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.]