The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, August 03, 1877, Image 4
ag-.-r' ' - '.T. LWL- g-i-J-U'.-l'L-J ?
the strikers' riot im pittsburo. (
?1 Militiaman's Vivid Account of the Terrible
Scene* of Saturday Nitjht.
Pittsburg, Pa , July 22.?"Great God!
preserve ino from another such night as last
uight!" said a member of Company G, of
the First Regiment of Philadelphia, to your
representative to-day. The young man was
a clerk iu a wholesale tea house, and had
left at homo a widowed mother aud a number
of Bisters deponding upon him for support.
He hud deserted the regiment when
it had arrived at the United States Arsenal,
and sfcerotod himself behind a great pile
of boards until the mob had left, then came
out and begged protection from Maj. Buffing
ton, the commaudaut of the arsenal.?
He had thrown atfay his uniform and appeared
in citizens' dress, aud eagerly plied
mc with questions as to how he could get
into the city, and what train might he take
whiuh would, carry him safest and soonest
home.
GOING INTO TIIE EIGHT.
"I served in jho war of the rebellion,"
said he, "and have seen wild figluiug, and
heard oftentimes the melancholy music of
whistling bullets, but the uight of terror
suuh as last night 1 never experienced, aud
hope to God I never will again. Tt was
this way: We came into Pittsburg, I must
confess, bout on haviug a little light if any
was going on. Wc had little to eat, somo
sandwiches aud a tin cup of coffoo, and at
noon yesterday wo had some sort of nourishment
dealt out to us at the Union depot.
When wc arrived at Pittsburg wo were all
in good spirits, nevertheless, and responded
with alacrity to the command to move out
to Twenty-eighth stcet. where the strikers
had gathered in force. When we arrived
here, Gon. Britton, commanding, formed us
in front and rear on the outside of a network
of track at this point and stationed
the Keystone battery, with its Uatling guns,
in a little flat plot onJkc hillside, elevation
perhaps ten feet ab^vc the level of the
tracks. At this moment the crowd began
to scatter, not in rctrcnt, but apparently to
make rooui for the military.
HISSES, YEI.L8 AND GROANS.
As we rested on our arms the silence of
. i uuu ? oturin 01
g? - a?v_a -Then
a platoon of our regiment was ordered to
clear tlio crowd from the head of Twentyeighth
street, which was blockading the
tracks of the railroad. The sheriff and his
deputies mingled with the troops and endeavored
to make himself heard, urging the
crowd to fall back and retire to their homes,
lie could not make himself heard, owing to
the confusion and the cries and the yells of
the people. Tho platoon of soldiers pushed
into the crowd, surging them baok until the
order "Halt!" was given. At this time the
hillside was literally covered with men, womeu
and children, mostly spectators, I
judged, who wcro in a manner penned up.
All this time the erics and yells of the crowd
grew louder and fiercer and tho military
made preparations to form a hollow square
on a platform of tracks, as near tho Twentv.nii'hth
Street err?a?ir?fj ? possible, witli
two Gatling guns in the centre. The Pitts
burg troops aud thc-Fourtccuth regiment, I
believe, wore drawn up in line, but remained
passivo.
TIIE CHARGE OF THE GRAYS.
After some manoeuveriug, rendered difficnlt
by the jostling of the crowd, three
sides of a square were formed by our two
regiments?First and Second?numbering
from four to five hundred men. One side
of the squaro faced the hill, one faced to
the east, and the troops on the other side
stood with thoir backs to Twenty-eighth
street and faced also the hill. The crowd was
slow iu clearing a space for (ho cast sido of
the square, and the soldiers began to force
thorn back. This occasioned some scuffling,
several of tho men taking hold of the
muskets and saying, "You would not shoot
workinguien, would you?" while those on
the outskirts continued to hoot and yell.?
AToivt tbis motnent the Grays were ordered
to chargo ou the crowd which was impeding
them. This was done amidst the most intense
confusiou and excitement; but the
troops pushed back the throng and retired.
A BAYONET CHARGE.
The first regiment, when tho crowd began
again to press the men, was ordered to charge,
which they did with fixed bayonets, and in
this charge one of the strikers is reported to
have been wounded by a bayonet thrust.?
The crowd now began pelting us with stones,
and some ot our men were hurt more or less.
