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.