The Portland daily press., 1898-12-02
BANQUET To SIGNAL CORPS.
Portland Honors Names Representa-.
tives at Santiago.

Addresses by Mayor Randall and
Others.
A well deserved banquet was given last
evening at the Falmouth hotel at
O'Clock by the City of Portland to the
Maine Signal Corps tosshow appreciation
of the valuable service rendered at Santi-
ago during the late war between the
United States and Spain. And right
here it is notable that they were the
only volunteer signal men who saw
actual service during the war, kand the
first regularly organized military compa,
ny from Maine that saw service ina for
eign country.
The corps has been organized for some
years, but at the call of the President
for volunteers the company was recruited
to 40 men. The following is the make
up of the signal corps:
Captain-George W. Butler, Portland.
First observation-disclosures &. Walker,
Deering.
First sergeant-Merton H. Welch, West
brook.
First sergeant-wylie D. Floyd. Deer.
Sergeants-Amos W. Herriok Port
land; John RI Lowell, Portland; Geo.
G. Frary. Augusta; VIM. ii. Mitchell,
Newport; Herbert A. Emmons, Rocklapd.
Corporals-Willis H. Cox, Portland /;
Chris T johnson, Portland; Geo. W. Law
land; Florence ]. sullivan. Lewiston
Arthur W. Hooper, Deering; Geo. Bell,
Prlyates-Lewis W. Ball, Portland; B.
R. Brackley, Westbrook; M. J. Bell,
Bangor; P. j. Bell, Bangor; A. II. Dill,
Gardiner; John 7. Feeney. Deering;
Arthur g. Hartman, Westhrook; Lewis
Hobbs. Augusta; Charles r. johnson,
Mark d. Jordan, Deering; John Marshall.
Gardiner; Nj j. McDonough, Bangor;
Harrison P. Merrill. Orono; John K.
O'Neill, Lewiston; Edwin b. Parks. New.
port; Chaunoey N, Rand, Detroit; d.
A. Sterling, Portland; W l. Iileon,
Charles o. Wright, Lewiston; Horace
d. Fish, Augusta
The followinggwere the telegraph opera
tors with the corps: W. II. Mitchell,
Herbert A. Emmons, Florence J. Sulli-
van, George Bell, NJ. j. Bell, john i.
Feeney. Herman G, Hobbs,J. E. O'Noils
G. N. Rand, E. w. Colcord. -
Corporal Sullivan and Private Fish
were left at Tampa to care for the CONS
pany's mule train and were afterwards
sent into Porto Rico.
Three members Of the signal corps dic'
during the war: Sergeant Fred u.
Stuart OF Augusta, Priyates Ezra W.
Colcord of Newport and Frank 81. Locke
of Augusta.
The corps went to Augusta with the
First Maine regiment, but when that
regiment was ordered 60 ChickRIl ga
the signal corps were left behind anu It's
chances for seeing actual service were
slim. After waiting anxiously for some
time the corps received orders from Gen.
Greeley, chief signal officer, TO proceed to
Washington.
The corps broke camp on juno l6 and
arrived in Washington on Bunker Hill
Day, (June ~. While in that city they
were quartered at Washington barracks.
They were there only few days when
ordered to Tampa, Fla, where they
pitched tents on the lawn of the Tampa
Bay hotel.
On June 30 orders came to proceed to
Port Tampa. ten miles down the coast
and prepare for Cuban campaign. The
corps lay on board the steamer Com
manche at Port Tampa for three days
and then sailed for Cuba. No man on
board knew the destination of the fleet,
ana no man cared. They all knew the
chances they were running and were
willing to abide by the consequences.
There were 10 transports in the fleet
with five war ships acting as escorts.
When off Key West, July a, a govern.
ment boat came alongside and announced
the sinking of Cervera's fleet. The tug
went from one transport to another and
the shouts and cheers that went up from
the throats of the 5000 men on those ships
is something never to be forgotten.
Every man did his best to cheer and
old soldiers who had seen service on the
frontier for 25 years yiad with the re
cruit of 20 days in cheering for the Stal
Spangled Banner. The corps reached
Siboney, Cuba, on July s., and had the
honor of being the first to land.
/ When about 30 miles from. Siboney the
signal corps met the dead bodies of sail
ors from Ceryera's feet floating in tbs
water They had pants on. but the bodies
were bare. The John Englis, formerly
of the Maine s. S. Co., but now the Re
lief, He'd Cross boat), having bodies taken
off her-train loads of the wounded and
the dying were being brought from the
front. They were sights never to be for
gotten. The Signal corps were sent to the
front ON landing and the men were sta
toned with Gen. Shafter at Sevilla. The
boys patrolled telegraph wires night and
day with guerillas all around. At one
time the men were out for three nights
| in the worst rain storm that ever struck
Cuba, on the night the Spanish broke
| through the American lines.
The Maine Signal corps boys went the
farthest of any troops in Cuba and were
the last of the Fifth army corps to