CHAPTER XVI
 

HE troubles among the workmen engaged
in the construction of the Chesapeake &
Ohio Canal were endless. They were
either suffering "with cholera, or at war
among themselves, or with the Contractors, or
with the people of the communities in which
they were working. They were a wild set,
ancl doubtless were treated with harshness and
> injustice. On the 17th of May, 1838, another in¬
surrection began among them, this time occasioned
by the non-payment of their wages. They insisted
upon destrojdng the w-ork they had done, since
they were to receive no pay for it. The canal
authorities called upon the militia for protection.
Brigadier General 0. H. Williams, who was then
in command of the lyiltia of this end of the State,
dispatched three companies to the scenes of the
disturbances. These were the two Hagerstown
companies under Captain Artz and Captain Rob¬
ertson, and the Smithburg Company under Cap¬
tain Hollingsworth. Major Barnes' Company was
held in readiness to march. But little damage
was done at this time.
-^          The next year, however, in November, a most

serious outbreak occeurred. The portion of the
work between Hancock in Washington County and
Little Orleans in Allegany County, was then un¬
der construction.' There was an organization
among the laborers which possessed five hundred
stands of arms, and just about this time received
a consignment of five hundred duck guns from
Baltimore. A large body of irresponsible and
desperate men armed in this manner was of
course a constant menace to the community; and
in fact, that whole portion of the two counties was
 

terrorized, and entirely at the mercy of the rioters.
At Little Orleans at this time the outbreak began
by an attack upon a number of German l^iborers,
one of whom was thrown into the fire and burned
to death; and a man named Hughes at Little
Orleans was beaten so savagely that he died from
his injuries. The miltary were summoned as
speedily as possible. General Williams took com¬
mand of the companies of Gen. Thruston of Cum¬
berland, Major Barnes' Clearspring Cavalr3' and
Col. Holhngsworth's Company. The militia was
in the field five days, making a march of eighty-
one miles; many of the rioters were arrested and
their arms taken from them.

Three months before this riot, one had taken ^
place at the tunnel, which was quelled by the com¬
panies of Thruston, Hollingsworth and Barnes.
Mr. Charles B. Fiske was also engaged with them.
The measures taken at this time were of a very
drastic character, and brought serious trouble upon
the officers. They arrested twenty-five of the lead¬
ing rioters, destro3'ed two hundred guns, pulled
down fifty shanties and burned sixty barrels of
whiskey. But it soon appeared that a portion of
the property destroyed belonged to innocent indi¬
viduals who had taken no part in the riots. These
appealed to the County and a suit was instituted
against Messrs. Thruston, Hollingsworth and
Fisk. The case came on for trial and it w-as de¬
cided that the defendants had exceeded their au¬
thority and acted illegally, and a judgment for
$2,737 was rendered against them. They after¬
wards appealed to the Legislature for relief, but
it was denied them in rather a curt fashion.

These were not the only storms and controver-