This was tho match that fired the train, and
goaded to trenzy, either through fear of violence
from the crowd or stung to desperation
by being hit with missiles, wo fired, and
'fire wa did. Some say there was no order
. ~ - itivon to firo, but one ul" tho, guns in tho
hands of a member of Company A wcut off,
and others, mistaking this for an order to
fire, levelled their pieces and discharged
them. This maybe, but I heard distinctly
the order to fire, and did not discharge my
pioce until such an order was given. The
firing was sudden and unexpected, und
aonmo/1 fn AA**IA ???* 1 1*1.
W VVU?> U|IUII LIIW VilBb CTdWIl 11K 0 3
stroke of lightning, and it was scarcely realized
until here nnd there a man was seen
to fall. Along the brow of the hill ran a
deep ditch, into which those who had enough
presence of mind cast themselves. After
tho first shot the troops fired in every direction.
The first volley swept over the hillside
and was dclivored by those troops nearest
the hill. The second side of the Brjunre
was along tho track, and tho others, so far
as could bo ascertained, whoeled and fifed
down Twenty-eighth stroet.
A NIC!FIT IN THE ROONIHIOIISF..
Before dark, when tho den?I nn?1
f MMVt M VUUUVU
had been carried off, and the crowd f^l over
the fright and commonccd to gather again
in great numbers, we were ordered into the
roundhouse, as affording ft shelter for the
night and better protection from the stray
shdts heard every now and then. With the
1
approach oi' nightfall wo got hungry and o
tired, but were consoled in a measure by tha a
auuouncouicut that supper hud been ordered fl
aud would arrive in a brief tiuio. At dusk,
peeping out of tho windows of the roundhouse,
we saw the wagons carryiug our ra- a
tions captured by the crowd, dishes aud tfieir o
contents hurled into the streets, while tho v
crowd cheered like demons. As the crowd n
in the streets was augmented with the ap- a
proach of night, all thoughts of sleep were 1
given over, and guards stationed at tldugj^ a
dows of the roundhouse and rttoo. pltWj^l' a
each of the gates leading into the yards. c
THE SCENE AT MIDNIGHT^ J
At miduight the crowd outside, as wo
could observe from the windows, had grown
into many thousands, and shots wore fired at ^
us from out of the yards of the company in
close proximity to the roundhouse. Were- '
plied to them, with what effect wc were unable
to ascertain. When the firing was started
in the box cars wc became very seriously
alarmed. Some few men, I. have heard,
made their way out of thoir quarters in citizen's
clothes and escaped from their perilous
position. We could sco long lines of cars
one after the other burning, but dared not
expose ourselves to the guns of the mob.
CAPTURE OF A UUN.
The fire slowly but surely crept down 011
us, and about this time the crowd captured
one of tho guns belonging to Hutchinson s
llattcry, of Pittsburg, and attempted to get
it into position to firo upon us. It was heavily
loaded, we knew, and if it was fired in
closo proximity to us it must have done
heavy damage. However, we prevented
them from putting it in position, as wc covered
it well, and we were in quarters where
we could pick off tho men without much injury
to ourselves. The uumber of times the
freight oars ran between 11s nnd the gun
shielded the strikers from our shots, but they
finally gave the matter up and hauled the
gun away. All this time tho situation was
becoming more aud more serious. The fire
was creeping down upon us with the certainty
of driving us out sooner or later. The
crowd, too, wasgrowiug more dense aud bold,
, and threats of violence, should wc come out,
m ! 1?- l> A fr" "jJj
in tho yard where the cars wero burning we I
SOMETH1
UNDER T
NEW STORE AT 1
JAMES H.
HAVING purchased Ihe entire interest of his
Store, respectfully announces to the old
Friends an<|
oi tne lormer owner that he w
GROCERY
At the O
and will always keep a full t
plan.tatio:
Table and other Cutlery,
Plows and Plo1
Oa
WOODEr
ALL BRANDS OF
which he y
PRICES TO 8U]
I respectfully invite the old frie
and any number of new ones, to
fl A T, T. A "NT T
- - M -A. JL. 1 X
You will find two "Live young ]
to wait on you, and what we cann
asking for or having.
Oft,II lit the Hod
If you want good bargains, poli
tion.
i ;
TO THO^K 1
HAVING sold out my entire interest ii
anxious to settle up all outstanding inde
any way indebted to mo to coino forward nnd
My Hooks and Accounts are still at tho St<
James II. Kodgcr, is onipowered to make s
March 2
ATTENTION COT"]
You can save TIME, TR<
By using the Celebrated '
WEST'S GUANO
BALENTINE'S O CJ
Manufactured by GOWEK, COX <
W. A. NICHOLSON,
March 16,
ouldsee mou pillaging, while their old rusty
rms were aiiuglcd with bright barrels which
ashed ia.thc glare of destruction.
