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diff --git a/46361-0.txt b/46361-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..19403d6 --- /dev/null +++ b/46361-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5790 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 46361 *** + + TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE + + Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. Superscripts have been + converted to normal text. + + Obvious typographical and punctuation errors have been corrected + after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and + consultation of external sources. + + More detail can be found at the end of the book. + + + + +[Illustration: COLONEL EMBURY P. CLARK] + + + + + SPRINGFIELD + IN THE + SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR + + BY + WALTER W. WARD + + ILLUSTRATED + + PRESS OF + ENTERPRISE PRINTING COMPANY + EASTHAMPTON, MASS. + 1899. + + TO THE + OFFICERS AND MEN + OF G, B AND K COMPANIES + SECOND REGIMENT MASSACHUSETTS + INFANTRY, U. S. V., AND + H COMPANY, NAVAL BRIGADE. + + + + +PREFACE. + + +In the Spanish-American war of 1898, Springfield rose to the occasion +as she did in 1776 and 1861 and sent her youngest and best and bravest +sons to the front. It was her sons who fought and fell at El Caney, the +one battle of modern times where infantry, practically unsupported by +artillery, captured a well fortified town and it was her sons who were +in the lead in drawing the attacking lines so tightly about the city of +Santiago that its surrender had to follow. It was her sons also who, +on the high seas, on a fast auxiliary cruiser, did faithful service as +a portion of the navy and had the satisfaction of doing their share in +remembering the Maine by sinking a Spanish transport and a gun boat. +Her sons fell on the battlefield and died in the camps and hospitals +after enduring as soldiers, the hardships and toils of one of the +shortest yet most important and bloodiest campaigns in history and of +the honors of that war, Springfield claims a goodly share for herself. + +In the near future a monument, the funds for which have been +contributed from near and far, will be erected in Springfield to the +memory of the officers and men of the Second Regiment, Massachusetts +Infantry, U. S. Volunteers who fell or died in the Spanish war. On +that monument, whatever form it may take, will be inscribed the names +of Bowen, Harry and Paul Vesper, Bearse, Noone, Piper, Boone, Jones, +Richmond, Packard, Kelly, Moody, Burnham, Malone, Burke, Little, +Stetson, Creley, Lyons and Morehouse. But their names have long before +this been permanently inscribed on the hearts of their comrades and +in no place are they more secure. They died for the flag, the highest +honor possible to an American citizen. This volume is written in the +attempt to portray as clearly as memory serves what these men and their +comrades did in the war with Spain. While not actually a history, +the intention has been to show as clearly as possible the people of +Springfield what it was their sons and brothers and friends in her four +organizations at the front went through in their short campaign. + +Springfield, Nov. 1899. + + W. W. W. + + + + +LIST OF CONTENTS. + + + CHAPTER. PAGE + + I. Which is preliminary to those which + follow it, 9 + + II. Which tells about the calling out of + H company, Naval Brigade, 14 + + III. How G, B and K companies went to + South Framingham, 19 + + IV. Wherein is told how we were transformed + from "tin" soldiers into the + real article, 25 + + V. We get orders to leave for the sunny + South and obey them, 32 + + VI. We go to the Southland and begin to + find out where we are at, 38 + + VII. We stay in Ybor City and then + enjoy (?) life on the transports in the + harbor, 44 + + VIII. We have a lovely sail on the palatial + Knickerbocker and reach Cuba without + mishap, 51 + + IX. Wherein is related our landing at + Daiquiri and some things which subsequently + happened, 59 + + X. In which is to be found the tale of + Crab Hollow and some other things, 68 + + XI. Which tells how we got ready to + take the town of El Caney, 76 + + XII. Wherein is related some events which + happened to us on July first, 84 + + XIII. We learn some more things about the + art of war as conducted in these days, 94 + + XIV. We continue our education in the art + of war and learn a few things, 106 + + XV. We have to face another enemy more + deadly than the Spaniards, 119 + + XVI. Our voyage homeward on the death + ship Mobile, 129 + + XVII. We and our friends enjoy ourselves + at Camp Wickoff, Montauk Point, 136 + + XVIII. In which is told how we prepare to + quit Uncle Sam's service, 143 + + XIX. We become plain citizens once more + and square accounts with Uncle Sam, 151 + + XX. Wherein is narrated the adventures + on the high seas of Springfield's + sailors, 161 + + Roster, 172 + + The Roll of Honor, 178 + + Springfield's Dead Heroes, 180 + + + + +THE CAMPAIGN IN CUBA. + +Experiences of Co's G, B and K, M. V. M., and H Co., Naval Brigade in +the war of 1898 and record of its service in the operations against +Santiago. + +BY WALTER W. WARD. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +WHICH IS PRELIMINARY TO THOSE WHICH FOLLOW IT. + + +Within the few years preceding the fateful one of 1898 a decided +impetus had been given the military spirit in Springfield by the +stationing of two additional companies of the state militia in this +city. To the already organized companies, G and B of the Massachusetts +Volunteer Militia, had been added K company, the company of that +name in Amherst having been disbanded and its letter transferred to +Springfield. The organization in this city of a company of the state +naval brigade and the building of a handsome and commodious state +armory helped to place the militia of Springfield on a higher level in +the public interest and regard than had previously been the case. + +Springfield has always been rich in military tradition. Her earliest +sons helped fight the Indians who disputed the right of the first +settlers to the lands they roamed over in the fertile Connecticut +valley; they had served in the Colonial wars and Springfield blood was +shed in the Revolutionary war. Soon after this war Springfield was the +scene of one of the episodes of Shay's rebellion. In the Civil war she +sent her full quota and more of her young men to serve under the flag +and after the war the ranks of her militia companies were always kept +filled with her best young men. Undoubtedly the presence here of a +United States military post and the famous Springfield arsenal has done +much to aid in keeping up the military spirit. + +For long years, reaching back to a time before the rebel guns opened +fire on Fort Sumter, Springfield's one military company was the City +guard, which after being attached to several of the state militia +organizations became under the final reorganization of the state troops +B company of the Second regiment of infantry, M. V. M. In 1868 a number +of the veterans of the Civil war organized the Peabody guard which was +attached to the Second regiment as G company. Both these companies +were always composed of good material and maintained a high place in +the state militia, not only for excellence in drill but in discipline +and marksmanship. The location of regimental headquarters here several +years ago aided in making military interest more rife than for some +years. + +With four companies of militia instead of two, with headquarters and a +fine new armory in place of the more or less unsatisfactory quarters +previously occupied and with public feeling more united in their +support than it had been for years the militia of Springfield felt they +had entered upon a new period and it was one, which though they did not +then realize it, was to soon test the courage and soldierly qualities +of many of the officers and men of the Springfield militia. But with +this then unknown the spirit of soldierly pride and loyalty to their +organizations led officers and men to constant striving to be at the +top or as near the top as possible, of the militia of the state in +all things soldierly. In drill, in discipline, in knowledge of guard +duty, in marksmanship and in all the other details that go to make up +a good soldier there was assiduous practice and to the furtherance of +that end many of the ceremonial features of military life, to which +great importance had previously been attached, were discarded as far +as possible. This was thoroughly in line with the policy of the state +military authorities and its value was to be proven sooner than was +anticipated. + +It did not take a very far seeing mind to realize in the fall of 1897 +and the first two months of 1898 that matters with regard to the +policy of the United States in the affairs of Cuba might soon produce +a crisis so acute that the military power of the Republic would have +to be called upon. Certainly it was realized by the militiamen and +the progress of events from the beginning of 1898 to the night of the +destruction of the Maine was by none more closely watched than by the +men who gathered in the company rooms in the armory each night. + +When it was known definitely that the long anticipated call to arms +could not be much longer delayed the local militia was never in finer +fettle. The ranks of every company were filled and soldierly enthusiasm +ran high. New arms, not comparable of course with those of the regular +army but better than any previous militia armament, had been issued and +the equipments and uniforms were in good and serviceable condition. +Applications for enlistment were so numerous that had there been eight +companies instead of four their ranks could have easily been filled up. + +It was on the 29th of April, 1898, that the call for troops came +to Springfield. On the 23d President McKinley had issued the first +call for troops and six days later Gov. Wolcott designated Col. +E. P. Clark of the Second as one of the six commanding officers to +raise a regiment of volunteers for the United States service. It was +provided that members of the militia were to be given the preference +in enlistments to the volunteer regiments, the residue being made up +by enlistment of other citizens. The Second was ordered to report at +the state camp ground at South Framingham on May 3 for muster into the +United States service. April 29th fell on Friday and May 3 on Tuesday +of the following week so that there was not any too much time in +which to enlist men for the companies and get everything in readiness +for service. But what time there was on hand was so well utilized +that promptly at the hour ordered on the morning of May 3d the three +Springfield companies were at the armory with full ranks and fully +equipped, all the state property and equipage not needed packed up and +ready for shipment to the state arsenal. + +Every officer of the three companies and fully 70 per cent. of the +men who had been in their ranks in the militia service was on hand. +Capt. John J. Leonard of G, a veteran in the militia, was at the head +of his company and with him his two lieutenants, T. A. Sweeney and E. +J. Leyden. Capt. Henry McDonald of B company, a veteran both of the +regular army and the militia, and his lieutenants, William L. Young and +Harry J. Vesper were on hand promptly and so was Capt. W. S. Warriner +and Lieutenants P. C. Powers and Harry H. Parkhurst of K company. All +three companies were proud of their officers and they had every reason +to be. + +And here a little digression. No effort of any kind was made to +transfer as absolute unities the companies of militia into companies +of United States Volunteers. It can truthfully be said that no man was +asked to go to South Framingham by the officers. On the contrary Col. +Clark and the company officers were all careful to impress upon the +men of the militia that their volunteering into the service of the +United States was purely a voluntary and personal matter with them. +There were dozens of instances in which the officers realized that the +sacrifice was such as some of their men should not make. There were men +with families dependent upon them or so otherwise circumstanced that it +was best for them not to go and these men were talked to candidly and +kindly and dissuaded from putting their names on the enlistment rolls. +It was a volunteer movement purely and simply and the Second was in the +highest sense of the word a volunteer regiment. + +Long before the orders for mobilization at South Framingham were issued +preparations had been made to the end that Massachusetts might be ready +to respond to the first call for troops from the national government. +Early in April Gov. Wolcott had constituted some of the officers of the +state militia as his advisory board in matters relating to the part +Massachusetts would take in the war. On April 20, Col. Clark of the +Second and some of his field and staff officers were called to Boston +in consultation with the governor and on the 24th Gov. Wolcott in his +capacity of commander-in-chief of the military and naval forces of the +state issued an order calling upon the militia to hold themselves in +readiness for duty within 24 hours. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +WHICH TELLS ABOUT THE CALLING OUT OF H COMPANY, NAVAL BRIGADE. + + +Meanwhile, and while the infantry were getting in readiness, +Springfield had already sent some of her sons on duty. The naval arm of +the service was in a far more advanced state of preparation than was +the army and it was the general opinion that of necessity the war would +be one in which the navy would take the most prominent part, leaving +but little for the land forces to do except garrison duty. Springfield +had taken great pride in her company of the Massachusetts naval brigade +since its organization and expected great things of it in the event of +its being called upon for duty. + +On April 2 came the first intimation that Springfield was to be called +upon for men. Although war had not been declared and strenuous efforts +were being made to head it off by the peace-at-any-price men, the navy +department had set about getting into commission all the vessels that +it could. At the League Island navy yard, Philadelphia, there lay a +number of the old time monitors, some of them having been moored there +since shortly after the close of the civil war, and it was decided +to put them into condition for harbor defense purposes. Two were to +be assigned to Boston harbor and on April 2 came orders to Lieut. J. +K. Dexter, the commander of H company naval brigade, to proceed to +the League Island yard as an officer of one of the monitors. Lieut. +Dexter left that night and remained on duty at the yard until April +16, when he returned to bring down the detail of his company which was +to form part of the crew of the single turreted monitor Lehigh. It was +not until April 17th that the Lehigh detail left for the Philadelphia +navy yard although there had been many rumors as to when the men would +go and the quarters of the company at the state armory were filled +every night with the men and their friends. On the 16th Lieut. Dexter +returned unexpectedly from Philadelphia and at once set about getting +his detail together. It was on Sunday, but with the aid of the alarm +list system, the telephone and special messengers the men were soon +notified and assembled at the armory. The detail as finally made up +was: Lieut. Jenness K. Dexter; Chief Boatswain's Mate, Frank H. Bowen; +Boatswain's Mates, Robert T. Whitehouse, A. T. Wright; Gunner's Mate, +F. W. Baum; Coxswain, W. S. Johnson; Acting Coxswain, S. L. Ruden; +Quartermaster, W. A. Sabin; and Seamen Paul H. Lathrop, R. H. B. +Warburton, W. F. Bright, R. P. King, A. Mellor, A. N. Luce, and L. E. +Ladd. The detail marched to the union station at about 8.30 and took +the 9 o'clock train for New York, receiving an ovation as it passed +through Main street and again at the station as the train pulled out. + +On the same day Lieut. (junior grade) Henry S. Crossman, who was in +command of the company during the absence of Lieut. Dexter, received +orders from Capt. Weeks of the naval brigade to hold himself in +readiness to proceed to the Brooklyn navy yard and there report to +Admiral Bunce, commanding the yard, as watch officer of the auxiliary +cruiser Prairie to which the Massachusetts naval brigade was to be +assigned. Lieut. (junior grade) W. O. Cohn was ordered to be in +readiness to proceed to Boston and report for duty on the U. S. S. +Minnesota, Ensign W. S. Barr was ordered to be in readiness to go to +the Brooklyn navy yard as one of the watch officers of the Prairie and +Ensign Fred T. Ley was ordered to the same ship as watch officer and +Captain's clerk. + +On April 22d these orders were changed, Lieut. Cohn and Ensign Barr +being ordered to report for duty on board the monitor Lehigh on her +arrival in Boston harbor. + +On April 23d, Lieut. Crossman received orders to proceed with the +remaining men of H company to the Brooklyn navy yard there to go on +board the Prairie as part of her crew during the war. These orders were +received on the morning of the 23d and as soon as it became known about +the city that the men were to go, the war time scenes of 1861 were +re-enacted. It was at first planned to have the company take an early +evening train but as Lieut. Crossman found they could go just as well +on the early morning train from Boston he decided to take that, thus +giving the men more time in which to settle up their affairs and get +everything in readiness for leaving. + +Information about the Prairie had already been pretty well disseminated +about the city. It was known that she was formerly the fast steamer, +El Sud, of the Morgan line and was capable of doing excellent duty +as one of Uncle Sam's auxiliary cruisers. At the time she was in the +Brooklyn navy yard being changed over from a passenger and freight +vessel to a war ship and the job was requiring longer time than had +been anticipated. + +[Illustration: + + Lieut. Paul R. Hawkins. + Adjutant. + + Major F. G. Southmayd. + + Lieut. E. E. Sawtell. + Quartermaster. +] + +The quarters of H company and the state armory were the busiest places +in Springfield that afternoon and evening. The "jackies" were getting +their dunnage rolls and equipment together and relatives and friends +were on hand to say farewell and see their "boys" off. Owing to the +time at which the company had orders to leave the armory, 1.30 A. M., +it was hardly expected there would be much of a crowd on hand to give +the command a suitable farewell but this was a mistake. Long before +the hour at which the company was to leave the streets leading to +the union station were crowded and more enthusiasm was shown than had +been the case in Springfield for many a day. It was at 1.30 o'clock in +the morning of the 24th that the company, fully armed, equipped, in +the regulation uniform of the jackies of the navy left the armory and +marched through Main street to the union station to take the 2.20 train +for New York, special cars for the company having been attached to the +train. In spite of the lateness of the hour Springfield's citizens and +the relatives, friends of the company were determined not to let the +command leave the city without some demonstration. All night long up +to the time for leaving the armory the building was filled with the +relatives, friends of the members as well as those who while not bound +to them by any intimate ties yet wished by their presence to show +appreciation of the spirit which had prompted the young men to answer +their country's call, even though it involved sacrifices hard indeed to +make. + +From midnight until the hour for departure Main street was well filled +with a waiting crowd and when the company marched from its armory, +swinging into Main street, a cheer went up which was continuous +until the train had borne the company out of sight of the assembled +thousands. Rockets and colored fire lent brilliancy to the march and +as the station was neared the denser grew the crowd until it was with +difficulty a way was cleared for the company. Thousands, men and women, +had gathered at the station and it was a scene worthy the pencil of a +great artist, that farewell as the men marched up and boarded the cars +with military precision. There were cheers and good wishes, personal +farewells and tears, all commingling in one mass of sound that the +station space had never heard before. But as the engine bell rang and +the train began to move with slowly increasing swiftness out of the +station all sounds merged into mighty cheers, which rose thunderously +from the thousands of people. In that uproar of cheers were submerged +for the time the sobs of a few whose near and dear ones were on the +train. + +So Springfield sent her first contingent to serve under the old flag in +the war against Spain. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +HOW G, B AND K COMPANIES WENT TO SOUTH FRAMINGHAM. + + +While the naval militiamen of Springfield were being sent off to their +places of duty amid the cheers of the people plans for the mobilization +of the land forces of the state were going on apace. The call of +President McKinley for troops was issued on April 23 and six days later +on April 29, Col. Embury P. Clark of the Second Regiment of Infantry, +M. V. M., was designated by Gov. Wolcott to raise a regiment of +volunteers to answer the President's call as one of the four volunteer +infantry regiments assigned to Massachusetts. On the same day Col. +Clark was ordered to have his regiment report for duty at the state +camp ground, South Framingham, at noon of May 3d, he being also ordered +to assume command of the camp formed there by the four volunteer +regiments. + +On receipt of these orders Col. Clark immediately notified his field +and staff and company officers and from that time on everything at +the state armory was done with a snap and a jump. Only a few days +remained before May 3d, for that day fell on Tuesday, and it was Friday +afternoon when the orders were received. Under the call the company +strength for infantry was fixed at three officers and 74 enlisted men, +but had it been 174 instead of 74 there would have been but little +trouble in filling up the ranks. More men were anxious to enlist than +there were places for and a hard problem for the company officers to +face was that of discouraging and rejecting applicants for enlistment +most of whom pleaded for the privilege as strongly as a ward politician +does for a paying office. On an average about 75 per cent. of the men +in the militia companies enlisted in the volunteers and it is only +just to state that a good number of those who did not were "talked" +out of it by their officers who realized, perhaps better than the men +themselves, that going to the front meant more sacrifices than men with +dependent families or relatives should be called upon to make. + +Meantime all was hurry and bustle at the state armory but order soon +came out of all the apparent chaos and early on the morning of Tuesday, +May 3d the local field and staff officers of the regiment and G, B and +K companies, thus formed in the order of seniority of their captains, +stood in the big drill shed, in full marching uniform with knapsacks +packed and overcoats rolled up on them looking soldierly, and ready for +whatever duty might call them to do. + +It was a dismal morning in more than one way. A drizzling rain fell at +intervals and there was gloom in many hearts among the crowds of people +lining Main street and the union station and its approaches. Though +not a shot had yet been fired in actual conflict between the United +States and Spain on land and Dewey's great victory at Manila had been +won without the loss of a single American life, yet the people were +beginning to understand that the grim realities of war might be brought +home to them and this thought had its influence in repressing any too +enthusiastic demonstration. + +But there was a demonstration, nevertheless. Outside the armory were +hundreds of spectators, including relatives and friends of the boys +and awaiting them were the members of E. K. Wilcox post, G. A. R., the +veteran corps of G company and some veterans of B company, all headed +by the Second Regiment band to act as escort for the companies as far +as the union station. + +Shortly after 8 o'clock the troops left the armory and headed by the +escort marched through Main street and around Court square to city +hall, where the column was reviewed by Mayor H. S. Dickinson and the +city government. Thousands of people were massed here and there was +some cheering. The fire department boys at headquarters on Pynchon +street saluted the troops with a small cannon and on the rest of the +way up Main street to the station there was some cheering but not any +too much. + +At the corner of Main and Lyman streets the escort halted and formed +in line. As the companies marched by the old soldiers of the civil +war gave us three cheers, in which the militia veterans joined. The +remainder of the march to the station was through a close packed crowd +of men, women and children. There was some cheering, but as the soldier +boys began to file into the waiting cars of the special train sobs and +tears broke out from many of the women and as the train pulled out a +few moments after 9 o'clock tears were more in evidence than cheers. As +one of the boys put it, "They sent the naval boys off with cheers and +kept the tears for us." + +This feeling was augmented by the enthusiasm with which the people of +Worcester sent their three companies off. When our train pulled into +the Worcester depot we found the building jammed with people, some +perched upon the tops of standing engines and cars and the Worcester +companies were so surrounded with people it was at first hard to tell +where they were. When our special stopped and the Worcester men began +to board it a volume of cheers went up that was almost enough to +take the roof off the building. Everyone was cheering apparently and +those who were not were so few in number that it was impossible to +distinguish them. + +After leaving Springfield there were small crowds at every station +between there and Worcester and though the train did not stop there +was much cheering and waving of hats. This was repeated during the run +from Worcester to South Framingham. + +It was shortly before noon when we reached South Framingham and marched +to the camp ground amid the cheers of the townspeople. Reaching there +the companies were dismissed to quarters and dinner, which the company +caterers had ready for us, we not going on government rations until +some days later. A majority of the boys had been in camp at South +Framingham before but this was different. A state militia encampment +is one thing and a camp of United States volunteers is another. The +old familiar wall tents were there but without the customary big blue +chests in which were always stored much that was good in the way of +refreshment for tired and thirsty militiamen. There was a trifle of +added sharpness to the commands of officers and non-commissioned +officers and there were various other little things which combined to +show us that we were on the way to be the "real things" instead of "tin +soldiers" as we had been dubbed in our militia days. + +"Physical examination of recruits" was the rock on which the desires +of many of us to get at the hated Spaniards were to split and the +rock began to show itself that very afternoon when A of Worcester was +ordered over to brigade headquarters for examination. Before the shades +of evening fell thirteen of its men had been rejected by the examining +surgeons and as bad news always spreads through a camp with greater +rapidity than good, many of us were wondering whether we would meet the +same fate or not within the next few days. + +All the line officers and 75 per cent. of our men in the militia had +come with us while there were more than enough "rookies" to fill out +the quota. The recruits were, some of them, in uniform and a number +had formerly been in the militia service, so that they took kindly +enough to the opening of camp life. But as the militia companies had +only been composed of 58 enlisted men there were not uniforms enough +at the time to equip the extra men and some of the "rookies" looked +odd and felt it in their civilian attire. More than one practical joke +was played upon them before "taps" sounded, but the great majority of +the men were tired enough to get to quarters and hug their luxurious +mattresses before the bugles sounded the last call of the day. + +Of the field and staff and non-commissioned staff resident in +Springfield and vicinity not all came to camp. Col. Clark and Major +Southmayd were on hand as was Lt. Paul R. Hawkins, the regimental +adjutant. Quartermaster Colson of Holyoke did not come and to his place +was appointed Corporal E. E. Sawtell of K company. Major Brown of +Adams, the regimental surgeon and Lt. J. T. Hendrick of Springfield, +assistant surgeon did not volunteer and a new surgical staff was +appointed, consisting of Dr. Henry T. Bowen of Springfield as major and +surgeon, Dr. Ernest A. Gates of Springfield and Dr. John S. Hitchcock +of Amherst as assistant surgeons with the rank of first lieutenants. +Dr. Hitchcock was a member of I company when appointed. + +There were several changes in the non-commissioned staff. Corporal +Robert N. Ingersoll was made sergeant-major vice Paul Norton and Ross +L. Lusk quartermaster-sergeant vice Melville Snow of Holyoke. Three +hospital stewards instead of one were assigned to the regiment, and +the appointees were Ulysses G. Fortier of Holyoke, S. H. Greenberg +of Boston and Edson P. Howes of Springfield. No color sergeants were +provided for in the volunteer regiments and these positions were filled +by detail. + +It was a matter of much regret that no place was provided for the +paymaster and inspector of rifle practice. In the Second as a militia +regiment these positions had been filled respectively by Lieut. A. +C. Edson of Holyoke and A. E. Taylor of Chicopee Falls but no such +positions were provided for in the volunteer service and these +officers were forced to remain behind. + +The first guard mount of the camp was held in the afternoon with First +Lieut. P. C. Powers of K company as officer of the guard. So closed our +first day at South Framingham. + +[Illustration: Surgeon Henry C. Bowen + +Surgeon Ernest A. Gates.] + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +WHEREIN IS TOLD HOW WE WERE TRANSFORMED FROM "TIN" SOLDIERS INTO THE +REAL ARTICLE. + + +It did not require many day's of camp life at South Framingham to +convince about all of us that we were there strictly for business. The +weather was rather cold and there were a few flurries of snow although +it was in May. The nights were so cool that huge fires of wood were +built on the color line each night and around these the men gathered +spending the time in singing, story telling and in wondering how soon +we would start for the front and just what part we of the Second would +take in subduing the pride of the haughty Spaniard. + +But little in the way of drilling was done at first, but after a day +or two the work of whipping the "rookies" into shape was begun, the +process being the simple one of having them fall in with the company +and learning the drill as best they could. Squad drills were also +carried on and it was during these that the raw material was best +worked up. + +Hardly had the regiment arrived in camp before regulation United States +army blankets were issued to the men and issues of rubber blankets, +"working suits" of brown canvas followed. + +Private Pomeroy of K company was the first of the Springfield men to +be taken ill. He had not been feeling well before leaving home but +pluckily made up his mind to go with his company just the same, and +would not admit his illness. Soon after arriving in camp his condition +became so serious that the surgeon was called to him and Pomeroy was +found to be suffering with tonsilitis. He was removed from the camp to +a hospital in South Framingham, but while there scarlet fever developed +and he was sent home as soon as he had recovered sufficiently to be +able to travel. Pomeroy felt much worse over his inability to go with +his regiment than he did over his illness, serious as it was. + +The physical examinations soon made many sore hearts among the boys in +camp, although the results of some of them were extremely satisfactory +to the parents, relatives or friends of some of the would be soldiers. +They were in charge of Capt. Bushnell U. S. A., who was assisted by the +surgeons of the volunteer regiments in camp. B company was examined on +Wednesday, the day after our arrival in camp and before sundown fully +twenty men, including some of the oldest and best men of the company +had been rejected for one cause or another. The commissioned officers +of the regiment were also up for examination the same day, and among +those rejected was First Lieut. Thomas A. Sweeney of G company and +one of the most efficient and popular officers of the regiment. His +rejection was a hard blow to him for he had set his heart on going +with his men and to be rejected for what he considered to be a trivial +cause was worse to him than being hit by a Spanish bullet. His grief +was shared by his fellow officers and men, by whom he was exceedingly +well liked. His place was filled by William C. Hayes, a former first +lieutenant of the company. + +Lieut. W. L. Young of B company was officer of the guard on Wednesday, +and among the incidents of his tour of duty that night was the rather +unusual but efficient method by which a private of G company who had +been placed on a somewhat remote post relieved himself from further +duty after walking his post only a short time. The aforesaid private +concluded that he would be much more comfortable in his tent with his +"bunkies" than walking his post for the remainder of his two hours, +and so proceeded to the guard house, placed his rifle in a corner and +announced to the officer of the guard "I'm relieved." Before Lieutenant +Young could recover from his astonishment at the new method of getting +out of guard duty, the private had gone to his own quarters where he +slept peacefully for the remainder of the night. + +The results of the physical examinations were to "throw out" many of +the best men in the three Springfield companies, and as this was not at +all satisfactory to their captains, some vigorous "kicking" resulted. +In many cases men were rejected for trivial causes, but as the result +of vigorous objections to the policy, made by Captains Leonard, +McDonald and Warriner, a number of the rejected men were re-examined +and the majority of them accepted. In some instances more than two +examinations were given the same man, and an instance where grit and +a determination to go with his company got the best of the examining +surgeons was the case of Sergeant Richard H. Bearse, better known as +"Dickie." He was twice examined and rejected but through his efforts, +aided by those of Capt. McDonald, he was given a third trial and passed. + +Could those people who had been for some years in the habit of sneering +at the militiamen as "tin soldiers" have seen the way in which the +rejected ones took their fate they would have changed their minds as +to the soldierly calibre of the men of the Second. It was easy to +tell the rejected ones as they came across the parade ground from the +surgeon's quarters, many of them with tears in their eyes, all with +downcast faces, because their bodies had not been strong enough to +let them go with the regiment. Their hearts were strong enough to go +to the front and fight for the flag but the government demanded stout +bodies as well as stout hearts, and so, many were refused. It was not +always in tears and "blue" looks that the rejected appeared from the +examining rooms. Often a rejected one would emerge, uttering sarcastic +and profane remarks as to the amount of surgical knowledge possessed by +the examiners, and their qualifications generally, and some of the men +exhibited a versatility of language in discussing their rejection and +the surgeon who was responsible for it only possessed by men of genius. + +The rejections left the ranks of the Springfield companies much +depleted and it was necessary to send officers to that city for +recruits to fill the vacancies before the companies could be mustered +in. Capt. Leonard of G, Lieut. Young of B and Lieut. Powers of K were +sent on this duty and with them went about all of the men who had +been rejected. As soon as the purpose of their visit was known in +Springfield they were besieged by applicants for enlistment but having +learned wisdom from what had happened in camp they took the precaution +to have all the applicants pass a medical examination before bringing +them to South Framingham and as a result few of the new men they +brought down failed to pass the examining surgeons at the camp. + +On May 6, another member of K company, Private Cook, was taken ill with +tonsilitis and was sent home, much to his disgust. + +On the same day the field and staff officers of the Second were +mustered into the United States service by Lieut. E. M. Weaver, +2d artillery, who had been detailed as mustering officer for the +Massachusetts volunteers. Adjutant Paul R. Hawkins was the first one to +be mustered and he was followed by Quartermaster E. E. Sawtell. Surgeon +Bowen and Assistant Surgeons Gates and Hitchcock had been mustered in +on the day after our arrival in camp and had been assigned to duty in +assisting in the examinations of recruits. + +First Lieut. W. C. Hayes of G joined his company on the afternoon of +the 6th and after being examined and accepted was assigned to duty. + +On Saturday and Sunday, the 7th and 8th, three batches of additional +recruits arrived in camp and were at once handed over to the examining +surgeons. By Sunday K company had filled its ranks to the required +number of 74 enlisted men and on that day was duly mustered into the +military service of the United States for a period of two years "unless +sooner discharged." The ceremony was a simple one. The company was +marched over to brigade headquarters and formed in column of twos +facing the mustering officer, Lieut. Weaver. The latter called out +each man's name, beginning with the first sergeant and as each man +answered he stepped to the front and facing about took position in +front of the company in the same formation. The roll call over, the +company was faced to the front, Lieut. Weaver removed his cap and the +men uncovered. Then Lieut. Weaver read in impressive tones the oath of +allegiance to the United States and administered it to the company, +thus completing the ceremony which marked the transition of militiamen +and raw recruits into soldiers of the United States. K company was the +first company in Massachusetts to be mustered into the United States +service and so far as known the first company in the country to be +mustered in. That afternoon "government rations" were issued to K and +the next day the men began eating them instead of the meals which had +up to then been supplied by a caterer. Some of the men who failed to +understand the difference between Uncle Sam's diet and that furnished +at militia encampments found fault of course with the rations. Butter +and milk are unknown in the regular soldiers' menu unless the company +fund is drawn upon for them, and some of the men couldn't understand +why they were not supplied and found fault accordingly. Later when we +were all living luxuriously(?) in Cuba on "sowbelly" bacon, hardtack +and coffee, sometimes without sugar, these men remembered with fond +but unavailing regret the once despised government rations at South +Framingham. The fond parents and relatives who were told in letters +from camp of how meager and unsatisfactory the first food furnished +by Uncle Sam was may correct their idea by glancing over the rations +issued for the first five days to K company while at South Framingham: + + 300 lbs. potatoes; 422 lbs. flour; 27-3/4 lbs. bacon; 7 lbs. rice; + 43-3/4 lbs. beans; 30 lbs. coffee; 56-1/2 lbs. sugar; 15 lbs. salt; + 3/4 lb. pepper; 15 lbs. soap; 75 lbs. onions; 5-5/8 lbs. candles; + 3-3/4 gallons vinegar and 422 lbs. fresh beef. + +It is understood of course that the soap and candles were not issued as +edibles but for cleansing and illuminating purposes. And it can also +be seen that in the above rations there are possibilities for good +eating and plenty of it. As a matter of fact milk and butter were soon +supplied from the company funds. + +G and B companies were mustered in on the 10th with full ranks. G was +to have been mustered in the day previous but when the time arrived +one private, a raw recruit, was missing and as the entire company was +obliged to be on hand for muster the ceremony was dispensed with for +that day and the men were marched back vowing vengeance upon the man +who had kept them for 24 hours from getting into the service. Before +very long another recruit was found and when the missing private turned +up full of penitence and other things his uniform was taken off and +after receiving a talking to from Capt. Leonard that made his cheeks +burn with shame he was shipped out of camp. + +The boys found plenty of amusement during their camp life and with +nearly 1000 young fellows in one regiment time did not hang very +heavily on their hands during the times between drills and other +duties. Base ball and other sports were indulged in and letter writing +and visits to the other regiments or an occasional pass to town +prevented anything like ennui. In the Springfield companies there were +few tent crews that did not have some distinctive appellation for +their habitation. Private J. C. Ryan of B made his tent famous as a +"steam laundry" and in G street there was the "Hotel Dingbat," so named +because the men who occupied it could not think of anything else to +call it. In K there was quickly organized an outfit later to be known +as the "Wee Haws" and which made itself somewhat famous by the gift of +song possessed by its members. + +The "board of license commissioners" so famous during the encampment of +1897 was on hand but its members had but little of an official nature +to do as the camp of '98 was officially a "dry camp." A good share +of the dryness was, however, confined to the weather and a careful +search of the records fails to show that any inmate of the camp died of +thirst, although there were some serious cases. