USA > Pennsylvania > History of the First regiment infantry, National guard of Pennsylvania (Grey Reserves) 1861-1911, pt 1 > Part 39
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39
371
HOMESTEAD INDUSTRIAL DISTURBANCES
1-92
town, moving west; he received his despatch at midnight on the tenth. General Wiley, whose orders reached him at two o'eloek on the morning of the eleventh, was to assemble his brigade, the Second, at Brinton on the Pennsylvania Railroad, and General Dechert, whose orders came to hand at 11.50 p. Mr. on the tenth, with the exception of the First City Troop, which was ordered to Brinton, was to put his First Brigade into eamp at Mount Gretna and there await further orders. In his official report, General Deeliert states: " The succeeding forty minutes were devoted to giving information to the representatives of the various daily newspapers, deemning it best to give the fullest possible newspaper publicity to the orders, as a means of notifying the men of the various commands." Notwithstanding the incidental delays, the First Brigade arrived at its destination, one hundred and three miles distant, within eighteen hours after Brigadier-General Dechert was notified; the Second assembled at Radebaugh, ex- cept a single regiment, which arrived shortly afterward, at two A. M. on the twelfth, and the Third was concentrated at Lewis- town before midnight on the eleventh. Brinton is but a short distance from Homestead, and Radebaugh, which is a couple of miles west of Greensburg on the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad, is some forty miles east of Brinton.
This concentration of an entire division of State troops, quar- tered over an area of 45,000 square miles, with brigades to assem- ble at three separate rendezvous, called suddenly from their homes without eautionary direction for readiness, without pressure, with only urgeney to be speedy, when how to best entrain had not yet been effectively taught, armed and equipped for the field, within twenty-four hours, was certainly a venture not before paralleled in militia history.
The following extract is from the New York Herald of July 12, 1892:
NO OTHER NATION CAN MATCH IT
The spectacle presented by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania yester- day was one which no other nation on the globe can parallel, and one of which every American citizen has just reason to feel proud.
It was nearly midnight of Sunday when the Chief Magistrate of that State sent out from the Capitol at Harrisburg orders for the mobilization of the entire militia of the Commonwealth to enforce the law and preserve order at Homestead, on the banks of the Monongahela.
372
HISTORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT, N. G. P.
1892
At 8 o'clock on Monday morning the headquarters of the First Brigade in Philadelphia was thronged with men, and at half past nine the First Regiment marehed from its armory with nearly its entire strength of men. fully equipped for the field. In less than twelve hours after the midnight call was sounded 1900 of the 2000 mien of the brigade had left the city on fast trains for the named destination.
Like promptness in responding and moving was shown in every quarter. and to-day will witness the entire National Guard of Pennsylvania-infantry, cavalry, and artillery-concentrated at the designated points, with all the equipment and efficiency of an army of veterans prepared for battle.
The grandeur of the spectacle lies in the character of the men and the spirit that animates them.
They are not regular soldiers enlisted in a standing army; not men whose lives are given to military duties. They are representative citizens, business and professional men, employers and employees, elerks, and work- ingmen. They are actuated by no desire for excitement and glory; they have no feeling of hostility to those against whom they move; they depre- cate the call to arms. They respond through loyalty to the Government and a high sense of the duties of citizenship.
Nothing can be more characteristically American than the manifestation of this law-abiding and patriotic spirit in the ranks of the National Guard at Pittsburgh. It is well known that among the members there are many who are allied in interest as fellow-craftsmen, and still more who are in cordial sympathy with the outlocked men at Homestead. But there is no indication that any failed to respond to the call of the Government by reason of this sympathy or will swerve from the line of duties as a militia- man through any personal tie.
Read these significant words of a mill-working member of the Four- teenth Regiment in Pittsburgh: "It'll be a hard thing for me to shoot into a crowd of men who are bound to me by all the ties of human interest and friendship, but when I have my uniform on and the command of 'Fire!' is given, I will shoot, for when I entered the militia I took the oath of alle- giance to the State of Pennsylvania, and swore to protect its Constitution and government at all hazards." This is a grand sentiment, and voices the spirit that animates all. It is a spirit of patriotism that recognizes loyalty to the government and obedience to the publie authority as the highest duty. of American citizenship.
What was done in Pennsylvania in a few hours in defence of law and order in one county can be done in forty-four States in defence of the nation if menaeed by foreign invasion. It shows no lack of military force in a country which maintains the smallest standing army in the world.
The news of the Homestead disturbances of the sixth of July had been a subject for military gossip and speculation, and had increased the number of frequenters about the armories, but had not moved the authorities to the issuance of the words of caution usually attendant on outbreaks likely to call for military inter- ference. Colonel Bowman had said, too, that his command could
373
1:02
"IN DEFENCE OF LAW AND ORDER "
be assembled in about two hours, and the emergency system of notification, one chief to each squad and with five to a squad, being well understood, the serious forecast of the moment had in a measure disappeared, when the news of the receipt by General Dechert of General Snowden's Harrisburg orders of the night of the tenth, coming to the regimental armory about two o'clock on the morning of the eleventh, brought to a realization what had scarce been permitted to be treated seriously as a prediction.
