Lawrence textile mill strike

[jon_norstog]

Looks (to me) like Krags with fixed bayonets in 1912.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PGBHccg_03Y/UODsiC-9XXI/AAAAAAAADCg/IsviYHsxiqc/s1600/Lawrence_Textile_Strike_1.jpg

Regulars or Mass state militia? A little followup indicates it was state troops - hence the Krags at that date. And look at the campaign hats! Some of those troops are less than squared away.

jn

[Parashooter]

Large front sights and long M1905 bayonets indicate rifles are probably M1903's.

[Dick Hosmer]

Look at the hand guard humps and (most telling of all) proportion of wood between the bands. Unquestionably 1903s.

[jon_norstog]

Well, I was just going by the receivers, and didn't try blowing up the photo. My bad! According to the histories there were no federal troops involved in the Lawrence strike, so the state units were getting '03s by then?

This kind of opens up a topic in Krag history - 1890-1920 was a period when regular army or state infantry were routinely deployed against civilians to quell strikes and related unrest. Additional forces included local militias and corporate forces such as the Pinkertons. Sometimes cavalry was sent in, for instance to scatter the strikers who were blocking the railroad tracks with their bodies during the Pullman Strike of 1894.

[Rick the Librarian]

To my knowledge, all state units would have had M1903s by that time - in fact, I think most had them by 1908 or so. I do have a couple of pictures of Montana National Guard units participating in maneuvers near what is now Fort Lewis in Washington State, still armed with Krags. But I believe they were in the minority by that point in time.

[Dick Hosmer]

Jon, I didn't HAVE to blow up the pictures! The shorter wood is REALLY obvious! [BIG GRIN]

[Dan Shapiro]

Coupled with the length of those bayonets. The Krag bayonet was about half the length of the M1905.