Patrick J. Hamrock

Patrick J. Hamrock (1860-1939) was an Irish-born American soldier who served in multiple conflicts as part of the U.S. Army and Colorado National Guard. He led a portion of the militia that participated in the Ludlow Massacre, part of the 1913-1914 Colorado Coalfield War. After the First World War, he served as Colorado’s Adjutant General and head of the Colorado Rangers.

Early life Born in Caltragh, Sligo, Ireland in 1860 to James and Catherine Hamrock. Patrick moved to the California by 1880 and married Ellen McDonnell in 1884.

Beginning of military career Hamrock joined the U.S. Army as a member of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, a unit regularly involved in the battles of the Indian Wars against the Native American inhabitants of the Western United States during the latter-half of the 1800s. He was present during the Ghost Dance War against the Miniconjou and Hunkpapa Lakota, and participated 1890 campaign that included the Wounded Knee Massacre in South Dakota, where 200-300 Lakota were killed.

Hamrock was involved in founding the Rocky Mountain Sharpshooters for the Spanish–American War, composed of volunteer marksmen from the Western US, but they never saw combat. He married Annie Watson there on 12 June 1898.

Colorado Coalfield War On 23 September 1913, the United Mine Workers of America declared a strike against the Rockefeller-owned Colorado Fuel and Iron company in southern Colorado in an effort to secure better pay and collective bargaining. Up to 20,000 strikers were evicted from the company towns that dotted the coal-rich Sangre de Christo region, raising tent cities nearby with the help of the UMWA. One of these towns-turned-tent cities was the Ludlow Colony.

What followed was several weeks of violence between strikers, non-striking and strikebreaking miners, hired-gun Baldwin-Felts detectives, and deputized militia. The Colorado National Guard was mobilized on 28 October and arrived in the strike zone by train before the end of the month. The Major Hamrock was in charge of Company B of the National Guard, a 34-man detachment composed largely of enlisted CF&I mine guards and detectives stationed mostly at Cedar Hill near Tabasco. Company K, commanded by the amicable attorney-Captain Phillip Van Cise, withdrew from Ludlow, leaving Hamrock to send a 12 troops to fill their place.

Ludlow Massacre

Lt. Karl Linderfelt (center) with two of his brothers (left) and Major Hamrock (right, mustache).thumb President John McLennan, who led United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) District 15 at start of 1913-1914 Colorado coal strike, in the custody of Major Patrick Hamrock following the Ludlow Massacre. The troops at Ludlow under Hamrock's direction were stationed on Water Tank Hill, an elevated position that overlooked the colony. Alongside Hamrock's troops were militia under the command of Lieutenant Karl Linderfelt, who had previously seen combat against the strikers in the early stage of the conflict and also had authority over Company B.

Hamrock again spoke to the miners via telephone and agreed to meet Tikas at the Colorado & Southern train station near the colony. Mother Jones would list Hamrock as one of the parties who bore the greatest responsibility for the violence at Ludlow.

Court-Martial Hamrock was court-martialed for his actions at Ludlow on 13 May 1914. He was charged with murder, larceny, and other crimes associated with the death of Tikas and other unarmed strikers, as well as the twelve children and two women killed during the battle and militia-set fire that followed. Linderfelt faced similar charges. Hamrock pleaded not-guilty to the charges. Pro-strikers decried what they said was "white-washing" when only militiamen testified on the first day of the court-martial. At Hamrock's court-martial, a Sergeant Davis testified that after Davis and a Corporal Mills arrested Tikas that Tikas ran and was shot under orders to execute any prisoners attempting to escape. Hamrock's appointment was met with dismay and criticism from the United Mine Workers of America based on their disapproval of his involvement in the Colorado Coalfield War. Hamrock died on 25 August 1939 in Denver.