ges of Pinkertons a mile below Homestead. Ten thousand men, women, and children rushed to the riverbank. When the Pinkertons disembarked from the boats, they saw hordes of men holding carbines, rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, clubs, and stones.The firing started when one of the ships began to lower their gangplank. When the plank reached shore, a striker lay down upon it to keep people from getting off. When a Pinkerton tried to kick him out of the way, the striker shot him in the thigh. Almost immediately both side began firing at each other. The Pinkertons shot from the plank and top of the barge instantly shooting down thirty Homestead strikers.It is estimated that 20 Pinkertons and 40 strikers were shot. Finally, the Pinkertons surrendered, and march upon the shore, unarmed just to be severely beaten by the enraged wives of several of the workers. Instead, a few days later, 8,000 members of the Pennsylvania National Guard took over the town. According to the commanding general, their aim was to restore law and order.They stayed for three months while the company continued to bring in more and more scabs. There were nearly 2,000 operating the steel mill. Though locked out, and holding firm for almost five months, the strikers gave in. The troops, scabs, costly court action, evictions from company houses, press attacks, and hunger forced the men to give in. The unskilled workers, whose jobs were easily replaced, voted to return back to work. And a few days later, the union joined them.Frick’s response was simple, “This outbreak settles one matter forever, and that is that the Homestead mill hereafter will never again recognize the Amalgamated Association nor any other labor organization,” (Meltzer, 142). After the strike, life got even harder for the union. Frick stayed so he could watch the members of the union ask for their old jobs back. Almost all of them were denied. The once indispensable...
