USA > New York > History of the Twenty-second regiment of the National guard of the state of New York; from its organization to 1895, pt 2 > Part 8
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So hurried and unexpected had been the departure of the regiment that a number of the officers and men who had not received their orders as soon as the others, upon reporting to the armory found, to their intense disgust, that they were too late-that the regiment had gone. These were formed into a detachment and marched to the Grand Central Depot, where they were joined by similar squads from other regiments. . These were organized into a detachment which was placed under the command of Maj. Franklin Bartlett. This · was put into a special car which was attached to the rear of the Southwestern limited, which left the depot at 1.55 P. M. on August .IS. As the special containing the Twenty-second had been delayed by stopping to take up the two separate companies, it was passed by the limited at Syracuse. This arrived in Buffalo at 1.30 A. M., being delayed by the blocking of the tracks. As Buffalo was neared the troops it carried were forcibly reminded that they were upon no holiday trip. It was a beautiful summer night. Looking out from the car . windows, sentries could be seen in all directions through the immense freight-yards that fringe the outskirts of Buffalo, guarding the switches, bridges and crossings
* See Chapter VI., Harper's Ferry, page 54 ante.
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and walking their posts with measured tread. : Occa- sionally the voices of the corporals and of the "rounds" . and an occasional challenge or shot broke the solemn stillness of the night. Disembarking at the depot, the detachment wrapped themselves in their blankets and lay down on the platform to await the arrival of the regiment, which did not take place until 5:40 A. M. At 4 A. M. Mr. Rossiter, Division Superintendent of the Central, stated that he had been directed to prepare a
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warm breakfast for the regiment upon its arrival, and at the same time offered to give the members of the detachment their breakfast of coffee and rolls at once, if they desired it. All the men, however, declined, although they had not had a " square meal " for twenty- four hours, preferring to take their breakfast with the regiment when it arrived. This was a violation of the primary military maxim to "always eat and sleep all you can, whenever you get a chance, for the Lord only knows when you will get another opportunity," and was very unwise.
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history of the twenty- Second Regiment
When the main body of the Twenty-second arrived the need for their service was so great that they could not be permitted to wait to eat the breakfast that had been provided. The orders from Gen. Doyle, com- manding the Fourth Brigade, were imperative, and the regiment proceeded at once to "Tifft Farm," some three miles distant, during every step of which every member of Maj. Bartlett's detachment thought more and more sadly of the breakfast they had sacrificed from a feeling of etiquette.
The strength of the regiment at Buffalo was as fol- lows :
Field and staff IO
E Company 93
Non-commissioned staff .. 8 F Company 74
A Company 45
G Company 46
B Company 54 H Company
C Company 78
I Company. 63
D Company 60
K Company 51
Total 583
The officers present were as follows :
Field and staff-Colonel, John T. Camp; Lieutenant- Colonel, Wm. V. King; Major, Franklin Bartlett; Adjutant, Stephen F. Hart (Harry H. Treadwell acting); Quartermaster, Wm. E. Haws, Jr .; Commissary, Jos. M. Smith; Assistant Surgeon, Bennett S. Beach ; Chap- lain, Wm. N. Dunnell, S. T. D .; First Lieutenant, Homer Bostwick; Inspector of Rifle Practice, M. E. Burnton ; Captain, Joseph P. Jardine (attached).
Non-commissioned staff-Sergeant-Major, Daniel J. Murphy ; Quartermaster-Sergeant, Fred. D. Britton : Commissary-Sergeant, Celestin S. Wehrle; Ordnance
. Not organized at this time.
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STATE HISTORIAN'S OFFICE, ALBANY, N. Y.
history of the twenty Second Regiment 515
Sergeant, Samuel M. Phillips; Hospital Steward, Geo. B. Benedict; General Guides, A. Wilkinson and R. J. Secor; Color-Bearer, W. L. Borstelman.
TYPES OF RIOTERS.
The company officers present were: A Company-Captain, Wm. E. Preece ; Lieuten ants, James P. Kenworthy, Wm. H. Alley.
B Company-Captain, Wm. J. Maidhoff ; Lieuten ants, Harry H. Treadwell," John H. Wightman.
C Company-Captain, John G. R. Lilliendahl; Lieutenants, Malcolm C. Murray and Charles E. Austin.