'* THE CARS ON EIRE.
Suddenly down the grade onuic oue car
fter another, souie laden with oil, which was n
u fire aud burning fiercely. Theso cars X
rere sent down iu order that they might iglite
(he woodon work of the roundhouse
ittd the company's lumber yard. Thoy were
leavily laden with combustible material,
tud wnon the box oars took fire they burst
ind scattered the contotfWfW&yfcry direction,
lealing out disaster with lavish hand. The
nachiue shop between Twenty-fifth and
rwenty-sixth streets then caught fire, and *
soon our building was surrouudod with a wall
it* fire. The heat was so intense that we
were obliged to retire from the wiudows and
gather in the centre of the building. Many
if us would have run out, but the danger
jutside from the violence of the crowd was
as much feared as the firo element which
was fast approaching us. At dawn ot day a
consultation of officers was held, which was /
prolonged for souio tiuio ! It was thcu dcci- ^
ded wo must go out and face tho angry devils,
who made the streets in the neighborhood
black with their prescucc.
It was better to run tho risk of being shot
down than burned to denth, and so we filed
out in a compact body, and preceded by the
Gatliog guus, with Major-General Brittou,
Brigadier-Generals Matthews and Land ut
the head. It-was lively times, I tell you, ^
reaching tho United States arsenal, where
we thought we would hi protected. Tho
scutrics here refused to allow us to enter,
and the command held a conference with
our officers. A number of us scaled the
walls and took refuge from the mob behind
the shrubbery and piles of shells and cannon.
We remained here until the rest of the party
formed iu line and marched up the street.
1 thought we should bo all cut to pieces,
and having no relish for this sort of death I
embraced the readiest means to escape from
it. 1 never saw such a wicked, desperate
mob in all my life. Ilow any of n? escaped
with our lives is a mystery. Last night I
had given up all hopes of seeing homo again.
If tho crowd could have got arms I am sure
.v xjc us wuuia nave conic out of the
roundhouse nlivo.
[NG NEW,
HE S(0)IV.
JW0iiB AMU MUNJ5Y,
'FARMERS' FRIEND"
DISTRIBUTOR,
TON PLANTER,
A M4RKLEY, OreenTllle, S. .
Agent, Union C. H.
10 6m# P
- M
ff'* -Y *
CHE OLD STAND.
. RODGER
father, Mr. JOHN RODGER, in liia Grocery
Sjfc^vdntinue the
BUSINESS
I<I Ntaiid,
stock of all kinds ol' Groceries,
N SUPPLIES,
w Steel,
nned Fruits, Meats, Oysters, &c.,
* WARE. i
TOBACCO, &c., &c.,
(vill sell at
IT THE TIBIE8.
nds and customers of the house, a
) TRY ME.
men," standing ready at all times
ot show and sell you is not worth
T
iger Old Stand i
te attention, and perfect satisfacJAMES
H. RODGER.
:ndebted.
ii tho Grocery Buaincas, to my son, I aui
ibtcdnoBS. I, therefore, call upon those in
make settlements immediately.
)ro, and if I nin not present my son, Mr.
cttlemcnts.
JOIIN RODGEIt. Y
8 tf
rOlV PLANTKII8 X.
STRAIGHTOTJTISM \f
RITJMPHANTIJ
? 7jM|
i
1
]
W ndo Hampton i
i
is
Dur G-overnor!
???
%
H Democratic Congress
AND A
Democratic Legislature;
AMD THF
&
UNION TIMES
WILL 6IVB
t
' *
I Weekly Synopsis of the Proceedings
of
BOTH THESE BODIES^
rfow is the I'imc
TO SUBSCRIBE.
*
Now is the Time
TO ADVERTISE.
L NEW ERA HAS DAWNED UPON
THE
STATE AND NATION!
.*_?
.
HE NEWS WILL BE STIRRING
\ND INTERESTING TO ALL CLAS%
SES OF THE PEOPLE.
?.
