The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-19
OUR SOLDIER BOYS.
Programme of Exercises For
the Laying of the Armory
Cornerstone.
THE LINE OF PARADE.
Interesting Sketch of the Fourth
acknowledgement in 1869
Its First officers.
THE LINE OF PARADE.

noon surpasses in point of interest every
event that has taken place in the history of
Jersey City's popular military organization,
and if clear weather favors the occasion it
will be celebrated in a manner that will not
only be appropriate but interesting as well.
The committee in charge of the arrange
ments has done its work well and if the ex-
ercises are not gone through without a hitch,
it will not be the fault of the committee. A
change however will be made in the pro-
gramme. Hon. Charles H. Winfield, to whom
was intrusted the Grafton OF the day, last
last night told a reporter of THE JERSEY
Cry News that he would be unable
to deliver the Grafton on account of a severe
cold from which he has been suffering for
the past few days. 81 will be on hand, how
ever, at the ceremonies said the Prosecutor,
in conclusion. So far as known, this will
be the only change in the interesting pro
CRANE. The stand for the guests has been
erected n the printed programmes are all
ready for distribution.
II LINE OF Raj
Colonel Hugh III. Abernethy will o~fficiate
as master of ceremonies. The parade of the
regiment preceding the ceremonies will be an
interesting feature. The regiment will
parade in State service uniform and will act
as escort to Governor George 7. Werts and
invited guests from Taylor's Hotel to the
Armory. The assembly will be at the City
Armory at half past one O'Clock.
The guard detailed for duty
consists of Captain j. Howard
Bumsted, Jr., of Company A, as Officer of
the Day; First Lieutenant Joseph H. Evans,
of Company E, as Officer of the Guard.
Company D will furnish one sergeant, Com
pany II one corporal and Companies A, B, c.,
d, E, F and G, two men each, to report to
Lieutenant Joseph n. Evans at the new
Armory site at half past eleven o'clock. The
route of the parade will be as follows:-
Montgomery street to Newark avenue, to
Grove street, to Mercer to Varick, to Grand,
to Paramount, to Storm, to Bergen, to
Armory.
After the ceremonies the officers of the
regiment will entertain Governor Werts and
staff at a dinner at Taylor's Hotel. The
non-commissioned staff will also nave a dim
ner at the Hotel Washington. In this manner
the great occasion will be brought to a pleas
ant close, and thus will the regiment start
out to meet a pleasant future.
history OF THE REGIMENT.
An insight into the history of the regiment
is furnished by the records in charge of
Adjutant Gerardin.
The Fourth Regiment was organized April
IA, 1869, from Companies A, B, C, D, E and
f of the Fourth Regiment, New Jersey
AshlO Po oGA company Il VI tlt0 kOCCOIll
Regiment, New Jersey State Militia (Hud-
son Brigade. The six companies of the
Rifle Corps were located in Jersey City and
retained their letter designation. Company
E of the Second Regiment, which was
located in Bayonne, became Company G of
the new regiment. The company officers
were transferred with their commands and
took rank from previous service. Tn first
meeting of the officers was held on
April %, 1869, in the Armory of
Company E. The following officers were
present. Company A. Captain Augustus c..
Bennett, First Lieutenant Walter ]. Smith
and Second Lieutenant David W. Meeker.
Company B, Captain Alfred Bellard and
First Lieutenant Thomas McKeon. Com
pany c, Captain Benjamin Murphy, now
Chief OF Police, and First Lieutenant Will
lam A. Graham. Company D, Captain
John J. Toffey, now Sheriff; First Lieutenant
John M. Van Wrinkle and Second Lieutenant
George Newkirk. Company E, Captain
Henry G.. Shaw, First Lieutenant Dudley A.
Steele, and Second Lieutenant Thomas K.
Halstead. Company F, Captain Benjamin
Van Ripper, First Lieutenant John Magrath
and Second Lieutenant Andrew C. Purdy.
Company G., Captain Hiram Van Buskirk,
First Lieutenant Andrew Van Buskirk and
Second Lieutenant Henry C. Posh.
The meeting was called for the election of
field officers, but the absence of Colonel S.
M. Dickinson, Assistant Adjutant General,
necessitated a -postponement until April 30,
when Hiram Van Buskirk was elect
ed Colonel, Henry G.. Shaw Lieu
tenant-C Colonel and John J.. Tof-
ey, Major. Lieutenant-C Colonel Shaw is
well known as the inventor of the system of
rifle practice now in use throughout the
United States. This system was first prac-
tised by Company E at their G~reenville
range. Captain Dudley S. Steele became
colonel OF the regiment February 7, 1873,
and brigadier-general commanding First
Brigade April ID, 1855, which position he
held until his death last year.
THE INAUGURAL RECEPTION.
The inaugural reception of the regiment
was held in the then famous JERSEY City
V~elocipedium on Wednesday, May u, 1863.
The first parade was with the GAR. posts
of this city OIL May 80, 1869. On September
3 of that year the motto, 'In Utrumque
Paratus," prepared for anything) was
adopted. In 1871 the Common Council of
Jersey City leased the top floor and three
rooms on the third floor of No. 81 Newark
avenue, and these with remaining room on
the third floor and the entire second floor since
secured constitute what since has been
known as the "City Armory.n
On July II, 1871, the regiment was held in
readiness with the brigade, for active duty to
suppress anticipated riot, and it saw active
service in 1874, when it was called out to sup
press the "Long Dock riot. 1t was detail d
as q Guard OF Honor to the remains of Vice
President Wilson, at Jersey City, November
q, 1876, and was one of the regiments of the
Provisional Brigade which, under command
of Brevet Brigadier-General Sewell, sup
pressed the labor riots at Phillipsburg, and
opened to public travel the several lines of
railroads which were practically in the hands
Of the strikers during the months of July and
August, 1877. The regiment took part in the
parade and review at Newark on Nav 30.
1878, when the First Brigade was highly
complimented by the Commander-in-Chie
for its soldierly appearance; and it also took
part in the manouyres of the First Brigade
at Pompton, Passaic County, on May 81,
1880.
The regiment accompanied the remains of
General Torbett through the State as Guard
of Honor September 30, 1880. It partici-
pated in the Evacuation Day parade in New
York November rs, 1888, with the Pro-
yisional Brigade, under command of Colonel
Dudley s. Steele and formed a part of the
Provisional Brigade. under command of
Brevet Major-General Sewell, which at
tended the unwilling of the Monmouth Bat
tie Monument at Freehold November 13, 1884.
It paraded in New York City August 8, 1886,
on the occasion of General Grants funeral:
in Philadelphia, September 16, 1887, on the oc-
casion of the Centennial Celebration: in New
York City, April Is, 1889, at the Centennial
Celebration OF the Inauguration of the First
President Of the United States.
HI REORGANIZATION.
Company B was consolidated with a new
company which vas organized in Passaic.
and was mustered into the service December
On 1870 ny (tpTanonT u Co,o.z..-- ~ ..--