The Hawaiian gazette., 1898-12-02
Brief History Of Msaldsnlls Of
Pint New Ywl.
MAS MvCH CAMP LIFE
Organization In Floods OF Rain
for Weeks s-s'.
fscts OF Typhoid.

I
quently received In the conversati ions
daily heard in hotel corridors. public
and private Offices, homes, aud on the
streets.
The realization OF these truths 30
closely mirrored In everyday life. the
reflection of which Is brought the more
wildly to thinking public through
the press, which opens the eyes OF
mans understanding to the true state
OF affairs, has prompted the compost
ton OF this communication in the faith
the the good opinion entertained by
the people OF Honolulu toward the
First New York Volunteers may be the
more strengthened by a brief history
of the regiment and few facts con-
corning the spirit OF restlessness, and
the expectation OF active service at the
front not realized, which has been the
cause OF all the discomfort among those
who make up Its organization.
When the first call to arms was made
by the President, at the beginning of
the war, among the first to respond
were twelve separate companies of If
teen cities along the Hudson river. Ac-
cepted by the Government, they Were
concentrated at Camp Black, Long ISL
and, and there consolidated into a regi-
ment. to be known as the First Provis-
ional Regiment.
After mastering into the service Of
the United States, the name Of the reg
iment was changed to the title 1t now
bears. Ii was at Camp Black that We
Of army life. that seemed but a fore
runner of the life that was before us
as soldiers.
The regiment was in camp at this
place from May I'd until the 18th day
of June, during which time it rained
in torrents almost continuously.
There were times when the down
pour was so terrific that streams Of
water flowed In under the tents, soak
ing the bedding, upon which the men
slept. They were compelled to wear
wet clothing, and there Were days
when the very tents were swept away.
exposing the inmates thereof, to the
| fury of the storm.
1t was with ringing cheers that we
received orders to move from Camp
Black, and though the order directed
that the regiment be distributed
throughout the different posts guard
ing the entrance to New York, when
the general expectation was move to
the front, all good naturally resigned
themselves to ths inevitable, entered
upon their new duty-which in itself is
extremely monotonous and irksome
with enthusiastic arder.
| After three weeks of this life we
again received marching orders. This
time, our destination was to be at the
very front, for we were ordered to the
Philippine Islands, which were then in
a state of great turbulence.
On the Sth Of July the regiment. in
three sections, steamed out of Jersey
City, New Jersey, en- route to San
Francisco, there to embark on the
transport in waiting for Manila.
Arriving in San Francisco, great dis
appointment was evinced at finding no
transport ready, and we were compell-
ed go into temporary bivouac at the
notorious Camp Merritt.
This camp being such pest and dis
ease breeding spot, rather than men
ace the health of his command, Colonel
Barber moved his regiment to the
Preside military reservation.
While here, came tidngs OF the an
nexation Of the Hawaiian Islands to
the United States.
With the news of the signing OF the
treaty, which brought to a successful
termination months OF oratorial and
logical warfare at the national capital
over the Hawaiian question, came also
an official mandate directing that q
regiment OF volunteers be sent to Ho-
noulu for garrison duty. A provision
OF the order directed that the best
equipped and disciplined regiment in
General Merrian's command be Sc
lected.
While it was not given to us to have
post in the glorious victory at Cavite,
to be with those who stormed the
trenches at Santiago's heights, to enter
triumphantly the captured city OF
Porto Rico, and to accompany the army
OF invasion into Cuba, with the men
who fed the fire, and those who served
the gun; with those who fought and
those who fell, ere the fight was well
begun In the war just ended. here In
our camps have we been daily battling
with that mighty destroyer of all
armies-Death. Our ranks have be-
come thiuua1 hv tho nuoloupbt ~ hia