California State Military
DepartmentCalifornia State Military
Department
On August 3, 1913, the Superior Judge of Yuba County wired the
Governor that rioting had taken place that afternoon in the hop
fields near the town of Wheatland. The judge stated that in a
fight between Industrial Workers of the World hop pickers and
peace officers of Yuba County, the district attorney, the undersheriff
and two rioters had been killed and the sheriff, the constable
of Wheatland Township and several others had been wounded; that
the rioters retained the ground and bodies of the killed and wounded
and that further bloodshed and rioting were imminent.
Immediately upon receipt of this information and orders from the Governor, The Adjutant General sent 200 National Guardsmen to Wheatland, where they arrived at daylight on August 4th.
The troops promptly surrounded the rioters' camp, estimated to contain 2,000 people, and assisted the peace officers in serving warrants on the leaders and those persons charged with crime.
Although most of the persons in what had
been the rioters' camp were gone within 24 hours following the
arrests, the troops were not completely withdrawn from the area
until August 9th, when the fears of the frightened citizens of
Wheatland had subsided.