United States Army Quotes
The railroad monopolies had been abusing their workers for years and this strike brought most of the railroads to a standstill. Since the public and much economic activity depended on the railroad, the Railroad managers tried to get the government to use the U. S. Army to break the strike rather than negotiate in good faith with the railroad labor unions.
The Army actually violated the laws of West Virginia as well as the Constitutional rights of thousands of people. The justification was that there was a labor dispute in the West Virginia mines and there had been some violence. Capt. Morgan was one of three military officers of a military court which actually took over and assumed absolute control of the strike district. They army broke many more laws than they enforced.