1 0 : 3 0   p . m . ▁on ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁July ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 8 9 2 . ▁They ▁were ▁given ▁Win chester ▁rif les , ▁placed ▁on ▁two ▁spe cially - equ ipped ▁b arg es ▁and ▁to wed ▁up river ▁with ▁the ▁object ▁of ▁removing ▁the ▁workers ▁by ▁force . ▁Upon ▁their ▁landing , ▁a ▁large ▁m ê l ée ▁between ▁workers ▁and ▁P ink erton ▁detect ives ▁en su ed . ▁Ten ▁men ▁were ▁killed , ▁nine ▁of ▁them ▁workers , ▁and ▁there ▁were ▁sevent y ▁inj uries . ▁The ▁P ink erton ▁agents ▁were ▁thrown ▁back , ▁and ▁the ▁ri ot ▁was ▁ultimately ▁quel led ▁only ▁by ▁the ▁inter vention ▁of ▁ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁armed ▁state ▁milit ia ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Major ▁General ▁George ▁R . ▁Snow den . ▁During ▁the ▁confront ation ▁Fr ick ▁issued ▁an ▁ult imat um ▁to ▁Hom est ead ▁workers , ▁which ▁rest ated ▁his ▁ref us al ▁to ▁speak ▁with ▁union ▁represent atives ▁and ▁threatened ▁to ▁have ▁striking ▁workers ▁ev icted ▁from ▁their ▁homes . ▁ ▁Among ▁working - class ▁Americans , ▁Fr ick ' s ▁actions ▁against ▁the ▁strik ers ▁were ▁condem ned ▁as ▁excess ive , ▁and ▁he ▁soon ▁became ▁a ▁target ▁of ▁even ▁more ▁union ▁organiz ers . ▁Because ▁of ▁this ▁strike , ▁people ▁like ▁Alan ▁Pet ru cel li ▁had ▁thought ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁dep icted ▁as ▁the ▁" rich ▁man " ▁in ▁Max o ▁V anka ' s