The record-union., 1898-05-24
FIRST REGIMENT.
Now CHARTERED on the Steamship
City of Pekinp

| SAN FRANCISCO, May 23.-CaIifor-
MIA said goOd-by to her First Regiment
! of Volunteers this morning as they
marched gayly from the Presidio to
start on their long journey to Manila.
| The men left camp at s o'clock and
marched to the Pacific Mail dock.
where the big steamer City of Pekin
| lay ready for them. BY noon the SOL
diers We're all on board and before
night everything was in readiness for
| their departure
The farewell demonstration by the
people of San Francisco will long be
remembered by the soldiers of the First
! Regiment. Every street leading from
the Presidio to the Pacific Mail dock. a
distance Of about five miles, was lined
with people, who. after the soldiers
passed, followed in their wake and
marched with them to the docks 1t
had been announced that camp would
| be struck at Z o'clock this morning.
and long before that hour thousands Of
| citizens had flocked to the Preside to
see the sight. Promptly at I o'clock
| the bugle sounded, and all the tents
went down together. Then for an hour
the soldiers We're busy engaged in roll
ing them up and loading them on
| trucks. At o'clock the regiment was
! formed into line, and. headed by It's
/ band, marched out through the big
stone gates of the Presidio and the
| journey of conquest had commenced.
At Van Ness avenue the entire police
! force of San Francisco was in waiting
and fell in ahead of the soldiers The
latter were in heavy marching order
carrying blanket rolls and loaded KNAPP
sacks on their backs The men marched
| along at a swinging gait and as they
turned into the broad thoroughfare Of
| Van Ness avenue they presented a
| splendid appearance.
| At Pacific avenue the naval reserve,
| Signal Corps and National Guard staff
officers were in line, and presented arms
as the soldiers went by Then they, too,
| followed and marched to the mail dock.
| AS the regiment proceeded through
the residence district on its way down
town the crowd grew thicker and thick
er. There was one continuous roar of
cheers, flags were waved frantically and
Ipeople along the line, as they recognized
some friend among the soldiers. rushed
out and grasped him by the hand to say
good-by
| When Market street the main busi-
ness thOroughfare of the city, was
reached the crowd was enormous. AL
though no formal proclamation was
made this morning was generally rec
| ognized by the business men as q holi-
| day. and people on their way to work
/ fingered to see the soldiers pass. The
cheering of the crowd grew in volume,
and nothing like the sight on Market
street was ever seen here before. Many
weeping women followed along after the
soldiers as though lOath to let them out
of their sight, and even men were not
ashamed to show their emotion.
AS the marching men neared the wa
| ter front bombs We're fired, steam
/ whistles blew. and every device imag-
Unable for making a noise was put into
| full operation.
The jam at the mail dock was some
| thing terrific. In vain the police and
| the mounted Signal Corps attempted
! to keep the crowd back They would
not be denied. and rushed on to the
! dock in the wake of the soldiers. Ar
irving at the dock. the volunteers
were marched on board the transport
without delay. 1t took considerable
/ time for each man to be consigned TO
! his quarters, but this task was accom-
! plshed with but very little confusion.
After the soldiers We're once on board
the ship the police with difficulty clear
ed the dock. and the gates were shut.
All day long, however, a big crowd
hung about the dock in the hope of
being able to get one more glimpse of
the men who We're going to sail 5000
| miles to fight for their country
The First Regiment of California
Volunteers IS commanded by Colonel
James F. Smith, and consists of 1,0S6
| officers and men.
Tomorrow the Second Regiment Of
/ Oregon Volunteers. one battalion of the
| Fourteenth Infantry, United States