D Company-Captain, Wm. H. Cortelyou; Lieu- tenants, James A. Bell and Frank M. Anderson.
* Acting adjutant in Maj. Bartlett's battalion.
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E Company-Captain, N. B. Thurston; Lieuten- ants, J. A. Quigley and W. B. Hotchkiss.
F Company-Captain, William B. Smith; Lieuten- ants, Walter S. Bennett and David Lowenbein.
G Company-Captain, Geo. F. Demarest; Lieuten- ants, Edwin W. Dayton and Sam'l F. Ball.
H Company-Captain, Wm. J. Hussey; Lieuten- ants, Clifford C. Cassidy and Adolph E. Dick.
I Company -*
K Company -- Captain, George E. B. Hart; Lieuten- ants, Rob. J. Daly and Robert R. Meneeley.
The march of the command was directly through the district inhabited by the striking switchmen, and it was soon apparent that the troops were regarded by that portion of the community with intense animosity. The idle men lounging about in little groups scowled at the column, while the women and children indulged in hisses and cat-calls.
The announcement that the regiment was to be stationed at the "Tifft Farm " brought to the minds of its members visions of green fields and trees; of freshly- laid eggs, chickens, milk, butter, and other similar good things, and everybody felt that "their lines had fallen into pleasant places."
* Not in existence at this date.
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STATE HISTORIAN'S OFFICE, ALBANY, N. Y. :
CHAPTER XLV.
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MAJOR BARTLETT'S BATTALION.
W HILE the Twenty-second were on the way to this beautiful "farm," Companies A (Lieut. Ken- worthy), B (Capt. Maidhoff), and H. (Capt. Hussey), with the Fourth Sepa- rate Company (Capt. Pruyn), were de- tached, under command of Maj. Bart- lett, to guard the elevators, tracks, freight-houses, etc., of the Erie Rail- road. Thereafter they constituted a separate battalion having experiences of its own.
Its headquarters were officially des- ignated as "Camp 3, at the Delaware and Hudson Canal Co.'s yards, at Ohio Street." Upon reaching this spot it MAJOR BARTLETT. went into camp. That is, the battalion marched into the yard, stacked arms and posted a guard (and at once ascertained that butter, eggs and milk are not included in the adjuncts to a coal-yard).
The yard was a large enclosure bounded on three sides by a high, close board fence, and on the fourth by
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the Buffalo Creek, along which ran the Delaware and Hudson Company's long coal-trestle. On the Louis- iana Street side were the frame offices of the coal company, which were occupied as battalion head- quarters and the hospital. A little separated from these offices was a stable of several compartments, which was speedily occupied as a guard-house. At the end of this
COMPANY A, UNDER DELAWARE AND HUDSON R. R. TRESTLE.
building was a large coop plentifully stocked with fowls belonging to the superintendent of the yard, who, it seemed, was a chicken-fancier. Little did this worthy man think when he first began to ride his hobby that one day he would earn the everlasting gratitude of a National Guard organization of which at that time he had doubtless never heard! The members of the bat- talion have ever since prayed that his shadow might
STATE HISTORIAN'S OFFICE, ALBANY, N. Y.
history of the twenty- Second Regiment 64 521
never grow less, and that a bounteous Providence might shower blessings upon his head as a benevolent, public-spirited man !
The first thought of all the members of the battalion after breaking ranks was breakfast, and strong detach- ments-some fully armed and equipped, and others wearing side-arms only-usually under command of a commissioned officer, were sent into Buffalo to forage.
COMMISSARY DEPARTMENT, TIFFT FARM.
Upon their return fresh details were sent on the same errand. Those who were fortunate enough to penetrate to the Union Depot were fed at the excellent station restaurant, without expense.
It occurred to nobody at that time to lay in a stock
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of uncooked provisions, for it had been rumored that cooked rations were on the way, but unavoidably delayed. In their blind, unreasoning faith in the com- missary department (which, at State camp, had never failed to serve three full meals each day), "sufficient unto the hour is the evil thereof " was the sentiment of all concerned. Later in the day there was received from the commissary department a large supply of tin cups, a barrel of fat, greasy, slimy-looking hams, a barrel of stale bread, and a barrel of what was invoiced as "pea soup," but which tasted cold (in which state it reached the consumer) more like a solution of castile soap in dish-water than anything else.