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +WE GET ORDERS TO LEAVE FOR THE SUNNY SOUTH AND OBEY THEM. + + +All of the time during our stay in camp speculation was rife as to when +we were going to the front and how; also under what designation were +we going. It had been circulated that we were to be known as the 63d +United States Volunteers, and other rumors, all of which turned out to +be just as near the truth as that one were put into commission. These +marked the origin of the "Jo Jo" bureau of misinformation which later +became an important feature of the campaign. + +[Illustration: COMMISSIONED AND NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS OF G +COMPANY] + +On the night of Wednesday, May 11th at 9.30, orders were flashed over +the wires from Washington to Lieut. Weaver to send the Second at once +to Tampa, Fla., where the army of invasion of Cuba was gathering. +Almost everyone except the guard and a few officers and attaches at +regimental headquarters, was asleep when the orders came but within a +very few moments after their purport had been announced, there was the +wildest scene of excitement in the camp that had ever been witnessed +in South Framingham. From Lieut. Weaver the orders were quickly +transmitted to regimental headquarters and from there to the officers +of the regiment. Inside of ten minutes from their receipt by Lieut. +Weaver, every man of the Second was awake and in his company street +and exultant shouts that went up, quickly aroused the other regiments. +The Second was to be the first command from the old Bay State to be +ordered outside her boundaries for active service and the men were so +proud of it that they could not refrain from reminding the men of the +other three regiments of the fact. To the credit of the latter it must +be said that although at first they were a bit inclined to sulk because +their regiment was not the first to be called upon, yet they soon +realized that the honor was in a sense as much Massachusetts' as it was +the Second's, and their cheers joined in with ours. + +Meanwhile, the regimental and company officers were doing some lively +work. Col. Clark had gone to Springfield that morning, and a number +of officers and men were away on leave, no one expecting that the +orders would come for a day or two. The regiment was ordered to move +the next day and before the orders had been known of but a very few +minutes, telegraph and telephone messages were sent to the absent ones +informing them of what had happened. This done, the work of completing +the equipment of the regiment was taken up and pushed in lively +fashion. There were many little details to be attended to and there +was little sleep for headquarters that night. How well the work was +done is attested by the fact that at an early hour the next morning the +regiment had its tents struck and packed, and long before the hour at +which many of the folks at home were eating their breakfasts, was in +readiness to move. Reveille was sounded at 4 o'clock that morning and +by 6 there was but little remaining to be done. + +Although anxious for active service there was one thing about the +orders which was not at all relished by the regiment and that was the +route to be followed. It had been expected and understood that when +the Second would go south its route would be through Worcester and +Springfield, thus giving us a chance for a genuine _au revoir_ to home +and friends. We all of us knew that the "farewell" accorded us on +leaving Springfield for the camp at South Framingham would be tame +indeed to the reception we might expect when we passed through there as +United States Volunteers, with a large V, and bound for the front. Some +of the boys, to be sure, dreaded the thought of having to say "good +bye" to the accompaniment of tears and sobs again but the majority were +anxious for one more look at what part of Springfield to be seen from +the union station and were consequently much disappointed when it was +announced that instead of going via Springfield, the route was to be by +way of Newport, R. I. + +There was much disappointment, too, in Springfield when the route was +announced. But not to be beaten, a party of citizens headed by Major H. +S. Dickinson, arranged for a special train to South Framingham, the day +we were to leave and so we were not allowed to go without some sort of +a farewell demonstration from the people of our own city. + +On the day previous to our receiving the "rush" orders to the south, +a number of visitors including ex-Lieut. Gov. W. H. Haile, Col. A. H. +Goetting and James D. Gill of Springfield were in camp, and it came to +their attention that the Second was not provided with a band or even +field music. No regimental bands were included in the organization of +the volunteer regiments nor even field music, the sole musical property +being the bugles of which there were two to each company. It was looked +upon as a proper and desirable thing that the Second should at least +have field music, or in civilian parlance, a drum corps, and these +three gentlemen constituted themselves a committee on ways and means to +that end. It was known that there were enough musicians in the regiment +to form a drum corps if there were instruments provided for them and +before the next day through the generosity of the three gentlemen +named, the Second was provided with fifes, drums, etc., and the members +of the corps selected. + +Thursday, May 12th, we bade good-bye to South Framingham. There was +difficulty in getting transportation for our baggage and it was not +until a late hour in the afternoon that everybody was in readiness. +Meanwhile we hung around our former quarters and killed time as best +we could. A short time after dinner, our last meal on the "old camp +ground," the "assembly" and "adjutant's call" were sounded and the +regiment was formed to pass in review before Gov. Wolcott. The march +past over, hollow square was formed and the governor presented the +officers their commissions and made a brief speech telling us to uphold +the honor of the old commonwealth. + +While this was going on we heard the strains of a band and soon in +marched a delegation from Springfield, headed by the Second regiment +band and led by Mayor Dickinson, members of Wilcox post of the Grand +Army and Peabody Guard Veterans, while relatives and friends of the +boys made up the rest of the 500 in the party. Soon after their arrival +we were dismissed and then followed one of the interesting scenes +of our war experience. Hardly had we broken ranks before we were +surrounded by the visitors and there was falling upon each other's +necks, handshaking, good wishes, smiles and tears all commingled in one +scene of such excitement as we had never been through before. Every +male visitor brought cigars or refreshments for the boys and for an +hour or so nothing was too good for us. + +But all things have an end and finally the bugles blew and after a +last hurried kiss or handshake we fell in again and marched out to the +parade ground for the last time. The colors dipped once more to the +governor and then through a double line of cheering soldiers from the +other regiments and our own friends we marched out of the camp and +down the dusty road to the railroad station, escorted by two troops +of cavalry and amid the cheers and good wishes of the thousands who +thronged the walks. We passed under the handsome arch erected by the +people of South Framingham in honor of the soldiers and after one last +opportunity to say farewell went on board the special trains waiting +for us. So we left good old Massachusetts. + +On our way to Newport we were shown how the people of other places +regarded us. At every station our train passed through there were +cheering crowds and enthusiasm seemed to be in evidence everywhere. We +reached Newport about 9.30 and were transferred to the palatial steamer +"Pilgrim" of the Fall River line. + +"This isn't so bad for army travelling," was the common remark as soon +as the boys found what accommodations had been made for them. There +were nearly enough staterooms to provide every man with a bunk and +those who failed to get a room found nice, thick mattresses spread +for them on the saloon floors. It brought the "Trip to New York" and +Valiquet back to the memories of many of us because the accommodations +were so different. + +But it was a tired lot of boys that boarded the Pilgrim that night and +it was not long before all of them were testing the mattresses and +bunks, after indulging by the way for the first time in the "travel +ration." This was our first encounter with the canned beef department +but somehow it tasted better then than it ever did afterwards. Also +we allowed our teeth to play with the ligneous hardtack and finally +fatigued with our exertions we slept soundly. + +The next morning when we woke up we were in the East river and at the +sight of her blue coated cargo every steam craft that met the Pilgrim +saluted with steam whistles while their crews or passengers as well as +those of the sailing craft cheered and waved handkerchiefs or anything +else waveable. From every factory along the shore came the shrieks of +the steam whistles and the shouts of their occupants and our progress +down the river to the Fall River line pier was a triumphal progress. + +When we reached the pier it was not long before we were transferred to +the transports Saratoga and Vigilancia, the Springfield companies being +on board the latter. Then it was that we began to realize what war was. +Down in the dirty, dark and ill smelling hold we could see men at work +building rough wooden bunks for us and the language used concerning +these bunks and their location was copious and picturesque to a high +degree. No "Pilgrim" accommodations were these. No mattresses 12 +inches thick to rest our weary bones upon but the soft and splintered +pine boards were to form our couch. Also the travel ration with its +components of canned roast beef(?), canned corn beef, canned beans and +hardtack was beginning to pall upon our palates. We were not used to +such Epicurean fare and began to fear gout and other incidentals of too +luxurious living. So we gathered together and said things but all the +time the carpenters went on constructing the bunks and no dinners were +brought on for us from the Waldorf-Astoria. + +Our first cruise on the Vigilancia was further up the North river where +we waited until late in the afternoon and while waiting many of the +boys managed to get ashore. Some of them were nearly left behind as +we pulled out of the dock and a few did get left on shore, but they +chartered a tug and soon caught us. That night our transports sailed +down the harbor as far as Bedloe's Island where we anchored opposite +the Bartholdi statue and where we stayed anchored until the next +afternoon. That night the much discussed wooden troughs officially +named bunks were used and were the cause of much profane language +for which the recording angel ought to be able to find a good excuse +if he has any love for volunteer soldiers in his composition. Late +that afternoon we were taken over to Jersey City and transferred to a +special train of three sections of 14 cars each on which we were to +make the trip to Tampa. And thus ended our first sea voyage. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +WE GO TO THE SOUTHLAND AND BEGIN TO FIND OUT WHERE WE ARE AT. + + +On Saturday evening, May 14, we started once more for the South, this +time by train and had the distinguished honor of beating out the +much-advertised 71st New York, which had been ordered to start at the +same time, but forgot its tentage on board the steamers and was obliged +to wait for several hours in consequence. Our train accommodations +could have been much worse, the train being run in three sections of +14 cars each and as four companies travelled on each section this +arrangement gave each company three cars, while a sleeping car was +reserved for the officers and with a baggage car made up the section. +With three cars to a company there was plenty of room for the men and +we managed to sleep quite comfortably. At every station along the route +we received plenty of greetings and this happened so frequently after +we got below Mason & Dixon's line that the boys wondered a little, +inasmuch as we were from "Black Massachusetts." But it was evident that +all but a very few of the people of the South realized that the civil +war was over and we got no heartier reception anywhere along the route +than in Virginia and North and South Carolina. + +We reached Washington early Sunday morning and made a brief stop just +long enough to allow some of the boys to make a raid on a couple of +milk wagons. To our disappointment the train did not run through the +city but skirted it and we failed to get a glimpse of any of the show +places. We kept on going and late Monday evening, the 16th, landed at +Lakeland, Fla., where we went into camp, our destination having been +changed by telegraphic orders received soon after crossing the Florida +line. + +Life on the train was not very exciting. We made but few stops and +those mainly to change engines. In South Carolina we made our first +acquaintance with wood burning engines. After these were hitched on it +was a case of stopping every few miles to "wood up." When the train did +not stop for wood it did for water and between them both progress was +slow to us but we found that according to southern ideas we were going +at express speed. + +Our troop train was a great attraction for the children at the stations +where we stopped and it was a common thing for the boys and girls of +these places to hand us bunches of jessamine and magnolia flowers while +the older folk looked on approvingly. The colored people were somewhat +demonstrative but both they and the white folks never neglected an +opportunity to sell us cakes and pies at every stop. The pies reminded +us of those we had been getting at home, they were so different, but +as a relief from canned meat and beans they were welcome. Occasionally +when we stopped we found it possible to purchase bottled beer of an +inferior grade, but better than most of the water we had to drink. + +On the trip south Lieuts. Young and Vesper of B company established +records as sleepers that put them far ahead in their class. Captains +Leonard and McDonald had the same section in the sleeping car and about +every night there could be heard a more or less vigorous protest from +the former against Capt. McDonald's use of a 700 horse power pipe. +Lieut. Harry Parkhurst of K was the victim of much "jollying" over +a story printed in a New York newspaper to the effect that he was +a nephew of the Rev. Dr. Parkhurst of New York, but he took it good +naturedly. + +At Dupont, Ga., Private William Ferrier of G foraged a little during a +brief stop and captured a diminutive specimen of the "razor back" hog +prevalent in that locality and bore him in triumph to the train. Any +visions of pork chops which might have been indulged in were dispelled +by a look at the pig's anatomy which was plainly visible through his +skin but he was taken along just the same and met his fate at Lakeland +when he was killed and roasted by Private "Dido" Hunt of G and served +up to a small but select circle. + +At one of the many stops in Florida a portly colored lady hung about +the train and made violent love to the good looking officers, her +comments on the personal appearance of some of them being rather more +pungent than flattering. So far as known she did not steal any of them. + +During the stay at South Framingham Privates E. N. Aiken and B. R. +Madison of K company had blossomed out as composers and one of their +effusions which was sung by the more or less able musicians of the +company in camp and on the train to the tune of: "There'll be a Hot +Time in the Old Town To-night" was as follows: + + "When you hear those guns go bang, bang, bang, + We'll all join in and lick that Dago gang, + For we want war or we'll have no name at all, + There'll be a hot time when the bugle shall call." + +The above was Private Aiken's. Here is Private Madison's: + + "In the battle front we stand with our rifles in our hand + And for Cuba's freedom we will ever fight; + And with showers of shot and shell, + We'll send the Spaniards straight to h----l, + When we march into Havana bye and bye. + + CHORUS. + + Tramp, tramp, tramp the boys are marching, + Cheer up, Cuba, we will come, + And beneath the starry flag + We'll tear down the Spanish rag + And float the Cuban flag forevermore." + +Our arrival at Lakeland was marked by an incident which went to show +that we were not in the north. Just as our train pulled in a shooting +affray, in which a couple of troopers from the Tenth U. S. cavalry, a +colored regiment and some white people participated, occurred and a +white citizen of the town was killed. As nearly as we could understand +it the troopers were not to blame but shot in self defense but there +was much excitement in the town and strong patrols of the First U. S. +cavalry, a white regiment, were sent out. We were kept in the train +that night and the next morning after a bath in one of the many lakes +from which the town takes its name, marched to our camp at the fair +grounds and on the shores of Lake Morton. The camp was pitched on an +elevation and under the southern pine and cypress trees from which hung +long festoons of Spanish moss. Much of this was gathered for bedding +but it was soon abandoned for this purpose when it was found that it +harbored numbers of lizards and sometimes small snakes. + +Our neighbors at the camp were the First and Tenth regular cavalry and +the 71st New York which arrived a day after we did. The 71st men being +from Manhattan were inclined to be a bit fresh at first but they soon +came to understand that the Second was not exactly a "farmer" regiment +and let us alone. One disagreeable incident went to show that among +the New York officers were some snobs. Sergeant James Gibbons of G +while "down town" one day went into the dining room of the hotel and +ordered his dinner. The commanding officer of the 71st and some of his +officers were in the room at the time and as soon as he realized that +an enlisted man was actually daring to eat in the same room with him +his indignation became so great that he walked over to the table where +Sergeant Gibbons was seated and ordered him to leave the place, saying +that only officers were allowed in the dining room. Sergeant Gibbons +did not feel like moving and the hotel proprietor assured him that he +would be served as well as any officer. So he refused to budge and +enjoyed his dinner, much to the disgust of the New York officer. + +Life at Lakeland was fairly enjoyable. The temperature was high, +ranging from 84 on one day it rained to 124 on a day it did not. We +had our big wall tents we had brought with us from South Framingham +and soon had them filled with more or less crude devices in the way +of furniture. Mattresses there were none and our beds were Mother +Earth which was of a brunette hue down there. Bathing in the lake was +a favorite pastime between drills but after the muddy bottom had been +stirred up a little it was a question whether we were dirtier before +the bath or after it. There were all kinds of "Jo Jos" about a huge +alligator who made his home in the lake but he had evidently heard of +our appetites and kept out of sight. + +The First cavalry, camped some distance on our right, had established a +canteen soon after its arrival and it became a favorite place for our +boys. A couple of days after our arrival we got our first mail from +home and that day was a red letter one in our Lakeland life. + +Just before reaching Lakeland some K company foragers had captured a +goat at one of the stops but the owner pursued the animal to Lakeland +and when he put in a claim for him Capt. Warriner ordered the "billy" +given up. Our menu in camp was far more varied than on the train for +"post" rations were being issued and the company cooks were "getting on +to their jobs." Private Mandeville, who afterwards acquired much fame +by being left behind at Fort Tampa, presided over the kitchen of G. In +B company Walter Butler got up savory dishes and Private Harry Fisher +looked after the culinary department for K. Butter was conspicuous by +its absence from the table and one boy in K missed it so much that he +dreamed of it. One night his dreams were so realistic that his cry of +"Ma, please pass the butter," awoke his tent mates and that expression +was the rallying cry in K for several days. + +The death of Private Weslie Brass of Westfield, a member of I company, +cast a gloom over the regiment and all the companies turned out to do +escort duty when the body was shipped home. His was the first death in +the regiment. + +On Sunday, May 30th, orders came to break camp the following day and +proceed to Tampa, which we did, arriving there on Monday afternoon, the +31st. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +WE STAY IN YBOR CITY AND THEN ENJOY (?) LIFE ON TRANSPORTS IN THE +HARBOR. + + +Our stay in Tampa lasted from May 31st to June 7th and it was not +wholly unenjoyable. In some respects the place was better than +Lakeland, but we felt the heat far more than was the case in that town +and the camp location was not as good as that of our camp there. But we +were near Tampa and there were many opportunities for us to get to the +city, our camp being in one of the suburbs some three miles from Tampa +and known as Ybor City. Its population was made up mainly of Cubans and +negroes and a number of cigar factories were located there. The Cubans +were all "patriots" of course, but our disenchantment as to Cuban +patriots had already begun and we paid them little attention. On our +right was camped a battalion of the Fourth regular artillery (heavy) +and this was probably the occasion of a rumor which had persistent +circulation for several days that we were to be transformed from +infantry to a heavy artillery regiment and assigned to sea coast duty. + +We had a lovely time pitching our tents and making camp. Owing to a +delay in laying out the camp it was not until after dark on the day +of our arrival that we set to work to pitch our tents and as a result +it was not only late before we got to sleep but the next morning +considerable work had to be done in rectifying the alignment of the +company streets. The soil was nice white sand which made fairly good +beds. + +On the afternoon of the next day we found out what a Florida "shower" +could do when it tried. The rain came on unexpectedly and within a very +few moments everything was in a flood. But few of the boys had taken +the precaution to dig trenches around their tents and after the rain +began to come down in sheets they were compelled to get out in it and +dig or else have their quarters flooded. Here was where the value of +the rubber blankets issued to us at South Framingham was shown. + +It was while we were at Ybor City that our regiment was definitely +assigned. We were put into the First Brigade of the Second Division +of the Fifth army corps, our brigade commander being temporarily Col. +Van Horn of the 22nd infantry while Gen. H. W. Lawton was in command +of the division. This set at rest all the rumors about our being heavy +artillery, cavalry and several other things. It also meant that we were +to go to Cuba among the very first of the invading troops and there was +no end of enthusiasm when this was understood. + +During our stay in Ybor City Wagoners Kingston of B, Shene of G and +Boule of K became expert drivers of the army mule wagon although their +trials with the mule were many and various. In B street there were some +pathetic scenes when the members of the Kanewah club got together and +talked over how nice it would be "to be there" even if the gasoline +stove did not always work. + +Payday came June 4th and we got our first "whack" at Uncle Sam's good +money. It was welcome, for since leaving South Framingham but little +had been in circulation among our boys and we gave the paymaster +the "glad hand." In return, he lined us up by companies and gave us +greenbacks and a little silver. We had expected a full month's pay but +were disappointed, our pay being calculated from May 3d, the day we +had officially been mustered in, to the first of June. There were many +applications for passes to visit Tampa that day and the majority of +them were granted. The Seminole hotel and the stores in Ybor City and +Tampa did a rushing business that afternoon and evening. + +The "Wee Haws" of K contributed not a little to the gaiety of our camp +life at this time and one of their songs to the air of "Rally 'Round +the Flag" and reflecting upon the subsistence department was popular. +It went like this: + + Down with the hardtack! + Hurrah, boys, hurrah, + Down with the canned beef; + We wonder what you are; + For we'll rally 'round the beans, boys, + We'll rally once again + Shouting the battle cry of "Wee Haw." + + 'Please pass the butter,' + Hurrah, boys, hurrah! + If the coffee was much thicker + We'd sell it off for tar; + For we'll never look like Billy Fish + Unless we get more grub-- + Shouting the battle cry of "Wee Haw." + + Ade Potter's growing thinner, + Healey's just the same + Brazzil, Breck and Nesbitt swear, + Their biscuit box is lame; + For George Potter ate his canteen + And Aiken ate the strap + And McCullough shouts the battle cry of "Wee Haw!" + +About this time some brainless individual sent alarming news home +in a letter, which was published in the Springfield newspapers, to +the effect that sickness was prevalent in our camp and that a large +proportion of the men of the three companies from that city were in +the hospital seriously ill. As a result we soon began to get letters +of anxious inquiry from the folks at home, and it was some time before +we could fully reassure them that the reports had been extremely +exaggerated and that there was but little illness and none of a serious +nature in our ranks. + +While in Ybor City we lost two men, Privates Luther of K and Monteverde +of G. Both were ordered to be discharged from the service, because +of having enlisted while under age and without the consent of their +parents or guardians. Monteverde was reluctant to leave the regiment +and pleaded hard to be allowed to go with us to Cuba even as a civilian +employee, and when that was refused he offered to go without any pay. +But this was found to be impossible and he and Luther were obliged +to return home. The case of Private John K. DeLoach of B company was +a hard one. He had enlisted in South Framingham and in some way his +relatives, who resided in Atlanta, Ga., heard of it, and as he was +under age and had not their consent, applied for his discharge. Orders +to have him discharged were issued but they failed to arrive while we +were in Tampa, and did not reach us until after the regiment had landed +in Cuba and done its share in capturing Santiago. DeLoach had done his +duty during the most arduous part of the campaign, and as a result was +given a "bob tail" discharge and left to get back to the United States +as best he could. Sometimes the rewards of patriotism are not great, +and this was certainly one of the instances. + +June 6th orders were received to break camp and proceed to Port Tampa, +there to go on board the transports for Cuba. We broke camp all right, +got our tents down and all baggage packed and saw them sent away +and then proceeded to wait. We waited all that afternoon and night +and until late in the afternoon of the next day before our belated +transportation was arranged for. As a result of a blunder in the +quartermaster's department, we were compelled to bivouac that night +without any shelter. This was our first real acquaintance with the +fact expressed in the statement attributed to Gen. Sherman, that "War +is h--l." + +Late in the afternoon of June 7th, we marched to the railroad and +went on board a train which after a couple of hours brought us to +Port Tampa, distance about eight miles. Here we found some practical +illustrations of the beautiful manner in which the quartermaster's +department was working. It had been stated to Col. Clark that on +arriving at Port Tampa we were to immediately go on board the +transports, but after disembarking from the train and waiting for some +time it was found that no transports had been assigned to us. Nothing +could be done in the matter that night, and we were to be left to shift +for ourselves as best we could. There were no barracks in Port Tampa, +and it was too late to go into camp even if we had our tentage with us, +which we did not. After considerable scouting, Col. Clark discovered +that quarters might be found in the freight sheds on a long pier, and +we started for them only to have the entire regiment halted and held up +for some minutes at the point of the bayonet of a sentinel of the First +Illinois regiment, who was on guard at the entrance to the pier and had +orders to let no one pass. This obstacle was finally surmounted and we +marched onto the pier and made ourselves comfortable as best we could. + +During that night on the pier the foraging instincts of Private "Dido" +Hunt of G company became active, and as a result he and several members +of that company passed the long hours of the night very comfortably. +The freight sheds were divided into sections, and in that allowed to +G was a lot of freight. Included were two innocent looking barrels, +but guided solely by instinct "Dido" decided to investigate their +contents. With this end in view he spread his roll and blanket by the +side of the barrels, and, lying on his side began to cut a hole through +the staves of one of them. This was rather difficult because of the +sentries, but it was finally accomplished, and much to the forager's +intense satisfaction, the insertion of his hand through the hole +and into the barrel, revealed to him that it was filled with bottled +beer. Satisfying himself in the only proper manner, that there was no +mistake, he acquainted the members of his squad and a few others with +his find and soon an impromptu picnic was in progress. Under the very +noses of the sentries, the contents of that barrel of beer disappeared +before morning, and to those in the secret the night passed very +pleasantly. + +[Illustration: Lieut. William Young. Capt. Henry McDonald. Lieut. Harry +Vesper.] + +The next morning four companies and headquarters of the Second were +transferred to the transport Orizaba, the companies being G, B, K and +D. The transport already had on board the Eighth and Twenty-second +regular infantry, and as a result our boys were crowded about on the +decks and compelled to sleep anywhere they could. The officers were +crowded into the staterooms and their experiences on the Orizaba were +not much more enjoyable than those of the men. Some of the regulars, +with a fine contempt for volunteers, did their best to make things as +unpleasant for us as possible, but the majority were of a different +disposition and aided us all they could, which unfortunately was not +much. + +We expected to sail that day but did not. The same could be said +about our expectations and disappointments every succeeding day +until we did finally sail on the 14th. Before that happened we were +again transferred, this time to the well remembered transport, +Knickerbocker. This event happened on the 13th and when we found that +the Knickerbocker's number was 13, that she had that number of letters +in her name and that about everybody and everything connected with her +was more or less mixed up with the alleged unlucky number some of us +began to wonder what would happen. Fortunately nothing did, but that +was because somebody, not connected with the war department, or with +this world, was looking after us. The third battalion was added to our +force on board the Knickerbocker, the second being on the Seneca and +the Manteo. + +On the evening of the 13th the 13 hoodoo began to work. A steam pipe +burst and some of the boys, thinking a general explosion would follow, +jumped from the deck to the dock, but although there was considerable +fuss and excitement no one was hurt. That night sleep on the +Knickerbocker was out of the question, for a gang of negro roustabouts +was engaged all night in loading provisions onto our steamer and +their cries, together with the noise of the steam winches prevented +any sleep. On the afternoon of the next day, the 14th, the steamer +finally cast off and started down the harbor in the wake of the other +transports. After being tied up in Tampa harbor for six long days we +were at last at sea and bound for Cuba. