. Strikers, communists, tramps and detectives . ely assaulted the troops that they were quickly com-pelled to give up the field. One company, with supremecowardice, threw down their arms and fratei-nized with thestrikers; many of the others bought tickets to return toPhiladelphia ; while the balance retreated precipitately toa safe distance from the city. Those who attempted toreturn to Philadelphia, among whom were many of theCity Troop, the crack Philadelphia cavalry organization,were ingloriously captured and completely humiliated anddisgraced at Harrisburg, as will shortly appear. At the l
. Strikers, communists, tramps and detectives . ely assaulted the troops that they were quickly com-pelled to give up the field. One company, with supremecowardice, threw down their arms and fratei-nized with thestrikers; many of the others bought tickets to return toPhiladelphia ; while the balance retreated precipitately toa safe distance from the city. Those who attempted toreturn to Philadelphia, among whom were many of theCity Troop, the crack Philadelphia cavalry organization,were ingloriously captured and completely humiliated anddisgraced at Harrisburg, as will shortly appear. At the last-named city, the capital of the second greatCommonwealth of the nation, many stirring incidents trans-pired. Because it was the capital, and the source fromwhich should emanate all authority for the eventual sup-pression of troubles in Pennsylvania, made it no exceptionto the i-avages of the gigantic wave of communistic anarcliywhich cursed the wdiole land. Tlie railroad employees andtheir sympathizers were all aware that Governor Hartranft. • INCIDENTS AT HARRISBUEG. 309 was absent, suramerhig in the West, and tliey had very littlerespect for any show of authority coming from any lesserofficial. On Saturday, the 22d of July, a meeting of fully fourthousand strikers and other persons was held on a common,a few hundred yards above the depot, the leaders speakingfrom the top of box-cars, and exciting the crowd to a veryviolent pitch, it being fully determined by the mob to meetforce with equal force, and make quick work of any troopsthat might be used against them. From this meeting the rioters surged back to the depot,and at eight oclock in the evening, when a delayed passen-ger train from the West appeared, detached the engineseveral times, and finally ran it triumphantly to the round-house, the passengers being compelled to accept the situa-tion and lie over. On the same day, the Fourth Division of PennsylvaniaMilitia was ordered out, for the purpose of assisting in thesu
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectrailroadstrikeus1877