In what readiness did the summons find the First Regiment and how sharp was its response ? These orders reached Colonel Bowman, as General Dechert officially reports, at 2.30 o'clock, at his Merion residence, and in forty minutes, including his time for preparation, driven at emergency speed, he had arrived at the armory. Upon his arrival, Adjutant Stinson having also reported, he despatched messengers in every direction to bestir his officers and men, and caused to be issued his formal Orders No. 16, of July 11, 1892, directing the regiment to assemble at 9.30 o'clock at the armory in heavy marching order provided with three days' rations " to take the field in defence of law and order." Officers and men who by reason of absence from the city were unable to report immediately were to do so in the field, as expeditiously as possible, fully equipped.
Major J. Lewis Good, with First Lieutenant Eugene J. Ken- sil, Company H, as acting adjutant, and First Sergeant Joseph P. Boyd as acting sergeant-major, was assigned to the First Bat- talion, composed of Companies C, A, H, I, and E, and Captain James Muldoon, with First Lieutenant William S. Allen, Com- pany B, as acting adjutant, and First Sergeant William P. Zorger as acting sergeant-major, was assigned to the Second, con -. sisting of Companies B, K, D, F, and G.
Twenty men had reported by three o'clock, there were over fifty at four, and by eight more than half the regiment was on hand. At ten o'clock, all arms having been previously carefully inspected by company commanders, the regiment with five hun- dred and seventy-eight of its six hundred and thirty officers and men. with Col. Wendell P. Bowman in command, left the armory. " The fifty-two men absent were either on their vacations or in- capacitated for duty through illness. There were only three of
374
IS92
HISTORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT, N. G. P.
the latter, the remaining forty-nine, it was expected, would be on duty within twenty-four hours." Cheers and applause greeted the column along its entire route to the Thirty-second and Mar- ket Streets depot of the Pennsylvania Railroad, where with a spe- cial train of some fourteen cars awaiting it, at eleven o'clock the command was entrained for its Mount Gretua destination.
The regiment reached its camp ground at Mount Gretna, a site well selected on a high piece of ground, a little before three o'clock, met by a like shower such as seemed to follow the arrival of each of the other regiments of the brigade. Not, as said a reporter, that the rain came down heavily, but rather that it was of that soulless, dismal sort that chills and penetrates. It was quite apparent that the First had never bivouacked before in a more warlike fashion. The troops had been moved expeditiously; not so with the supplies. Discomforts followed the non-arrival of canvas, the quality and quantity of the ration provoked the privi- leged grumble. Within forty-eight hours, however, all things adjusted to the satisfaction of the watchful supervising officers, the camp named in remembrance of the late adjutant-general, " Camp General William McClelland," was in smooth working order.
It was not in any anxiety to hasten back, but only from a desire to know something definite as to the stay, that induced inquiries as to its probable length. So in the presence of Adju- tant-General Greenland, in the camp for the annual inspection, Colonel Bowman ventured the remark, " I suppose we ean go to church at home on Sunday." "I would rather advise," said he, "that you arrange for such religious worship as the day de- mands here, than expect to attend it there." In consequence of this intimation, and to let it be publicly known that the stay would at least cover that date, the announcement followed that on Sunday, the 17th of July, at 10.30 o'clock in the morning, religious services would be held in the pavilion located on the grounds of the Mount Gretna Park, that adjoined the camp.
The routine of camp life began at once. Held as a reserve, with the other two brigades practically on the firing line, this spiee of active service gave zest to the encampment, removed it out of the ordinary, made it memorable as an event. Instruction in
375
ROUTINE OF CAMP LIFE
Is92
loading and firing, frequent exercise in company open order, in view of the eontingeneies, were specially enjoined. The regimen- tal order in detail for drills, roll-calls, guard mounts, etc., pub- lished the morning after the arrival in camp, was modified, but not materially changed, by the general order from brigade head- quarters issued on the 13th. First Sergeants William Zorger, Company E, and Joseph P. Boyd, Company I, detailed as acting sergeants-major of the first and second battalions respectively, were relieved, and after an intermediate change the service finally fell to First Sergeant William B. Jolinson, Company G, for the first, and Duty Sergeant Harry Stewart, of Company C, for the second battalion.
Governor Pattison with his military staff arrived at the camp at 9.45 o'clock on the morning of Thursday, the 14th. He was met by the brigade commander and his staff, and received with the prescribed salute of 17 guns. Inquiry was ripe, and besides his formal salute of 17 guns, he was also informally saluted with the interrogatory from a newspaper source, " Will the brigade be ordered to Homestead ?" To which he gave the very discreet reply, " You must excuse me from saying anything about that, but if you are staying in Lebanon, or anywhere else other than in eamp, I would answer to stick with the brigade and be ready to move with the soldiers at a moment's notice."
Col. John W. Schall's Sixth Regiment by virtue of his senior- ity held the right of the brigade, and with his regiment began promptly at ten o'clock the annual muster and inspection by Adjutant-General Walter W. Greenland, who had been named as the successor of Adjutant-General McClelland. The Sixth Regi- ment was followed elosely by the First, of which, beside the grati- fication he had expressed of the troops generally, the governor spoke in most enthusiastic terms. "Your regiment is as near the perfect as a command can be expected to reach," said he to Colonel Bowman : whereupon, it is recorded, the colonel, his conn- tenanee aglow with satisfaction, withheld his more appreciative acknowledgments until a better opportunity came to fully express them.
Following is a tabulated statement of the attendanee at the encampment :
5748
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.