During the afternoon, Capt. Preece, of Company A, in command of a number of men who had reached the armory too late to accompany the regiment, joined the battalion. A rain-storm seeming imminent, the men vigorously attacked the piles of lumber which lay scattered around the yard, and, with nails borrowed from the office of the coal company and with coupling- pins for hammers, speedily knocked together rude shanties under the coal-trestle. A great deal of unsus- pected ingenuity was displayed in the construction of some of these shanties. One known as "No. I Fifth Avenue " was a model, being closely built, tightly roofed and well floored. Some of the men essayed the construction of bunks. One of these was an am- bitious structure resembling an uncovered oblong box, elevated some three or four feet above the ground. Its constructor was extremely proud of his work, and would doubtless have had many imitators had it not happened that when he had sunk into a peaceful
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slumber the bottom of his edifice dropped suddenly out, depositing him sprawling on the ground.
None of these shanties were occupied after the first one or two nights. Not only did a damp, biting wind blow in from the lake in the early morning hours, set- ting at defiance both overcoats and blankets, and rendering a camp-fire a necessity, but the dock swarmed with enormous rats, which gamboled like kittens over the men who slept in the bunks. This combination of circumstances made a plank on the ground around the camp-fire infinitely preferable as a resting-place to the best of them. On Sunday, the 21st, tents were issued and erected. But many of the men still preferred to sleep around the fire. Those who occupied the tents frequently were awakened by the cold and were obliged to go to the camp-fires at intervals during the night, to get warmed through. A few days later several loads of hay furnished comfortable beds for all, and made it possible to sleep in the tents throughout the night.
Those who slept on the ground usually found, on awakening in the morning, that while the blanket around the feet, which were_ nearest the fire, would be dry, the upper part of the blanket and the cape of the overcoat (which were wrapped around the head at night) would be thoroughly damp. Nearly all the men con- tracted colds, with hollow, deep-sounding coughs, from this cause, and that all of them escaped pulmonary troubles is at once a matter for surprise and congrat- ulation.
For an hour or so in the evening the rain poured down in torrents. In the midst of the storm the camp was startled by a succession of sounds as if a conflict
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was raging in the near neighborhood and that volleys were being fired at regular intervals. The men ran for their equipments and prepared themselves for instant service, but investigation showed that a single work- man, at the Erie grain elevator near by, was shunting freight-cars on the siding. His method was to hitch a horse to the end of a car and, giving it a start, allow it to roll down the slight grade of its own volition. The impact of each car against the one ahead caused the rattling noise which so closely resembled volley firing.
The guards were posted twice a day, the morning guard going on duty at 8 A. M. and remaining until re- lieved by the night guard at 8 P. M. The ceremony of guard mounting was dispensed with, and the lieutenants of the battalion alternated as officers of the guard, there being no regularly-appointed officer of the day. In ad- dition to this guard, which was posted inside the camp and along the tracks in front of the grain elevator be- fore mentioned, there was an outpost guard which went on duty at 8 or 9 A. M. and remained until relieved by a second detail, at 1 or 2 P. M. This guard was posted at the switches (two sentries to each post) along the line of railroad, extending from the end of the chain of camp sentries to the sentries of the Ninth Regiment, at the point of intersection of the Erie and Lake Shore railroads, the whole chain of outpost sentries covering a distance of perhaps half or three-quarters of a mile. This outpost guard was withdrawn at night. Besides these four daily guard details, the battalion was called upon to furnish special details when necessary, to escort mov- ing freight-trains and similar duties.
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An effort was made to so arrange the detailing of men to the different guards that each one might have an opportunity for rest and relaxation. The force avail- able for duty at any time was, however, so small, and the amount of territory that had to be covered so great, that it frequently happened that an enlisted man coming off guard in the morning would find himself detailed again for that same night. At least one case is recalled of a private who was forced to stand guard for five successive nights, getting little or no sleep in the daytime. This condition of affairs was greatly relieved a few days later, when a large detachment from the Fourth Separate Company of Yonkers was attached to the battalion.
The first relief of the night guard was posted amid a great shouting and jeering from the crowd in the streets. But this gradually died away, and by the time the third relief went on post, four hours later, the crowd had vanished and the streets were orderly. Contrary to all expectations (for rumor had been active during the day), no trouble was experienced during the night, and the wearied sentries had great difficulty keeping awake.