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +WE HAVE A LOVELY SAIL ON THE PALATIAL KNICKERBOCKER AND REACH CUBA +WITHOUT MISHAP. + + +Our voyage to Cuba on Transport No. 13, unofficially known as the +Knickerbocker, will long linger in our memories. The Knickerbocker +was a lovely ship but her loveliness was of such a nature that it was +seldom referred to without a free and unlimited use of adjectives in +the ratio of more than 16 to 1. After a while it got to be a case of +"Don't speak of her past, boys," and we seldom did. The present was bad +enough and as for her future, all of us had grave doubts concerning it. +There was a story from apparently authentic sources, that before the +government, in a moment of temporary aberation, engaged the services +of the Knickerbocker as a transport, she had been engaged in conveying +Italian emigrants from New York to New Orleans, and her interior +condition when we boarded her gave conformation of the stories. + +Many words could be written concerning the Knickerbocker and our +opinion of her, but as a good share of them would form language not +generally used in the best society, it will be perhaps as well to draw +the veil of silence over a good part of it. + +Her captain's name was Betts and he was an aged individual who savored +much of the sea and who evidently had been the victim of an early or +late disappointment, either in love or something else, that resulted +in souring him towards himself and everybody else. The name of the +steward of the boat is unknown, but this did not bother the boys much, +their usual designation of him being "thief" or "robber" or any term of +opprobrium that came handy. If he was a poor man when the Knickerbocker +sailed with us from Tampa harbor, there was no reason why he could not +have returned with money enough to start a fair sized bank account, for +he sold us everything there was to sell, and considerable that he had +no right to, and he always charged us Klondike prices for everything. +He was never under suspicion of giving away anything, not even himself. +Before the voyage was half over there came near being a mutiny among +the crew which had discovered, so they said, that the steward was +taking the provisions destined for them and selling them to such of our +boys as had money and had become weary of the luxurious and varied fare +given us by the government. At the same time his extortions had become +so burdensome to our boys that muttered threats against him were heard +and but for some of the cooler heads among the soldiers he might have +been the victim of the vengeance both of the crew and the troops. + +There were thirteen staterooms on the boat and into these were crowded +32 officers. The men were "bunked" in the hold, and if there was any +provision for ventilation other than the hatches, no trace was ever +found of it. On the first night out the men slept on the decks and so +were enabled to pass the night in considerable comfort, for if the deck +planks were hard, there was at least some air and the cool sea breeze +made sleeping possible. But on the second night out there came trouble. +The surgeon was fearful that the night dews would have a bad effect +on the men, and had been told so much of the evil effects of sleeping +out in the air in tropical latitudes that he believed it best for the +men to sleep below decks. He pressed his views upon the commanding +officer, and the result was an order to the officer of the day to +allow no men to sleep above decks on that or the succeeding nights of +the voyage. + +Naturally, when this order was communicated to the men, there was a +protest. There was a decided difference of opinion between the men and +the surgeon as to the evil results from sleeping on deck, and the men +were inclined to rebel against the order. However, Capt. McDonald of B +company was officer of the day, and no matter what his sympathies were, +orders were orders. So soon after "taps" had sounded he and the guard +made a tour of the boat and the sleepers were informed that they must +retire to the bunks below and complete their slumbers. Then there was +a howl of remonstrance, but it was without avail. The sleepers were +rounded up and hustled below. In protest against this came all sorts +of noise from the sleeping quarters. Songs and yells, and there was +much satire in many of the songs, came up from below. The surgeons were +alluded to as "Horse doctors" and "Salts," and one chorus that came +floating up through the hatches ran something like this: + +"What do they give us for stomach ache?" + +"Salts." + +"What do they give us for a broken leg?" + +"Salts." + +"What do they give us for rheumatism?" + +"Salts." + +And so on through a catalogue of all the various diseases incident to +man or animals. + +Finally the noise became so great that Capt. McDonald threatened to +have the hatches closed, thus destroying the last faint chance of +obtaining any air. This was met by the threat that if the hatches were +closed bullets would be fired through them, but after a while the noise +quieted down and the men dropped off to sleep. After that night the +order to sleep below decks was pretty well obeyed as the reason for +it begun to be understood by the men and they realized that it was +prompted by a desire for their welfare and not to annoy them. + +Not all the boys slept below, however. Emery, Morehouse and Kelly of K +had managed to secrete themselves in one of the ships boats and made it +their sleeping quarters all the time of the voyage. As it was covered +by a tarpaulin they were well protected from the dews or rains, and in +any case they managed to keep the secret so well that they were not +molested. + +G company suffered a terrible loss on the day we sailed. Private +Mandeville, the company cook, had managed to cut himself so badly in +the arm with a carving knife, during our stay at Lakeland, that he +had been excused from that duty. On our last day at Port Tampa he had +obtained shore leave and utilized it so well in looking at the wine +when it was red, or something that had the same effect, that he was +in a trance when the orders came to leave. So when the Knickerbocker +sailed, G was one man short, and after the requisite ten days had +elapsed Private Mandeville was put on the rolls as a deserter. +Fortunately for him, it was established on our return that he was +not technically a deserter, it appearing that when he woke up he had +reported himself to an officer in Tampa, and had been assigned to +remain with a party of the 71st New York which had likewise been left +behind. + +Of mascots there were many on board. First of all came one James +Sargent of Washington, D. C, a young colored lad better known as +"Snowball." He had come on from Washington with some District of +Columbia troops and finding that they were not going immediately to +Cuba or for some other reason he got on board the Knickerbocker and +attached himself for better or worse to the Second Massachusetts. Any +member of the regiment can answer the query as to whether it was for +better or worse for the Second. + +Then there were James and Willie Turner, two young white boys from +Tampa who had an uncontrollable desire to hie themselves over the +seas to Cuba and there end the lives of more or less Spaniards. They +remained with us until the landing on the island and then divorced +themselves from the Second and attached themselves to two regular +regiments. Both stood the campaign in far better shape than the +older men and returned to this country with enlarged views and a +determination to enlist in the regulars as soon as they were of the +requisite age. + +G company had two mascots in "Rations" and "Hardtack," dogs of the cur +variety. Rations did not last out the voyage, her career being cut +short by some miscreant who threw her overboard one night, much to the +indignation of the men of the company. + +A predominating feature of the trip across was the excellent fare +provided for the enlisted men by a thoughtful government. Life at sea +on a steady diet of canned beef, canned beans and canned tomatoes, +hardtack and ship's water is not conducive to embonpoint or a cheerful +and contented disposition. In the hurry of fitting up the Knickerbocker +as a transport no provision had been made to do any cooking for the +men, even if there had been anything to cook, and there was not even +a place where coffee, of which we had plenty, could be made. Finally +after a couple of days out some vigorous "kicking" resulted in the +company cooks being grudgingly allowed the use of the galley for coffee +making purposes but with the poor water the coffee was hardly equal to +that furnished at Delmonico's or other places where most of us had been +in the habit of eating. + +As to the water an entire chapter could not do justice to its +qualities. There were two brands on board, one being Mississippi +river fluid with an equal quantity of mud of a rich brown color in +suspension. After obtaining a cupful of this mixture it was necessary +to allow it to stand for some little time in order that the mud might +settle to the bottom. With all its faults, however, this water when +strained was sweet and drinking it did not cause remorse. + +The other water had been obtained in Tampa and it was called water +principally because it was contained in the water tanks. It did not +look much like water and tasted still less like it. But that and the +muddy fluid was all there was to drink and we had to make the best of +it. + +One day when the canned beef was even worse than usual and the canned +beans greasier than ever there came to the vision of certain members +of the Springfield companies, who happened to be looking through the +skylight into the steward's pantry, a delicious looking piece of +cold roast beef hanging peacefully from a hook and destined for the +officers' lunch. Constant looking at that well cooked piece of fresh +beef begot longing, then covetousness and desire. By a silent but +unanimous vote it was decided that such a nice piece of beef would be +better appreciated by hungry enlisted men than by the officers who +had been getting more or less of it, at their own expense, during the +voyage and the next thing was the informal appointment of a committee +on ways and means to procure the aforesaid beef. An examination +revealed that the skylight could be opened from the deck and further +that a boathook was handy. These facts ascertained, a watch was kept +until the occupant of the pantry had gone out for a moment, the +skylight was quickly opened, the boathook manipulated and the piece of +beef lifted to the deck. The cook re-entered the pantry just as the +beef was disappearing through the skylight and the expression on his +face haunted the participants in the "Disappearing beef mystery" for +many hours. + +[Illustration: + + Lieut Phillip C. Powers + K. Co. + + Captain W. S. Warriner + K. Co. + + Lieut. Harry H. Parkhurst + K. Co. +] + +In one corner of the upper deck that afternoon were a number of men +upon whose faces rested an expression of perfect contentment and whose +hands could occasionally be seen to wander over their stomachs as if to +assure themselves that cold roast beef was a suitable article of diet +for a voyage in the tropics. As no ill effects were recorded the +question was settled satisfactorily to them but it is also on record +that no more tempting bits were hung within reach of open skylights or +wandering boathooks. It is also a matter of history that the officers' +lunch that day was rather a poor meal and there was no cold meat on the +table. But Bates didn't care. + +How the Knickerbocker ever escaped being run down or colliding with +some other of the vessels of the fleet is one of the mysteries of the +deep. Not less than half a dozen narrow escapes are on record in the +memory of the men who were on her and on one or two occasions the +escapes were so narrow that a few feet either way would have done the +job for the Knickerbocker and her crew and passengers. On one occasion +another boat came so near to running us down that half the men were +ready to jump into the sea but the other boat finally sheered off +by the closest margin. The "Thirteen" hoodoo came near to finding +believers among those on the Knickerbocker before Cuba was reached. + +Bathing hours were established on board after the first day out, each +company being allowed an hour aft each day during which the men could +"turn the hose" on each other to their heart's content. As, however, +there was but little salt water soap on board and that little was in +the hands of the steward to be retailed by him at robber baron prices +these attempts at cleanliness proved rather abortive, for it was soon +ascertained that ordinary soap does not lather in salt water and the +effects of the bath under these circumstances was worse if anything +than in Lakeland. + +So the days went on until on the 20th we saw the low outline of the +Cuban coast late in the afternoon and at the same time saw the flashes +and heard the dull reports of big guns which told us that the navy was +having a brush with the foe. It lasted only for a few moments, but +this was the first time we had heard guns fired in actual conflict and +although we could see but little the rigging was crowded until long +after the guns were silent. We learned afterwards that it was only +a little brush some of the blockading fleet were having with a fort +near Santiago but it was mighty interesting to us while it lasted. +All the next day the fleet cruised about apparently aimlessly and +that night the Knickerbocker "got lost." How it ever happened no one +knows excepting the captain of the ship and he never volunteered an +explanation so far as we knew. It was expected that we would land that +day but just before dusk a dispatch boat raced up alongside and without +stopping speed an officer on board shouted through a megaphone an order +to Captain Betts to continue "cruising to the northwest, keeping in +touch with the fleet." So off we cruised to the northwest but the rest +of the order as to keeping in touch with the fleet was not carried out. +The next morning when we woke up we found the Knickerbocker all alone +with not a sail or line of smoke on the horizon and with apparently no +one knowing where we were or what we were doing there. Inquiries of +Captain Betts met with gruff and non-committal response and it was not +until just before noon that we came in sight of the rest of the fleet +off Daiquiri and learned that the landing had begun and that had we got +there when we should the Second would have been the first regiment to +land on Cuban soil. Then things were said concerning Capt. Betts and +his boat that would not look nice in print. + +Over on our left the big guns of the warships were pounding away at the +fortifications while the small caliber guns were sending in a storm +of bullets into the woods and hills along the shore, clearing them +out before the landing. From the warships to the transports danced +an almost steady stream of launches and small boats to assist in the +landing. The invasion of Cuba by the Fifth army corps was a fact at +last. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +WHEREIN IS NARRATED OUR LANDING AT DAIQUIRI AND SOME THINGS WHICH +SUBSEQUENTLY HAPPENED. + + +It was not until well along in the afternoon that the Knickerbocker's +passengers started for the shore and as it was not all of them landed +that day, the third battalion being left on board until the 23d. +For many long hours the steamer backed and filled together with the +other vessels and the men, loaded down as they were with their field +equipment and waiting for the word to disembark, found plenty of time +to enjoy the stirring scenes about them. There were the grim painted +war ships, all ready for business and their hustling "Jackies" working +like beavers to aid in landing us "doughboys." Between the big ships +danced the saucy torpedo boats and destroyers and quick puffing +launches having in tow strings of small boats, these being our means of +transportation from the ship to the land. In front were the frowning +hills which guarded the coast line and from which an enemy of any +determination could have easily prevented our landing. On a plateau +directly in front of us was the village of Daiquiri, abandoned that +morning by the Spaniards after a brief bombardment by our fleet, while +a force of Cubans got along in time to worry the retreating enemy. A +portion of the village and the works were still smoldering, having been +fired by the Spaniards before they left the place. + +Daiquiri was the seat of the Spanish-American Iron company and a +narrow gauge railroad connects it with Juguaracito or Siboney where +the company had quite an extensive establishment. Jutting out into the +water was a high iron pier and it was supposed we were to land there, +but this was found to be impossible after one or two trials. + +Meanwhile after long waiting a dinky little steam launch from the +battleship Massachusetts and followed by a string of small boats, +came alongside the Knickerbocker and the youthful ensign in charge +allowed that he was ordered to take headquarters and as many others +of the regiment as possible on shore. This was agreeable and Col. +Clark and his field and staff embarked in the launch without much +trouble, although the job of climbing down a slippery rope ladder, +then hanging on by both hands to the side ropes and waiting until the +next high wave brought the launch up to within a couple of feet of you +and then falling more or less, mostly less, gracefully into it, was +not particularly pleasing. After headquarters, a platoon of G company +embarked and this filled the boats. + +How to get on shore from the boats appeared to grow into a serious +problem as we neared the landing place. This was an old wooden pier, +which jutted out some little distance from the land. There was a heavy +surf on and the little basin in which the pier stood was jammed with +boats and launches, all apparently very much snarled up but which in +reality were being ably managed. After much maneuvering our launch was +jammed alongside the pier and the next problem was how to get upon +it. The supporting piles rose high up from the water and their slimy +surface offered no inducement to attempt climbing. One moment we would +be down in the trough of a wave and then the launch would be lifted +up almost to the top of the pier and the sailors would be hard put to +it to keep the boats from being dashed against the huge piling of the +pier. The method of our landing could hardly be called dignified. As +the boat would be raised almost to a level with the floor of the pier +by a wave our rolls and equipment would be tossed up to some soldiers +waiting to assist us. Then down the boat would go again and when the +next wave raised it we would stand up on the thwarts of the boat, reach +up our hands, two of the men on the pier would grasp them and we would +scramble up the best we could. In this way the first lot was landed and +the boats hustled back to the ship after another load of passengers. +The pier was connected with the land by some loose planks and across +these we walked gingerly, finally reaching terra firma. We were on +Cuban soil at last. + +On shore there was as much bustle and confusion as in the landing. +Many of the regulars and a part of "Ours" had already landed but there +appeared to be no system, and officers and men were scattered about +everywhere. A short distance from the pier was a typical Cuban "shack" +as the regulars called it, a roughly built shed with a roof of palm +leaf thatch and around this was a lot of Cuban soldiers who were making +themselves "good fellows" by giving away cocoanuts, of which they had +a couple of large bags. They, the soldiers, were of varying shades of +blackness and their "uniforms" consisted mostly of nothing. Some had +more clothing than the others, but few had anything like a complete +outfit. They were barefooted and bareheaded but all had the inevitable +machete and some kind of a firearm, from the latest model Spanish +Mauser and the navy Lee to an old shotgun. They could talk English +about as well as we could Spanish and the sign language was used with +more or less success. + +Having filled up on cocoanuts, which tasted good, we became thirsty. +A water pipe ran along the ground and we soon found a faucet, but the +first man to take a drink spat out the water and said some sharp and +emphatic things concerning it at which we mildly wondered until he +calmed down sufficiently to tell us that it was "hot enough to boil +eggs in." Sure enough it was. The pipes ran along on the surface of the +ground and the sun did the rest. + +"_Mucho caliente agua_," commented a ragged "Cubana" as he noticed our +disgusted looks and one or two who understood enough Spanish to know +what he meant agreed with him. Then he grinned as only a Cuban can and +pointing to the plateau where the main part of the village was located, +said: "_Agua fresca_," which being interpreted meant "cold water." +So off we started for the plateau and there found several barrels of +fresh water which was fairly cool. Among the "shacks" which composed +the town we found a "brigade" of the "brave" Cuban soldiers. They were +having a good time recounting their exploits and staring at "_los +Americano soldados_," whose rough and ready manners were not always to +their liking. A few of their field officers were almost white in color +and decently uniformed but the majority, like the men, were black and +distinguished from their men by small silver stars worn on a strap +across the breast, three being the insignia of a captain, two of a +first lieutenant and one of a second lieutenant. + +A point of much interest to our men were the burning shops, which the +Spaniards had fired before retreating. On the railway track was a +locomotive and some cars which had been disabled and burnt. Additional +interest was caused by the pursuit, capture and summary execution of an +unwise pig by a mob of our men and Cubans. + +All our battalions having landed, we began our march into the interior +just before 5 o'clock. The brigade commander, Col. Van Horn of the 22d +was injured on the 22d and the command was temporarily assigned to our +commander, Col. Clark. As Lieut. Col. Shumway was left on the boat, +Major Southmayd took command of the two battalions on shore. We marched +some five miles toward Santiago, across country, the march being along +a narrow and rough trail and halted for the night by the side of the +trail. On our way we had to ford a stream and began to experience some +of the realities of war. + +That night we had to face our first real experience at going hungry. +It had been understood that we were not to go inland that day and +that rations would be sent us from the ships so no orders to take any +with us had been issued. A few of the men had the foresight to stuff +whatever food they could into their haversacks but the majority had +nothing and went supperless to bed. The regulars bivouacked near us +were in the same fix and there was much grumbling. However, officers +and men were in the same box and there was nothing to do but make the +best of it. + +At dawn the next morning we rolled up our outfits and started off +again. Our method of packing up was expeditious. Each man carried one +half of a shelter tent, better known to us as a "dog" tent and later +"pup" tents because of their small size, they being just about large +enough for two men to crawl into. The half shelter was laid on the +ground and upon it was spread first the rubber blanket and then the +woolen one. Our canvas blouses and whatever personal property we had +were then placed on top, together with the tent sticks and pegs and +the whole neatly rolled. The ends were secured with the tent rope and +the roll thus formed was carried over the left shoulder, the ends +hanging down on the right side of the body. Thus equipped, with our +full canteens and empty haversacks, we took to the road again after our +first night on Cuban soil. Details of men from each company were sent +back to the ships after rations and we started for Siboney. An early +morning march on an empty stomach is not conducive to an appreciation +of scenery be it ever so grand, but some of us enjoyed it. All about +us were hills and mountains, their peaks clear cut against the blue +sky, while from the tops of two or three rose thin smoke columns which +we supposed were from signal fires. Our trail led us through valleys +and over hills until finally about 11 o'clock we struck upon something +that looked like a road and on which we were enabled to march for a +short time in columns of fours. Anyone who had ever seen the Second on +a parade in Springfield or Worcester or at camp and seen us straggling +along the Cuban trail in single file would have laughed outright at the +contrast, as we were forced to ourselves. Later on we looked even worse. + +That day the "stripping" process, familiar to all armies in a campaign, +was begun. Two companies of the second battalion, E and M had "toted" +their knapsacks with them from their transports and about the second +day out they were sorry for so doing. Hardly had we been an hour on +the march that morning before the knapsacks began to disappear and the +troops which followed us soon knew that the Second Massachusetts had +passed by, meeting scores of Cubans with E and M company knapsacks +on their backs and sweltering but happy in the closely buttoned cape +overcoats discarded with the knapsacks. Fortunately our knapsacks and +all our heavy baggage had been left on board ship but it was not long +before we found our rolls becoming heavy and burdensome. Pretty soon a +man would quietly drop out of the line, off would come his roll which +was quickly opened, and some article he fancied he could do without, +thrown into the bush. Then the roll would be fastened together, thrown +over the owner's shoulder and he would hasten to rejoin his company. A +few moments afterward a ragged Cubano might be seen poking around about +the bushes and next the discarded articles would be in his possession. + +And it may as well be told here that it was not only the Second +Massachusetts that strewed more or less valuable or necessary articles +along the trails. The regulars were with us in that, and although, as a +rule, they had brought less baggage ashore with them than we did, they +soon found it convenient to get rid of much of it. They even discarded +their blankets, some cutting them in half and retaining only one part, +while we stuck to the blankets and sacrificed other things. We never +were sorry either that we kept our blankets, for if the days were +intensely warm, the nights were cool and coverings came in handy. + +That afternoon, soon after we had struck the short piece of good road +referred to above, we left it and following a narrow trail debouched +into some woods and after passing through them, found ourselves in a +cocoanut grove. There were hundreds of the trees all laden with the +fruit, and a halt was ordered, arms stacked and we were allowed to +rest. About this time we were decidedly hungry, our breakfast having +consisted of nothing and our dinner menu being the same. The cocoanuts +looked inviting but they were far away at the tops of the branchless +trees. But hunger is a spur and it was not long before some daring ones +were "shinning up" the trees and down came the fruit. Alas! It was a +disappointment to hopes of a satisfactory meal. After the hard, green +outer husks had been chopped away it was found that the cocoanuts were +green, and a copious flow of soldier language greeted this discovery. +But it was not long before it was discovered that the milk of the green +cocoanut makes a very palatable drink, and in a few moments we all +became milkmen. + +The march resumed we struck into another piece of woods, forded a brook +or two, (we had by this time gotten over minding our feet being wet,) +and found ourselves once more on a narrow and rough trail. On our way +through the woods we saw, stretched along a rough fence, the body of +a huge snake of the constrictor variety, not long killed and looking +decidedly fierce. The reptile was about eight feet long and as thick as +a man's arm. A little further along we saw something which indicated +that we were in a rough country. This was a human skull nailed on top +of a post and grinning at us with empty eye sockets and toothless jaws, +as we passed. + +A little further along and we struck another narrow stream which, of +course, had to be forded, and up a hill, just beyond that we came to a +railroad station and the track. Here were some of our advance guard, +men of the Eighth regulars who informed us that Siboney was "just +'round the corner," as one of them put it, and sure enough after a few +moments more of the "Weary Willie" act, we came to a collection of +"shacks," and realized that we were in Siboney. Now that word "Siboney" +means much to us because it reminds us that there we ate, a fact +sufficiently momentous on that day to linger long in our memories. + +Now as to the methods of our eating. It was only a short time before +our arrival that the Spaniards had evacuated Siboney after firing a +few shots at our advance guard and the natives, who had "jumped the +town" when the Spaniards told them there was going to be a big battle +in which they were going to annihilate the "pigs of Yanquis," were +just beginning to come back. We were ordered to camp on a low piece +of ground on one side of the railroad embankment and after putting up +our "pup" tents a few hungry ones went into the town to see what could +be seen and incidentally to acquire what there was to acquire in the +commissary line. They were successful in the latter. The natives were +glad to see them and freely gave of what little they had. This wasn't +much but there was some rice and some queer looking but good tasting +messes of which our men were freely invited to partake. In one house in +particular there were two aged women who busied themselves for hours +cooking rice and other dishes for our men and who at first would not +accept anything in payment. Finally it was forced upon them and before +evening there was more silver money in that poor "shack" than had +probably been the case for many a day. All through the village it was +the same and the hospitality we received at Siboney did much to change +for a time the unfavorable opinion we had formed of the Cubans. + +Not only was there food but drink. There was cool water in all the +houses and there was also "bino," a sour Cuban wine like claret and +some fiery "rou" or rum which brought tears to the eyes of more than +one man who thought he was spirit proof. All that afternoon we mingled +freely with the people, looked all through the town, examined with +interest the Spanish block houses and some of us went in surf bathing +on the pretty little beach in front of the town. + +Late that afternoon the third battalion came up and about the same time +the details which had been sent back for rations, made their appearance +with about enough provisions to whet our appetite, they having found +the task of lugging supplies for a company, nearly ten miles, beyond +their strength. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +IN WHICH IS TO BE FOUND THE TALE OF "CRAB HOLLOW" AND SOME OTHER THINGS. + + +When we retired to our luxurious couches that night of June 23d, most +of us, excepting the guards, anticipated sleep, but we little recked +what that night had in store for us. As told before, our camp was +pitched on a low piece of ground and among a lot of sparse bushes. +We did not know until the next day that the camping ground was an +old burial place, and we were also not well enough up in the natural +history of things Cuban to understand that if there is any one place +the dainty land crab prefers for its habitat it is a cemetery and this +preference rests upon a purely gastronomic basis. The land crab and the +vulture are the great scavengers of Cuba and while the latter disposes +of anything eatable left above ground the land crab looks after bodies +or anything else placed under ground. In the afternoon we had noticed +the holes of the land crabs but paid little attention to them, and only +saw a few of the crustaceans, but at night we made their acquaintance +at close quarters. We were pretty well fagged out with the heat and +the marching, and this, with the strange sensation of having something +to eat in our stomachs, tended to drowsiness. But hardly had we got +settled in our tents before there were strange rustlings and noises +and then the sensation of something crawling. There were some quick +arisings and the sound of matches hastily struck and then exclamations +and profanity. In some of the companies there was hardly a tent that +had not been pitched over one or more land crab holes and the occupants +of these had begun an investigation. Crawling over the sleepers +usually resulted in awakening them and then came the exclamations, +the illumination by the matches and the pursuit and slaughter of the +visitors. The land crab is not an aggressive animal towards man and +the greeting tendered him usually resulted in his scuttling for his +hole. Not always did he reach there, for many fell victims to ramrods, +clubs and other weapons. One able bodied crab was caught in the act of +backing into his hole with a stocking in his claws, and yielded up his +life for his rapacity. It may have been that he intended to eat the +stocking, and had he done so his fate would have been the same anyway. +The crabs had a pleasant trick that night of crawling half way up the +outside of the tents and then losing their hold and dropping to the +ground. That was bad enough as a deterrent to sleep, but it was not +all. In the afternoon some I company men had repaired a locomotive +disabled by the Spaniards, and kept running it up and down the tracks, +to an accompaniment of bell and whistle, until a late hour. + +Bright and early the next morning we were up and as on the day before +looking for grub. Rations were still "shy" and once more we had +recourse to our friends the Siboneyians who gave us what they could, +which was not much, as their own supplies were running low. + +Meanwhile the remainder of the transports had come to Siboney and were +landing the rest of the expedition. They had a little different method +of doing it than at Daiquiri. The boats would be filled with men and +towed in as near shore as possible when the men would have to jump out +and wade ashore. Some of them didn't like getting their feet wet but +they had to just the same. + +It was some little time before noon when we heard firing from over the +hills and learned that the cavalry brigade had gone on a reconnoisance +in force in that direction. It was only a short time afterwards when +we saw the first wounded begin to come down the trail and learned +that they had found the enemy in force at Las Guasimas and had quite +a go with him. The First and Tenth United States cavalry, our old +neighbors at Lakeland, and the Rough Riders were engaged and from all +accounts were having a warm time. Col. Clark of the Second was acting +as commander of our brigade and receiving orders from Gen. Lawton +to reinforce the cavalry, left for the scene with the Eighth and +Twenty-second Infantry. They arrived there just as the Spaniards were +running and finding nothing for them to do returned to Siboney. + +One of the largest buildings in the town had been converted into +a temporary hospital and it was soon filled with the wounded. Our +regimental surgeons, Drs. Bowen, Gates and Hitchcock were pressed +into service and rendered valuable aid. That hospital was our first +introduction to some of the grim realities of war but the boys stood it +well and were anxious to get to the front as quickly as possible. One +of the warships with the transports added to the excitement by shelling +the woods on top of a point near us and we began to conclude it would +be our turn next. + +But it was not long before our thoughts were turned from the vision of +great deeds in battle to a more prosaic but necessary matter. A lot of +rations had been landed and soon we were revelling in such delicacies +as hardtack, "sowbelly" bacon, coffee, canned beef (?) and canned +tomatoes. Orders were issued for each man to take four days' rations +but our haversack capacity was not equal to this and we packed all we +could into our rolls. Even then we could not take all the issue and +what was left we gave to our friends, the people of Siboney, who gladly +accepted what we didn't want. The issue was hardly begun before Col. +Clark gave us orders to move and off we started about 4.30 in the +afternoon. We had not gone far in the direction of Las Guasimas before +we came to the conclusion that the commissary department of the army +had at least one genius who deserved a medal and some other things. +About half the issue of tomatoes was in gallon cans and it was planned +to have one man carry them a short distance and then let another sharer +of the can relieve him. But our route lay up hill and we hit up a +lively pace so that it was not long before there was a "kick" about +the tomatoes. The ending of the kick in every case was a noise which +indicated that the can had landed in the bushes and when tired out, we +reached our bivouac place that night there were but few gallon cans of +tomatoes left with the outfit. + +Meanwhile we kept steadily climbing up into the hills, finding rough +footing and stumbling over rocks and everything else in the darkness +until about 9 o'clock we reached the scene of the battle and found the +First and Tenth cavalry burying their dead. We passed on in silence but +we did quite a bit of thinking. A short distance further up we halted +on a level bit of ground by the side of the Rough Riders and after +making our simple preparations for our night's bivouac heard their tale +of the fight. Our cooking fires were soon going and we not only heard +Roosevelt's men tell their experiences and gave them our sympathy, +but what they wanted more at that particular time, we gave them food, +sharing our rations with them. One New York paper, in its story of +the Las Guasimas fight spoke of the Second Massachusetts as having +"supported the Rough Riders," but so far as we knew our only support to +them was that night when we certainly did support them with our rations. + +When we landed in Cuba a detail of men from each company was left on +the boats to look after property and as we learned afterwards they +heard all sorts of stories about what happened to us that day. But +all the stories agreed that the Second had been having a bad time of +it and that our loss was heavy. One New York newspaper man had been +given a circumstantial account of our regiment having been surrounded +by the Spaniards and of our cutting our way out with a heavy loss in +officers and men and was so impressed by it that he wrote a very pretty +story which he was on the point of having cabled to his paper when a +brother correspondent happened along and convinced him that as we were +at Siboney until the action was all over we could hardly have been so +badly cut up. So the story was not cabled but it was a narrow escape. + +When we left Siboney that afternoon G company was left behind to assist +in unloading supplies for our brigade, one company from each regiment +being detailed for that purpose. They left Siboney early the next +morning and reached us just as we were preparing to resume the march +again. + +Our next camping place was on a plateau near where had once been a +sizeable plantation and which was only a short distance from Las +Guasimas. Here we remained two days taking life easy before we again +took up the march. On the 27th we reached Sevilla and there remained +until late in the afternoon of June 30th. During our stay in +Sevilla occurred another food shortage and also the great tobacco +famine. Rations were hard to get and so were medicines. There was so +much feeling over the delinquency in getting our supplies up to us that +a meeting of the company commanders was held and a committee appointed +to wait upon Col. Clark to see if something could not be done. The +outcome of all the talk was the loan of some of the horses of the field +and staff to a detail which, in charge of Lieut. Vesper of B, went back +to the ships and obtained a small supply of provisions and tobacco. +The cause of the failure to keep the troops supplied lay with the +quartermaster's department which had apparently broken down utterly, +for though there were tons upon tons of supplies already landed +at Siboney there was not enough of pack trains or other means of +transportation to get them up to us. We all fared alike at this time, +officers and men, regulars and volunteers, and our brigade, the leading +one in the army, had been hustled along so fast that it was difficult +under any circumstances to get supplies to us owing to the distance and +the condition of the roads. + +On the 28th the new commander of the brigade, Gen. Ludlow, reported and +relieved Col. Clark who resumed command of the Second. Lieut. Harry +Parkhurst of K who had been acting as aide-de-camp on the brigade staff +was also relieved and rejoined his company. + +The tobacco famine was relieved somewhat by some of the weed brought +from the ships by the various "relief expeditions" and also by the +arrival of the details which had been left on the boats and the +majority of the members of which had gained permission to rejoin us +as soon as they heard the stories about our having been in action and +losing heavily. The horse detail also came up and brought to Adjutant +Hawkins the news that his horse had been drowned while being got +ashore. As the chaplain's horse and one owned by Hospital Steward +Fortier had been stolen while in Tampa by "Billy the Hostler" there was +a shyness of horses around headquarters. + +While in Tampa Private T. C. Boone of K had been transferred to the +signal corps with the rank of sergeant and afterwards became a member +of the war balloon squad. On the afternoon of the 20th we saw the +famous balloon for the first time and watched it with interest as it +rose above the trees near our camp. We understood that Boone was one +of the men in the car and for that reason the balloon had more than +usual interest for us of the Springfield companies. The next afternoon +another ascension was made and again we watched the "big gas bag" and +speculated in a pessimistic vein upon its successful use. Our doubts +as to its usefulness turned out to be correct. + +On the 28th the good news was announced that we could send mail home +that afternoon and there was great scrambling for pens, pencils, paper +and envelopes. It was our first opportunity since we had landed to send +letters and that it was taken advantage of the big mail bags that left +headquarters late that afternoon for division headquarters attested. + +Probably the condition in which about all our letters reached the folks +at home was fully explained soon after our return, but it will bear +retelling. When we landed most of us had paper, envelopes and stamps. +But these were carried either in the haversacks or rolls and with the +heat the envelope flaps became stuck together, likewise the stamps and +paper became dirty. All were about in the same condition, so in order +to get a letter into an envelope it was necessary to slit the latter +at one end, insert the letter and then sew up the envelope. As most +of the sewing was done with black thread and the envelopes were not +especially clean the effect upon the good folks at home must have been +rather startling, especially when the letters came without stamps, as +they usually did. In place of stamps the government allowed the use of +the words, "Soldier's Letter" in one corner of the envelope and when +indorsed by an officer was allowed to go through. + +From our camp we could see a portion of the fortifications of Santiago +and especially two large buildings which we were informed were barracks +that had been transformed into hospitals and over which we could with +field glasses see a number of Red Cross flags floating. We heard many +weird tales as to what the Spaniards had done and would do and the +stories, mainly of Cubans, as to how many troops were in the city, +varied all the way from 10,000 to 40,000. On the 29th the much talked +of "army" of Gen. Calixto Garcia arrived and it was a motley looking +outfit, mostly black in color and of great variety, principally of +lack of quantity, as to uniforms but fairly well supplied with arms +and ammunition. The knowledge of English of the component parts of +Garcia's forces was about equal to out knowledge of Spanish, but +considerable interchange of ideas was effected, principally by signs. +One or two of the warriors would stroll into camp and after standing +around a bit with the inevitable Cuban grin would exclaim, "_Santiago, +boum, boum?_" at the same time pointing to the city. We could do no +less than to assure them there would be plenty of "_boum, boum_" and +that when it happened Santiago would be "on the bum." The ice thus +broken, the Cuban's machete was examined and the wearer induced to +give an exhibition of its use both as a weapon and a handy tool for +many purposes. Generally before they left camp they would "borrow" +some "tobac" and if they could obtain some hardtack or bacon they went +away happy. Sometimes they brought us some mangoes or "monkey plums" +and then would follow some great bartering. The surgeons in an excess +of zeal had warned us against the mango but we pinned our faith to the +Cubans' declaration that if one didn't eat mangoes and drink liquor on +the same day no evil effects would result from the free and unlimited +use of the fruit. The mango tastes nice but it is an acquired art to +know how to eat it without getting three-quarters of it over one's +face and clothing. Still it came in handy when our rations were short, +which was about always and we were not over fastidious as to how we ate +anything in those days. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +WHICH TELLS HOW WE GOT READY TO TAKE THE TOWN OF EL CANEY. + + +It was shortly after noon on June 30th that the "JoJo" department began +to circulate the news that we were to move on to Santiago that day or +the next and for the first and only time during the campaign the "JoJo" +happened to be right. Orders had arrived for a forward movement and +although we had no idea of where we were to go or what we were to do +there was a feeling of satisfaction that we were to go somewhere and do +something. + +Of even more importance than the orders at this particular time was the +arrival of a well laden pack train with rations. When the mules were +first discerned coming "up the pike" it was supposed they were carrying +ammunition as the last two or three pack trains had brought little +excepting cartridges. But this time we were agreeably disappointed. +There was a plentiful supply of "sowbelly," hardtack and coffee and +it was not long before it was being distributed. The tobacco famine +had temporarily been relieved and now we actually had food. So we were +pretty well satisfied with life after all. + +How it rained that day! It came on in the forenoon and in less than +ten minutes everybody and everything was saturated. It was a straight +downpour of water and rubber blankets were of little use in keeping us +or our belongings dry so we simply got wet and stayed in that condition +until the sun came out and did his best to dry things up quickly. + +Early that afternoon we saw the war balloon again and watched it with +much interest, everybody "rubbernecking" at the unwonted sight. In the +car, although we did not know it at the time, was poor "Tom" Boone of +"K" and those of us who knew him little recked what the next day would +bring to him. For that matter there was considerable uncertainty as to +what the future meant for any of us. We heard late in the day that we +were sure to get into action on the next day but somehow the knowledge +did not appear to worry but a few of the boys. The happenings of the +campaign thus far had done much to produce a feeling of contempt for +the fighting abilities of the Spaniards and some of us figured that all +we would have to do was to make a demonstration in force and the enemy +would then either retreat or surrender. How mistaken we were the next +day was to tell us. + +It was late in the afternoon when the advance on El Caney by Lawton's +division was begun and it was not until almost 6 o'clock that our +brigade, which being one of the nearest to the city, was among the last +to get away, made its start. Most of us will never forget that night +march. The rain of the morning had resulted as usual in making whatever +roads and trails there were into very fine specimens of mud puddles and +unfortunately for us the greater part of our way led up hill. When the +rations were issued in the afternoon the company commissaries had not +time to complete their distribution and thinking that the march was +to be a short and easy one those of G and B concluded that it would +be better to have some of the provisions carried in bulk rather than +to take time to divide and issue them. So a number of men from each +company were detailed to carry a couple of slabs of "sowbelly" and +others the remaining boxes of hardtack. This worked very nicely for a +time until it became dark and the hill climbing act began. Then there +was trouble. The trail up the hill was about as slippery as any we +ever marched along in Cuba and it was moreover filled with rocks and +boulders over which climbing was not the easiest matter in the world. +Before they had gone very far the ration detail began to think that +something was wrong and these thoughts developed into a certainty as +we still kept climbing along up a pretty steep ascent and the boxes of +hardtack and the sides of bacon (?) began to grow heavier and heavier +and more difficult to handle. For convenience in packing them along +with us both Sergeants Scully and Bearse had nailed long handles onto +the hardtack boxes and had made a somewhat similar arrangement to carry +the bacon but the carriers had not gone far before the handles worked +off and after awhile it got to be a question of dropping the rations +or killing the men trying to carry them. It was pitch dark, the trail +was difficult and besides all the men had a pretty fair supply of +"grub" in their haversacks, so a silent and informal vote was taken +and the bulk of the extra rations were quietly left by the side of the +trail. Meanwhile the rest of us were not having so much of a picnic +even though we were not encumbered with extra baggage. The mud made +marching difficult even along the road which led from the camp. Soon we +left this and came to the San Juan creek, passing a company of soldiers +who were actually bathing. Our surprise at this unwonted scene was not +allowed to last long, for the trail lay on the other side of the creek +and we were obliged to ford it. This was not by any means as easy as +it looked. The banks were high and slippery with mud and the water was +over our legging tops but in we plunged and scrambled across to the +other side and into a thick piece of woods, shaking the water from +ourselves dog fashion as we again took up the march. Hardly had we got +across before low spoken orders came down the line for every man to +keep silent and to march as quietly as possible. This made us realize +that something was on and the orders were pretty well obeyed although +all the orders in the world could not keep some of the men from saying +things concerning the trail and night marches in general. + +In ragged fashion we stumbled along through the woods, the only +military regulation we followed out being that of keeping well "closed +up." We simply had to do this because it was so dark and the trail so +narrow and rough that unless one kept very "close tabs" on his file +leader it was a question of getting lost and going it alone and this +none of us desired to do. + +We had not gone far before we came to another creek or it may have +been another turn of the first one, we did not know or care which, but +into it we plunged and again got our feet wet and muddy. Hardly had we +gained the other side before we came across a forlorn looking figure +in a bit of a clearing by the side of the trail and a voice with an +unmistakeable western twang inquired if we were the Rough Riders. The +owner of the voice was informed that we were the Second Massachusetts +and he then remarked, "Well, you're a pretty good outfit and I guess +I'll go along with you." He then announced himself as the chaplain of +the Rough Riders and said he had left camp a little behind his regiment +and had not only been unable to catch up with it but could obtain no +trace of its whereabouts. We told him his regiment had probably gone +over towards San Juan hill, it being in another division than ours and +he then allowed that he would not bother looking further that night but +would accompany us. We made no objection and he trudged along with us +for the rest of the way. + +Soon after meeting the chaplain we forded creek number three but by +this time we were used to getting our feet wet and did not mind it +much. After fording this stream, a narrow but rather deep one, we +began to get up in the world and soon discovered that we were on the up +grade. For nearly two hours more we stumbled along, sometimes passing +through thick woods and again along open country. The moon came out +faintly after a bit, but her light did little towards revealing to +us the difficulties of the route we were following. We had a couple +of brief halts but it was not until a little after 10 o'clock that a +whispered command to halt was given and we were informed that we were +to go into bivouac by the road side. + +Following this order came a renewal of the previous ones against +making any noise and we were also given strict orders not to make a +fire or even strike a match. These precautions we assumed were to +keep our presence unknown to the enemy and although most of us wanted +the comfort of a pipe or cigarette after our fatiguing march yet we +refrained. There was of course much speculation over the why and +wherefore of the night march and the orders against noise or fire but +the generally accepted assumption was that we had stolen a march upon +the Spaniards, had penetrated their lines, and in the morning would +march into Santiago before the astonished enemy had partaken of his +morning coffee. This surmise was given color by the fact that from +where we were we could look down into the city, its locality being +indicated by the lights from the governor general's palace and other +official buildings. We were on a plateau that overlooked the city, +and so far as we could judge, our presence was absolutely undetected. +Santiago appeared to be sleeping peacefully and looked for all the +world like some small New England city which is locked up every night +at 8.30 or 9 and whose residents then go to bed and stay there until +morning. + +[Illustration: LEHIGH DETAIL FROM COMPANY H] + +For thinking such thoughts we were indeed what are known in the +vernacular as "good things," for as it transpired afterwards the +Spaniards knew all about where we were and where we were going. Had it +not been for their traditional policy of "manana" they might have +sallied out and done several things to us, but they preferred to wait +until the next day, which was a lucky thing for us. + +Sleep comes quickly to a soldier in bivouac and soon after our halt +every one of us, with the exception of the guards, was asleep. No +attempt was made to put up the shelter tents, but we contented +ourselves with unrolling them, spreading them upon the grass and +wrapping ourselves up in our blankets. A few of us lunched upon +hardtack and raw bacon washed down with muddy water from the canteens +but the majority of the boys were too tired to think even of eating. + +That night the premonition came to some of our boys that the morrow +would be their last day on earth and although we tried to laugh it out +of them they stuck to it that their fate was settled. One of these boys +was Frank Moody of K and so strongly was he impressed with the feeling +of coming disaster to himself that he made one of his comrades take his +watch and promise to deliver his farewell message to the loved ones at +home. + +Tired soldiers sleep soundly and it seemed as if we had only slumbered +a few moments when we were awakened, not by the usual bugle call, but +by low whispers from the officers and non-commissioned officers. It was +hardly dawn and a thin mist concealed from view the city below us and +the hills that surrounded us. Little by little the mist disappeared +before the advance of the sun and when dawn came the scene was so +impressive in its grandeur that even the most careless amongst us +felt it. Just below us was Santiago still wrapped in the morning mist +and apparently still unaroused from its slumbers. All about us were +frowning hills and mountains and in the distance we could see the +harbor outside of which sat the grim war ships of the United States +waiting for their prey to come out and be eaten up. Not a sign from the +enemy and we wondered. + +But we wondered even more when we turned our eyes a little to the right +and there saw Capron's light battery, still unlimbered and apparently +in plain view of the sentries of the enemy and our wonder increased as +we saw the smoke from the cooking fires of the batterymen and watched +them preparing their morning meal. For, be it understood, our brigade +commander had sent word along that the orders of the night before as to +noise and fires were still in force and we had breakfasted on hardtack +and water. And there were the artillerymen with their fires lighted and +frying their bacon and making their coffee as if there were no such +orders and not a Spaniard within fifty miles. We could not understand +it and for that matter we do not to this day. Maybe somebody does but +if so we never heard of it. + +It was bad enough to almost smell the hot coffee, for the morning air +was cool and raw, and to see the batterymen drinking it with relish, +but it was far worse to see them nonchalantly light their pipes and +cigarettes and enjoy them. Since the night before we had been deprived +of the solace of tobacco and anyone who has ever soldiered knows what +that means. But when we saw the red striped gunners enjoying the weed +we made up our minds to follow suit. In a very short time our pipes +were going and the officers sympathetically not only forebore to stop +us but soon began to puff their pipes. Even a cold breakfast can be +enjoyed with a tobacco dessert and that early morning smoke on the +threshold of the battlefield was a much appreciated one. + +Meanwhile we had been getting ready and as packing up did not take us +long it was but a short time after we were aroused from our slumbers +before we had fallen in and were ready for what the day might bring +forth. While waiting for orders to march we heard the noise of hoofs +coming up the trail and Gen. Lawton and his staff clattered by us on +their way to the front. A couple of Cuban officers were with them and +they were evidently pleased with the work cut out for the Americans +that day. Only a few moments after the general had passed came the +orders to march and we were soon "hitting the trail" again, this time +on the down grade. + +It was then about 4.30 in the morning. We moved along slowly, the trail +being so narrow it was necessary to go in column of files and it was +fully as bad walking as the route we had gone over the previous night. +After a little we came to a brook and took advantage of the opportunity +to fill our canteens. Just on the other side of the brook we passed +Capron's battery posted on a low hill, the muzzles of the three inch +rifles pointed toward El Caney and the cannoneers at their posts +waiting for the ball to open. By that time we all realized that this +was the day we were to go into business. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +WHEREIN IS RELATED SOME EVENTS WHICH HAPPENED TO US ON JULY FIRST. + + +Hardly had we passed the battery before we heard the boom of one of +its guns, followed by another and another and we knew then the trouble +had begun. We kept on the trail for a while longer, the men keeping +well closed up now and keeping eyes and ears alert. El Caney was now +replying to Capron and we could hear for the first time the squeal of +the Mauser bullets as they began to go over us with a sound like that +of a vicious cat at bay. We were under fire but hardly realized it as +yet. + +It was a splendid morning. Our trail led along the side of what had +once been well cultivated fields, the only indication of that now +being the inevitable barbed wire fencing. The skies were cloudless and +birds sang as we went along to battle. There were other birds too but +they did not sing. Hardly had the first of Capron's cannon sent its +"good morning" salute to El Caney before a speck was visible in the +sky. Larger and larger it grew until we saw it was a buzzard scenting +the battle and before long it was joined by hundreds of its kind, all +circling about in the air only a short distance from the earth and +waiting for the rich feast about to be spread for them. But we recked +not of buzzards or what their presence presaged. + +A short distance further along the trail, a quick order and we changed +direction to the right, leaving the trail and going across the field +directly toward El Caney. Barbed wire fencing was in our way but +the two wire cutters attached to each company soon made a gate for +us. Our battalion swung through and into the field while the second +battalion kept to the trail and took the field further along. The third +battalion and I of the second, as we afterwards found, were halted by +Capron's battery and were not given front seats to the performance. +The field soon changed to scrub and bush through which way was made +as best we could without much regard to alignment. Then came a bit of +forest and then we debouched out upon the Santiago road, one of the +few thoroughfares in Cuba that looked like a road. A halt and then we +stripped for action. Rolls and haversacks were taken off and piled by +the road side. The belts and the pockets of the brown canvas coats were +filled with cartridges and we were ready for trouble. + +Meanwhile it was evident that there was trouble ahead of the Second. +From El Caney's forts and trenches came a hail of bullets, while on our +right and left there were the Krags of our regulars popping away with +machine like regularity, their whip like sentences being punctuated at +intervals by the 3-inch rifles of Capron's men. Over our heads went +the Mausers in a steady stream and there wasn't a man of the Second +marching up that road that morning who failed to bow his head, (most +of us called it "ducking") in response to their salutation. The 8th +and 22d of our brigade had gone on ahead of us, had deployed to the +left and we could hear their Krags answering the Mausers. It was our +first experience under fire and it is no wonder that nearly all of us +wished ourselves, for just a few moments, somewhere else and remembered +certain pressing engagements we had at Springfield that Friday morning. +But this feeling was like going into a cold bath. The first plunge +is the worst and within half an hour after getting into the action +these same men that were "ducking" their heads to the bullets were up +on the firing line and acting like veterans instead of men who up to +that morning had never faced an armed foe. Our education had progressed +rapidly. + +And here a word as to El Caney where Gen. Vara Del Ray and 620 Spanish +troops held Lawton's division at bay from 6.30 in the morning until +4.30 in the afternoon. In the general plan for the day's work of July +1st Lawton's division was to sweep over to Caney, devote an hour or +so to capturing it and then swing over to the San Juan forts and aid +Kent's division to take them. Trustworthy (?) Cuban advices were that +there were only a couple of hundred Spanish troops in El Caney and the +taking of that outpost of Santiago was to be but an incident of our +march to San Juan. But Gen. Del Ray had not been consulted as to this +program and the result was our time schedule went to pieces. An entire +division against 620 men looks like heavy odds in favor of the division +but it must be remembered that the enemy were strongly entrenched with +all the advantage of position and knew the ground thoroughly, while we +were in the open with little or no shelter and with only a four-gun +light battery against stone forts, strong blockhouses and well made +intrenchments, so that our advantage in numbers was more than made up +by the superior position of the enemy. + +El Caney lay almost directly in front of us, a small town backed up +against a steep hill as if at bay and with forts, intrenchments and +houses bristling with rifles. To our right on a small elevation was the +famous stone fort over which floated the red and yellow flag of Spain. +A little to the left was the village church, of stone and converted +into a fortress while on either sides of both fort and church were the +familiar Spanish blockhouses. And in front of all were the trenches, +well built and covering all the front and sides of the town, a covered +way connecting some of them with the fort and with their fronts +guarded by fences and entanglements of barbed wire, a protection found +of value against the Cubans, but which proved to be of less efficiency +against the valor of American soldiers. This was what El Caney +presented to us on that bright July morning. + +Our brigade's work had been mapped out and appeared to be comparatively +easy. It was to take position on the left of the American line and cut +off the retreat of the enemy towards Santiago when he was driven from +Caney which, as already scheduled, was to be within an hour or so after +the initial shot. But the program for Ludlow's brigade was changed by +force of circumstances, for hardly had the 8th and 22d of our brigade +got into position before they were attacked and replied in kind and +within a few moments the hottest part of the action was taking place +on the left instead of being confined to the right and center, as +originally planned. + +And while this was happening we were down the "pike" getting ready to +add our contribution to the din of battle. We were not long in getting +ready and leaving one man from each company to guard the rolls left by +the roadside the seven companies of the Second marched to the firing +line. The first battalion, G, B, K and D companies, was by this time +some distance ahead of the second, while the third was still held up by +the battery. Col. Clark, Lieut. Col. Shumway and Adjutant Hawkins were +standing beneath a huge tree at the intersection of the "sunken" road +with the Santiago road and hardly had the companies come up before an +order came from Gen. Ludlow to send four companies to strengthen the +line of the 22d on our left. B and K companies of the first battalion +and L and E of the second battalion, which had by this time come up, +were detailed and B and K, under command of Major Southmayd started +for the 22d. L and E followed but through some misunderstanding got +into a "hot box" and after a time returned to the sunken road and took +position there. + +B and K marched down the sunken road and then across an open space, +across which the bullets were flying in a steady stream. It was +necessary to "duck" here and it was done without any loss of dignity. +This space cleared, the companies came to a bit of bush and then into +a gully facing El Caney on the left. Here was the 22d, lying down and +answering the fire of the Spaniards in good style. + +Hardly had B and K reached the gully and taken position when the hail +of bullets began to fall among them and men began to drop. Private +Frank E. Moody of K was one of the first hit and died almost instantly, +the bullet having pierced his heart. On the march of the night before +he had felt a presentiment of his fate and so strong was this feeling +of his fate that he gave his watch to Private Fuller to take home to +his parents. Before long Private John J. Malone of B got a fatal wound +just below the heart and then men began to fall thick and fast. As +soon as the two companies had taken their positions they were ordered +to fire, but the enemy's return for the first few volleys was payment +with compound interest. The smoke from the Springfield rifles showed +the position of our men and lifting slowly, made just the target which +the enemy needed. At this time the line was about 900 yards from +the advanced Spanish trenches and it must have been just like rifle +practice for the enemy. Within a moment after the first volley from +the Springfields crashed out a hail of bullets was poured into the two +companies from the trenches and men fell like sheep. Capt. Warriner, +raising on one shoulder to give an order, sank back with a Mauser +through his body. Corporal Ward Lathrop got one through his head, +Corporal Hoadley got his "in the neck," the bullet going through the +right side, Wagoner Boule had one through his left hand, Private Ashley +of B was hit in the left forearm, Private James F. Ferrier was shot +through the right shoulder and also had a bullet traverse the right +side of his head, making an ugly wound, Howard Meyrick had a double +one, one bullet striking his right leg, while another went through his +left shoulder and the upper part of his left arm. Private C. J. Riordan +got a bullet through his left hand while Private A. E. Rose got the +thumb and one finger of his right hand nipped, Private W. B. Riopel was +hard hit, the bullet entering his left shoulder and entering the lungs. +Barkman of K got a Mauser through his left elbow and was also hit in +the left leg below the knee. + +[Illustration: + + Lieut. H. S. Crossman. J.G. + H. Co. + + Lieut. J. K. Dexter. H. Co. + + Lieut. W. O. Cohn. J.G. + H. Co. +] + +As quickly as possible the wounded were picked up by their comrades +and taken to the rear, a temporary dressing station being established +beneath a huge tree on the Santiago road. The first aid bandages came +in handily on the field and were used to advantage. Lieut. Powers took +command of K and Capt. McDonald, as cool as if battles were everyday +occurrences, kept a watchful eye on his men. + +The heavy fire which the powder smoke had drawn upon the two companies +was also being felt by the 22d and its choleric commander, Major Van +Horn, came rushing over with, "For God's sake, Second Massachusetts, +stop firing! You're making us a regular target for the enemy." This was +not all he said, either, but it was stronger language than politeness +required. The firing did stop, that is, the volley firing did, but the +company commanders gave their men orders to fire at will. Soon Major +Van Horn came over with another protest and the two companies moved +along a little further to the right but on the same line as the 22d and +leaving quite a little gap between them. As the 22d advanced so did B +and K, taking advantage of what cover there was and keeping up their +fire for some time. It was perhaps that protest of Major Van Horn that +gave the impression that the entire Second regiment was ordered off +the firing line, an impression that is a very much mistaken one. From +the time the two companies took position on the right of the 22d they +fired at intervals and at will until the Spaniards were driven from the +last trench and El Caney was taken. + +While these things were happening on our left G company was having +troubles of its own on the extreme right of the line. Sending B and K +to the 22d left Col. Clark with only G and D companies of the first +battalion with him, the three companies of the second battalion having +been placed in the sunken road, whose banks gave them some protection +from the incessant fire from El Caney. G and D were sent further along +up the Santiago road and G was halted directly in front of a cultivated +field which was directly in front of the trenches and the town and +was flanked by the stone fort. Halting here the second platoon of the +company under Lieut. Edward J. Leyden deployed as skirmishers and +advanced across the field, taking every possible advantage of cover, +of which there was little, and halting at intervals to kneel and +fire. The light brown uniforms advancing slowly across the field soon +attracted the notice of the enemy, even before the first volley from +the Springfields gave the Spaniards a target, and men began to drop. +Still the line advanced until it was within 500 yards of the fort and +then a halt was ordered and the men threw themselves flat on the ground +and began firing at will. Now the bullets from both fort and trenches +were hailing about them but they kept crawling along until within a +range of 400 yards. Then Lieut. Leyden looked around and saw that +his 14 men were isolated from the rest of the company and he at once +realized that it was suicidal to go further without reinforcements. +Arthur Packard, beloved of all his comrades, had fallen dead on the +field with a Spanish bullet through his head and George Richmond, +one of the "old timers" of the company, had fallen fatally wounded. +"Goldie" Bresnan had been ordered to the rear with the blood dripping +from a shattered hand and Ernest Marble, wounded in the head, lay on +the field. Others had in the meantime joined the little force, men from +other companies, but not enough to make a further advance successful. +Among the reinforcements was Lieut. D. J. Moynihan of I company, who +had left his position with the second battalion and walked across the +field to join Leyden's men. He essayed his luck as a sharpshooter, +borrowing a rifle from one of the men, and fired three shots before +he himself sank to the ground with a bullet through his body. Before +this happened, however, and when he first joined Lieut. Leyden, Lieut. +Moynihan advised that the advance should continue and suggested a +charge. But Lieut. Leyden pointed to the few men he had and asked what +the result would be. There was no answer to this. Less than 20 men +charging against a stone fort under a heavy fire from it and flanked +by the trenches would have been heroic, no doubt, but it would have +been deliberately throwing away men's lives and to no good result. So +Lieut. Leyden refused to order a charge but sent Lieut. Moynihan back +to Col. Clark for orders. These were for him to remain where he was +and there the platoon stayed until the town was taken, although some +of the men advanced even closer to the fort, taking advantage of some +small piles of stones, which had evidently been heaped up as shelter +for Spanish outposts. All the long afternoon the little squad lay under +the pitiless sun, firing whenever there was a chance until they heard +the cheers of the charging regulars and saw the red and yellow flag of +Spain go down from the fort and the Stars and Stripes replace it. Then +they sprang to their feet and cheered. But it was not all over then. +The fort had been taken but from trench and blockhouse and church and +every building in El Caney still came the hail of Mausers. The dead and +wounded of the Second were being attended to as best could be done, but +their comrades still fought on. Two guns of Capron's battery had been +moved up to a position in the rear of D company and the balance of G +and were knocking things about in the old town. Gen. Vara Del Ray was +wounded unto death and the American troops were drawing their lines +closer and closer around Caney, but still the Spaniards fought on with +the courage of desperation. At the fork of the roads was Col. Clark, +sending his staff officers, or rather officer, Lieut. Paul R. Hawkins, +hither and thither and giving messages to his orderlies. Lieut. +Hawkins, cool under fire, won a high place in the regard of the men who +saw him that day and the orderlies, including Private Ross of B, showed +coolness and courage. Two other Springfield men, Sergeant Scully and +Corporal Ross of G were pressed into service as orderlies for a time +and did their duty well. Two cool and collected men were Col. Clark +and Lieut. Col. Shumway and both exposed themselves, at times against +the wish of the brigade commander, along the line. Gen. Ludlow was for +some time at the fork of the roads with Col. Clark, his dead horse, +shot under him, almost at the outset of the action, lying near by, but +once he was gone he did not return and neither he nor anyone else in +authority gave the orders to withdraw the Second from the firing line, +as has been stated by some. If any such orders were issued which is +doubtful, they were never received by Col. Clark, and the companies of +the Second stayed throughout the day where he placed them. + +Meanwhile the big tree a bit down the road was the scene of some +grewsome work. Soon after the opening of the action Lieut. Hawkins had +been ordered by Col. Clark to bring up the surgeons and the ground +under the big tree was then transformed into a temporary hospital or +rather a dressing station. Here Surgeon Bowen and his assistants, +Lieuts. Gates and Hitchcock, aided by Hospital Stewards Fortier, +Greenberg and Howes and the members of the hospital corps, labored +until the enemy's sharpshooters, discerning the group under the tree, +made it an object of attention and the bullet-torn leaves began to +flutter down upon the wounded. Then the hospital was moved farther down +the road and the dead and dying and wounded conveyed there as tenderly +as possible under the circumstances. It was here the heroic Father +Edwin Fitzgerald, the beloved chaplain of the 22d, labored from morning +until far into the night, caring as tenderly as a mother for the +wounded of all the regiments, making their places as easy as possible +for them, bringing them water from the distant brook, giving the +consolations of religion to all, whether of his creed or not. More than +once he visited the firing line and aided in bringing some poor fellow +down to the hospital. Danger he cared not for and he went on with his +work apparently oblivious to his bullet-torn coat, two holes in which +bore eloquent witness to narrow escapes. On that day Father Fitzgerald +earned the lifelong affection of the officers and men of the Second. + +And so time wore on until between 4.30 and 5 in the afternoon, when +ringing cheers announced that the last trench had been won and El Caney +was ours. Then followed the reunion of the regiment. Lieut. Leyden +marched his gallant platoon back and the men fell into their old places +in G company. B and K came back from the left with the 22d and the +regiment gathered once more on the Santiago road, soldiers now, stained +with powder and battle smoke and grim with the thoughts of the day and +its events. Further down the road in the improvised hospital lay the +forms, cold in death, of five brave men and with them were 40 more or +less seriously wounded, three of them mortally. + +The Second had received its baptism of blood. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +WE LEARN SOME MORE THINGS ABOUT THE ART OF WAR AS CONDUCTED IN THESE +DAYS. + + +It was not exactly a joyous reunion as the companies assembled in the +Santiago road that afternoon. True, we were all glad to see one another +again, but the heat and burden of the day had been great and there were +many faces missing from the ranks. Nearly ten hours on the battlefield +under the burning Cuban sun and without much to comfort us in the way +of food or drink was not conducive to good temper and to this was added +the spur of the ingratitude of our so-called Cuban allies. It will be +remembered that just before the regiment went into action the rolls and +haversacks had been discarded and placed by the roadside and it fell +out that while the owners were up on the firing line fighting for _Cuba +Libre_, some of the Cuban patriots came along and, the guards placed +over the property being absent, helped themselves to the rations in +the haversacks. These were the Cubans, by the way, who were supposed +to be fighting over on our left that day, but it seems they had more +important business, to them, on hand to bother much about fighting. So +as we gathered there in the road in the stillness which followed the +battle storm and realized that we were to go supperless there were some +things said about our Cuban friends which indicated a not very high +feeling of esteem for them. + +Once gathered together again and the roll called came the after work +of the battle. Squads were sent over the field to bring in any dead or +wounded that might have been overlooked and to gather up any property +left there. The companies which had lost men prepared to march to the +hospital to bury the dead and those fortunate ones whose haversacks +had been untouched began to light their cooking fires. Hardly an hour +had elapsed since Caney was taken when up came an aide with orders for +Col. Clark and when he read them the assembly sounded and we heard with +disgust the orders that the regiment was to move at once to San Juan to +reinforce the first division. We had anticipated after our hard day's +work a bite to eat and a night's rest and here we were disappointed in +both. Faintly through that day at intervals we at Caney could hear the +sounds of battle in our rear and we heard late in the afternoon that +it was our troops attacking the San Juan forts but it was not until +after we had finished our job at El Caney that we heard what the first +division had done. + +But orders are orders and grumbling does not count against them. The +details sent to dig graves were recalled, the equipments were donned +again and in a short time we were once more "piking the pike." It was a +gloomy march that evening, for the men were not very much inclined to +conversation. On we went, now in columns of fours on a fairly decent +road for Cuba, again in column of files through the bush and finally +emerged onto another road. It was now dark, but we kept on until about +10 o'clock we came to a stone bridge over the San Juan river and the +order to halt was given as the head of our regiment reached the bridge. +Whether it was to be a mere halt or a bivouac no one seemed to know +and no one cared. Hardly had the order to halt been given before the +men had dropped by the roadside and, worn out by the toilsome march +of the night before and the day's work, followed by the march to the +bridge, were asleep, many of them without even taking off their heavy +rolls. It was not an ideal place for slumber, either. Troops were +continually passing by and every now and then a mule team would pass +with a clatter but the sleepers slumbered on. Until after midnight we +lay there, waiting for further orders. About one o'clock up came mule +wagons and a pack train and soon after the men were awakened and told +to "hurry up" and get rations. In a few moments the scene was changed. +Huge fires were lighted and by their light the rations were given out, +the delights of slumber proving to be less strong than the desire to +eat and every man awakening to the knowledge that we would soon be on +the move again. So it was. Hardly had we drawn rations and began to +cook them before a battery of artillery moved hurriedly by us to the +rear, many of us just having time to draw our legs out of the way of +the wheels. Next came the 8th and 22d of our brigade and by 2 o'clock +we too were on the march. Following the road over which we had come for +a short distance, we soon left it and changing direction to the right, +swung into a trail across country. Along this we marched for hours amid +the darkness, through woods and chaparral and fields, once cultivated. +We climbed hills and forded streams, all in the darkness, we brushed +the morning mist from the trees and grass as we passed, and when the +dawn came found ourselves still on the march, wet and tired and sleepy +and bedraggled. Daylight made no difference. On we pressed, climbing a +long hill, crowned with plantation buildings and from which we could +look down upon a scene of beauty, the green-clad hills and mountains, +their tops still wreathed in the morning mist and with no sign that +aught but peace and happiness lay in the valleys between them. No time, +however, this to enjoy scenery, no matter how picturesque. On we went, +now down the hill and into a thick piece of woods, where we halted +for a little time, then on again until we once more struck a road and +reached El Pozo, where there had been considerable trouble the day +before. Without waiting for us the quadrille had already opened. During +our halt in the woods we could hear the artillery and the rifles and +soon after we reached the El Pozo road and once more swinging to the +right started for San Juan we realized that it might be a case of +El Caney over again, for we encountered a steady stream of wounded +men going or being carried to the rear. Down the road screeched the +Mausers, but still high over our heads and in the distance we could +hear the boom of the guns of the Spanish forts as they answered our +light artillery. Still onward, with no band or field music to give us +the cadenced step, a minute's halt now and then until we were compelled +to leave the road to make way for a battery banging recklessly along +to take another position. Then across a stream and over an open +field in full view of the enemy's trenches on the right, passing the +battleground of the day before and, under fire by this