The "City Guard": A History of Company "B," First Regiment Infantry, N. G. C., During the Sacramento Campaign, July 3 to 26, 1894; Including a Brief History of the Company Since Its Organization March 31, 1854, to July 3, 1894

First Edition. Original publisher's blue cloth binding. Blind-stamped lettering on spine (lettering was likely gilt lettering which has now been rubbed off). Small gilt decoration on front cover. 6 1/4" x 9 1/4." 263 pages, complete. Black-and-white illustrations, complete. Pages are very clean and intact except for light age toning and small occasional mark or stains. Covers are very clean and intact except for some darkening (most noticeable on spine), fading spinal lettering, light rubbing, and slight wear to extremities. A Very Good copy. This is a commemorative report that describes the history behind the railroad strike in Sacramento, California and vicinity and pays tribute to Company B (the City Guard) of the National Guard who was called out in response to the strikers. The report highlights individual servicemembers who were part of Company B and recounts some of the events in California during the strike. The book is organized into two parts, "The Strike in California," which chronicles the strike there, and "A Brief History of the Company" which discusses the history of Company B beginning about 1860. The strike in California was an offshoot of the Pullman Strike of 1894. The Pullman Strike began in Pullman, Illinois after workers employed by the Pullman Car Manufacturing Company requested a return to their original pay after their rates had been decreased. Founder George Pullman dismissed their requests and fired the petitioning workers. The town of Pullman was also a company town owned by Pullman's company which had resulted in a localized monopoly and inflated costs of living. The American Railroad Union (ARU) began its strike on May 11, 1894 in response to Pullman's actions and the economic dynamics in the town of Pullman. ARU called for a boycott on all trains using Pullman cars. The strike reached a national scope. The boycotts caused widespread disruptions to transportation and mailing services and eventually gave way to riots, violence, and destruction of property in some areas. In California, the strike had a notable presence in Sacramento due to its prominent pro-labor community (the strike was not as effective in the Bay Area or Los Angeles). The National Guard was called out by President Grover Cleveland which put an end to the strike on July 20, 1894. Cleveland requested that a national commission investigate the Pullman Strike. The report found Pullman partly responsible and reprimanded him for his actions, and the Illinois Supreme Court forced him to divest ownership of the town of Pullman. However, the State of Illinois also forced the ARU to disband and sell off its residential holdings. Many ARU members joined the American Federation of Labor (AFL) as a result. As a goodwill gesture to the strikers, Cleveland and U.S. Congress established Labor Day as a federal holiday. …