Final answer:
Residents of Pittsburgh avoided destruction by dispersing peacefully after initially confronting the local excise inspector, maintaining smaller gatherings rather than engaging in large-scale aggressive actions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The citizens of Pittsburgh were able to avoid the destruction of their town during the period when federal officials attempted to enforce the whiskey tax. In the summer of that year, around 500 militia members confronted General John Neville, demanding he resign from his position as excise inspector. Despite setting his house on fire, the attackers dispersed into the countryside. Following this, on August 1, nearly 6,000 militiamen assembled near Pittsburgh but ultimately chose not to attack Neville's headquarters thanks to the persuasion of some level-headed individuals among them. This prevented further escalation and potential destruction of Pittsburgh. The city's residents continued to express their discontent in smaller groups and discussed more extreme actions but did not carry out any large-scale attacks that would threaten the town's safety.