A. No, sir; it was a short dispatch, simply asking me if anything was being done.
Q. Is it published in the Adjutant General's report?
A. No, sir; I think not. I have not got it here. I am sorry, I looked over all that I had, but I couldn't find it.
Q. I wish you would state now your knowledge of the disturbance at Reading—any facts that are within your own knowledge, and that you have obtained through an official capacity?
A. I know nothing about the disturbance of my own personal knowledge, except from hearsay after I got there. I got there on Tuesday afternoon—Tuesday evening, I think.
Q. What date?
A. It was the 24th. When we came down from Harrisburg on Tuesday afternoon, we got here just in time for me to take the two-fifty-seven train, and go to Reading. I had heard there was a disturbance over there, and I went over, and when I got there I found the bridge was burned down. We stopped just this side of the bridge, and had to drive in over the other bridge, and found considerable excitement in town, and a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty about the situation of affairs. General Reeder and his command had left about that time, and they expected the Federal troops in, and they came in shortly afterwards while I was there, and there was no further disturbance in town while I was there. There was a meeting of the citizens called for that night. It was attended by I should suppose fifteen or twenty, and some efforts were made to get up a citizens' organization; but it didn't work. There was not a large amount of cheerful alacrity to go into the organization.
Q. By whose authority was the citizens' meeting called?
A. They were called together by the mayor. He was there at that time. He was at the meeting. The sheriff I didn't see.
Q. The sheriff resided in Reading—the sheriff of the county?