The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-07-16

whose civic virtues were on a par with
their achievements in the field, and VINO
chose TO be painted in epaulets and SASH
but warriors Of all rank whose only
claims TO distinction were carved out with
the sword. are given place in Memorial
hall. One tablet hands down 70 posterity
the names Of Is officers OF the Second
Massachusetts infantry who were killed
in battle Thirteen were all Harvard
men. and there were only three oncers
killed in that regiment during It's three
wears service who were not Harvard men.
Either the Harvard men alone were brave,
or fate was unkind to them, or this was a
Harvard regiment 1t was not Harvard
regiment except as to its leaders, but there
were many things in its history TO make
IL worthy to he honored as 10 is honored
in the war Pantheon Of New England's
great university.
When the handful Of state militia was
arming in April, 1861, 70 uphold presl-
dent vybe--e right TO even call on that mi
litia was doubted, a young militia colonel
Of Massachusetts who was graduate Of
West Point conceived the idea OF raising q
regiment and presenting it to the United
States, clothed and equipped and fed If
need be, without calling on any government
appropriation Of doubtful legality.
The system of organization was rigid in
the extreme and one which in any other
time than
would have scared away recruits and left
the money chest empty. The regiment
was TO be modelled upon those OF the regu-
lar arny-that is, the ranks were to be
filled by enIistments for an indefinite period
flor the war;. and the officers were to be ap-
nointed by the colonel without consulting
the wishes of the men, as was the custom
in the militia and in the volunteers Tor
long time after the war began. Money
IN, nd faTfI Tll aria
appIication for positions, sometimes bring
ing Governor Andrews Endorsement, but
more often leading a company or battalion
II stalwart recruits and modestly laying
down the rank these recruits had conferred
upon them.
On the Both of April a representative Of
Colonel Gordon, the protector and AMI
mating spirit OF this unique body OF men,
obtained from President Lincoln the as
surance that the regiment would be &C
cepted, although as yet he had issued no
summons for national volunteers, only for
militia to serve three months. He agreed
to ACCEPT Colonel Gordon's men for the
war. and three DAYS later issued call for
40 regiments for three years
Having at last received the highest
sanction for his radical methods, Gordon
ordered bis scattered companies TO come
together for muster, and on the llth OF
MAY Captain Abbot's company from Low
ell took formal possession or historic
Brook Farm at Ro1bury, and with Dor
rowed cannon manned by volunteer gun
ners saIuted the old flag as it slowy climb
ed up the flagstaff of Camp Andrew. The
haunt Of dreamers was again peopled with
dreamers. At Camp Andrew the compa
mics were welded into a regiment, chris
tened the Second Massachusetts, and IKE
the first phalanx from Brook Farm march
cd out to make history, but not like thai
in broken ranks.
On July IL, 1861, the Second Massachu
setts-a body of 1000 men finely armed
and equipped-forded the Potomac int
Virginia and marched to Martinsburg.
When Gordon broke camp few day
later TO march against the enemy, tn
owner of the land handed him bill 10