Covering Main Ship Channel, Boston Harbor.
]
But in spite of the utter absurdity of many of the reports, the officers
of the First gave much careful consideration to the diagrams in
Brassey's "Naval Annual," and Jane's "Fighting Ships," with a view to
putting 8-inch shot in the spots where they would do the most good
should occasion arise; and nobody was unduly surprised when, shortly
after midnight of May 13th, the _Tourist_, the steamer employed by the
Engineers in their harbor-mining work, came puffing down from the city,
announcing her arrival at the fort by long blasts of her whistle, and
bringing word that at last the long-expected fleet had been sighted off
Nantucket, steering a course for Boston. Coming by way of the Navy
Department, this bit of intelligence seemed worthy of consideration, and
so in the early morning the officers of the regular garrison sent their
families away from the island and out of danger, while the volunteers
uncased the last of the small store of 8-inch projectiles for the guns
in their charge, gave a final look to their equipments, and then sat
themselves down on the parapets to await the first glimpse of Cervera's
armada. Fieldglasses were at a premium that day, and the wide expanse of
water towards Boston lightship became an object of much interest; but
Cervera failed to appear, and to the disgust of regulars and volunteers
alike it became evident, as the hours slipped away, that even official
warnings _via_ the Navy Yard must be received with proper and due
allowances.
For some time now the port had been closed at night. Electric signal
lanterns had been rigged upon the flagstaff of the fort, and every
evening the officer of the guard was given the code signal for that
especial date, by which ships of our navy were to be recognized. The
orders of the post directed that any steamer failing to acknowledge
signals from the fort, or replying by wrong combinations, should be
fired on. But no steamers, either of the navy or of the merchant marine,
attempted to make port after dark, and the only firing required was that
done by patrol-boat crews, who were obliged at times to use their rifles
on the fishermen and coasters which, under cover of darkness, ignorantly
or wilfully persisted in blundering in among the mine-fields.
On the 3rd of May all troops of the Atlantic States had been placed
under command of General Merritt, to be employed in coast-defence, and
to him Colonel Pfaff reported his regiment. Soon after, Lieutenant
Strother, (later major, U.S.V.), A.D.C. to General Merritt, was ordered
to Boston for the purpose of inspecting the regiment, so far as
concerned its equipment for service, and recommending stations for its
assignment in the general scheme of defence. Having visited Fort Warren,
where he made a careful inquiry into the condition of the command,
Lieutenant Strother held a consultation with the State authorities, and
returned to New York to report to his chief. On the 10th came
telegraphic orders from Headquarters, Department of the East, detaching
the Third Battalion ("E," "F," "I," and "M" Batteries, under Major
Frye), to report to Colonel Woodruff for duty as part of the garrison at
Fort Warren, and directing the remainder of the regiment to hold itself
in readiness for assignment under orders later to be issued.
Changes which ultimately concerned the First had meanwhile been in
progress among the regular batteries stationed on the New England coast.
"K" Battery (Curtis'), of the Second Artillery, had been ordered on
April 28th from Fort Schuyler, N.Y., to the ungarrisoned defenses at
Portsmouth, N.H. On May 6th Colonel Woodruff, in addition to his duties
as commanding officer at Fort Warren, was assigned to the general
command of the defenses of Boston Harbor; Major Charles Morris, Seventh
Artillery, was placed in command of the Mortar Battery at Winthrop (up
to this time in charge of Lieutenant Ketcham, Second Artillery, with a
small detachment of about thirty men taken from the batteries at Warren)
with a garrison made up of "M" Battery (Richmond's), Second Artillery,
and "F" Battery (Anderson's), Seventh Artillery, from Schuyler; the gap
left in the garrison at Warren by the withdrawal of Richmond was filled
by the transfer of "G" Battery (Brown's), Seventh Artillery, from
Schuyler; and finally, Lieutenant Lyon, with a detachment of thirty men
from the batteries of the Second Artillery at Fort Adams, Newport, R.I.,
was ordered to the fort at Clark's Point, New Bedford, later to be named
Fort Rodman. The shifting of regular batteries at Warren occurred on May
16th, and the officers of the First parted with regret from Captain
Richmond, who had made many friends among them.
Most unexpectedly, on May 18th, a message was received at the fort
announcing the coming of Governor Wolcott, to present to the officers
their volunteer commissions. On his arrival the regiment formed for
review, and after the march-past stood closed in mass by battalions,
with the officers grouped at the centre, while the Governor spoke a few
words of farewell, saying, among other things:
"It is your high privilege to have been summoned into the service of the
United States at a time when the clouds of war with a foreign Power
threatened the Republic. I know of no higher service that a citizen can
be called upon to render than to offer his life, if need be, in the
cause of his country. You enter this service not as raw recruits, but
with obedience and discipline acquired in the militia service of the
Commonwealth. Whether you are assigned the honorable duty of guarding
the sea-coast of the Commonwealth of your birth, or are summoned to some
distant point in other lands or within the confines of your own country,
see to it that no act of yours shall bring aught but added glory to the
colors you bear. Be of high courage and good cheer; the great heart of
the Commonwealth will follow you with pride and affection, whatever the
duty you may be called upon to perform."
Receiving the commissions from the hands of Colonel Bradley of his
staff, who had served through the Civil War in the First Massachusetts
Heavy Artillery of 1861, the Governor then presented them to the
officers of the regiment in the order of their rank, finally turning to
Colonel Pfaff to say, "I congratulate you, Colonel, upon the regiment
you have the honor to command, and upon the service you now enter."
On the conclusion of this very simple yet impressive ceremony, the
regiment was dismissed. The Governor then made an informal inspection of
battery quarters, and afterwards was conducted over the works in order
that he might see for himself whatever of progress was being made
towards installing modern armament in the main fortification of his
capital city. Later, with the members of his staff, he was the guest of
the officers' mess at luncheon; and early in the afternoon he took final
leave of the regiment, which always had considered it an honor to serve
under him as commander-in-chief, but now—though not without a touch of
regret—had passed for a time beyond his authority.