At once the garrison
divided into three groups—the officers, loyal to Kerenskly; part of
the soldiers and non-commissioned officers, who declared themselves
“neutral”; and most of the rank and file, who were for the
Bolsheviki. The Bolshevik soldiers, who were without leaders or
organisation, fell back toward the capital. The local Soviet also
withdrew to the village of Pulkovo.
From Pulkovo six members of the Tsarskoye Selo Soviet went with an
automobile-load of proclamations to Gatchina, to propagandise the
Cossacks. They spent most of the day going around Gatchina from one
Cossack barracks to another, pleading, arguing and explaining. Toward
evening some officers discovered their presence and they were
arrested and brought before General Krasnov, who said, “You fought
against Kornilov; now you are opposing Kerensky. I’ll have you all
shot!”
After reading aloud to them the order appointing him
commander-in-chief of the Petrograd District, Krasnov asked if they
were Bolsheviki. They replied in the affirmative—upon which Krasnov
went away; a short time later an officer came and set them free,
saying that it was by order of General Krasnov….
In the meanwhile delegations continued to arrive from Petrograd; from
the Duma, the Committee for Salvation, and, last of all, from the
_Vikzhel._ The Union of Railway Workers insisted that some agreement
be reached to halt the civil war, and demanded that Kerensky treat
with the Bolsheviki, and that he stop the advance on Petrograd.
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