That night Company A decided that they had bet- ter do something to render themselves, to some extent at least, independent of the commissary department, and the following morning a collection was taken up and a detail sent to town to purchase provisions. Their example was followed by the other companies. This was the first move towards self-support in the battalion. There was plenty of fuel near at hand, and tife differ- ent companies found that they had a number of men in their ranks who were accomplished cooks.
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history of the twenty- Second Regiment
Camp cooking stoves were constructed by first digging a shallow hole, a couple of feet square, to create a draft. Over this was laid a coal-screen (a square wire screen with meshes about a quarter-inch square, used at the ends of the chutes on the trestle to separate the dust and fine coal from the coarse). On this screen the fire was built, and a second screen, its corners resting on columns composed of several bricks, was placed over it to form the cooking surface. As a gridiron for broiling meats, or as a contrivance for toasting stale bread, this arrangement was unsurpassed.
During the first days of the service the hot meals con- sisted of a large wash- boilerful of a mix- ture of water, canned corned beef, potatoes, onions, corn, and any- thing else that might be near at hand (including, of course, a quantity of coal dust). This concoction was permitted to slowly simmer until a thick, yellow scum appeared on the surface, when it was accounted "done," and was served accordingly. More than one man suffered the pangs of indigestion as the result of this fare, and at least one found that a seidlitz powder taken from a tin cup that had previously contained this delectable stew (even though the cup had previously received an apology for a cleansing) made a powerful emetic ! Until the machinery of the commissary department got into working order, the washboiler, of which mention has
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history of the twenty: Second Regiment
been previously made, was the only thing in the way of a kitchen utensil in the camp. Afterwards the large tin pans, which had contained baked beans, were made to answer every requirement.
The New York papers published an account that the dinner ménu of Company A consisted of mullaga- tawney soup, clam chowder, Hamburger steak, boiled ham, corned beef, boiled potatoes, bread and butter and "slumgullion" (coffee). But this was merely a light- hearted fiction. The cooking, however, was good.
Company A was regaled with lyonnaise potatoes and similar luxuries, prepared by the skilful hand of its chef, and it may surprise some of the men to learn at this late day that those fat, greasy, slimy-looking hams, which had so grievously insulted their fastidious stomachs, were, when nicely sliced, recooked and served with eggs and a modicum of coal dust, devoured with gusto by those who had so recently inveighed loudest against them.
While the people living in certain localities were bitter against the soldiers, it was different with those living in the snug little cottages on the line of the out- posts. These were so uniformly kind and hospitable that to secure a detail to the outposts became a matter of the liveliest competition among the men.
A substantial storehouse, the only one built in the camp, was constructed by Company A. This was built of heavy planks, its roof composed of the two doors of an old freight-car and the floor made of heavy planks. and elevated some two feet from the ground. In this building the commissary stores were kept safe from all damage of the elements.
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STATE HISTORIAN'S OFFICE,
ALBANY, N. Y.
538 history of the twenty- Second Regiment
The only conflicts of a serious nature in which the battalion was engaged were the arrest of Daniel Moran. a local prize-fighter, by three members of the company, and the killing of Michael Broderick, on August 25.
In the former case, Moran, half drunk, with a com- panion, approached Private Arthur E. Cottrell, a sentry on post, and with much profanity announced his inten-
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tion of forcing his way through the lines. He was brought to a standstill against the point of Cottrell's bayonet. Despite the remonstrances of his more sober companion, and loudly proclaiming his ability to " lick the whole crowd," he seized the sentry's piece and at- tempted to wrest it from his grasp. Attracted by the noise of the fracas, Privates Charles P. Shinn and John M. Hampton, sentries on the nearest posts on each side, ran to the support of their comrade, Shinn arriv-
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history of the twenty: Second Regiment
ing just in time to put an end to the struggle by a blow, with the butt of his rifle, on the pugilist's head. The bruiser's companion started promptly to run, but was stopped by the threat of the sentries to fire. Both men were put in arrest and taken to the station-house by the police, for whom a telephone message had been sent . from battalion headquarters. The two prisoners were promptly discharged from custody the following day by a police justice. This was the custom with those magistrates in Buffalo in the case of most of the rioters who were brought before them during the strike.