FOR $2 IN CLUBS,
ou will Keep Posted a Whole Year.
r .*
Single Subscribers, $2.50,
AY WHAT YOU OWE and RENEW
Columbia R. R. jB
^ QjToFj8p|EDUL?. -' ? . $^^9
with Night-Truk?.#ti South (*r- J
'up. ?oU d?w*? On ?hd ?ft w '"'^H
r 20th, the following will bo- tb? |1
Wi C^buabiA at ""o"?0?-m 1
MnVtM(.< Aa*r.h?tv';..', 4.Q0 p m *B
Arrive At Greenville. .*.... .? , 6.86 p m
DOWN. JH
heave Greenville at 8.06 a m 19
Leave Helton 9.56 a m 9
l^cave Cokcshury 11.88 a tn 9
Leave Newberry 2.40 p rn 9
Leave Alston 4.20 p rn M
Arrive at Columbia 5.56 p in jfl
ANDEKS0N4UHANCH AND BLUE RIDGE 9
DIVISION. m
down. dp. 9
Leave Wnllialla. ...0.15 a m Arrive 7.15 pm
Leave Perry ville.. 7.00 a m Arrive 0.40 p m
1-euve l'en(ileton...7.r>0 i\ m Arrive 0.00 p m
Leave Anderson...8.50 a m Arrive 6.00 pm S
Arrive at Helton...9.40 a ni Leave 4.00 p ni fl
THOMAS DODAMEAI), 9
Oeneral Superintendent.
Jarre Norton, Jr., UeneTal Ticket Agent. 9
June 9, 1876. 28 If 1
HAMPTON HOUSED 1
MAIN NT11EET, W "1
SPARTANBURG, So. Oa. '
S. IB. Calcutt,
(Formerly of Palmetto House,)
Proprietor.
HOUSE WELL VENTILATED A
ROOMS NEW UNFURNISHED AND CARrKT^^
ED?TABLES SUPPLIED WITH THE
BEST IN MARKET?ATTENTIVE
SERVANTS?OMNIBUS
TO ALL TRAINS.
TERNS #2.00 PER DAY.
Jan. 12, 1877 1 tf
PAINTS AND OILS.
* Turpentine,
Korosene Oil,
Colore In Oil,
Varnishes,
Window Glass, Putty,
Sand Paper and Glazier's Paints.
For Sale by A. IRWIN A, CO.
March 2 8 tf
ENCOURAGE HOME PEOPLE
AND
Homo Enterprise.
GEORGE S. HACKER ft SON'S
* A IV * ,
Charleston, S. O.
THE only Door, Sash and Blind Factory
owned and managed by a Carolinian in this
CUy. ALL WORK GUARANTEED.
Always on hand a large Stock of Doors, Sash.
Blinds, Mouldings, Brackets, Scroll and Turned. Work
or every description. ~
Glass, White Leads, and Builders' Hardware,,
at Manufacturers' Prices.
0. & T. Flooring Boards, rvkd dressed Lumber
of every description, delivered at Union at the.
lcirr*t figure*.
March 8, 1876. _9 ly
SAMUEL S. STOKES,
1 Attorney a,t Law
an n
TRIAL JUSTICE,
Union C. II., 8. C.,
WILL practice in the Circuit aud Probate
Courts.
All business in the jurisdiction of a Trial Jus*
tice attended to with promptness.
Speoial attention given to collections, &o.
Office for the present, third door to the left in >
the Court House.
March 2 8 If
i wm.ettknokr. h. ?. kpmoxo,
Ettenger & Edmond,
RICHMOND, TA.
Munu fa oturors of
x-ortame ana stationary Engines,
BOILERS OF ALL KINDS,
CIRCULAR SAW MILLS,
GRIST MILL8,
MILL GEARING.
SHAFTING, PULLEYS, Ac.
AMERICAN TURBINE WATER WHEEL,
CAMERON'S SPECIAL STEAM PUMPS*
Send for Catalogue.
Not. 10, 1876 46 1y
REMOVAL.
F.M.FAERACO,, HAVE
remoTsd their Stock of Qrooeriea to ^
the Store opposite B. F. Rawls k Co.,
alongside the Railroad, where they will always be
pleased to meet their customers.
A full Stock of Groceries and Plantation supplies
will always be kept for sale at the lowest
market prices.
Feb 2 4 it
Scuppernong Wine.
WHITE Imperial Seuppernong Wine at
A. IRWIN &CO'S.
March 80 12 tf
Grape Brandy.
PURE Grape Brandy for medicinal purposo at ^
A. IRWIN k CO S. '
March 80 12 If
Pure Corn Whiskey,
PURE Mountain Corn Whiskey, for medicinal
purposes, for sale at
* A. IRWIN, k CO'S.
Feb 9 ft tr : '
Teas ! Tea* 11
JjliNE Black and Green Tea fbr sale eV A
Feb 0 . 5 f;* ' 8' '
?n7 ot h
? - isEMsf^
April# fclf
' -^/ * f
"A ? ' " %
** ; : ~
t? *' .* :*'