{"chunks_used":1,"query":"The Night Sergeant Douglass Fell","report":"The assassination of Sergeant Robert Douglass on April 16, 1900, marked a violent turning point in the New Croton Dam strike, representing the first bloodshed associated with the labor dispute at Camp Roosevelt. According to the *Cortland Evening Standard* (1900), Douglass, a member of the Eleventh Separate Company of the Mount Vernon Militia, was shot while relieving guard duty at approximately 9:50 p.m. The incident occurred in a strategically significant location atop a hill near \"Little Italy,\" a vantage point overlooking the massive masonry project and the surrounding Croton Valley. This area had previously been noted for the presence of armed strikers who were observed drilling and marching with rifles and shotguns, suggesting a heightened state of tension and military preparedness among the laborers.\n\nThe circumstances surrounding the shooting remain shrouded in mystery, as described by contemporary reports. Douglass was conversing with Corporal McDowell and other guards when he suddenly clutched his stomach, exclaiming, \"Load, boys, I'm shot,\" before collapsing. Despite the pitch-dark conditions, his comrades immediately fired a volley into nearby bushes, though they failed to hit anyone. The *Cortland Evening Standard* (1900) emphasizes the elusive nature of the attack, noting that no witness saw the flash or heard the specific shot that killed Douglass. The assassin remained unknown, and the suddenness of the event contributed to the \"wildest excitement\" and frantic anger among the soldiers stationed at the camp.\n\nFollowing the shooting, Douglass was carried down the hill on a stretcher to his tent, where he died shortly after arrival without uttering any further words. The death of the sergeant intensified the already volatile atmosphere at Camp Roosevelt, serving as a stark escalation in the conflict between the striking workers and the National Guard forces deployed to maintain order. The incident underscored the severe risks faced by military personnel during industrial disputes in the region and highlighted the deep-seated animosity that characterized the New Croton Dam strike.\n\nSources consulted:\n*   *Cortland Evening Standard*, April 17, 1900. \"Sergeant Murdered. First Bloodshed in Croton Landing Strike.\"","sources_consulted":["Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, April 17, 1900: \"SERGEANT MURDERED. First Bloodshed in Croton Landing Strike. SOLDIER SHOT BY ASSASSIN. Member of Mount Vernon Militia, While Relieving Guard, Suddenly Falls, Pierced With Bullet Fired By Unknown\u2014Excitement Runs Wild Over Affair.\" Public-domain newspaper dispatch from Croton Landing covering the first death at Camp Roosevelt during the 1900 New Croton Dam strike \u2014 Sergeant Robert Douglass of the Eleventh Separate Company, New York National Guard, shot at 9:50 p.m. April 16, 1900. Transcribed verbatim by Jeff Paine at https://jeffpaine.blogspot.com/2022/12/first-bloodshed-during-croton-dam.html"]}