time, we swung +once more to the right and took position on a hill on nearly the +extreme right of the American line. + +[Illustration: + + Private R. G. Kelly. + G. Co. + + Private Arthur Packard. + G. Co. + + Private Geo. A. Richmond. + G. Co. + + Private Andrew Little. + G. Co. + + Private Francis A. Burk. + G. Co. + + Corpl P. J. Noone. + G. Co. +] + +Rolls had been again stripped off and it was expected we would go into +action, but the Spaniards had been given pretty nearly all the fight +they wanted that day and there was little for the Second to do but to +take its position and stay there. For hours the men lay on the hill +crest under the blazing sun, without a chance at cooking a meal and +hard pressed for water until details were sent back to the stream with +canteens. Sharpshooters made this mission dangerous but no one refused +to go. + +It was not until early in the evening that the firing died down and it +was safe to stand erect and walk about. The rolls and haversacks had +been brought up and having been better guarded from prowling Cubans +this time the contents of the haversacks were intact. By the time +darkness came on the hillside on which we were camped for the day, +tents had by this time been put up, was illuminated by the cooking +fires and once more we enjoyed something that would pass for a meal. +This over, sleep was the next necessity and we were not long in seeking +our downy couches. + +But we did not slumber long. Just about 10 o'clock there was a +disturbance of the peace by the Spaniards, who apparently wished to +spoil the good time we were having. Three or four big guns boomed out +and then came the, by this time familiar sound of the Mausers. It +needed no bell boy to awake us. In a jiffy we were up and scrambling +for rifles and cartridge belts. Then came quickly spoken orders to +"fall in" from the company commanders and the voices of the hurrying +non-coms as they rounded up the men. All was black darkness and men +stumbled over the grass and roots or slipped on the steep hillside. It +was a scene of the utmost din and confusion, orders coming fast and +loud, the men, still sleep-blinded, hustling about in confusion, the +night's stillness broken by the crash of the Spanish rifles and the +noise of exploding shells over our heads while on our right we heard +the whip-like crack of the Krags answering the Mausers. "Hell's broken +loose," avowed a B man as he groped about for his cartridge belt and +indeed it seemed so. + +Our battalion had its "shacks" on the top of the hill just below the +crest while the other companies were scattered all along the hill but +further below, so that the men of the Springfield companies were not +long in falling in and making their way to the crest. But even then +they were not quick enough to satisfy Major Van Horn, the choleric +commander of the 22d, who appeared to have as bad a case of what was +known to the boys as the "rattles" as any man ever had. Brandishing his +sword, he ran about the hill, cursing the Second and ordering every man +to the front, although it would have seemed he had enough to do to look +after his own outfit. Col. Clark and his officers and the regiment were +already on the top of the hill and awaiting events, but for some time +Major Van Horn pranced and reared and vented his spleen upon the few +men who happened to be a bit slow about getting up until finally his +senses returned and he went where he belonged. + +All in all our officers and men acted with coolness, considering the +circumstances. It is not pleasant or conducive to coolness of thought +or action to be suddenly pulled out of bed after a day of great +exertion and hustle around in black darkness to the accompaniment +of rifle bullets and bombshells and especially when it is uncertain +whether the enemy is in one's front, flank or rear and go stumbling up +a steep hill so that it is small wonder if at the outset a few were +"rattled." But in a very short time the lines were formed on the top of +the hill and the Second waited. + +It was fortunate that none of our officers lost their heads and +ordered their men to fire for the results could not fail to have been +unfortunate all around. Just below us were three of our own regiments +and had the Second fired the bullets would have hit our own men. It was +a wonder that in the darkness and confusion nothing of the kind was +done but officers and men kept their heads well and after the first +confused rush up the hill all acted with commendable coolness. + +But if we did not use our rifles the enemy did theirs and before the +affair was over two men of the Second had been hit, one of them, +Private Robert G. Kelly of G, mortally. A Mauser struck him in the left +cheek, passing through and severing the lingual artery, lodged in the +muscles of the right jaw. The other man hit was Private Peter N. White +of A company, whose wound was not serious. + +Poor Kelly was taken to his tent, where he lay in agony all night, the +surgeons and hospital stewards doing all they could to relieve him. The +next morning he was taken to the division hospital near Siboney where +he lingered until July 7th, when he died. There was a story, which has +never been denied, that his death was caused by internal hemorrhage +caused by the imperfect manner in which his wound was cared for in the +hospital. + +The affair lasted about an hour and when the attacking force of +Spaniards had been pretty well cut to pieces the enemy retired within +his lines once more and the Second returned to its slumbers. At 3 A. M. +there was some more firing but this was merely an affair of outposts +and lasted but a few moments, just long enough to break up sleep for +the second time that night. + +Next day was Sunday, but it could hardly be called a peaceful one. From +daybreak to early in the afternoon the sharpshooters of the enemy were +active and a man had to walk humbly and keep well under cover unless +he cared to make a target of himself. Many of these sharpshooters were +inside our lines, not having had an opportunity to get to their own +when their companions were driven back and hidden in thick foliaged +trees and supplied with rations and water and plenty of ammunition they +managed to make matters rather lively for us. Early in the day many +squads were sent out to locate and capture these fellows but though +many were located few were brought in as prisoners. + +Time wore on slowly that Sunday. About noon orders were promulgated +that an armistice had been declared and that firing on both sides was +to cease at 12 o'clock. This was not bad news but evidently all our +Spanish friends did not hear of it until later, for up to 2 o'clock +there was an occasional bullet sent toward us from the outlying +trenches. After that hour it was possible to walk about without having +to dodge. + +Early that morning we heard the distance-dulled boom of heavy guns +from the direction of the mouth of the harbor. We knew that Sampson +and Schley were outside waiting for Cervera and his ships but we had +heard the guns of our fleet so often that we supposed it was simply +another case of throwing a few shot at the Morro or the other Spanish +batteries. Gradually the roar of the guns grew fainter and fainter +until they died away altogether and it was supposed the attack of +the fleet had again been fruitless. But soon after noon the "JoJo" +department got at work again and rumors began to circulate that this +time the fleet had been successful and had forced its way past the +batteries and into the harbor. + +It was not until soon after 4 o'clock that afternoon, however, that we +learned what had happened. Then we saw Major Webb of Shafter's staff +riding up to our brigade headquarters, which were only a few yards away +from Col. Clark's "shack." The major reined up, said a few words to +Gen. Ludlow and the latter hastily summoned the regimental commanders +and announced that the Spanish fleet had tried to cut its way out of +the harbor and had been met by Schley's ships and destroyed. It did +not take long for the good news to spread and then such cheering as +went up. Hats went up into the air and there was general jubilation. +For once the "JoJo" department had been outdone. All along our line we +could hear the cheering and then what few regimental bands we had broke +loose and gave a jubilee concert which was highly appreciated. We had +no religious services that day but the bands played, "There'll be a hot +time in Old Town to-night." + +Discipline was relaxed after the armistice had been declared and the +men wandered along the lines, visiting other regiments and going over +the battlegrounds of the two days previous. Many visited the outposts +and took a look at the city and the forts. We could see the Spaniards +taking life easy in their trenches and we wondered if they had heard +what had happened to their fleet. Some of our boys, disgusted with +their Springfields, went "grafting" Krags and picked up a good number, +together with plenty of ammunition. Had the entire regiment been turned +loose there is no question but what every man would have replaced +his Springfield with a Krag-Jorgensen and as it was nearly 150 were +obtained and a corresponding number of Springfields thrown away. + +Our sleep was unbroken that night and we were ready to celebrate +July 4th the next morning. Our celebration took the form of a little +excursion, for soon after our frugal breakfast we were on the march +again and began our celebrated swing to the right with the object of +encircling the city. Our brigade led the advance as it had from the +start and after four hours of slow progress we swung to the left and +took our position on the now famous "Misery hill," an elevation in rear +of the city and overlooking it. From the crest we could plainly see the +Spanish batteries and barracks, while almost directly in front of us +were the hospital buildings with half a dozen Red Cross flags flying +over them. We passed our Fourth of July quietly enough. Not a fire +cracker was fired, principally because we did not have any and there +was not even a rifle crack to mark the day. Late in the afternoon we +heard the guns of the fleet again as they hammered away at the harbor +batteries for awhile. We pitched our "day tents" and took notice of the +fact that our rations were getting low again. Next day we were put at +work for the first time digging trenches and we enjoyed the job. For +tools there were in the entire regiment only a few shovels and picks +but the trenches had to be dug and the boys went at it with their mess +knives, spoons and tin plates. It was fierce work under the blazing +sun and the soil was hard to dig, but the work was done by reliefs and +by night of the next day the trenches of our battalion were completed +and good ones they were, too. They were dug on the crest of the hill +and were deep enough with the earth parapet to give us protection from +anything the enemy might send over at us. They were wide enough to +enable the men to move about and the earth was cut away at the rear so +as to make a sort of seat. More trouble was anticipated at any moment +and ammunition in plenty was placed along the trenches. In fact, there +was more ammunition than rations about all the time during the campaign. + +Capron's battery, which was with us at El Caney, came up the 6th and +took a position on the left of our line of trenches. The digging of +intrenchments for this battery afforded us our first opportunity of +seeing Cubans work and certainly they did work under Capt. Capron. +Other regiments kept coming up and taking positions on our left and the +circle about Santiago began to tighten. + +Meanwhile we had leisure to lie about and figure up our losses. Malone +of B, shot at El Caney, had died in the field hospital the evening of +July 2d and his death came as a shock to his friends in that company. +Richmond of G died in the same hospital early the preceding evening and +that made five good men in the three Springfield companies slain by +Spanish bullets. There were many missing faces from the ranks, too, and +we kept hearing rumors that this or that man wounded at Caney had died +in the hospital. Besides we knew some exaggerated stories about the +losses of the Second had gone home and we knew the anxiety which our +friends and relatives in Springfield must be feeling. + +There were other losses aside from the bullets of the enemy. On July +6th Major Southmayd and Capt. McDonald left camp, the former going +home on sick leave and the latter having injured himself badly in the +spine. He was accompanied to the hospital by First Sergeant Burke, +who remained with him until he sailed for the United States. In Capt. +McDonald's absence First Lieut. W. L. Young took command of B company. +Capt. John J. Leonard of G was made acting major of Major Southmayd's +battalion and retained the command to the close of the campaign. The +command of K company devolved upon First Lieut. Phillip C. Powers and +First Lieut. W. C. Hayes took command of G company. + +About this time many of our boys got "next" to a species of poison vine +somewhat resembling the poison ivy of New England and with about the +same results. The surgeons could find nothing to counteract the effects +of the vine until a Cuban told them of another plant which being +steeped was an effective antidote for the poison and a free use of this +soon restored the swollen faces and hands of the sufferers to their +normal condition. + +"Misery hill" was a delightful place especially when the rations began +to get shy as they did soon after our arrival. The visits of the pack +train were few and far between and it was just as likely as not to +bring ammunition instead of rations. Issues of one or two hardtack +and a thin slice of bacon for a twenty-four hours ration were common, +and some of the boys supplemented their menu with mangoes and "monkey +plumes." Sergeant Lovely of G enjoyed the distinction of eating +twenty-four mangoes in one day, much to the horror of the surgeons when +they heard of it, but with no bad results to him. + +It was while we were on "Misery hill" that "Dido" Hunt achieved added +fame by his abilities as a butcher. Gen. Ludlow had a desire for +beefsteak and had purchased a hungry looking cow from some Cubans, +Private Hunt as regimental butcher, being detailed to kill the animal. +It was just before dusk, one evening, when the cow was led forth to +the slaughter and "Dido," armed with a revolver, got ready to act as +executioner. He fired again and again at the cow, the animal after each +shot, looking about in a surprised manner as if wondering what the +racket was all about. Finally one of the bullets hit the cow somewhere, +and with a bellow of pain and fright, she ran off and disappeared in +the darkness, leaving Private Hunt and the man who had been holding +the rope gazing at each other. Gen. Ludlow had no steak that evening +and the fate of the cow was never learned although there were rumors +that the animal had ended her career in the camp of one of the regular +regiments, the men of which had a fresh meat supper that night. + +A "commissary" had been established near Siboney by some enterprising +sutlers, and the company officers were enabled to purchase some tea, +oatmeal, etc., for their men. These were especially valuable, as +several had succumbed to the climate and the toil and exposure of the +campaign, and the hardtack and bacon were not the best kind of food +for them. About this time, too, we were threatened with an outbreak of +measles, but the cases were promptly isolated and the disease did not +spread. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +WE CONTINUE OUR EDUCATION IN THE ART OF WAR AND LEARN A FEW THINGS. + + +Our stay on "Misery hill" lasted just seven days and in that time we +learned a few things, the art of trench digging without intrenching +tools, standing out in our memory as one most important lesson. We +learned how to sleep on a side hill without our bodies slipping +entirely out from the shelter tents during our slumbers, this being +accomplished by the simple means of driving a couple of pegs into the +ground at the opening of the tent and placing a stick against them, our +feet resting against the stick and preventing us going any further. +We acquired the art of making cigarettes and of using anything at all +in the paper line to roll them in. The inner pith of the royal palm +came in handily for this purpose when our supply of cigarette paper +gave out. We learned how to make one match light several pipes or +cigarettes, for matches were scarce and therefore not to be wasted. +We learned how to make the brook water passably cool in our canteens, +by thoroughly soaking the canvass covering of the canteen and then +suspending it from a tree or tent pole, the evaporation of the moisture +of the cover slowly cooling the contents. At night the canteens were +hung from the tent poles and in the morning the water was usually quite +cool. Later on long branches of bamboo were used as water vessels and +one trip to the brook usually sufficed for the day. In the building of +"shacks" by which the regulars who had served in the west designated +about everything in the way of a shelter from the sun or rain, we +obtained lessons from our friends of the 8th and 22d. A couple of +crotched sticks across which was laid a center pole formed the usual +frame work of the structure and the roof and sides were composed of +bushes or palm leaves. These were more airy than our tents and more +comfortable except when it rained heavily. + +Also, we learned to do without stockings, the fact being that the +bulk of our hosiery was either worn out or thrown away, and we took a +card from the regulars and discarded such things in the line thereof, +greasing our feet with the luscious "sow belly." In laundry work we +became expert. "Jim" Ryan's steam laundry had long since gone into +voluntary bankruptcy, and every man was his own laundryman. Insect +enemies began to appear, and obtained a lodgment in spite of strenuous +efforts. Soap was scarce and there were times when water was not the +easiest thing in the world to get. Our sleeping arrangements were +primitive, the usual method of arranging them being to place the rubber +blanket on the ground with the coated side down, on this place the +woolen blanket and wrapping this about us, go to sleep. Our coats, or +shoes, or anything else suitable, being utilized for pillows. While on +"Misery hill" many of the boys cut grass and utilized it as mattresses, +but we could not do this on our short bivouacs. + +As to cooking, we were "stars." That is when there was anything to +cook. On these occasions our culinary preparations were delightfully +simple and even chafing-dish outfits would have to bow to our superior +ingenuity. Our cooking apparatus required a small fire of wood, and +the utensils were all carried in our haversacks. They were a combined +frying pan and plate of tin, the former having a handle, a sharp +pointed knife, fork and spoon. The basis of our menu was especially +noticeable for its simplicity, the staples being bacon, hardtack, +canned tomatoes and coffee. Sometimes we had sugar and more times we +didn't. Occasionally we had a bit of salt or pepper and on these rare +occasions there was joy, for then we were enabled to make the stuff +labelled "canned roast beef" palatable enough so that it could be +forced down our throats. At other times, Ugh! If the devil hasn't a +special corner in the hot room of his Turkish bath reserved for those +responsible for that "canned roast beef," he isn't "onto his job." + +Even with such simple means we managed to vary the menus a bit at +times. Our usual breakfast was bacon and hardtack and coffee. The bacon +was usually without a bit of lean and after frying for a moment or two +the pan was about half-filled with fat, leaving a shrivelled up and +brittle piece of so-called bacon. But it was eaten just the same, our +stomachs having been educated up to anything. Sometimes we fried our +hardtack in the bacon grease and these with black coffee, sometimes +without sugar, made up our breakfast. Thanks to a beneficent government +we had coffee about all the time, if we had nothing else. It came to +us in the berry, in paper packages, and our chief concern as to coffee +was how to grind or pulverize it. Usually this was done by the simple +but slow process of putting a few berries in our tin cups and pounding +them with a stick or tent pole until they were broken enough to steep. +Then the cup was filled with water and placed in the fire until the +coffee boiled when the cup was taken out by means of a cleft stick +or a bayonet and laid aside to cool sufficiently to drink. There was +plenty of barbed wire everywhere and by means of the wire cutters rude +grates were made on which the tin cup was placed. For dinner the bill +of fare and the method of preparing it was about the same, likewise +for supper. Sometimes, when we had canned tomatoes we made "sludge," a +simple confection of tomatoes and broken hardtack, with at times a few +"strings" of the corned beef thrown in to give it, not taste, but more +body. This "beef" was also used to form the groundwork for an imitation +stew, the only resemblance to stew being the name, for it was without +onions or potatoes. Then we made "Santiago sludge cakes," composed of +pulverized hardtack and water, the mixture being patted into cakes and +fried in bacon grease. Sometimes a bit of sugar was sprinkled over +them, and we deluded ourselves into the belief that we were eating +something very fine. Another method of preparing this delicacy was to +mix in some canned tomato. Mango stew we had at times, but not often, +as sugar was scarce. + +Gout might fairly have been expected as the result of this high +living, (we were camped on a hill,) but, strange to say, no cases were +reported, and even dyspepsia was unknown. Our regular hours doubtless +aided us in keeping off these two diseases. We were aroused by reveille +very early in the morning, usually about dawn and retired early in the +evening. It grew dark about 8 o'clock and by that time everyone but the +sentries was in quarters and usually asleep. + +The personal appearance of our officers and men was not as +prepossessing as it might have been. Coats and collars were not _de +rigeur_ and the only headgear was very "bum" looking campaign hats. +Usually our blue shirts were open at the neck and a blue handkerchief +carelessly knotted _a la_ cow boy was our only ornament. Suspenders +were viewed with suspicion and the cartridge belts, with their thimbles +filled with ammunition, served also the purpose of keeping our trousers +up. These trousers were showing the wear and tear of the campaign, and +needed pressing badly, being also used for pajamas. Our leggings were +mostly torn and frayed, and went well with the trousers so far as looks +were concerned, as for shoes, they too had seen better days. Barbers +were at a discount and full beards were popular, the most noticeable +ones in the three Springfield companies being those of Lieuts. Powers +and Parkhurst of K, and Sergeants Scully and Murphy of G, although +Gardella's was not far behind. + +In K "Bert" Nichols and "Ad" Potter had trained down so fine that +their bodies failed to cast a shadow, and "Billy" Fish had got down to +less than 200 pounds. The beard possessed by Morris Grenowitz of B was +nearly all that remained of him and Jack Fulton was travelling in the +same road. Alberts of B was having a good time with the horses and the +Chaplain, and in K the Turner brothers were having hourly arguments +with each other on the relative nutritious qualities of canned roast +and corned beef. "Wap" Packard of G was busy figuring how many men +were by his brother's side when he was shot, and had already counted +up 35 with several more districts to hear from, and "Jim" Shene of the +same company was planning foraging expeditions with Private Mahoney +of Mittineague. "Batty" Hayes had secured a divorce from "Marguerite" +Gelinas and was busy trying to keep the case out of the papers. + +So the days passed on "Misery hill" until noon of the 10th, when we +were ordered to move on, once more to the right, and we left our fine +trenches only to have them occupied by the 71st New York, the "heroes" +of San Juan. We halted after a couple of hours, there being some +trenches dug by Garcia's Cubans, and occupied them at 4 o'clock when +our batteries opened upon Santiago. The affair lasted until 6, but the +enemy's reply was not very loud and we did not get a chance to use our +Springfields. + +Next morning we were on the march again, and this time it lasted about +all day, up hill and down hill, until just before dusk we halted for +the night with the right of our brigade resting on the Cobre road, thus +cutting off the last avenue of escape from the city for the Spaniards, +and the only way by which reinforcements from Holguin or the rest of +the province could be put into the city. Rumors that a large Spanish +force was on the way, made us vigilant and our guards were instructed +to keep the sharpest kind of a watch, but as events proved, it was not +necessary. Hardly had the boys got their tents up and their supper +cooked, before the mail came up, and such a rush as there was for it. +We had received one mail from home while on "Misery hill," and every +man who failed to receive a letter then, was certain there was one or +more for him now and could hardly wait to have the contents of the +sacks distributed. + +That night we had to take off our hats to the Cuban rain storm. Hardly +had the mail been distributed when it began to rain. Up to this what +rain there was had usually fallen in the afternoon and was not of +long duration, but the rain of July 11th and 12th will be remembered +by every one in the Fifth Army Corps. It came down all night in solid +sheets and our shelter tents and rubber blankets were of little use +against it. When morning came everybody and everything was drenched, +and a more forlorn looking outfit can hardly be imagined. About 6 A. +M., the rain ceased for an hour or two and as soon as possible huge +fires of bamboo were blazing and the men essayed to dry themselves and +their clothing and to cook breakfast. Fortunately there was plenty of +bamboo near our camp, and the wood burned as well wet as dry. But it +was not long before down came the rain again just as bad as during the +night, and to add to our discomfort, came orders to pack up and move on +again. + +Rolling up our saturated tents and blankets, and wet to the skin, we +took up the march and after wading through the deep mud of the Cobre +road for a short distance, plunged into a trail which would take us to +our new position and our last camp in Cuba. But it was not long before +we found that the trail led through a piece of swampy ground, and +before they had gone far the boys found themselves up to their legging +tops in mud and the ooze of the swamp. It took a long time to flounder +along through this, but it was finally done and the regiment emerged +upon firm ground, and was soon on the spot selected for its occupancy. + +All this time the rain kept on, and it was not until nearly 4 P. M., +that it ceased and the sun came out. Meanwhile, the well soaked shelter +tents had been put up and the men were either huddled under them and +saying things about the wet season and Cuba, or were standing about +with their rubber blankets thrown over their heads. But with the +coming of the sun there was a great change. Its rays were so fierce +that within half an hour there was scarcely any indication that it had +been raining all night and all day, the ground dried up rapidly and so +did the shelter tents. Off came the rubber blankets from the men, and +clothing and equipments were spread out to dry in the afternoon sun. +Wood was hustled for and with the blaze of the cooking fires and the +smell of bacon and coffee cheerfulness returned. + +That evening the boys were put at work again digging trenches. Up to +this Gen. Toral had hesitated to respond to Shafter's invitation to +come out and surrender and the arrival of Gen. Miles having stiffened +up the latter gentleman's backbone, some more trouble was looked for. +Our brigade was, as usual, on the extreme right of the American line +and the 8th regiment lay directly opposite the head of the harbor, +the 22d next and then "ours." Right in front of our center and less +than 500 yards away was the bull ring of Santiago, a circular wooden +building filled with Spanish soldiers, while in front of that we could +see the trenches with the soldiers lounging about, and with a glass +could discern the barbed wire fencing and entanglements in front of the +trenches. Our position was an exposed one, for from their position the +enemy could have raked us front and flank, so at the trenches we went +under the direction of Major Whipple. + +[Illustration: + + Private Paul Vesper, B. Co. + + Private John J. Malone, B. Co. + + Sergeant Richard H. Bearse, B. Co. +] + +By this time our regiment had been supplied with a fairly decent number +of intrenching tools and the boys, appreciating the necessity for +trenches, went at the work with but little grumbling. The trenches +were dug on three sides of a square, one in front of each battalion, +the work being done by each company in relays. Major Whipple's +battalion now had the right, Major Fairbanks' the center and ours +the left, so that it was in the rear of the other two. The work was +continued to a late hour that night, and all the next day, and finished +on the morning of the 14th. The trenches were even better than those +dug on "Misery hill" and were complimented by Gen. Ludlow, who was a +colonel of engineers before he became a general of volunteers. Not +to be behind hand the non-commissioned staff of the regiment and the +headquarters attaches dug a trench for themselves and the regiment was +ready for the next move. + +Twelve o'clock at noon of the 24th was the hour set for the ending +of the truce, and at 11.30 A. M. we were ordered into the trenches. +Everyone felt there was going to be a hard fight this time, for it was +considered certain that the enemy would make a determined resistance +and our estimate of Spanish valor had gone up many degrees since El +Caney. It was known that an assault by the Americans was to follow +the bombardment and those who had noted the enemy's preparations for +defense knew that we were in for a warm reception and that if we +charged up to the barbed wire entanglements and the trenches many would +not return. But that made little difference and we took our position +in the trenches and waited for the opening gun from Capron's battery, +posted on a hill in our rear. The horses and the Chaplain had gone to +the rear and the surgeons and hospital corps were posted in readiness +for what might happen. Hardly had we got into the trenches when the +buzzards began to gather, and this to us was a certain indication of a +battle. + +Noon came and the white flag of truce still waved from the governor's +palace and the signal gun was not fired. Half after 12 and no change. +We wondered what was up. Nothing much could be seen from the trenches +and nearly all of the boys climbed to the top and sat down with eager +eyes fastened upon the city we were going to capture. One o'clock and +the white flag still floated. Now came the "Jo Jo" department to the +front once again, and the news ran from trench to trench, that Shafter +had postponed the assault and given the Spaniards a few days more +in which to make up their mind. Following this came the information +that Gen. Toral was merely trying to gain time in order that 10,000 +Spanish troops which were coming up, might attack us in the rear while +Toral's men sallied out in our front. And then down came the rain in +large and continuous sheets, soon flooding the trenches and making us +forget the impending battle, "Jo Jo's," and everything else but the +necessity of keeping as dry as possible. The rain lasted for an hour +and a half, filling our lovely trenches with water and putting them in +nice shape for a battle. But hardly had the sun reappeared before we +saw a horseman clad in the Khaki uniform of Shafter's staff galloping +along the lines toward us and in his wake we saw the hats of the men in +the trenches being thrown into the air, and the wearers dancing as if +some extra good news had come. Reining up in front of the center trench +where Col. Clark was, the horseman gave him the welcome news that the +city had surrendered, and as the constantly increasing knot of officers +and men who had got within earshot, began to get ready for a vocal +demonstration, the aide added, "Orders are not to cheer, boys, for the +deal isn't quite fixed up, but you can throw your hats into the air all +you wish." Well, the boys, followed instructions and the hats went up, +while the aide dashed over to the 8th and 22d with the news. + +And it was good news. It meant no more trench digging, no more +marching, no more fighting, and last but not least, as some of our long +headed and practical ones figured it out, it meant more and varied +rations, for now our ships could come into the harbor. The trenches +were quickly emptied and we returned to our shacks in pretty good +spirits. + +It was not until three days after, on Sunday the 17th, that the formal +surrender took place. The troops were assembled in front of their +trenches, and as the gun announcing the hoisting of our flag over the +governor's palace, boomed out, we cheered, and then marched back only +to be formed in front of Col. Clark's quarters, where certain men +were given a "wigging" which they remembered for a long time. Since +the 14th our men had been allowed to go freely outside our lines, and +although not permitted to go into the city proper, yet they found +some interesting things in the suburbs. One of these was the cemetery +and some regulars and a number of Second men had gone there and +thoughtlessly taken some flowers and trinkets from some graves. This +desecration had been reported by the Spaniards to Gen. Shafter and the +latter "wigged" Gen. Lawton about it, Lawton repeating the operation +to Gen. Ludlow and the latter giving Col. Clark and the commanding +officer of the 22d a bad quarter of an hour. So when it came his turn, +Col. Clark let himself out on the men, and his remarks were of the keen +and cutting style which makes a man feel good when he hears some other +fellow getting them. This concluded the exercises of the day and we +were dismissed to think it over. + +Next day the "Jo Jo" bureau resumed operations and we heard "on the +best of authority," of course, that we were to be hustled on to Porto +Rico with Gen. Miles. Next came the news that our brigade, having done +so well was to be sent against Holguin in the interior of the province +where there were some 8000 Spanish troops, who had been surrendered +with those in Santiago but did not like it and proposed to fight. +Within the next few days it was gravely announced by the "Jo Jo," +that we were going to be sent to the Philippines, as experienced and +acclimated troops were wanted there; that we were to be sent to help +capture Havana, marching from Santiago for that purpose, and best of +all, that unless Spain sued for peace within a week, we were to embark +for that country and invade it. As to the "Jo Jos" about double pay, +the receipt by each man of a lump sum of money in consideration of +waiving our claims to a pension, etc., they were numerous and varied +enough to fill a large book. In its "Jo Jo" bureau the Second had some +distinguished artists. + +But the most convincing sign of all that the city had surrendered, was +the arrival of rations, and they were gladly received. For a day or +two it was the familiar bacon and hardtack, but soon we were surprised +and gladdened by the sound of mule wagons coming up the road from the +city and laden with good looking loaves of soft bread. We then found +that army ovens had been established in the city and that we would +have bread in abundance. Next came some refrigerated beef, and it +looked good and tasted better. Our first issue of the beef was quickly +disposed of, each man's share being taken to the nearest fire and a +"bluff" made at broiling it, the majority of the men being too "meat +hungry" to do more than merely toast it. That first "beefsteak supper" +of ours on the island is remembered yet. Next day came more beef, more +bread and finally potatoes and onions, while with them were brought +along rice and canned tomatoes and bacon and hardtack. The two latter +we scorned. Eat hardtack and canned beef when we had fresh bread and +meat and the materials for beef stew? Well, we guessed not. But it +turned out we were too proud. There came days when the refrigerated +beef became less relished, especially when our noses could learn of its +being on the way long before it reached the camp, and we were glad to +fall back on the despised, "sowbelly," and by this time in deference +to our luxurious tastes, the conscience stricken commissary department +was sending us something that resembled bacon far more than anything we +had previously had, and that came in nice tin packages. Even the soft +bread palled on us after a while, and we were glad to nibble a hardtack +now and then, especially, when as sometimes happened the bread was sour. + +A few days after the surrender, B company was gladdened by the arrival +of its cook, Walter Butler, who had remained on the ship and who, +on his arrival, took charge of the culinary department and began to +concoct some excellent stews. The Buzzicot field-cooking outfits, which +we had brought from Massachusetts with us, were also landed, and that +of G was at once set up with Private Carl Mueller as cook and Corporal +"Nat" Gardella and "Dido" Hunt as steward and assistant steward, and +"Daniel" Bellamy, the well-known temperance orator, as chief of the +wood and water department. Private Fisher, the company cook of K, was +ill, and K's Buzzicot was but little used. + +The day after our arrival in this camp, Private Bates of K severely +injured his foot while chopping wood, the axe slipping and severing one +of the arteries. He was laid up for some days. + +G and K moved their camps to the other side of the trenches about the +20th, but B remained where it was. The wall tents which we brought +with us from South Framingham and used at Lakeland and Tampa, also +came up, and at once took the place of the "pup tents" we had used +on the island. Our knapsacks and other property which we left on the +Knickerbocker were also sent to us and we found that some of our things +were left, although many knapsacks which had been left well filled, on +the boat, had been "touched." + +Once again we began to have the same old shortage of rations, and +this time with our ships in the harbor we couldn't understand it. +One day we received two hardtack and a spoonful of coffee berries +for a twenty-four hours issue. We were out of fresh meat, sugar and +everything else, but this only lasted a couple of days and then we got +fresh meat, vegetables and beans. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +WE HAVE TO FACE ANOTHER ENEMY MORE DEADLY THAN THE SPANIARDS. + + +And now that the Spaniards had been conquered and Santiago was ours we +found ourselves facing another enemy even more deadly than the Mauser +bullets or the machete. Up to the surrender the health of our regiment, +everything considered, had been fairly good. Sickness there was to be +sure, but nothing more than was to be expected in a regiment of 900 men +subjected to the exposures and hardships incidental to a campaign in a +foreign land, and these exposures supplemented by a ration, which even +when plentiful, which was not often, was entirely unfitted for soldiers +campaigning in a warm climate. Again it must be remembered that our +work in Cuba was performed in the rainy season and that sleeping in +mud, marching and bivouacking in the rain and fording deep streams are +not conducive to rugged health when persisted in day after day. But +so long as the active campaign lasted, the excitement and novelty of +it all kept the men up. After the surrender, when there was little or +nothing for them to do, they were in condition to fall an easy prey to +the "calentura" or malarial fever, and to the diseases of the stomach +incident to camp life with a poorly adapted ration. Fat bacon and +canned beans, containing fully as much grease as beans, are not the +kind of food the sensible man going to spend a time in the tropics +would select for his menu, but that is what we got and it was eat it or +nothing. + +During the active campaign many men of the regiment were ill from one +cause or another, but as a matter of fact, there was nothing like a +general outbreak of sickness at any time until some days after the +surrender. A number of the men contracted rheumatism from sleeping on +the damp ground and there were scattered cases of measles and stomach +disorders. But the average daily sick report never went much beyond a +dozen cases, which it must be admitted is not bad for an organization +of nearly 1000 men living under the conditions which we did. + +For the first few days after Santiago surrendered all went well. +There were propositions to move the troops further inland and up into +the mountains with a view of escaping any possibility of the dreaded +yellow fever which was showing itself at Siboney, the houses of which +village had been burned to the ground in order to remove the danger of +infection, but the contemplated move was not made and we remained in +our last station until the regiment sailed for Montauk Point. + +On the day after the surrender Col. Clark issued orders for daily +company drills and inspections with a view of giving the men something +to do, he recognizing, as an old soldier, that idleness is the worst +possible thing in camp. He and his superiors realized, however, that +the army had passed through a most trying, though short campaign, and +that the men deserved a rest, but at the same time there were already +warnings that the less active the men were, the easier they fell prey +to the climatic diseases of the country. Even after we had been in our +last camp for a few days, there were signs that the fever was at work +and with our limited supply of medicines, it was feared that it might +become epidemic. That these fears were only too well grounded was soon +to be made manifest. + +[Illustration: + + Corp'l Thos. C. Boon. + K. Co. + + Pvt. J. L. Morehouse. + K. Co. + + Private + Michael R. + Lyons. + K. Co. + + Musician Frank P. Jones. K. Co. + + Corp'l W. C. Piper. + K. Co. + + Pvt. Arthur Burnham. + K. Co. +] + +The day following the surrender, Col. Clark and Major Bowen, the +regimental surgeon, established a hospital in an old and dilapidated +wooden building a couple of hundred yards in front of our advanced line +of trenches and which had been used as a railway station. It was in +poor shape, the roof being partly gone and the flooring bad, but it was +better than leaving the sick men in their stuffy little shelter tents +or out in the open air. The division hospitals were already overcrowded +with wounded and sick men and the regimental commanders were notified +that they would have to care for their own sick as best they could. +Even as bad as the building selected for our hospital was, it was +looked upon with envy by the commanding officers of other regiments and +it was even suggested to Col. Clark that he divide it up with the other +regiments of our brigade. + +Whether it was the camping along the line of the recently made +trenches, the earth of which was said to be full of malarial germs, or +that the fever was already in the air that caused the epidemic among +our men is not certain, but within a day or two after the Sunday on +which the Stars and Stripes were hoisted over the city the fever began +its career in our regiment and in a few days over fifty per cent. of +the officers and men were affected with it. The daily drills soon had +to be discontinued, for hardly enough men to make a decent showing +were able to turn out for them in the majority of the companies. It +was the same way at the daily inspections. Frequently a man standing +in the ranks would fall down in his tracks from sheer weakness and +would have to be carried to his tent by his comrades. Soon there was +no pretence of conforming to the orders requiring these drills and +inspections and the men, who were able to move at all, did so as if +their feet were encased in lead. At surgeon's call every morning there +were sights which were enough to appall the stoutest hearted among us. +It was directly after reveille that this call was sounded, and then +from all parts of the camp dreary processions of what had been strong +and hearty looking young men, would drag themselves slowly to the +surgeon's tent and stand or lie on the ground waiting for their turn to +be treated. And it must be said that the treatment was not of a sort +calculated to cheer them up. The only medicines on hand were quinine +and salts and a preparation for stomach disorders. Of quinine there +was a plenty, but after a time the systems of the men, in many cases, +became so saturated with it that even doses of thirty grains or more +produced but little effect. And what hurt the boys more than the fever +or anything else was the feeling, right or wrong as it may have been, +that we of the Fifth Army Corps, who had done our work uncomplainingly, +and done it well, were being neglected by the government whose call +we had obeyed among the first. It was known that our state had sent +us away from South Framingham with a medicine chest second to none +in the army, and that this chest was even now on board of one of the +transports in the harbor, but for all practical uses, as far off as +the North Pole. Some of us knew that requisition after requisition +for medical supplies had been sent in by our surgeon and had not been +honored, that in spite of all our surgeons and stewards could do it was +next to an impossibility to obtain an ambulance, and that we were even +denied the services of one of our assistant surgeons, Dr. Gates having +been detailed to the Fourth infantry, which was at that time without a +medical officer. + +All these things helped the fever. Depression was its best ally, +and then came nostalgia, the homesickness which men who have never +experienced sneer at, but which is the bane of armies, and which in the +Cuban campaign helped kill more men than the bullets of the Spaniards. +For nurses for the sick there were only their comrades, willing enough +God knows, but unaccustomed to the work, and with their own nerves +and tempers wrought up to a high pitch. With lack of surgeons, lack +of medicines, lack of nurses, lack of proper food, lack of proper +accommodations and lack of everything that sick men should have, it is +a wonder that the entire regiment was not left behind to fill graves in +Cuba. + +But even a more pitiful sight than the men who answered the surgeon's +call every morning had to witness, was the spectacle of the poor +fellows who were unable to get up from their beds on the ground, and +who lay there day after day under the stuffy tents, their bodies +burning up with the fever, too weak or too despairing to even accept +the poor nourishment which their comrades tried to get for them, and in +some cases so far gone with nostalgia that they refused everything and +only wished for death. It is a known fact that fifty per cent. of the +men of the Second who died in that last camp of ours in Cuba, died of +nostalgia and nothing else. + +Meanwhile, everything that could be done with the limited resources at +command, was being done. The company commanders sent into Santiago and +bought at the commissary stores, such decent food for sick men as could +be procured, and through the efforts of Col. Clark, some suitable food +and delicacies were obtained from the Red Cross society. The Colonel +also purchased, at his own expense, a number of cots and hammocks for +the regimental hospital. + +It was indeed a trying time. Officer after officer and man after man +went down with the fever. Adjutant Paul R. Hawkins was hard hit with it +and was finally removed to the second division hospital. Major Henry +C. Bowen, the regimental surgeon, also succumbed and was taken to the +same hospital where he died. Quartermaster E. E. Sawtell was another +victim but did not go to the hospital. Captain John J. Leonard of G, +was stricken and for long days fought the disease in his quarters, +and Lieut. Edward J. Leyden of his company was taken to the hospital. +Lieut. W. L. Young and Lieut. Harry J. Vesper of B were attacked, the +former not seriously, however. There were but few men in any of the +companies fit for duty and it was difficult to get enough men for the +necessary details. The drills were given up for not enough men to +make a decent showing were fit to turn out and it was with difficulty +that enough men for regimental and brigade guard were provided. +Some necessary work had to be done and from brigade and division +headquarters details were constantly being asked for and every man able +to stand on his feet had to be pressed into service. + +The officers, during this trying time, did all in their power for their +men, but it was not much they were able to do and the men felt at the +time, that they should have done more. In this they were unjust, for +the officers were suffering as much as the men, and the latter have +since come to realize that many of the opinions expressed at this +time and later, on this subject, were unjust. The fever and the other +diseases spared no one, whether he wore shoulder straps or not. + +Dr. Hitchcock, our assistant surgeon, succumbed to the fever, and +was taken to the division hospital and the surgeon, Dr. Bowen, soon +followed him there. This left us without a medical officer, and for two +or three days the outlook for the sick men of the Second was a dark +one. But we were then provided with two contract surgeons, Dr. Persons +and Dr. Dunwoody, and both proved themselves excellent gentlemen and +hard workers. Soon after their arrival, Dr. Gates, our other assistant +surgeon, who had been detailed to the Fourth infantry, was sent back +to us, and his presence was as good as a tonic to the sick men. His +cheery smile and sympathetic ways were even better than his medicines, +and for a time, after his return, the health of the command appeared +to improve. Meanwhile, the famous "round robin" had been sent, and its +result was that the Fifth corps was ordered to return home as soon as +transports could be procured. From then until August 12 the thoughts of +the men were concentrated upon the time we were to go home. + +Meanwhile, the men who escaped the fever and other diseases, were +doing all possible for their comrades. The company officers, finding +that idleness at this time was the worst possible thing for the men +who were at all able to get about, set them at work, and though this +seemed at the time a hardship to the men, it turned out to be the best +thing that could be done, for it not only served to keep them in better +shape physically but helped to keep their minds occupied and prevented +them from dwelling too much upon the gloomy situation in the camps and +from thinking too much of home. They were encouraged and in most cases +ordered to build raised bunks for themselves, these serving to keep +their bodies off the ground while sleeping, and to erect shelters of +boughs and palm leaves instead of remaining in their shelter tents. +When the big wall tents arrived there was no further need of these +"shacks" but they served a useful purpose even if not handsome looking. + +It was not long after the surrender that we began to get large packages +of mail, including the Springfield papers and it is hardly necessary +to say that they were welcome. In these papers we found stories of the +campaign and of the part the Second had played in the actions at El +Caney and San Juan. Many of the letters the boys had written from Tampa +and Cuba had been printed and in the reading of these there was much +fun. We learned from the papers of the big Fourth of July celebration +that had been planned in Springfield, and how it had been given up when +the news of El Caney and the rumors of heavy loss in "Ours" reached +home. And we received the Fourth of July buttons which had been made +in honor of that occasion and proudly wore them about the camp to the +envy of some of the other companies of the regiment. It did us some +good to know that we had not been entirely forgotten. And sometimes in +the mails there were packages for us, sent by loving friends from home +and welcome, whether they contained much or little. The arrival of the +mail was an event in those days. Sometimes all that there was could be +brought from Santiago on the back of one horse, but there were times +when one of the two wheeled carretas was necessary to transport it. +The array of bags would be dumped off in front of the office tent of +the regiment and then the work of sorting out the contents would begin. +That destined for each company having been piled up, there were usually +enough men waiting to take it away, and for the next few hours the men +would read their letters and papers and exchange news. The arrival of +the mail was invariably followed by a time of letter writing and the +return mail was sometimes nearly as heavy as that which had come in. + +As time went on the fever appeared to be wearing itself out and some +of those who had it began to recover slowly until they were able to +drag themselves around. For days there was a feeling that the worst was +over, and this feeling was especially strong in our battalion, which, +by the way, had not as yet been as hard hit by the fever as some of the +other sections of the regiment. But then came the yellow fever scare +and the deaths of one or two of our men and these resulted in a return +of the old depression and consequently the sickness. + +Quartermaster Sergeant Richard H. Bearse of B, was the first man of the +Springfield companies to succumb to the fever and the nostalgia which +accompanied it. He was taken sick soon after the surrender, but kept +up and about for some time, as he had all through the campaign. But he +went down at last and the end came on rapidly. He died on August 1st, +and there was not a man in the regiment more regretted for all who ever +knew "Dicky" Bearse, loved him. + +The second man to go, in the battalion, was Corporal W. C. Piper of K, +who died in the division hospital, August 5th, of pernicious malarial +fever. He had been taken there only the day before and his comrades +were horror stricken when notified of his death. The day following +a detail from his company was sent to the hospital and buried him. +Private Paul Vesper of B, died the 10th, from the same cause as Piper, +in the division hospital. + +It was a day or two afterwards that we heard of the famous "round +robin" and its result. The thought of soon sailing for home did much +to cheer us up and we began to make what few preparations we had to +make, although there was as yet nothing authentic about our going. But +on the 10th Col. Clark received orders to be ready to embark on short +notice and the news spread like wildfire through our camp. Our working +suits which we had worn all through the campaign, and our blankets and +haversacks were ordered burned and in place of them we were issued the +khaki uniforms of yellow with blue facings. + +A few days before Col. John F. Marsh, of Springfield, had arrived, and +brought with him several boxes of good things sent by the people of +Springfield. The time was so short that many of the boxes were unopened +and were taken to the ship when we sailed. Nearly all their contents +were looted, however, during our trip to Montauk point. + +August 11th we received orders to embark the following day, and on the +12th those of the regiment able to march, fell in, and we "hiked the +pike" for Santiago. With flags flying we marched through the Calle de +Marina, or Marine street, and after a short wait on a pier, were put +on a lighter and taken off to the transport Mobile, already occupied +by the other two regiments of our brigade and a number of horses. The +sick officers and men were sent to the pier in ambulances and those +able to walk not only had to do that, but were also obliged to handle +all the baggage, a job that would have been child's play at other +times, but which in our debilitated condition was a task almost beyond +our strength. Col. Clark had been attacked with the fever that morning +and was unable to do anything. Lieut. Col. Shumway was so ill as to +be unfit for duty but he stuck it out and did what he could. Lieut. +Hawkins and Lieut. Leyden were brought down from the division hospital +and Lieut. Vesper was brought down from his tent in our camp by Captain +Crosier of D. Company. + +Meanwhile there were a number of our men sick in their quarters or +in the hospitals who could not be moved to the ship, besides others +who had been spotted as "suspicious" cases by the surgeons on the day +previous, and ordered to remain behind, it being feared that they were +in the first stages of yellow fever. It was necessary that some remain +behind to care for these poor fellows, but who to detail to this hard +duty was a problem which Col. Clark finally solved by detailing Lieut. +W. H. Plummer of A Company of Worcester, and a detail of one man from +each company in the regiment to remain. Private Dozilva Lamoreaux +of G, Private Robert A. Draper of B and Private Albert Marsden of +K volunteered to compose this detail from our companies, and their +sacrifices in doing this will not be forgotten by their comrades. + +Privates Little, Stetson, Brownell and Dunn of G company, Corporal John +B. Fulton, and Privates Judd, Rivers, Champagne, Smith, Wheeler and +Frey of B company, and Privates Maynard, Solace and Hall of K were left +behind on the island, either sick or as yellow fever suspects when the +regiment was ordered home. + +[Illustration: 1ST TURRET'S CREW. MONITOR LEHIGH.] + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +OUR VOYAGE HOMEWARD ON THE DEATH SHIP MOBILE. + + +Our voyage homeward on the Mobile was not exactly a pleasant one. +At the very outset we again found that in army language we were "up +against it." Our entire brigade, composing some 1500 officers and men, +were on the boat, which although large, was not fitted up in very good +shape for transport service and as a result there was at first much +overcrowding. The Mobile had recently conveyed a cargo of mules to +Porto Rico and on her return from that duty had lain for several days +in the festering harbor of Santiago so that her sanitary condition +could not be termed an ideal one. The officers were crowded together in +her few staterooms and as for the men they were jammed below decks and +above decks in any old way. The Eighth and Twenty-second regiments had +been on board some time before our regiment arrived and of course had +appropriated the best portions of the ship to themselves, something for +which they could not be blamed so very much. + +That evening we of the Second just simply "bunked" anywhere we could +and as a rule we went to bed supperless, for everything was in such a +mixed up condition there was no effort made at giving out rations. And +on our arrival we found that we were to pass another time with our old +friends, the canned "beef" and the nourishing and palatable (!) travel +rations. After bidding them farewell, as we thought, forever, this was +felt to be the worst blow we had yet suffered but there was no use +"kicking" and we made the best of it. Fortunately or unfortunately, as +one looks at it, the majority of the men had money enough to purchase +quantities of canned fruits and delicacies before they left Santiago +and these helped us out to some extent. + +What we at first thought was a blessing but which afterward turned out +to be the reverse was the presence of a large tank of ice water below +decks to which we freely helped ourselves and with evil effect upon +some of the men who developed dysentery from indulging too freely in +the cold liquid. After a day or two the ice water was shut off from the +men, and they were compelled to drink the regular ship's water. There +was any amount of grumbling at this but it was the best thing to be +done under the circumstances. + +We remained in the harbor the night of the 12th and early on the 13th, +our old "hoodoo" number being with us again, the Mobile swung her nose +around and steamed down the harbor. Every man able to be up was on deck +as we started out and realized that we were homeward bound at last. +There were mighty few regrets expressed at leaving Cuba and our chief +concern now was to reach home as quickly as possible. It was known +that our destination was Montauk Point, L. I., and beyond that our +information was a trifle hazy. + +Passing down the harbor we came to the Merrimac as she lay about where +Hobson had sunk her and we could see that she was not of much avail +in stopping the channel. A little further we passed the wreck of the +Reina Mercedes as she lay where the shells from our warships had put +her out of business and just a little distance further along we passed +out under the frowning walls and grim looking guns of Castle Morro, +over which our flag was now floating. On the other side of the harbor +entrance was an unimportant looking sand battery, but it was from it +that the Spanish guns did their most effective work against our fleet. +One turn more and we were out of the harbor and again on the bounding +billows. + +This day quarters were assigned the various companies of our regiment +below decks. The men were supplied with hammocks and as these had to be +slung close together and the men were just a bit unfamiliar with their +management there were many tumbles out of bed that night. We found the +sleeping accommodations on the Mobile superb. If you say that word +"superb" quick it sounds well and that's the way we said it. A number +of the men were obliged to sleep on deck and under a covering of loose +planks and as it happened to rain two or three nights in succession, +they did not like their sleeping quarters any too well. + +The steward of the Mobile was an Englishman, like all her officers, +and he was a direct descendant of thieves and inherited all their +instincts of robbery. He thought nothing of charging $5 for a half-pint +of vile liquor and his prices for anything else he could sell were +in proportion. He contracted with some of the company commanders to +furnish a number of loaves of bread each day for the men but the loaves +turned out to be nothing more than biscuits and the prices asked were +so exorbitant that a complaint was made to the captain of the ship and +the steward was compelled to make restitution. + +One of the first incidents of our passage homeward was the stopping +of the Mobile by a United States gunboat on our second evening out +from Santiago harbor. It seems that the Mobile was not showing just +the proper lights and the gunboat steamed close to her to investigate, +firing a blank charge across her bows as a signal to stop. The Mobile +stopped. Then after a brief colloquy between the little gunboat and +the big Mobile the latter was allowed to proceed. It should be said, +however, that when the officers and crew of the gunboat ascertained +that the Second Massachusetts was on board they gave us three hearty +cheers. + +Life on board the Mobile was not a bit more luxurious than it had been +on the Knickerbocker or in Cuba. We had the same old travel rations +and no means of cooking them. After the first day out an arrangement +was made whereby Walter Butler, the cook for B company, was to have +the use of the crew's galley to make coffee for the three Springfield +companies. Walter did as well as he could under difficulties but +ofttimes the water used in making the coffee was so poor in quality +that the concoction was not exactly palatable. But it was better than +ship's water. + +The men messed as best they could. The officers had their meals in +the dining saloon, paying $1 a day for them and they were not over +luxurious. Neither were their quarters, for with the entire brigade +on board the staterooms were insufficient to accommodate them all and +they were forced to double up and in some instances three officers were +assigned to one room and forced to "bunk" as best they could. + +Many of the officers and men were just out of hospitals, and for them +the voyage was a harder trial than those who were officially in good +health. The ship's hospital was established on the aft deck and was +protected from the elements only by canvas awnings and during the two +or three times it rained during the voyage the sick men were drenched +as they lay in their cots or hammocks. Surgeon Gates and Dr. Piersons, +the contract surgeons who had done so much for our regiment in front +of Santiago, were indefatigable in their attendance upon our sick and +so were the hospital stewards, but the medical supplies were as usual +insufficient and the accommodations entirely inadequate. Two men were +detailed each day to assist in caring for the sick men from their +companies and while of course they meant to do all they could for +their comrades their performance very often fell far short of their +intentions. Naturally the sick men were often peevish and troublesome +and it cannot be said that the lot of the attendants was a very +pleasant one. + +On our second day out occurred the first death in the regiment, +Sergeant Harold B. Wentworth of C company, who had been ill with +typhoid fever and malaria. His body was buried at sea a few hours after +death and the sad event was the first of a series during the voyage. +Private George Higgins of F company was the next victim, his death +occuring on the 15th. + +August 17th was a black day for the Second. At 12.30 that morning +Second Lieut. Harry J. Vesper of B company died after a long illness, +with gastritis and malaria. He was a very sick man when brought on +board but was nursed and cared for as tenderly as possible during the +voyage. Private James Ryan of B was detailed as his attendant and was +constantly with him, but even the best of care could not have saved +him. The same day his body, wrapped in the folds of the American flag, +was lowered into the deep, the Mobile being hove to for the purpose. +The band of the 22d regiment played appropriate airs and Chaplain +Wellwood of the Second conducted the services. The burial was nearly +off Cape Hatteras. Lieut. Vesper, who was one of the most popular +officers of the regiment, met his fate bravely and died in merciful +ignorance of the fact that his brother, Private Paul Vesper of B +company, had died a few days before the regiment left Cuba. At that +time Lieut. Vesper was ill in the division hospital and it was deemed +best to keep the knowledge of his brother's fate from him. + +On this same day another B company man, Wagoner Paul J. Kingston, +answered his final roll call, dying in the afternoon. Privates Earle C. +Clark of H company and Franklin W. Manning of M company, made up the +death roll for the day and their bodies were given to the sea. + +On the 18th Privates Charles H. Cranston and Henry C. Collins, both of +I company of Northampton, died and on the 20th just before we landed at +Montauk Point Sergeant Ryder of E company passed away. On the voyage +from Santiago to Montauk our regiment lost ten, one officer and nine +men, and it is no wonder that the Mobile was referred to as a "death +ship." + +It is no wonder either, under these circumstances, that the men became +depressed. Cooped up in an ill-smelling hold during the night, fed on +unsuitable food and seeing the bodies of their comrades cast overboard +day after day it was not strange that they became blue. But happily the +voyage did not last long for on the afternoon of the 19th we sighted +Montauk Point and knew that in a day or two we would be on good United +States soil once more. + +It was night when the Mobile cast anchor and early the next morning +she was towed into what we supposed was quarantine. We passed several +steamers with the yellow quarantine flag hoisted at their sterns and +after a while the Mobile anchored and some quarantine officers came +aboard and inspected the passengers and crew. Fortunately this ceremony +did not last long and when it was over the Mobile was brought alongside +a wharf as we in our innocence supposed to allow us to land. + +But as it happened we were not to land that day. On the wharf were +sentries and those of "Ours" who happened to get as far as the wharf +were at once driven back. Neither was any one allowed at first to come +aboard. As we swung in the stream before the Mobile got to the wharf a +small boat containing some Springfield newspaper men attempted to get +within reach of the Mobile, but she was ordered away and at the wharf +it was some time before anybody was allowed to come aboard the Mobile. +The first Springfield man we saw was Dr. David Clark, the surgeon for +years of the Second while it was in the militia service. He finally +came on board and was at once surrounded by the men of the three +Springfield companies so that it was some little time before he made +his way to the quarterdeck, where Col. Clark and the officers were +awaiting him. He brought plenty of news for us and much information +concerning Montauk Point and the arrangement of the camps there. At +the same time came aboard baskets of sandwiches and fruit which Dr. +Clark had provided. Thanks to the kindness of Dr. Clark many messages +were sent from the ship to the anxious ones at home announcing the safe +arrival of the Mobile and that the senders were well. + +It was not until the next day that we were allowed to land and it was +a sad spectacle to watch the disembarkation of the gallant Second from +the ship. The men who were able to walk got down the steep gang plank +in some kind of order and after an attempt at regimental formation, +marched up to the quarantine camp, a distance of some two and a half +miles, over the very roughest kind of a road. The sick were transported +in mule wagons and they did not find the ride a very pleasant one. On +arrival at the camp it was found all laid out with large wall tents +arranged in company streets and the majority of the tents equipped with +board floors, a luxury we had not experienced for many moons. Rough +sinks had been made in rear of the company streets and supplies of +soft bread, fruits and milk were waiting for us. A number of the sick +officers and men were taken directly over to the hospitals and it began +to look as if things might be half decent after all. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +WE AND OUR FRIENDS ENJOY OURSELVES AT CAMP WIKOFF, MONTAUK POINT. + + +From the beginning it was evident that our lines in Camp Wikoff were +to be cast in more pleasant places than had been the case since we +left Lakeland in June. To be sure the detention camp was not an abode +of princely luxury and there were shortcomings in plenty about it, but +there was an honest effort to care for our comfort. There were but few +of the officers and men in our regiment in good health and even the men +who did not go to the hospitals were in bad shape physically, but the +knowledge of the fact that we were on United States soil at last and +that but a short time would elapse before we would be en route for home +was better than medicine. Then, too, there was the great improvement +in our food, which was worth something, and there was the presence of +our friends from Springfield, including some who had made all manner of +sacrifices and had endured toil, discomforts and trouble to get to us +with help and cheer. + +No one can doubt but what it was the full intent of those in authority +at Washington to treat the returned soldiers from Cuba in the best +possible manner, but it is a matter of common knowledge that as a +paving material for a certain warm place good intentions is the +very best material yet devised by the arch enemy of mankind. The +performance at Montauk fell far short of the promise and this was aided +by the over officiousness of some very young and very fresh officers +who had no idea beyond the blind following of red tape regulations no +matter what might happen. It was to these officers that the delay and +vexatious troubles experienced by Dr. David Clark of Springfield in +his mission of mercy to us of the Second can be attributed and others +associated with him had to face the same difficulties. The story of +how Dr. Clark, Lieut. T. A. Sweeney and others were "held up" at the +mouth of the rapid fire guns of the converted yacht Aileen by one +Lieut. Rhodes, whose name is still cursed by every Second regiment +man, is still fresh in the minds of all of us and it was only when the +presumptuous young officer was made to realize that he was not the only +thing that ever happened that the supplies sent to us by loving hands +in Springfield reached us. There is the memory too of the long and +weary hours Dr. Clark spent underneath the pier at Montauk in order to +remain inside the guard lines and be on hand to greet us when our ship +came in. There are the memories of the good work done for us by our old +surgeon when the Second was a militia regiment, Major Brown of North +Adams, and of Lieut. Sweeney, E. S. Bradford, P. H. Quinn, Charles +Lathrop as the representative of Dr. D. J. Brown, T. W. Hyde, and last +but by no means least of Frank P. Frost of Springfield, who as the +personal representative of Henry S. Lee, worked like a beaver day and +night. The Springfield newspaper men, too, should not be forgotten and +the thanks of many a poor fellow are due to H. L. Hines, G. H. Atwood +and Frank Lee of the _Union_ and to H. K. Regal of the _Republican_ +and T. W. Burgess of the _Homestead_ for many kindnesses and unfailing +sympathy. + +The sad scenes attending the disembarkation of the Second from the +Mobile will not be forgotten for many a day by those who witnessed or +participated in them. A number of the sick men were taken off late in +the afternoon of the 19th, but when dusk fell Gen. Young, the commander +of the camp, refused to allow any more to be brought ashore until the +next day. The next morning the exodus from the ship began at an early +hour and continued until at last we were all ashore. First came the +sick in a ghastly procession down the steep gang planks and into the +ambulances which were to convey them to the hospitals and the sight of +the poor fellows was pathetic in the extreme. The sick ashore, then +came those able to walk or totter and these men, the majority of them +wrecks of their once vigorous selves, dragged themselves to the pier +laden down with their baggage and fell in for the march to the camp. +Those unable to walk were piled into mule wagons and the procession +started. + +It was not a long march, but it was a fatiguing one for the men and +they were glad when the big wall tents assigned to the Second appeared. +This was the "detention" camp for in the eyes of the medical officers +we were still suspects even if we had passed quarantine, and we were to +be isolated for five days. It was not a bad camp. The tents were new +and clean and many of them were provided with board floors, a luxury +that reminded us of our militia days at South Framingham. It had been +the intention of the war department to provide straw for us to sleep +on but like many other intentions it was not fulfilled until Secretary +Alger happened to visit the camp of the Second and found no straw. +Then some came along in a hurry. There were cooking outfits, too, and +the days of the canned roast beef and the other constituents of the +palatable and nourishing (?) travel ration were numbered. In their +place came the appetizing beef stew, the roast beef, soft bread and +cool milk. There were also canned delicacies, and fruits, and tobacco +in plenty. In fact, there were too many good things for some of the +boys, as the hospital records attest. + +It is needless to say that the hospitals were filled. They were +overcrowded, and that, too, in spite of the fact that additions were +put on as fast as possible. The hospitals were of canvas but with +raised floors and were equipped with cots. What the emotions of the +sick boys were when they actually found themselves lying on a bed and +between clean white sheets, and tended by kind and devoted nurses can +be imagined. Not only that but they were given plenty of nourishing +food and medicine was in plenty. After the lack of everything of the +hospitals in Cuba the contrast was sharp, even though the Montauk +hospitals lacked some things. As for the nurses and the doctors there +was nothing they were unwilling to do to help the sick. Many of the +nurses were Sisters of Charity or Sisters of Mercy, others were from +the Red Cross society, others volunteers, but all were actuated by the +same motives, and worked unremittingly to do all in their power for the +boys. Some of the doctors were army surgeons and others were contract +surgeons, but all worked alike. Then, too, there were any number of +volunteer hospital assistants, all zealous to help us, some of them +a little too much so, and it was a rare thing for the sick men in a +hospital ward to lack for attention. Diet kitchens were established +and a system of looking after convalescent and furloughed soldiers +was established. In this work the noble efforts of the Massachusetts +Volunteer Aid Association was pre-eminent and there are none of us who +will forget what its representatives did, not only at Camp Wikoff but +after our return to our homes. Not only did the society work among the +soldiers from Massachusetts, but many a regular soldier was aided and +comforted by its representatives. + +Under the influence of proper care and food the men in the +hospitals and the camps began to improve and though many died, yet +more recovered. As soon as a soldier inmate of the hospital was +anywhere near convalescence he was given a furlough to his home and +transportation furnished him. At first these furloughs were only for +ten days but after a bit they were lengthened to 30 days so that when +the Second came to leave Montauk a good percentage of the officers and +men had preceded it home. A large number of the sick men were taken +from the camp hospital and sent to New York, New London, New Haven and +other places where the local hospitals had opened their doors to the +soldiers and where the care they received was in some respects better +than that possible under the crowded conditions at Montauk. + +In spite or all that could be done at Montauk there were many instances +of individual hardship and although it seemed as if there were at least +two or three people anxious and willing to look after every soldier +yet there were cases of apparently unnecessary suffering. Soldiers +discharged from the hospitals as convalescent would be sent to the +depot at Montauk, a good two miles from the hospital, on foot and would +be compelled to wait for hours in the hot sun before they could get +transportation orders. At the depot there were often good men and women +with cans of milk or lemonade and food, but even their zealous efforts +could not prevent some suffering. All this was perhaps inseparable from +the overcrowded condition of the camp and hospitals and the fact that +there were not nearly enough officers to do the work properly. + +On the 24th the regiment was released from quarantine and moved from +the detention to the general camp. By this time rumors that we were to +be furloughed and sent home were rife again and the date was finally +fixed for the 26th. Meanwhile there had been some important visitors +in our camp, including Col. Roosevelt, Secretary of War Alger and Gen. +Wheeler and they all had good words to say for the Second. Also there +were many visitors from Springfield and Western Massachusetts and +the men were fed upon all kinds of delicacies, in some cases to the +detriment of their health. + +Musician Frank P. Jones of K company was the only Springfield man to +die in Montauk, his death occuring on the 27th, after he had suffered +for days with malarial fever of the Cuban type. He had not been ill in +Cuba but the seeds of the disease lodged in his system there and in his +weak condition when we landed at Montauk he was unable to resist it. +We heard while at Montauk of the death in Cuba of Private Arthur M. +Burnham of K and there were many regrets among his comrades. Private +Burnham was ill when the regiment left Santiago for home and so was +left behind. + +On the 25th verbal orders furloughing the Second for 60 days were +received and the regiment was ordered to be in readiness the next day +to proceed home. At the expiration of the furlough the regiment was to +be mustered out at South Framingham but this was afterwards changed +to Springfield. The officers and men were all ready on the 26th to go +home and the night before had been spent in packing up and putting +everything in shape. The rifles and equipments had been turned in and +the morning was eagerly anticipated. There was much disappointment when +the day came and there were no signs of an immediate movement from +the camp. Hour after hour passed and when it was finally ascertained +that the departure was deferred to the next day because of a lack +of transportation, there was nothing but disappointment from the +commanding officer down to the privates. But the Second had by this +time learned resignation and so the men waited through the long day and +the equally long night for the word that the boat which was to convey +the regiment to New London was ready. + +The night of the 26th was made memorable by a wild stampede of a number +of horses of the cavalry through the camp of the Second. The animals +were being led to water and in some manner became frightened and +getting away from the man in charge ran pell mell through the company +streets of the regiment, upsetting stacks of arms and tents and leaving +everything in much disorder. Fortunately no one was injured. + +There was but little sleep in the camp that night. The boys were too +much excited over the prospect of being at home on the morrow to care +much for slumber, and they were up long before reveille sounded. +Breakfast was hastily cooked and eaten and the outfit, or what was left +of it, fell in for the march to the boat, some three miles away. There +were ambulances for the sick and these were filled again and again. The +men able to march were not numerous, and the companies did not have +full ranks by any means. The men were without arms and clad in all +sorts of uniforms, the yellow and blue Khaki predominating, although +there were some who preferred the old militia blue uniforms they had +worn from South Framingham. The regiment finally started for the pier +amid the cheers of the 22d and other regiments it passed, and a short +time after embarking was once more on the water but bound for home this +time. The sick men who were unable to stand the journey were left in +the hospital and those allowed to go were carefully looked after. + +Arrived at New London the regiment fell at once into good hands. The +people of that city had known of its coming and delegations were on +hand when the boat came in, with food and refreshments for the boys. +Meanwhile preparations had been made by the militia authorities of the +state, and the people of Springfield and other places interested in the +Second, to look after the men. Gen. Dalton had sent a detail of staff +officers to Springfield with full power as to expenses to see that the +returning soldiers who had shed credit upon Massachusetts were properly +looked after, and a special train had been made up to go to New London +to bring them on from there. Food and refreshments were taken on the +train, and representatives of state and city were on board to render +all possible assistance. The trip was a comparatively short one. At +Palmer the three Worcester companies and F of Gardner were transferred +to a train for their destination while the other companies came on to +Springfield. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +IN WHICH IS TOLD HOW WE PREPARE TO QUIT UNCLE SAM'S SERVICE. + + +The home coming of Springfield's soldiers was not as glittering or gay +a spectacle as had been counted upon by those who watched us march away +on the morning of May 3d. That morning was a rainy and disagreeable one +and there were many who consoled themselves in thinking of the rather +tame character of our farewell, that when we returned the scene would +be a far more cheerful and inspiriting one. It wasn't. For days and +days, ever since the story of our losses at El Caney and San Juan had +been known and the people had become somewhat familiar with the tales +of sickness and suffering in Cuba and Camp Wikoff, the return of the +boys had been anxiously awaited, but when the time came, when it was +known for a certainty that the companies were to return, there was a +common feeling that the occasion would be an ill timed one for any +display of ceremony or pageantry, and as it became more known that the +majority of the officers and men were in the poorest possible condition +to stand the strain of an official, or even a semi-official welcome it +was settled that their return was to be as quiet as possible. + +The coming of the regiment from Montauk had been expected on the 26th +and in anticipation a huge crowd had gathered at the union station +to meet the soldiers. But the people were repaid for hours of waiting +by the arrival only of a few men who had been furloughed from the +hospitals. On the next day it was soon known that the regiment would +surely arrive and long before the hour set for the special train to +arrive from New London the station and its approaches were crowded with +people, including the relatives and friends of the members, not only of +the Springfield companies but of the companies from the other sections +of Western Massachusetts. In view of the condition of the soldiers +special efforts had been made to impress upon the people that the less +excitement the men were made to undergo the better for them and to this +end the station approaches were roped off and a large force of police +was on hand to keep a passageway clear from the cars to the carriages +which had been provided to bear the officers and men to their homes or +wherever they felt inclined to go. + +The state and the city co-operated well in making plans for the comfort +of the returning soldiers. Gov. Wolcott was on hand when the special +train rolled in and three members of his staff had been at work for +several days previous assisting in the preparations for the reception +of the men. Mayor Dickinson and the city officials had done everything +in their power to aid the soldiers and with them at all times were the +officers and members of the Volunteer Aid association and many private +citizens, good men and women who labored zealously in the good cause. +Others there were, too, not connected officially with state or city +or with any society, but whose work was ably done and is never to be +forgotten. + +[Illustration: MONITOR LEHIGH IN ACTION] + +At 2.58 in the afternoon the train came in and the 10,000 people in +waiting set up a cheer at the initiative of Gov. Wolcott. Then the +people pressed hard against the ropes which marked the clear space on +the platform through which the men were to go and the police officers +had their hands full for a time in keeping them back. The north side +waiting room had been cleared of occupants and outside were hundreds +of public and private carriages waiting to carry the boys wherever they +might wish. And in this one detail of carriages the thoughtfulness +of the people of the city as well as their willingness to do all in +their power for the boys of the Second were shown. Scores of them had +volunteered the use of their carriages that day and their offers had +been gladly accepted, for in the majority of cases the men were hardly +able to walk any distance, and a ride on a jolting electric car would +not have been the best thing in the world for them. But there were +carriages in plenty and the men were quickly and carefully conveyed +either to their homes or the hospitals. + +When the train stopped the people detailed to look after the +disembarkation of the men at once got to work and the boys were +quickly but tenderly taken through the waiting room and placed in the +carriages. There were many who were unable to walk even this short +distance unassisted, but in the majority of cases the men were so +glad to be once more at home that the excitement kept them up and +some lingered about on the platform, exchanging greetings with their +relatives or friends in the crowd. A number of physicians were on +hand to look after any of the men who were in immediate need of their +attention and in many other ways provision had been made for all. The +majority of the men were driven directly to their homes. Others went to +the House of Mercy or the Springfield hospital. + +The 10,000 or more people which greeted the returned ones did so in +sober but cordial fashion. There was no demonstrative welcome, for +common sense told the people that it would have been the worst thing +possible for the men whom the crowd wanted to honor. They were in no +condition to endure such a welcome and what they wanted was to get to +their homes or a resting place as quickly as possible. When the Second +went away it was in the blue uniform of the militia of Massachusetts. +The men in the ranks were all young and vigorous and looked a composite +picture of youth and strength. When they came back it was in the faded +yellow khaki uniforms issued to them in Cuba, although a few still wore +the blue. The natty uniforms of the officers were worn and soiled and +the faces of all were haggard and in many cases the beards of veterans +had replaced the smooth cheeks and chins of the militiaman. On almost +every face was the badge of the campaign against the pestilential +fevers of Cuba and the sunken cheek-bones and emaciated forms bore +eloquent witness to the hardships and sufferings that had been +undergone. It had been no holiday excursion for the gallant Second. + +For days and weeks after the return the greatest interest was shown +in the welfare of the men. Physicians placed their services at the +disposal of the Volunteer Aid association and that body kept actively +at work in its efforts to care for the men. Some of the boys were +able to be out on the streets and in public places immediately after +their arrival but in the majority of cases the men were glad enough to +stay at home. Others were too ill to make their appearance in public, +but those who were had no reason to complain of any lack of interest +in them or their doings in Cuba. Columns were published daily in the +newspapers concerning the condition of the sick men and the experiences +of the well ones and the sight of the worn campaign uniform on the +street was the occasion for a gathering of interested people. But as +time went on the interest slackened, as it is in the nature of things +so to be, the men showed a marked preference for citizens' dress +instead of the uniform, and settled down again to the ordinary ways of +life while waiting for their furloughs to expire and their muster out +of the service of Uncle Sam. + +There had been much concern expressed over the orders instructing the +Second to assemble at South Framingham for muster-out and there was +much satisfaction when it was known that the orders had been changed +and that Springfield had been selected as the place. It was felt that +this was fitting and proper and both the local members of the regiment +and the people of the city were well pleased at the decision of the war +department. + +Meanwhile the men who had been left behind in Cuba, at Montauk and in +hospitals at other places continued to arrive home and some time before +the expiration of their furlough nearly all the surviving members of +the Second were at home. From Cuba came the men who were left behind +too sick to be moved when the regiment left for home and with them the +men who had volunteered or been detailed to remain care for them. But +all of them did not come. Privates Little and Stetson of G company had +succumbed to disease and Dr. H. C. Bowen, the surgeon of the Second, +was also a victim. He was in the division hospital when the regiment +sailed and his death soon followed. + +The fate which befell Dr. Bowen was a hard one. Enthusiastic to +volunteer at the outbreak of the war he was assigned to duty as the +surgeon of the Second with the rank of major and he had high hopes +of a useful career in the army as had his friends for him. But he +was totally without experience in army medical life, his assistant +surgeons, though young and enthusiastic in their profession, were +also inexperienced in this line of work and at the very outset he +and they were thwarted and discouraged by their incessant conflicts +with army red tape and the consequent difficulty in obtaining needed +medical supplies for the regiment. Time and time again Major Bowen +sent in requisition after requisition but no supplies came in answer +to them and had it not been for the finely appointed medical and +surgical outfit furnished by the state of Massachusetts the equipment +of the Second would have been meager indeed. With these on hand the +lack of proper government supplies was not seriously felt until after +the landing in Cuba and then with the brilliancy which marked so +many other features of the campaign, the Second's medical chest was +not brought ashore, but was left on board the Knickerbocker until +some time after the surrender of Santiago. As a result the medical +supplies were short and though he tried again and again Major Bowen +could obtain no more. Soon after he landed he was attacked by the +malarial fever and though at first it was in a mild form it combined +with the discouragements to which he had been subjected to make him +low-spirited and not altogether a genial minister to the sick men or a +companion at the mess. Directly after the battle of El Caney Assistant +Surgeon Gates was taken from the Second and attached temporarily to the +Fourth infantry, which regiment had no surgeon and Assistant Surgeon +Hitchcock became ill so that the entire work of caring for the Second +was thrown upon Major Bowen. This added to his other troubles and his +own illness resulted in making the latter extremely serious and though +he struggled against it for many weeks he was at last forced to give +up. Before this he had manfully stuck to his post and tried in every +way to do his duty but results of his failing health and his heavy +burden of work were mistaken by many of the officers and men for lack +of sympathetic feeling and for this he was criticized. This criticism +was a mistaken one, for at bottom Major Bowen was of a kindly and +sympathetic nature but it was his misfortune to have his illness and +troubles put a veneer of impatience upon his normal disposition and +this conveyed the mistaken idea referred to above. In his service with +the Second Major Bowen did all possible for a man to do and those who +knew the heavy burden under which he toiled have always been willing to +accord him the tribute he was justly entitled to. He died in the Second +division hospital just outside of Santiago. Some months after his body +was exhumed and sent to his family in Westfield. There was some mystery +concerning the whereabouts of his watch and other effects but some +time after his death they were accidentally discovered in New Orleans +and restored to his parents. + +At Montauk Point K company suffered a loss in the death of Musician +Frank P. Jones, who succumbed to fever in the camp hospital August +27th. All through the campaign in Cuba Musician Jones not only kept +himself well and his spirits up but his cheery speech did much to help +his comrades. It was not until he reached Montauk that he gave in to +the disease which laid so many of the Second low. + +Even after the regiment had returned home and the sick men were being +given the best of medical attention and care in their homes or in the +hospitals the death angel did not cease. On Sept. 13th Corporal Patrick +J. Noone of G company died at his home after a long illness with the +fever and two days later his remains were escorted to the grave by +his comrades and laid to rest after the three volleys which mark the +soldier's burial had been fired. On October 8, Private Frank Burke of G +died and was laid to rest in the same cemetery. + +Meanwhile in both the Mercy and the Springfield hospitals all that was +possible was being done for the sick "soldier boys," and physicians +and nurses were untiring in their efforts. Both institutions had many +soldier patients and they will long remember the devoted care and +kindnesses they received. + +All this time preparations for the muster-out of the Second had been +going steadily on. It had been settled that the outfit was to be +formally discharged from the United States service in Springfield and +on Sept. 28th First Lieut. Oliver Edwards, 11th Infantry U. S. A., +came on to assist in the work preliminary to muster-out. There was +considerable to be done in the way of getting ready for the ceremony +and there were many things to be explained to both officers and men +before all was in readiness. In the effort to have everything clearly +understood and all the "kinks" straightened out Lieut. Edwards was +untiring and he made a most favorable impression upon all with whom his +duties brought him in contact. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +WE BECOME PLAIN CITIZENS ONCE MORE AND SQUARE ACCOUNTS WITH UNCLE SAM. + + +October 3d, 1898, is one of the "star" days in the history of the +Second, that being the day on which we ceased to be soldiers of +the United States and became plain and humble citizens once more. +Incidentally it was something of a day for Springfield for one of +the features of the muster-out was a brief parade of the regiment +from the railway station to the state armory, where the exercises +occurred. Before that, the armory had been for some time the scene of +much activity. The furlough of the regiment, given it at Montauk, had +expired October 24th, and for the rest of the time preceding muster-out +the officers and men were required to make the armory their home +during the day. Their meals were served there, a contract being made +with a Springfield caterer, and it can be said that the daily menu was +far more satisfactory than those we had in the campaign although the +government paid for both. During this period, the officers and men were +also required to appear in uniform and the streets took on a decidedly +military appearance. Much interest was shown by the people of the city +in everything that pertained to the muster-out and the armory had many +visitors daily. But it was all play in those days for some of the +officers and men. There is a lot of red tape and formality connected +with putting volunteer organizations out of the United States service, +and there was plenty of work to be done in making out rolls and all +sorts of papers, so that those detailed for this work were kept busy +for many days. + +Finally on the 3d of October, all the companies of the Second were +assembled in Springfield, the local companies marching to the railway +station to meet them and after passing in review before the city +officials at the city hall, the regiment marched to the armory for +muster-out. The parade, the first appearance of the Second since it +left for the front, brought out thousands of people to watch the men +who had done good service on a foreign soil, and had watered it with +the blood of many who had marched away on the morning of May 3d. The +regiment presented a curious sight in some respects and as a spectacle +it must be said the affair was not an altogether happy one. The men +were without rifles or equipments, some wore the faded khaki uniform +issued just before leaving Cuba, others the old blue outfits of the +Massachusetts militia and the ranks were thinner than when the regiment +left South Framingham. There seemed to be a chill in the air, too, and +instead of applause there was subdued comment on the appearance of the +men as they marched past. + +[Illustration: THE PRAIRIE] + +Surely the men did not look like ballroom soldiers. The uniforms were +in many cases ill-fitting and soiled, the marching was not done with +the precision of some crack national guard organizations which did not +go to the front, and the faces of the majority of the officers and men +wore the yellow signal of service in a pestilential climate. But this +in itself ought to have been warrant for some outburst of satisfaction +in the gallant deeds of the regiment instead of curious stares and the +silence of wonderment. However, there were sporadic cases of applause +and as the men did not much care whether they received any or not, they +found little fault with the lack of it. Only the members of the +companies from outside the city wondered mildly what it all meant, and +if after all it would not have been as well to have stayed at home and +not have tried to stand by the flag when men were wanted. + +The ceremonies at the armory were informal enough. Each company +was mustered out in turn by Lieut. Col. E. M. Weaver of the Fifth +Massachusetts U. S. V., who as a lieutenant in the Second U. S. +Artillery had mustered us in at South Framingham on May 3d. He was +assisted by Lieut. Edwards and it did not take very long to put each +company "out of business" as United States Volunteers. The company was +formed, the men answered to their names and took position in the same +manner as when mustered in, and this over the company commander was +informed that the company was mustered out and that discharge papers +for each man would be provided. + +But the discharge papers did not come that day nor for several days. +The paymaster had failed to arrive with the funds and until these +were distributed the men had but little use for discharge papers. It +was explained that the reason for delay on the paymaster's part was +due to errors in the rolls sent in from a few of the companies and as +the men wanted their three months pay and allowances rather more than +discharges, it is no wonder if some unkind things were said as to the +paymaster and these companies. + +It was not until November 17th that the long looked for pay arrived, +and the companies were ordered to once more assemble at the armory, +this time for the purpose of settling accounts with Uncle Sam. This +operation was simple enough, yet very interesting to the recipients +of the contents of the small and dingy valise of the paymaster. The +three months' pay with the allowances for clothing and ration money +made quite a sizable sum for the great majority of the men, and the +nice new greenbacks which they received were not refused. With the +money came the discharge papers as a sure enough sign that we were +no longer soldiers of the United States. Many of the officers and men +failed, however, to settle up with Major Sherman on the 17th. Some of +the officers had not squared their accounts with the war department and +in some cases they were obliged to wait a considerable time before they +accounted for every bit of property they were held responsible for and +complied with all the red tape. A number of the men were not able to be +on hand, owing to sickness and other causes, when Major Sherman finally +arrived and they were likewise forced to wait. An interesting episode +of "paying off" time was the breezy disagreement between Major Sherman +and Capt. McDonald of B company, over the former's refusal to pay some +eight men of the latter's company, who had, it seems, signed one pay +roll and supposed that everything was all right. As it happened, when +Major Sherman came to Springfield, he failed to bring the correct +roll for B company, and insisted that the members should sign a new +one. This was done, but as the eight men referred to were out of the +city, they were unable to sign, and when they appeared for their pay, +were told they would have to wait for some time. The majority of the +men needed the money and needed it badly, but although Capt. McDonald +exhausted every effort to obtain it for them, it was not till quite +a while had elapsed that they were paid. The opportunity afforded +Capt. McDonald for some caustic criticisms of the workings of the war +department was not allowed to pass. + +In those days it was a great thing to be a returned soldier as was +instanced in the cases of several of the boys who were members of more +or less secret organizations. It got to be a common thing for these +associations to show their appreciation of their soldier members by +presenting them with money or badges, or some token of esteem, and +a number of the men who served with the Springfield companies are +wearing medals or badges thus presented. Probably none of them was +prouder of his medal than Private Morris Grenowitz of B company who +had the distinction of being the only Hebrew in the three Springfield +companies. He was a member of the Young Men's Hebrew Association, and +soon after his return the association held a public reception in his +honor and presented him with a check for a small sum of money and a +gold medal. Private Peter F. Boyer of B company was given a gold watch +by the members of an organization to which he belonged and several of +the other boys were similarly remembered, among them Private William +Ferrier of G company who was given a handsome gold ring. A number of +the members of the Springfield companies resided in West Springfield +and the inhabitants of the village of Mittineague in that town honored +their soldiers one evening by a big reception and entertainment with +plenty of red fire, etc., included. + +A largely attended public reception and flag presentation was held in +the city hall, on the evening of November 3d, to which the officers +and members of the Springfield companies, and their relatives and +friends were invited and the hall was packed to the doors. Gov. Wolcott +and members of his staff were present and the governor spoke, as did +a number of the prominent citizens, all eulogizing the work of the +regiment and paying a tribute to the officers and men who had failed to +return. The tattered colors of the regiment were in evidence and their +appearance in the hall was the signal for an outburst of applause. +On this occasion the stands of colors purchased for each company in +connection with the Fourth of July celebration of 1898, which never +came off, were formally presented, and as the representatives of each +of the companies advanced to receive the new and handsome flags, the +audience broke into applause and cheers. These flags were bought with +the proceeds of the sales of the Fourth of July badges which were to +have been a feature of the celebration and a good sum was realized. + +Previous to muster-out First Sergeant T. F. Burke of B company had been +appointed on the recommendation of Col. Clark as Second Lieutenant to +fill the vacancy caused by the death of Lieut. Harry J. Vesper. + +Immediately following the muster-out Dr. E. A. Gates, who had been +promoted from Assistant Surgeon to Surgeon with the rank of Major, +vice Bowen, deceased, was ordered to Boston and Worcester to assist +in the work of examining the men of other regiments to be mustered +out. Assistant Surgeon Hitchcock was also ordered on this same duty. +Dr. Hitchcock was attacked with a serious spinal trouble and for some +months his life was despaired of. He finally recovered but not until +after weary months of suffering. + +Soon after the muster-out of the Second the provisional militia +companies organized in the city during the war ceased practically +to exist, although they were not formally disbanded for some time +afterwards. The reorganization of the Second as a part of the +Massachusetts Volunteer Militia did not start until after its muster +out of the United States service and it was at one time freely +predicted that the work of reorganization would be the hardest task +ever experienced by those in charge. It looked so at times, but +in spite of the croakers and pessimists who asserted that it was +likely that the Second would never be the same regiment again the +reorganization was quietly and successfully effected and it was not +long before the outfit was once again in its old form. A surprisingly +large number of the officers and men who had served in the war +remained in the regiment and this was especially the case in the three +Springfield companies, G and B having more of the veterans than K. The +state granted the regiment a 30 days' furlough dating from Nov. 3 to +Dec. 3 in order to allow time to get matters straightened out before +its entrance upon a career of militia service again. + +Meanwhile steps had been taken toward an expedition to go to Cuba and +bring back the bodies of the dead of the Second. The co-operation of +the cities and towns from which the regiment was recruited was obtained +and a number of meetings were held in this city, representatives from +Worcester, Holyoke, Northampton, Greenfield, Orange and Adams being +present with authority from their respective cities and towns. After +a number of meetings an expedition was organized which left for Cuba +in January, 1899. The Springfield representatives were Lieut. T. F. +Burke of B company, Lieut. Fred Jenks of K company, Private Dozilva +Lamoreaux of G company and Private Alfred Rose of B, the latter going +as interpreter. The progress of the expedition was slow at first, owing +to many difficulties connected with obtaining permission to disinter +the bodies and of getting transportation, but thanks to incessant work +and powerful influence these were at last disposed of and the party +sailed from New York on Jan. 29. It was necessary to go first to Porto +Rico and remain there some days but after Santiago was reached there +was comparatively little trouble. The bodies of the Springfield men +were all located and identified with one exception, that of Private +Robert E. Kelly of G, who was fatally shot on the night of July 2d at +San Juan. The bodies were encased in metallic coffins and on arrival +in Springfield were given proper burial. An elaborate service was held +over the body of Sergeant Richard H. Bearse of B company in the State +Street Baptist church, representatives of the city government and the +organizations of which he was a member as well as his own company, +being present. The church was crowded with friends and the ceremonies +were impressive. Before this the body of Musician Frank P. Jones of +K had been brought on from Montauk and buried in Oak Grove cemetery +after largely attended services in the State Street Methodist church. +The bodies of the G company men were buried with military honors also +and those of Privates Little and Stetson, whose relatives could not +be found, were interred in a lot which the company purchased in the +Springfield cemetery. + +Twice within the year 1899 were the Springfield companies called +together to go over again in memory the deeds of the previous year. For +some time there had been desultory talk of public honors being paid to +the dead of the companies and finally a memorial service was arranged +for and was held in the city hall on Sunday afternoon, April 16. It was +one of the most disagreeable days imaginable, a fall of mingled rain +and snow filling the streets with slush, but despite this the building +was jammed to suffocation. The platform was decorated with appropriate +bunting and in front were representations of memorial tablets bearing +the names of the officers and men of the companies who had given their +lives in the cause. The war-worn regimental colors were brought on from +Boston for the occasion and were draped in the rear of the platform. +Affecting tributes were paid to the dead heroes and eulogies were +pronounced by some of Springfield's most prominent citizens. + +The camp of the First Brigade M. V. M. at South Framingham in August, +1899, brought the regiment once more onto the ground where it was +mustered into the United States service the year before, but under much +different circumstances than then. The ranks of the Second contained a +very large percentage, a majority, in fact, of those who had gone out +with it to Cuba and the red sleeve stripes indicating service in war +were conspicuous on the blouses of the greater number of the men. At +this time old friendships formed during the campaign were renewed and +new ones formed. + +On the occasion of the annual fall drill of the state militia in Boston +in October Admiral George Dewey was the guest of the city and the event +was also made the occasion of the formal "turning over" of the "war +colors" to the state. The Second came in for no little share of the +honors of the occasion, as well it might. + +As time wore on after the return of the regiment from the fever +stricken camps in Cuba the malarial poison left the bodies of the men +and within six months afterwards the majority of them had regained +their normal health. There were many, however, with whom the exposures +and hardships of the campaign had raised havoc and to this day some +show the effects of the short but eventful period when they were +serving under the flag. The latest man in the Springfield companies +to succumb to the ravages of disease contracted in the campaign was +Private John L. Morehouse of K company, who died Nov. 12 of typhoid +fever. + +In October, 1899, a number of the officers and men of the Springfield +companies who had served in the Cuban war began the organization of a +camp of the Legion of Spanish War Veterans, an order patterned after +the model of the Grand Army of the Republic and which it is to be hoped +will be to the veterans of the war with Spain what the Grand Army is to +the men who fought in the Civil war. The camp was named after Henry S. +Lee of Springfield, whose splendid and self-sacrificing work for the +benefit of the soldiers and sailors in the Spanish war will never be +forgotten by them or the people. + +Thus closes the record of Springfield's three infantry companies in the +war with Spain. It is not a long chronicle but it is one in which the +people of the City of Homes can always take a just pride. It is not +confined to these companies alone either, for aside from the efficient +duty performed by her company in the naval brigade, there were many +individual enlistments in regular regiments and there was the splendid +work done at the United States armory in turning out the arms with +which the troops were equipped. As in the Civil war the works were +run day and night and the force of employees trebled. There was good +work done too at the recruiting station and it is not too much to say +that Springfield was a prominent factor in the war from its beginning +to its close. When the rebellion against the authority of the United +States in the Philippines broke out and volunteers were again called +for Springfield again showed its patriotism. A number enlisted from +this city in the famous 26th and among them were many of the men who +had seen service in Cuba. Others went into the 46th and more would have +gone had it been necessary. As always the city and its men young and +old showed their loyalty to the flag, whether it led the way to the +hills around Santiago or to the rice swamps and jungles of Luzon. