Abraham Milne Eyewitness Account

• Place: Oldham
• Role: Spectator
• Occupation: Manufacturer

Reports seeing men drilling like soldiers near Tandle Hill on the 8th and 15th of August 1819.

Account

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Abraham Milne sworn: examined by Mr. Serjeant Cross.

Q. Mr. Milne you are a manufacturer, living near Oldham, I understand?

A. I am.

Q. Were you at Tandle Hill at any time shortly before the 16th. August?

A. On the morning of the 8th. I was there.

Q. About what hour did you go there?

A. I set off about four o'clock.

Q. Four in the morning?

A. Yes.

Q. How far had you to go?

A. From two to three miles.

Q. About what time did you arrive there?

A. A little before five; I dare say it could not be five.

Q. What did you see when you got there?

A. There were a great number of people there, many in the act of training or drilling.

Q. To the best of your judgment, what number could you say there were?

A. I thought from 2,000 to 3,000.

Q. Was it on a Sunday morning?

A. On a Sunday morning.

Q. In what way were they drilling?

A. As regular soldiers.

Q. Were they in one or several bodies?

A. Several bodies often or twelve.

Q. How was each body employed?

A. They were marching.

Q. What else were they doing—was any body speaking to them?

A. Yes; the word was regularly given to them. There was a person to each company who gave the word.

Q. Did each move, as he gave the word?

A. As he gave the word.

Q. You have seen soldiers drilling?

A. I have.

Q. Was there any difference in the manner of soldiers drilling without arms?

A. It was exactly the same.

Q. How many did you compute there might be in each company?

A. I thought there might be from fifty to seventy in each company.

Q. Did you ever see the companies united into one?

A. Yes, I did; into one body.

Q. What happened when they were all in one body?

A. I was told –––.

Q. Relate what you saw.

A. It was in consequence of something I heard, I went to the place where they formed; that I went to another part of the ground.

Q. Was the person whom you heard say what occasioned you to go, one of those that were drilling?

A. No.

Q. When you went there, did you see any thing, or what did you see?

A. I saw them form in one body.

Q. In what form?

A. As a regular regiment.

Q. In a circle or line?

A. In one straight line.

Q. One, or two, or three deep, or how?

A. To the best of my knowledge, they were four deep.

Q. What did they do in that form?

A. I passed down the front of two or three companies, till they threatened to knock me down.

Q. Did you hear any word of command given while they were in line?

A. Not there, I did not; while they were in line together, I do not recollect any word.

Q. Did they move in line?

A. I did not see them move, then; they passed me afterwards in one body.

Q. In line or column?

A. They were marching in column.

Q. Then did they move about for some time in one body?

A. I was placed at the side of the road to see them go by in one body.

Q. Were they, at any time, in one body?

A. I waited till they came down.

Q. Did you, at that time, hear any words of command?

A. I heard many.

Q. What?

A. “Attention,” “right face,” "left face,” “march,” “quick march;” many others.

Q. All the usual words you have heard among soldiers?

A. Most of them?

Q. Did they move their hands on any occasion?

A. Yes; when the word "fire” was given.

Q. What did they do?

A. They clapped their hands.

Q. How long did you remain?

A. I remained on Tandle Hill perhaps two hours, or a little more.

Q. I think you say that the whole column marched past you?

A. They did.

Q. Along the high road?

A. Along the high road leading from Manchester to Rochdale,.

Q. Did you ever go again?

A. I went again, a second time, on the morning of the 15th.

Q. That was the day before the meeting?

A. The day before the Manchester meeting.

Q. About the same hour in the morning?

A. The same hour as near as I can recollect.

Q. Did you find the same operations going on that day?

A. Just the same as before; but there were not so many there.

Q. Any bugle on the 8th.?

A. There was.

Q. The bugle sounded and they formed one body?

A. The company marched away to formed one body, at the distance of half a mile.

Q. At the sound of the bugle?

A. At the sound of the bugle.

Q. Some of them had to move half a mile to form the body?

A. Some of them more.

Q. Did they form to the bugle?

A. I am not quite certain.

Q. You have been yourself in the Militia and are acquainted with military movements?

A. In the Local Militia, but it is a long time ago.

Q. Did the man who gave the word of command to the companies, appear to be acquainted with the business?

A. He did.

Q. Each, or one?

A. Each commander of a company.

Q. You staid on that day, as you did on the former, till they quitted the field?

A. Yes.

 

Cross-examined by Mr. Evans.

Q. You have stated that there were ten or twelve bodies of from seventy to eighty each?

A. From sixty to seventy.

Q. And you stated that there were three or four thousand; then the rest were spectators?

A. The rest were spectators.

Q. You have already stated that they marched along the highway?

A. Along the highway.

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