Although the strike was formally declared " off " on August 24, yet the demonstrations by the turbulent element it had brought together did not cease until some time afterwards. At about II A. M. on August 25 a large crowd of disorderly characters assembled at the Erie crossing at Ohio Street. Some of them had been drinking ; all of them were surly at the failure of the strike. Led on by a few hotheads, who had assumed their leadership, they became more and more aggres- sive. This was the first day that any considerable number of trains had been moved without military guards, and the crowd took advantage of it to stone the unprotected trainmen. The throng soon increased to several hundred men, women and children, who were cursing and throwing stones. and a serious disturb- ance became imminent. At about noon a long train passed this point which was guarded by a squad of the Seventy-first, under command of Capt. Francis of Company E. These men were stationed on the engine and along the tops of the cars, and were unsuspicious of danger. They were greeted with a volley of stones,
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History of the twenty Second Regiment
coal, bolts and similar missiles. The train, however, was in rapid motion and conveyed the troops out of the scene of difficulty before they had time to fire at the offenders. The crowd appeared to be emboldened by this success. The disturbance continued to grow, and . some of the sentries of the Twenty-second, which were in its neighborhood, were pelted with coal, stones and other projectiles.
As usual upon such occasions, in addition to the grown men who were engaged in the disturbance, and out- vying them in their violent acts, were a number of half- grown boys. One of these, Michael Broderick, a well- grown lad of seventeen, was particularly prominent in the mob and conspicuous in the stone-throwing. Thedisturb- ance finally nearly attained the proportions of a riot. As it was near the headquarters of Maj. Bartlett's battalion, the guard of the latter, under the command of Lieut. Cassidy of Company H of the Twenty-second, who was also the officer of the day, was dispatched on the " double " to suppress it. When the guard approached the crowd they were greeted with a storm of epithets and a shower of missiles. Lieut. Cassidy halted his guard and ordered the crowd to disperse, but his orders were treated with derision. A charge was then made upon the rioters by the soldiers, but they refused to move. Lieut. Cassidy was therefore compelled, as a last resort, to order some of his men to fire. The order was obeyed, and Broderick, who had been selected by one of the soldiers as one of the most prominent in the disturbance, fell with a bullet through his side. Some others were also hurt. As usual in such cases, the rioters at once took to their heels in the wildest con-
STATE HISTORIAN'S OFFICE, ALBANY, N. Y.
LIEUT. JAS. P. KENWORTHY AND COMPANY A "IN ACTION" AT BUFFALO, AUGUST, 1902.
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fusion, the guard being only able to make three arrests. Broderick died that night. This occurrence, although unavoidable, was greatly regretted by all the members of the Twenty-second. While Broderick brought his fate upon himself, yet it was felt that he was only a boy and much sympathy was expressed for him. It
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was also felt to be most unfortunate that, after the strike had been practically ended, a life should be sacrificed.
At this time there was a strong desire among certain classes in Buffalo to "get even " with the Na- tional Guard, whose presence had caused the failure of the strike. Strenuous efforts were made by this class, together with the friends of Broderick, to punish those who composed the guard that fired the fatal shot. In this they were substantially aided by the police, who were in sympathy with the strikers and-antagonistic
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to the National Guard in general, and to the Twenty- second Regiment in particular. An investigation was had before a coroner's jury, at which no one was sum- moned except those friendly to the rioters, and a ver- dict was rendered that the shooting was unjustifiable. No attention was paid, however, to the proceedings by the Twenty-second. They felt that all of the officers and men concerned in the affair had simply performed their duty in maintaining the law, and it did not seem possible to them that any criminal proceedings could possibly grow out of the matter. To their great astonish- ment they learned from the newspapers, after their re- turn to New York, that the Grand Jury had found an indictment for murder against Lieut. Cassidy, the com- mander of the guard. Vigorous action on behalf of the State authorities then became necessary. It was clear that if the members of the National Guard, who might be ordered to distant parts of the State to put down a riot, were liable to arrest and trial in the courts of the district in which they were serving for obeying their orders, that their military efficiency would be seri- ously interfered with. Such service is almost always locally unpopular if the disturbance is a serious one, and, with such a feeling, it would be casy for the lead- ers of the law-breakers to subject the troops to so much expense and inconvenience as to render it impossible to get men to serve.
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