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +WHEREIN IS NARRATED THE ADVENTURES ON THE HIGH SEAS OF SPRINGFIELD'S +SAILORS. + + +While the land soldiers which Springfield furnished the government were +enjoying themselves in Florida and Cuba and toying with the canned +roast beef and other incidentals of a campaign, the Springfield marine +contingent was not having an altogether lovely time. On the monitor +Lehigh and the auxiliary cruiser Prairie there was work and hard work +too in plenty but on the whole the rations and the quarters were +better than those enjoyed by the infantry contingent. But the boys of +H company, naval brigade, pined for active service and those on the +Lehigh were aggrieved at not getting it while their comrades on the +Prairie were roaming the seas on a fast ship in chase of the enemy +or doing blockade duty off the coasts of Cuba and Porto Rico. It was +hard work for the Lehigh men to be cooped up on their old, "flat boat" +in Boston harbor during the stirring times of the summer of 1898 but it +is to their credit that although they grumbled at their lot as all good +sailors do, yet they did their full duty and did it well. + +The bringing of the Lehigh from the League Island navy yard to Boston +Harbor was in itself something of an achievement for the tug which +towed her broke down and the monitor was forced to proceed under her +own steam, much to the surprise of those on the tug Clara Clorita. +This happened at Vineyard Haven and from that point to Boston the +Lehigh was cast off from the tug and was sailed the remainder of the +way under her own steam and by her own crew. When the Lehigh left +Philadelphia the navy yard officials were apprehensive of her behavior +at sea as she was primarily a coast defence vessel but the naval +brigade men in the monitor found no great trouble in sailing her. + +The Lehigh reached Boston on May 5 and on the 9th the Springfield +officers and men of the crew were given leaves of absence and +furloughs to enable them to attend the presentation of "The Ensign" by +Springfield amateurs at the Court Square theater for the benefit of the +company fund. The crew included Lieut. J. K. Dexter, Lieut, (j. g.) W. +O. Cohn, Ensign Walter S. Barr and Seamen W. A. Sabin, A. N. Luce, R. +P. King, Paul H. Lathrop, L. E. Ladd, W. S. Johnson, W. F. Bright and +R. H. B. Warburton. The presentation was a successful one in every way +and netted quite a sum. + +Meanwhile the Lehigh had been permanently detailed for duty in Boston +harbor as a coast defence vessel and a disagreeable surprise was in +store for some of the Springfield men when they returned from their +furloughs. They were all anxious to re-enlist for service and had been +assured by Capt. Weeks, commanding the naval brigade, that if they +telegraphed to him their willingness to re-enlist before a certain hour +on the 10th, places would be kept for them. But on their arrival on +the ship on May 12th they found that there was only one vacancy left. +Just how the mistake was made was never thoroughly explained, but it +was suspected by the Springfield men that there was a scheme to shut as +many of them as possible out in favor of some Boston naval militiamen. +They felt it keenly and Lieut. Dexter succeeded in straightening out +matters so that Coxswain Johnson and Seamen Bright and Warburton were +re-enlisted. Sabin, Luce and King had already done so and this left +only Lathrop and Ladd out in the cold. In spite of their efforts they +could not get in. + +The officers suffered also from the fact that there were not places +enough for all of them in the Lehigh's complement as a coast defense +ship. Lieut. Colin was offered the alternative of going on the waiting +list or being reduced in rank to ensign. He chose the latter and +remained with the ship but there was no place for Ensign Barr and he +was placed on the waiting list and returned home to await orders. Later +Lieut. Dexter was taken from the Lehigh and placed on the converted +ferry boat "Governor Russell," the property of the City of Boston which +had turned over to the government, as executive officer. + +All this time the "Prairie dogs," as the crew of that vessel were +dubbed by their less fortunate comrades, were having a fairly good time +at the Brooklyn navy yard. Much time was spent there in fitting up the +vessel as an auxiliary cruiser and until the work was well advanced the +crew was lodged and fed in hotels and later in the navy yard barracks. + +As it happened, Ralph H. Newcomb was the first of the Springfield men +to reach the Prairie and report for duty. He was in Washington on a +visit when orders were issued for H company to report at Brooklyn and +when he was notified by Lieut. Crossman he lost no time in getting to +that city and the navy yard, beating out his comrades by several hours. + +Hammocks were "swung" on the Prairie for the first time on Saturday, +May 7th, and from that time until muster-out in September hotel fare +was a dream of the past to which the boys looked back with considerable +regret. The Prairie, completely transformed into a war ship, left +the navy yard and steamed down the harbor to Tompkinsville. This was +on Friday, the 13th of May, but if there was any "hoodoo" it failed +to work. The next day the Prairie steamed out to sea and had target +practice, badly frightening some of the residents of the coast with +the big guns. Late in the afternoon the Prairie gave chase to a +suspicious craft which turned out to be an English tramp steamer. + +The Prairie had been assigned to patrol duty on the North Atlantic +coast with the San Francisco. The "Frisco" was sighted on the day +following and both ships steamed into Provincetown and remained there +for the next day, sailing out late in the afternoon. It is recorded +that the sailors washed clothes during their stay in Provincetown and +it is evident they were getting a taste of the life of a jolly tar. The +regular patrol tour of the Prairie was from Provincetown north to some +40 miles above Boston, then south to Nantucket to Provincetown, meeting +the San Francisco off the cape and obtaining mail. + +These were not idle days by any means. What with battalion drills, +inspection, target practice, painting ship and the regular routine of +ship's work the long hours of duty passed quickly and the men were +pretty well tired out as a rule when the time came to get into their +hammocks. But the men of H company learned fast and soon accustomed +themselves to life on one of Uncle Sam's war ships. The one thing they +did not take to very kindly in the line of work was coaling ship and +this came rather oftener than they had any relish for. + +In the way of food there was little to complain of, although the fare +was not Delmonico-like by any means. One of the mess cooks kept a diary +of what he served up for every meal during the service of the Prairie +and it shows that the menus, while probably simple enough to the men +on board, would have been regarded as the acme of luxurious living by +their brethren of the Second. A few samples are given: breakfast, June +10, Indian meal and coffee; dinner, soup, roast beef and potatoes; +supper, hash and French toast. June 12th, breakfast, bacon and +potatoes; dinner, sausages and potatoes; supper, beans, cold meat and +sausages. The daily average was fully up to the samples given above. + +Capt. Train of the Prairie was a disciplinarian and there were +punishments meted out for various small offences. One man was deprived +of shore liberty for three months for throwing swill out of a port +hole. For smoking outside of "smoking hours" the customary punishment +was 48 hours of extra duty, while for being late with hammocks the +sentence was for the delinquents to parade the deck for an hour or two +hours with the hammocks on their shoulders. + +The Prairie sailed from Provincetown June 10th for a brief cruise +southward, but returned on the 14th. The weather was very foggy during +the cruise and on the 14th the ship came near running down an English +tramp steamer passing within a boat's length of her. + +On the 16th the Prairie sailed again from Provincetown for Delaware +breakwater, arriving there on the 18th. The next day she sailed for +New York, anchoring off Tompkinsville the 20th. Coaling ship was one +of the innocent amusements of the day and the men stowed away 83 tons +in the afternoon. Early next morning the sport was resumed and before +breakfast 28 tons more had been put away in the bunkers, the record for +the day being 182 tons. The next day the coal situation again took the +attention of the crew but they finished the job. Shore liberty resulted +in some of the men overstaying it and being shut off from any more +during the stay. On Sunday, June 26th, the men got into blue dress for +inspection but before the ceremony was over orders came to sail at once +for Key West. Off came the blue suits and the men got into their "coal" +suits again and finished coaling ship at 1.30 in the morning. The +Prairie sailed for Key West on the 27th, arriving there June 1st. Her +stay was short, for the same day she left with mail for the blockading +squadron off Cuba and sighting the Amphitrite the next day transferred +her mail to her. Later that day the Prairie gave the mail to the +Newport, Montgomery, Vicksburg and Marietta. That afternoon the men on +the Prairie saw the Marietta pick up a refugee from the shore and saw +the guns from Morro Castle fire at her but fail to strike. + +On July Fourth the men paraded in blue and fired the national salute. +The Prairie for a day or two acted as flagship of the squadron during +the absence of the Amphitrite at Key West. + +On Tuesday, July 5th, the Hawk came alongside the Prairie with orders +for the latter to proceed to Mariel, 23-1/2 miles from Havana, and +assist in the capture of a liner supposed to have been trying to run +the blockade. The liner proved to be the Spanish transport Alphonso +XII, with a large number of soldiers on board. She had tried to run the +blockade but had been discovered and chased so sharply by a couple of +the converted yachts attached to the blockading squadron that she was +run ashore and lay head on. The troops and her crew had managed to get +ashore by the time the Prairie came up, but it was not certain that she +was not manned and several shots were sent at her from the starboard +six-inch guns. After the fourth or fifth shot there was an explosion, +evidently her magazine, and as she did not return the fire the Prairie +ceased firing. During the firing a saucy little Spanish gunboat stuck +her nose out of the harbor but a couple of six-inch shells settled her +fate and she was sunk in quick time. The firing at the Alphonso XII +was first-rate target practice and at long range, too, all the shells +hitting her, although the range was 6600 yards. + +On July 7th the Tecumseh brought a lot of mail from Key West for the +Prairie and a good share of the day was put in in reading it. On the +9th a small shark was caught and some of the boys secured teeth as +souvenirs. + +Monday, July 11th, the Prairie was relieved of blockade duty off Mariel +and ordered to Gibara with the Topeka, Mayflower and Badger, the +Prairie being made the flagship of the squadron. The trip to Gibara +was without special incidents and the ships arrived there on the 13th. +Just as the blockaders appeared a schooner and two fishing smacks which +were just coming out made haste to get back into the port. Blockade +duty was kept up for several days and occasionally the ship would go in +so close to the town that the people could be seen in the streets. The +search-lights were used about every night and this work was pleasing to +the men detailed for it. + +The San Francisco arrived on the 17th and took off a lot of mail for +the United States. Since leaving Havana the crew of the Prairie had +not received any mail and were eagerly expecting some. On the 18th +the supply of sugar gave out and this was keenly felt until some was +procured. On the 20th the Maple, which had joined the squadron, caught +a small sloop with a crew of four men and laden with tobacco, making +the first prize of the tour. + +One of the marine detail on the Prairie was a Springfield man named +John Fenton and on the 21st he was the victim of a severe accident +caused by the slipping of a six-inch shell from his hands at gun +practice. The shell landed on his foot, badly crushing it. + +This same day a delegation of the prominent citizens of Gibara came +out in a small boat and offered to surrender the town as the Spanish +garrison was about to leave and the inhabitants were afraid of the +negroes in the vicinity. On receiving the offer the Prairie steamed to +Nipe bay where the Topeka was found engaged in shelling the town. The +Dupont took a message to the Topeka and the Prairie returned to Gibara. +From a Cuban who came out in a dory it was learned that the inhabitants +had raised an American flag over the town and were anxious that a force +be landed to take possession of the place. It was also learned that +the town was short of provisions. The Cuban's heart was gladdened by +the gift of hardtack, canned meat, corn and coffee. On the 25th the +Mangrove brought orders to proceed to Guantanamo bay and coal up at +once. At Guantanamo fresh meat and also newspapers a week or two old +were received. + +Wednesday, July 27th, marked the close of the third month of service +of the Prairie's crew and as if to celebrate the event the Supply came +in with a lot of provisions. The work of coaling ship was begun on the +night of the 25th and did not cease until the 27th, the men standing +their regular watches and doing their trick with the coal as if it was +nothing unusual. + +The Prairie sailed from Guantanamo bay on the evening of the 27th and +reached San Juan, Porto Rico, on the 29th. Some ammunition brought from +Guantanamo for the cruiser New Orleans was transferred to her in boats. +The Prairie did not stay long at San Juan but sailed for Ponce on the +other side of the island on the 31st, arriving there the next day. +Troops were being landed at Ponce and the roadstead was filled with +war ships and transports. One of the transports became stuck on a bar +outside the light-house and the Prairie had hard work getting her off +the bar. A lot of mangoes brought aboard resulted in a number of the +men being made ill from indulging too freely in the fruit. The soldiers +on the transport Massachusetts, the one which was stuck, were taken on +board the Prairie and fed, being landed the next day. + +News of the cessation of hostilities reached the ship August 5th and +was received at first with incredulity. The night of Friday, August +12th, was made memorable by Burgess tumbling out of his hammock three +times in rapid succession. "Rags," the canine mascot, had become +subject to fits and was assisted to commit suicide one day while in the +harbor. + +The Prairie received orders to sail for the United States and on August +18th left for Santiago, arriving there the 20th. The ship left Santiago +the 21st, with three companies of the Seventh infantry on board. All +went well until the 25th, when a heavy fog came on and the Prairie ran +aground near Amagansett Point, 15 miles from Montauk Point. There was +considerable confusion, of course, but the Prairie was handled well. +All the boats were lowered and two kedge anchors were put out, one from +the starboard quarter and the other from the starboard forecastle. The +boats were out all night and it was not until at high tide the next day +that the Prairie was hauled off by the tug Brittania and a light-house +tender. The soldiers were landed and taken to Montauk Point. After +being hauled off the Prairie sailed for Montauk Point, arriving there +early in the evening. At Montauk the Prairie was put into quarantine +until the 28th. Hardly was she out of quarantine before she steamed +to Newport and from there to Fall River, where a warm reception was +given the Fall River men on board the ship. That evening the Fall +River and New Bedford men went ashore but the Springfield contingent +was kept on board, much to their disappointment. On the 30th the +Prairie left Fall River and steamed down to Newport, the event of the +evening being the playing of the "Fu-Fu" band. The next day the ship +started for New York and remained there until the 19th, when she went +to Delaware Breakwater. Rumors of discharge began to agitate the crew +soon after arriving in New York and Capt. Train went to Washington to +confer with the Navy Department concerning it but returned with no +definite knowledge of the exact time the muster-out would take place. +From Delaware Breakwater the Prairie steamed up to the League Island +navy yard where some of the guns were taken off and transferred to the +New York. During the stay in New York and at League Island the "Rough +Riders" made several successful initiations. + +Sunday, September 25, hammocks were lashed for the last time and after +the dunnage had been loaded on a tug, the crew mustered and gave three +cheers for Capt. Train and Lieuts. Stone and Stimpson. This done, the +crew bade good bye to the Prairie and went ashore, going to Jersey +City by train. After a brief trip on a ferry, the Fall River boat was +boarded for the trip to that city and Boston. The latter place was +reached about 10 o'clock Monday morning and after passing in review +before the governor at the state house the Prairie men proceeded +to the receiving ship Wabash, where they were furloughed until the +following Wednesday. The boys enjoyed themselves hugely in Boston until +Wednesday, when they were mustered out and given their discharges from +the service of the United States. + +At 9.15 that evening, the Springfield part of the crew arrived home +and were given an enthusiastic welcome in which red fire and fireworks +played a prominent part. At the armory the men were greeted by glad +relatives and soon dispersed to their homes plain naval militiamen once +more after doing their full duty to Uncle Sam and serving him well. + +Lieut. H. S Crossman, who went out with the Prairie detail remained on +the ship until she was ordered south, when he and some of the other +officers were sent out on special duty. He was assigned to duty as +recruiting officer on the Minnesota and remained there until a short +time before the dismissal of the Prairie's crew from the service. + +Lieut. J. K. Dexter was detailed from duty on the Lehigh to duty as +navigator on the converted ferry boat, Gov. Russell, and ordered to +take her to Key West. The trip was an eventful one, for the Gov. +Russell as a war boat was a fearfully and wonderfully constructed piece +of marine architecture, and there were times when it was a question +whether she would ever reach a port or not. But finally she was +navigated as far as Newport News, and after looking her carefully over, +the naval authorities decided that it was not wise to expose her again +to the high seas. + +After muster-out of the Lehigh detail H company was once more at home +and it was not long before the reorganization of the command as a part +of the state militia was begun and successfully carried out, a good +number of the officers and men who had seen service remaining. Today +the company is once more in its old position of the best all-round +company in the Massachusetts naval brigade. + +On October 27th, a number of prominent citizens tendered H company a +banquet at Hotel Worthy, and the occasion will long be remembered as a +very pleasant one. During the evening the handsome silk American flag, +purchased for the company by citizens, was presented by Rev. Dr. P. S. +Moxom. + + + + +ROSTER. + + +FIELD STAFF AND NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF. + + COLONEL, EMBURY P. CLARK. + MAJOR, FREDERICK G. SOUTHMAYD. + ADJUTANT, FIRST LIEUT. PAUL R. HAWKINS. + QUARTERMASTER, FIRST LIEUT. EDWARD E. SAWTELL. + MAJOR AND SURGEON, HENRY C. BOWEN. + MAJOR AND SURGEON, ERNEST A. GATES. + + + SERGEANT-MAJOR, ROBERT N. INGERSOL. + QUARTERMASTER-SERGEANT, ROSS L. LUSK. + HOSPITAL STEWARD, EDSON P. HOWES. + + +G. COMPANY. + + CAPTAIN, JOHN J. LEONARD. + FIRST LIEUTENANT, WILLIAM C. HAYES. + SECOND LIEUTENANT, EDWARD J. LEYDEN. + FIRST SERGEANT, WILLIAM BUTEMENT. + SERGEANTS, JEREMIAH F. SCULLY. + JOSEPH N. LOVELY. + WALTER W. WARD. + JOSEPH A. MURPHY. + JAMES A. GIBBONS. + CORPORALS, ROBERT A. ROSS. + PATRICK J. NOONE. + MICHAEL J. MCHALE. + FRANK C. KEATING, Chicopee Falls. + NATALINE GARDELLA. + ERNEST E. ROBINSON. + MUSICIANS, PATRICK J. O'CONNELL. + ROBERT D. CARGILL. + WAGONER, JAMES R. SHENE. + ARTIFICER, BENJAMIN A. SEAMANS. + + +PRIVATES + + Frank A. Anderson Dozilva P. Lamoreaux, Chicopee + Timothy T. Austin Andrew Little + Elmer B. Barrowcliffe Christopher T. Lovett + Frank J. Barsalow John J. Mahoney, W. Sp'f'd + Daniel J. Bellamy Thomas F. Mahoney + Wilbur G. Brassard, Thompsonville George H. Markham + James H. Bresnahan John B. Mandeville + Patrick J. Bresnan Ernest P. Marble + Alfred C. Brownell Dennis F. McCarthy + Francis C. Burke Henry E. Merchant + Thomas Burke Louis Monteverde + Henry T. Conrad Fred H. Morrill + George W. Campbell Carl A. Mueller + Thomas M. Conlin James J. O'Brien + William E. Coolidge Charles A. Nelson + Timothy J. Crowley John J. O'Leary + William R. Dillon, W. Sp'f'd Arthur H. Packard + John H. Dunn Walter A. Packard + George E. Easton Jacob Peterson + William Ferrier George A. Richmond + Charles R. Fisher William J. Rooney + Theodore Gelinas, Holyoke William J. Root + Frank M. Hannon Jeremiah J. Shea + Patrick J. Hayes Cyrus A. Shufelt + Andrew F. Higgins Henry J. Slattery + Frank N. Hunt Fred S. Stetson + Robert G. Kelly John E. Tobin + Edward K. Lathrop Henry B. Whitmore + Henry H. Lawler Samuel Wilson + + +B COMPANY. + + CAPTAIN, HENRY MCDONALD. + FIRST LIEUTENANT, WILLIAM J. YOUNG. + SECOND LIEUTENANT, HARRY J. VESPER. + SECOND LIEUTENANT, THOMAS F. BURKE. + SERGEANTS, RICHARD H. BEARSE. + SAMUEL E. SMITH. + GEORGE J. MCKEOWN. + JOHN J. O'CONNELL. + EVERETT W. WILCOX. + CORPORALS, FRANK A. WAKEFIELD. + MELVIN H. RANSOM. + RICHARD B. BLANEY. + MICHAEL J. DONAHUH. + JOHN B. FULTON. + THOMAS F. HANDY. + MUSICIANS, HENRY F. LADBURY. + BERNARD E. COMEY. + WAGONER, PAUL J. KINGSTON. + ARTIFICER, ORVIN E. ALBERTS. + + +PRIVATES + + Charles H. Ashley Donald A. McPhee + John Bryson William J. Mack + Peter F. Boyer Daniel J. Moriarty + William F. Barton Frank C. Mattoon + William J. Barton Axel Mahlstrom, East Longmeadow + John M. Carey John J. Malone + William F. Childs Howard S. Meyrick, Agawam + Matthew J. Clark John J. O'Donnell + Theophile J. Champagne Arthur M. Partridge + Clarence E. Chapman Giles S. Potter, Pittsfield + William W. Chadbourne Alwin B. Richter + Albert M. Chandler Christopher J. Riordan + Lewis R. Dikeman Thos. R. Rooney, Westfield + Frank F. Dingman Wilmore S. Riopel + Robert D. Draper Matthew M. P. Ryan + Daniel S. Devine James C. Ryan + Albert R. Dunn Henry P. Roberts + George DeGray Frank X. Rivers + John K. DeLoach Clarence B. Ross + Frank L. Edson Harry H. Richards, West Springfield + Henry T. Ellis Alfred E. Rose + James F. Ferrier John J. Smith + Ellsworth Frey Frank Twohey, Worcester + Eugene B. Grenier Paul L. Vesper + Morris Grenowitz Harry C. Wakefield + Joseph Genereaux Ernest C. Whitcomb + John C. Hurley Edwin W. Wright + Robert J. F. Judd + Michael F. Kelleher + Ernest J. Monseau + + +K COMPANY. + + CAPTAIN, WILLIAM S. WARRINER. + FIRST LIEUTENANT, PHILIP C. POWERS. + SECOND LIEUTENANT, HARRY H. PARKHURST. + FIRST SERGEANT, ARTHUR J. BERRY. + SERGEANTS, FRED A. JENKS, Chicopee. + G. BURTON HALL. + DAVID A. TURNER. + J. LEWIS KELLY. + HYATT W. AVERY. + CORPORALS, WILLIAM C. PIPER. + THOMAS C. BOONE. + BURDETT A. MADISON. + WILLIAM E. TURNER. + ALBERT MARSDEN. + BERT F. NICHOLS. + MUSICIANS, FRANK P. JONES. + LOUIS P. CASTALDINI. + WAGONER, FRANK N. BOULE. + ARTIFICER, WILSON C. EMERY. + + +PRIVATES. + + Ernest L. Alderman Charles Hoadley + Edward N. Aiken Irving J. Johnson + Horace W. Allen Ward Lathrop + Wallace H. Brown Michael R. Lyons + George L. Bates Everett W. Luther + Ralph A. Barkman Myron W. Maynard + Arthur N. Broulette Charles E. McLeod + Arthur M. Burnham Wm. C. McCulloch, Chicopee + Albert J. Brunell Frank E. Moody + Michael E. Breck John L. Morehouse + James W. Britton Homer G. Munson + James A. Brazzil Samuel W. Nesbitt + Frank L. Carr Charles Owens + Arthur L. Chapman A. L. Potter + William C. Colvin George W. Potter + Alwin A. Cameron Walter J. Reardon + George S, Creeley Phillip H. Robinson + William R. Dunse William E. Stephens + Edwin A. Elwell George E. Sollace + Horatio M. Field Edgar W. Snell + Wm. J. Fish, W. Springfield Harry J. Symonds + Harry D. Fisher Alfred Stone + Ralph Fisk Robert B. Terrell + Herman H. Fuller Nicholas D. Vassilli + Julian B. Hawkes William J. Walsh + Louis H. Hall Harry O. Wilkins + Frank B. Hendricks Joseph G. Woodbury + George Hallier Henry Wright, Jr. + Edward R. Hubbard William A. Webb + +[Illustration: HENRY S. LEE] + + +H COMPANY NAVAL BRIGADE. + + Name Rating Ship + + Lieut. Jenness K. Dexter U. S. S. Gov. Russell + Lieut. (j. g.) Henry S. Crossman U. S. S. Prairie + Lieut. (j. g.) William O. Cohn U. S. S. Lehigh + William A. Dearden, Boatswain's Mate, 2d class Prairie + William Owens, Gunner's Mate, 2d class " + James A. Turnbull, Gunner's Mate, 3d class " + Curtis H. Jennings, Gunner's Mate, 3d class " + Arthur H. Strong, Chief Q. M. Saturn + Winfred A. Sabin, Coxswain Lehigh + Herbert E. Burns, Bayman Prairie + Ernest F. Gilbert, Shipwright " + George H. Nobbs, Pay Yeoman " + Albert M. Pease, Cook " + + +SEAMEN. + + William H. Brundett Prairie George W. Lyman Prairie + Weston F. Bright " Irving C. Lombra " + A. W. Blauvelt " George L. Meacham " + Webster C. Clark " Charles B. Miller " + Lewis B. Clark " Ralph Newcomb " + Winfred W. Crosier " Guy A. Preble " + Charles Crosier " Gilbert G. Patnode " + Charles W. Dearden " Goulding S. Patnode " + Lawrence W. Erricson " Walter Swazey " + Arthur J. C. Fischer " Edwin S. Smith " + Robert C. Goodale " Fred C. Steele " + Robert P. King Lehigh McClellan E. Streeter " + Albert N. Luce Prairie Rupert H. B. Warburton Lehigh + Howard Loomis " Robert H. Wheeler Prairie + Ward H. Long " Henry W. Watson " + Frank Ladd " + + + + +THE ROLL OF HONOR. + + + Henry C. Bowen, Major and Surgeon, died in Second Division + Hospital, Santiago, August 13, of malarial fever. + + +G COMPANY + + Corporal Patrick J. Noone, died in Springfield, September 20, 1898, + typhoid fever. + + Private George A. Richmond, died in field hospital near El Caney, + July 1, 1898, of wound in head. + + Private Walter A. Packard, killed on field, El Caney, July 1, 1898. + + Private Robert G. Kelly, died in division hospital of wound + received in action July 2d, at San Juan. + + Private Francis A. Burke, died at Springfield, October 24, 1898. + + Private Andrew Little, died in second division hospital, Santiago, + August 22, 1898. + + Private Fred S. Stetson, died in second division hospital, + Santiago, August 24, 1898. + + +B COMPANY. + + Second Lieutenant Harry J. Vesper, died on S. S. Mobile, August 17, + 1898, of gastric enteritis. + + Quartermaster Sergeant Richard H. Bearse, died in camp before + Santiago, August 1, 1898, of malarial fever. + + Wagoner Paul J. Kingston, died on S. S. Mobile, August 27, 1898, of + malarial fever. + + Private John J. Malone, died in field hospital, July 5, 1898, of + wound received at El Caney, July 1. + + Private Paul Vesper, died in camp before Santiago, August 10, 1898, + of malarial fever. + + +K COMPANY. + + Corporal William C. Piper, died in second division hospital, August + 5, 1898. + + Corporal Thomas C. Boone, died in Springfield, March 19, 1899. + + Musician Frank P. Jones, died at Montauk Point, L. I., August 27, + 1898. + + Private Frank E. Moody, killed on field, July 1, 1898, at El Caney. + + Private Arthur M. Burnham, died in division hospital, Santiago, + August 18, 1898, of typhoid fever. + + Private Michael R. Lyons, died in Springfield, April 20, 1899. + + Private George S. Creley, died in Springfield, June 28, 1899. + + Private John L. Morehouse, died in Springfield, November 12, 1899. + + * * * * * + +Since the muster-out three more of Springfield's contingent, all K +company men, have answered the final roll call. Corporal Thomas C. +Boone died in Massachusetts general hospital at Boston, March 19, 1899, +and Private Michael R. Lyons at Springfield, April 20. Private George +C. Creley died June 25, at his home after a long illness. Private John +L. Morehouse died in Springfield, November 12, 1889. + + + + +SPRINGFIELD'S DEAD HEROES. + + +HENRY C. BOWEN. + +Henry C. Bowen, major and surgeon of the Second regiment, died in the +Second Division hospital, near Santiago, after making a gallant fight +against sickness and death, not only for himself but for the regiment +under his care. It is not too much to say that but for the heavy burden +he was under with the care of over 800 sick and dying men on his hands, +he might have recovered from the Cuban fever and been alive to-day, +but as it was he succumbed. It was his misfortune to go to the front +ignorant of the red tape which forms an even more effectual barrier +to individual action than did the Spanish barbed wire to our troops, +and it was this same red tape which was indirectly responsible for +his death. When the regiment was in its worst condition in front of +Santiago, when he was alone in the work of caring for the sick and +dying, he found it next to impossible to obtain needed medical supplies +for his men, and yet knew he was held responsible for their welfare. It +is not to be wondered at under these circumstances that he grew nervous +and irritable, and repelled rather than attracted those who tried to +help him. The wonder of it was, that sick in body and mind as he was, +he bore up as long as he did. But he did what he could and gave his +health, and strength, and life in his duty. + +Major Bowen was born in Castle Creek, N. Y., the son of Dr. Charles W. +Bowen of Westfield, and he studied in the public schools there and at +Wilbraham academy. He gained his medical education in the University +of New York and served in Bellevue hospital for eighteen months and in +the Broome street lying-in hospital. He began practice in Springfield +in 1894 and was fast reaching a high place in his profession when the +war broke out. At the time of his appointment he was a member of the +surgical staff of the Mercy hospital where he was liked by patients and +officials. + + +HARRY J. VESPER. + +Second Lieutenant Harry J. Vesper of B company, came of fighting stock, +his father, O. R. Vesper, of Springfield, being a one armed veteran of +the civil war. Harry was born in Springfield and was 31 years of age +when he died on the Mobile. He studied in the public schools, leaving +the high school to enter the employ of the Springfield Homestead. There +he rose by steady industry and ability, to be head of the mailing +department and business manager of the electrotyping department. For +several years he had been deeply interested in the militia and had +enlisted in B company, rising through the grades of corporal and +sergeant to the second lieutenantcy, to which he was elected and +commissioned May 11, 1896. For two years he had served as adjutant of +the first battalion of the regiment, and was popular with everyone in +the command. + + +RICHARD H. BEARSE. + +The news of the death of no member of the Second was received in +Springfield with more regret than that of Sergeant "Dickie" Bearse of +B company. A member of the company for several years, he was known and +liked by all the officers and men of the Springfield companies, for to +know "Dick" Bearse was to like him. With his pride in B company and the +regiment, not to speak of his patriotism, it was only natural he should +be anxious to go to the front with the Second, and he did so, although +he had to twice overcome the examining surgeon's objections. In camp +and on the march he was cheerful and helpful and at El Caney he was up +with the best of them. But all the while the hardships and toils of +the campaign were sapping his vitality, and when the deadly calentura +came, he had no strength left to resist it, but simply laid down and +died. In him B company and the Second lost one of their best. Sergeant +Bearse was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Leon Bearse and was 24 years of +age. His body was brought home and interred in the family lot in Oak +Grove cemetery, after such a funeral as has seldom been witnessed in +Springfield, an outpouring of grief from hundreds of friends. + + +WILLIAM C. PIPER. + +Corporal William C. Piper of K, was born at Marysville, O., in 1874, +and his father is a well known lawyer and probate judge of that state. +Corporal Piper came to Springfield in 1895 as manager of the Stetson +Shoe store and had charge of the establishment at the time he was +mustered in to the United States service. He enlisted in K company in +1897. + + +FRANK P. JONES. + +Musician Frank P. Jones of K, and one of the best fellows in the +Second, died in the hospital at Camp Wikoff, August 27, after passing +through all the hardships of the campaign in Cuba without being +seriously ill. He was a native of Ludlow, Mass., and was 21 years of +age. He had served in K for three years and though opposed by his +parents, could not be kept from enlisting as a volunteer when the call +came for troops. Of a cheerful, happy disposition, he did much in the +dark days of sickness and death in the camp before Santiago, to help +his comrades, and his example helped many a sick man. + + +PAUL J. KINGSTON. + +Wagoner Paul J. Kingston, B company, was an efficient soldier and well +liked member of the command. He was 24 years of age when he died on +the Mobile and was the son of George Kingston, an expressman. He was +serving the third year of his enlistment in B when the war came and at +once volunteered to go to the front. + + +PAUL VESPER. + +Private Paul Vesper of B was younger than his brother, Lieut. Harry J. +Vesper, but had many of the qualities which made the latter so well +liked. He was serving his first enlistment in B company when the war +came, and promptly expressed a desire to volunteer. He died in the camp +before Santiago, August 10, 1898. + + +ROBERT G. KELLY. + +Robert G. Kelly was the third G company man to fall in the fighting in +front of Santiago. At 10 o'clock on the night of July 2d, the crashing +of rifle volleys and the screams of shells awoke the Second from the +sleep of fatigue, and the officers and men rushed to the crest of the +hill behind which they had bivouacked. The attack was to the right of +the Second's position, but while waiting for orders the regiment had to +stand the rain of scattering shot and Kelly was the first to be hit. +The bullet struck him in the left cheek, going through and lodging in +the muscles of the other side. He was taken to the division hospital +and died there July 15. He was the son of Samuel Kelly of Springfield +and enlisted just before the Second was ordered to South Framingham. + + +ARTHUR M. BURNHAM. + +Private Arthur M. Burnham of K was the son of George M. Burnham, a +well known contractor and builder of Springfield. Arthur was born +in 1876 and studied in the public schools. He was popular with his +school fellows and with all who knew him. For three years previous to +the breaking out of the war he had been associated with his father +in business. He enlisted in K company soon after its transfer to +Springfield and after serving three years, left the company, a short +time before the war broke out. He was one of the first of the former +members to reenlist when it was known that war was certain and bore +himself manfully through the campaign. He was ill with typhoid when the +regiment left Cuba and was obliged to be left behind. + + +FRED A. STETSON. + +Fred A. Stetson enlisted in G company at the outbreak of the war and +served faithfully until he was attacked by the disease which laid him +low, only a day or two after his comrades had left Cuba for home. He +was employed in Springfield when he enlisted, but had only been in the +city a short time, and had no near relatives living so far as known. He +was 24 years old. + + +JOHN J. MALONE. + +John J. Malone, fatally wounded at El Caney, was a member of B company +and had been for two years previous to the outbreak of the war. He was +a bright, cheerful young fellow and was well liked by his acquaintances +as well as by his comrades. His parents died during his childhood and +John made his home with a relative. He was employed in the Homestead +office. At El Caney, Malone was one of the first men hit, the fatal +bullet striking him within a few moments after B company had taken its +position with the 22d. He died in the field hospital. + + +FRANK E. MOODY. + +Frank E. Moody of K company, killed in action at El Caney, was the son +of Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Moody of Springfield and was 20 years old when +he enlisted in K, only a few days before the regiment left for South +Framingham. He was shot soon after B and K companies took position on +the right flank of the 22d. + + +ARTHUR HOWARD PACKARD. + +Killed instantly at El Caney, July 1, 1898. He was the son of Mrs. +Helen N. Packard, who, the wife of a soldier of the civil war, saw her +two sons go to the front in the war with Spain, both being members of G +company. Arthur would have been 19 years of age in November, 1898, and +had been employed in the Homestead office. When only 17 he enlisted in +G company and was well liked by his comrades. When the war came Arthur +insisted on being one of the men to go with the company. Through the +campaign he was soldierly and cheerful and his bright, if sometimes +caustic sayings, did much to help his comrades. He was on the advanced +firing line of the Second in the squad under Lieut. Leyden when the +fatal bullet struck him and he died instantly. + + +GEORGE A. RICHMOND. + +George A. Richmond was one of the oldest members of G company and was +born in Springfield. He enlisted in 1887, and remained a member of +the company for several years. When it was seen that war was coming, +Richmond was one of the first to apply to Capt. Leonard for a place +in the ranks and joined the company at South Framingham. At El Caney +Richmond was with Lieut. Leyden's squad, and was shot through the head +early in the engagement. Willing hands bore him to the improvised field +hospital where he lay in agony for several hours before death came. He +was comforted and consoled by Chaplain Fitzgerald of the 22d, who took +his last messages. Richmond's mother died in his early youth and he had +made his home with relatives. He had been employed in the Springfield +post office. He took a small camera with him to Cuba and made a number +of pictures. + + +FRANCIS A. BURKE. + +Private Francis A. Burke of G company, who died at the House of Mercy +hospital, October 8, 1898, was the son of Thomas Burke and resided at +196 Spring street. He was employed as a clerk in the store of Forbes +& Wallace and was well liked by his associates. He was 22 years of +age. As a youth he took much interest in military matters and was for +some time a member of the Cathedral cadets. Later he enlisted in G +company and had served some time when the war broke out. He promptly +volunteered and served well in the campaign. + + +THOMAS C. BOONE. + +The circumstances surrounding the death of Sergeant Thomas C. Boone, +who went to the front with K company, but was transferred to the U. S. +Signal Corps, were particularly sad as at the time his many friends +supposed he was practically recovered from the terrible experience +he underwent while in the service. Boone died in the Mass. General +Hospital, Boston, on March 19, 1899, after a comparatively brief +illness. He was a native of Maryland, being born in Annapolis in 1876, +and came to Springfield in 1894, enlisting in K company soon after +his coming here. At South Framingham Boone was appointed a corporal +by Capt. Warriner, but the number of these positions in the companies +being reduced Boone was obliged to serve as a private. Soon after +the arrival of the Second at Tampa he was transferred to the signal +corps with the rank of sergeant. He was an expert telegrapher and +was selected for that reason. On July 2d he with Col. Drew and Major +Maxfield were in the war balloon at San Juan and while the balloon +was at a height of 2700 feet and was being taken over a creek it was +pierced by three pieces of shrapnel from the Spanish lines and fell. +The basket caught in the top of a tree and Boone was caught in the +anchor and hung suspended over the stream for a long time with the +iron hook pressing into his side. Then he fell into the water. He was +badly injured, but did not realize it at the time. A few days later +he was sent to the hospital, but while being conveyed there in a mule +team the vehicle was upset and he was again injured. On his return to +the United States through an error on the part of some officer he was +accused of desertion but after several months the stain was taken away +and he received an honorable discharge. Boone was a popular member of +the company and also popular among a large number of friends. + + +MICHAEL R. LYONS. + +Michael R. Lyons of K company, died in the Mercy hospital, Springfield, +April 20th, 1899, just a year from the time he enlisted and after +making a gallant fight against the effects of the hardships he +underwent in Cuba. He was a well-liked member of the company and +made an excellent soldier, doing his duty quietly and faithfully. +All through the campaign, although ill at times, he was cheerful and +uncomplaining and his example was not lost on his comrades. His body +was taken to Palmer for burial. His parents and brothers reside in +Springfield. + + +ANDREW LITTLE. + +Andrew Little was one of the "recruits" of G company, he having gone +to the camp at South Framingham with the first batch of extra men +assembled in Springfield after it was known that several vacancies had +been caused in the company through rejections by the surgeons. He lived +in Middlebury, Vermont, but had been employed in Springfield for some +time. During the campaign he served as assistant company cook and stood +the hardships and exposure fairly well until a short time before the +regiment left Santiago for the United States. + + +GEORGE C. CRELEY. + +George C. Creley, 21, was one of the last men of K company to die, his +death being due to consumption contracted in service in Cuba. His death +occurred June 28, 1899, after a long illness. Creley left a father and +a sister, the former living in Springfield. He was a recruit, enlisting +in K as soon as there was an opportunity and his service was faithful. + + +JOHN L. MOREHOUSE. + +The last member of K company to pass away up to the time of issuing +this volume, was Private John L. Morehouse who died Nov. 12, 1899, +after an illness of several weeks. He was a cousin of Lieut. H. H. +Parkhurst of K and was well liked by his comrades, being easily one of +the most popular members of the company. He was 29 years of age and +aside from cousins, had no near relatives. + + + + + TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE + + Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. Superscripts have been + converted to normal text. + + Obvious typographical and punctuation errors have been corrected + after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and + consultation of external sources. + + Except for those changes noted below, inconsistent or archaic spelling + of a word or word-pair within the text has been retained. For example: + blockhouses, block houses; good-bye, good bye; reenlist, re-enlist; + warships, war ships. + + p 10. 'andmaintained' changed to 'and maintained'. + p 10. 'hereseveral' changed to 'here several'. + p 12. 'T. A. Sweney' changed to 'T. A. Sweeney'. + p 16. 'a. m.' changed to 'A. M.' for consistency. + p 20. 'Manilla' changed to 'Manila'. + p 34. 'to be be beaten' changed to 'to be beaten'. + p 36. 'somehew' changed to 'somehow'. + p 47. 'employe' changed to 'employee'. + p 54. 'utillized' changed to 'utilized'. + p 60. 'guage' changed to 'gauge'. + p 69. 'oocupants' changed to 'occupants'. + p 71. 'olock' changed to 'clock'. + p 72. 'in the the afternoon' changed to 'in the afternoon'. + p 74. 'envolope' changed to 'envelope'. + p 79. 'anothor' changed to 'another'. + p 80. 'oolor' changed to 'color'. + p 86. 'advavtage' changed to 'advantage'. + p 88. 'Boulè' changed to 'Boule'. + p 89. 'Backman' changed to 'Barkman'. + p 97. 'illuminatad' changed to 'illuminated'. + p 102. 'Sprinfields' changed to 'Springfields'. + P 110. 'Greenowitz' changed to 'Grenowitz'. + p 114. 'Khakir' changed to Khaki'. + p 115. 'Santiano' changed to 'Santiago'. + p 119. 'machette' changed to 'machete'. + p 124. 'round robbin' changed to 'round robin'. + p 131. 'suberb' changed to 'superb'. + p 141. 'recieved' changed to 'received'. + p 145. 'eht use of' changed to 'the use of'. + p 148. 'mpatience' changed to 'impatience'. + p 157. 'Lamoreau' changed to 'Lamoreaux'. + p 159. 'employes' changed to 'employees'. + p 159. 'Phillippines' changed to 'Philippines'. + p 161. 'chase of of the' changed to 'chase of the'. + p 163. 'Tomkinsville' changed to 'Tompkinsville'. + p 176. 'Frnak P. Jones' changed to 'Frank P. Jones'. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Springfield in the Spanish American War, by +Walter W. Ward + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 46361 *** |