SO through the long and weary summer months the scattered batteries of
the regiment served faithfully at their posts along the coast, patiently
enduring the dull monotony of garrison life, and hoping against hope
that the fortunes of war yet might bring them their own chance for
training their guns upon an enemy. For a time rumor still busied itself
with the movements of the Spanish fleet, while spook cruisers still held
the seas—as the men on Shafter's crowded troopships could have testified
to their sorrow—but, as the final event proved, Spain either was too
blind or too feeble to improve her one possible opportunity of
inflicting injury on her adversary by striking a sharp and sudden blow
at some point on our long and weakly defended coast line. The national
salute fired on the Fourth of July at all the posts along-shore answered
a double purpose, since, while complying with army regulations for the
observance of the holiday, it also served to celebrate the victorious
fighting on land and sea at Santiago. But the men of the coast
artillery, regulars and volunteers alike, listened with heavy hearts to
the booming of their unshotted guns; rejoicing with their brethren of
the Navy over the signal victory that had been won, they yet felt that
the destruction of Cervera's squadron had deprived them of the one
chance to which they had trusted for obtaining distinction. Like all
thinking men, they had to face the fact that the events at Santiago
marked the beginning of the end.
On July 11th, Governor Wolcott informed the authorities at Washington
that the people of Massachusetts no longer were in uneasiness regarding
the safety of the cities and towns on the coast, and requested that the
First might be relieved from its present stations and assigned to more
active duty. Colonel Pfaff also urged that his command be retained in
service for any work that yet might remain to be done, while General
Lee, who had heard of the efficient condition of the regiment through
Lieutenant-Colonel Curtis Guild of his staff, made strong efforts to
secure its transfer to his Seventh Corps, then completing its
organization for the occupation of Havana.
But the time had not yet arrived when conditions would permit any
further depletion of our already weak artillery garrisons. It is true
that Spain, after the utter annihilation of her sea power, had been
humbled into asking terms on July 26th, and that, with the signing of
the peace protocol on August 12th, hostilities had been suspended; but
there yet remained possible complications with Germany over the long and
ugly succession of unfriendly acts of which the vessels of her fleet in
Philippine waters had been guilty. Within a very recent period Berlin
has seen fit officially to disavow any intention of interfering at that
time with our naval representatives at Manila, but in spite of this
disavowal it still remains a fact that such interference occurred, and
it was not until early in the fall that our military and naval
authorities could feel assured that the immediate future might not find
this country called upon to face a fresh and really powerful adversary.
Under these circumstances, all our available artillery troops, both
regulars and volunteers, wisely were held at their stations until, on
the final passing of the German war-cloud, there remained no further
hope for active service against Spain.
On September 4th, telegraphic orders from the War Department were
received at all the posts garrisoned by fractions of the regiment,
directing preparations to be made for the assembly of the command for
furlough and ultimate muster-out; and on the 17th, Colonel Pfaff issued
his orders for the concentration of his widely scattered batteries at
Framingham. On the 19th, the regiment was again reunited at the State
camp ground, the batteries from the posts on the North Shore, under
command of Colonel Pfaff, being first to arrive, followed at short
intervals by the battalion from Fort Warren, under Major Frye, and the
garrison from Fort Rodman, under Lieutenant-Colonel Woodman. It was
found that camp already had been pitched by Captain Landy and his men,
under direction of Colonel Converse, and all that remained to be done by
the command was to settle in quarters and start in operation the battery
messes.
After over three months of detached service at isolated points along the
coast the twelve batteries again were welded together in the regimental
organization. For the time being, all artillery drill and formations
were dropped, and the command easily and quickly settled into the
routine of an infantry encampment. Regimental and battalion drills daily
were held on the broad field which, prior to 1896, had been familiar
territory to the command, and in a surprisingly short time the regiment
again developed the snap and precision in infantry work for which it had
been distinguished before its transfer to the artillery arm of the
service. Here, through the thoughtfulness and generosity of the State
authorities, the regiment was rejoined by its band. None save those who
have learned by actual experience in service how much may be done by
music towards alleviating the wearing monotony of camp and garrison life
can appreciate the welcome given by the men of the regiment to
Bandmaster Collins and his musicians, on their return after their long
absence.
Meanwhile preparations for leaving the service were pushed forward. The
work was done under supervision of Lieutenant-Colonel Weaver, U.S.V.
(captain First United States Artillery), detailed as mustering officer
for Massachusetts, to whom had been assigned as assistants Lieutenants
C. C. Hearn, Third United States Artillery, and O. Edwards, Eleventh
United States Infantry. Slowly but steadily the absurdly cumbersome and
complex tangle of "paper-work" was unravelled, final muster and pay
rolls were completed, and the thousand-and-one accounts with ordnance,
quartermaster, medical, commissary, and signal departments were closed.
On October 5th this work substantially was finished, and shortly after
noon on that day, in a drizzling rain, the batteries for the last time
formed line as a regiment of United States Volunteers. Marching across
the soaked parade, the regiment stood at attention while the garrison
flag slowly was lowered, in token of the abandonment of the post, and
then swung out through the main gate of the reservation for the muddy
march to the waiting troop-train.
[Illustration: