(Captain 1st U.S. Artillery.)
Mustering-out Officer for Regiment.
]
Reaching Boston at two o'clock, the command formed in column for its
final parade. By this time the drizzle of the forenoon had become a
drenching downpour, but the men now were thoroughly wet through, and no
attention was paid to the muddy streets. The regiment had gone out under
like conditions, and was disposed to accept them as part of the
established order of things. Without waiting for the rear-most batteries
to emerge from the station, the command for marching was given, the band
struck up the stirring strains of the "Stars and Stripes," and the
regiment started over its route to the State House. Here Governor
Wolcott, with the officers of his staff, reviewed the returning
artillerymen. On reaching the foot of Beacon Hill, the Third Battalion
halted, while the leading battalions marched on and formed line on
Charles Street. Then the Bristol-Plymouth batteries, with arms at port,
tramped past their Boston comrades, forming line on their right and
presenting arms as they, in their turn, marched by—and with this brief
ceremony the twelve batteries, as volunteers of 1898, separated forever.
Colonel Pfaff, with his staff, the band, and "A," "C," "D," "G," "K,"
and "L" Batteries, proceeded to the South Armory, where, after cheering
their commanding officer, the men broke ranks and scattered to their
homes. Major Frye, with the Third Battalion, marched to the Park Square
station, where "I" Battery was detached to entrain at Kneeland Street,
and "E," "F," and "M" Batteries took their special train for their home
stations. "B" and "H" Batteries proceeded by the most direct routes to
their armories at Cambridge and Chelsea. The thirty days' furlough had
begun, and all active service for the regiment now was at an end.
On November 4th, the officers and men of the twelve batteries reported
back from leave and furlough at the armories at their home stations, and
the final formality of physical examination for discharge was begun. In
the First and Second Battalions this work was carried on under direction
of Captain Newgarden, assistant surgeon, United States Army, assisted by
Lieutenants Gates and Hitchcock, of the medical department, Second
Massachusetts Infantry, while in the Third Battalion the examining
surgeons were Major Magurn and Lieutenant Shea, Ninth Massachusetts
Infantry. Owing to the small enlisted strength of the command, as well
as to its magnificent physical condition, the examinations were
concluded in a comparatively short time, and the regiment was given a
clean bill of health by the board of surgeons through whose hands it had
just passed.
The last detail now had been attended to, and on November 14th the First
was ready for the final step towards leaving the volunteer service.
Early in the forenoon of that day Majors Dyar and Quinby assembled their
batteries at the South Armory, where, with the field, staff, and
non-commissioned staff, they formally were mustered out of the service
of the United States by Lieutenant-Colonel Weaver. At the same time
Major Frye had accompanied Lieutenant J. P. Hains, Third United States
Artillery, to the stations of the "Cape" batteries on a like mission.
Lieutenant Hains enjoyed the distinction of having received almost the
last wound in the Porto Rican campaign, having intercepted a Mauser
bullet in the action at Aibonito, almost at the time when the peace
protocol was being signed. He had become very popular among the officers
of the First, and his selection as mustering out officer was much to the
satisfaction of the Third Battalion.
Of the seven hundred and fifty-seven officers and men whose names had
been borne on the rolls of the regiment during its term of service,
there were mustered out at this time seven hundred and eleven. The
regiment had lost two commissioned officers—Major Bryant by promotion,
and Lieutenant Rolfe by resignation—and forty-three enlisted men, of
whom Private Henry A. Williams, "F" Battery, had died while on furlough,
one had received promotion, six had been discharged for physical
disability contracted in the line of duty, and the remainder had been
transferred to the regular service, the greater number of these
enlisting in the Second United States Artillery. Major Dearing was not
mustered out with the other officers of the staff, remaining in the
service until Jan. 28th, 1899, for duty as examining surgeon with other
returning Massachusetts regiments.
At this time what had threatened to be a serious complication was
averted through the thoughtfulness of the regimental commander. Though
the final muster and pay rolls of the command had been prepared in ample
time, the pay department, through inadequate clerical equipment at this
station, found itself unable to make the final settlements with the men
at the time of their muster-out. In addition to money for clothing
allowances and commutation of furlough rations, there was due to the
batteries over six weeks' pay, a very considerable sum in the aggregate.
As in all other volunteer regiments, not a few of the men had returned
from service only to find their patriotism rewarded by the loss of their
situations in civil life, and cases were not infrequent in which delay
in final payment meant serious hardship. Fully understanding these
conditions, Colonel Pfaff relieved the stress of the situation by
unhesitatingly drawing his personal check for $10,000, thus making it
possible on the day of mustering out to advance to each enlisted man $15
with which to tide over the interval before the final appearance of the
paymaster. This thoughtful act met with the appreciation which it
merited, and it hardly need be added that the trust shown in the
integrity of the men proved not to have been misplaced. On November 18th
the batteries of the Third Battalion were paid off, and on the following
day the remainder of the regiment received its money—the last dollar
advanced by Colonel Pfaff being repaid at the time the Government
fulfilled its obligations. This, from every point of view, was a
pleasant incident and one that reflected equal credit on the commanding
officer and his men.
AN HONORABLE REGIMENTAL
RECORD