David Burr

“ In the meantime, the citizens at Huntington had become exceedingly 8 alarmed at seeing this hostile array; three or four hundred armed men on each side had the avowed intention of meeting in battle; the civil authority was completely powerless. Fearing their persons and property would not be safe, they sent to Fort Wayne for aid of the militia. A company immediately was collected and in a few hours was sent to their relief. Meanwhile, the citizens of Huntington had collected and organized a company also. ”

“ In conformity with your request in relation to the disturbance amongst the Irish laborers on the Canal, it is proper to state that many persons of the two parties into which they are unfortunately divided, “Corkonians and Fardowns,” had been engaged in those bloody affrays at Williamsport in Maryland and at the “high rocks on the Potomac” within the last two years. They had come since September in 1834 to the Wabash and Erie Canal with, as it is said, many of their leaders. ”

“ Because of mutual fears and for safety the laborers had so hired out to the contractors that they had about equally divided the line between the parties; the Corkmen worked on the upper part, and the Fardowns on the lower part of the line. The beatings of such persons who were caught away from their friends increased to such a degree, and the parties became so exasperated, that about the first of July a determination became general that one or the other should leave the line. ”

“ The commissioning of justices of the peace and the organizing of militia companies at Wabash, Lagro, and Huntington have restored, and I trust will preserve, order.
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The commissioners, Messrs. Johnson and Lewis, were at Fort Wayne at the time; and I had not the benefit of their advice. As soon as order was restored, the canal board took more decided steps in their regulations. They now require each contractor to dismiss any laborer who may engage in a broil and to give his name to the engineers so that he may not be employed on the line. ”

“ The militia turned out on the first moment’s warning; many of the men just happened to be in town and marched off without any preparation whatever. They had of necessity to be supplied with money and provisions for their subsistence. These were furnished by many of the contractors and people on the line. Amongst those incurring the greatest expense was Captain Elias Murray, of Huntington ”