view of the condition of affairs now existing in this city, and the violent demonstration that has taken place within the last hour, I would suggest that neither of the regiments of military be ordered to leave Baltimore this evening. I make this suggestion after consultation with the Commissioners of Police. Very respectfully,
FERDINAND C. LATROBE."
In consequence of the above request, the order to proceed to Cumberland with the Fifth Regiment is hereby revoked, and you will hold the men under command ready to aid the city authorities in case they should be required in preserving order throughout the city.
JOHN LEE CARROLL, Governor.
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CHAPTER XV.
THE RIOTS CONTINUE.
A SAD CONTRAST .- THE SIXTH REGIMENT'S TRAGIC END .- THE FIFTH SLEEPING ON THEIR ARMS .- DISTURBED SLUMBERS .- THE MEN IN COMMAND .-- AN OMINOUS CALM .- " LOAD ! READY ! AIM ! "-THE CROWDS FLEE .- GOOD WORK AT MT. CLARE.
There was a sad contrast to the action of the Fifth, about the same time, on Baltimore Street.
The conduct of the Sixth Regiment furnishes a bloody page in Maryland history. The officers of the Sixth, it is said, had no idea of firing on the crowd which was surging about the armory, at the corner of Fayette and Front streets; but after the first recoil, when Company I again moved to the door and was met by a storm of rocks, the men lost control of themselves. Discipline fled, and the men in uniform each obeyed nothing but impulse. The men used their muskets with deadly effect, and, the officers claimed, without orders. The firing began at the door. With fixed bayonets, Com- pany I moved into Front Street and then marched to Baltimore Street, followed at an interval of a few yards by Company F, whose appearance was greeted by a continuous shower of stones, which drew a destructive fire in return. A volley was fired up Fayette Street, driving the crowd over the bridge there, and as the mob was fleeing up Fayette Street, the soldiers moved by way of Front Street to Baltimore Street, and thence westwardly towards Camden Station. But the mob had not gone far-only to Harrison Street, the first place offering shelter from musket shots; and as the soldiers passed Harrison Street, a few minutes after leaving the armory, the crowd attacked them in the rear. Then came a scene long to be remem- bered. After wheeling and firing, the soldiers passed up Baltimore Street at a run, followed by a mob. Fleeing towards Camden Station, without any regard to order, the soldiers, with their new breech- loading rifles, left a bloody track. At Harrison Street, one man fell dead with a bullet through the breast, fired by one of the men of the Sixth, and three others were dangerously wounded. Many of the
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members of the companies which went up Baltimore Street were driven from the ranks, and sometimes the shots sounded like platoon- firing. At the corner of Baltimore and Holliday streets two young men and a newsboy were shot. A drinking-saloon, the windows of which had been broken by bullets, received the wounded in that neighborhood, and the surgeon of the Fire Department attended them. When the detachment crossed North Street, the way behind them had been cleared for a time with their rifles, but the men were still firing random and reckless shots. Half of the men had been driven from the ranks. About one hundred and twenty men left the armory, and but fifty-nine reached Camden Station. In its march to the depot, the bullets of the detachment killed ten persons and wounded thirteen more. Company B, by order of Colonel Peters, being the last to leave the armory, marched by way of Front Street to Gay to Baltimore Street, in order to avoid hostile crowds. The last volley by the men of the Sixth was fired near the corner of Baltimore and Light streets. Twilight was coming on when the men of the Sixth joined the Fifth at the depot. Colonel Peters arrived in a carriage shortly after nightfall. One of the privates had the misfortune to be caught in uniform by a crowd at the Fayette Street Bridge. His clothes were torn off and he was thrown over the bridge into the slime and mud of Jones' Falls. Among the fifty-nine men who reached Camden Station, desertions went on all night. In a convenient saloon, and at other places, the uniform was laid aside and other clothes substituted. When the sun rose on Saturday, only eleven men of the fifty-nine were left, and they were incorporated with the Fifth. Soon after the regiment was disbanded.
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