Evening star., 1898-09-09

N"\\I~"
Qmstr. sergt. c. E. Mortimer.
other officers was on horseback to the
front of the line, gave the order to present
arms, and while the regiment stood al pre-
sent the band played
''The Star SpanSIed Banner.
People at home may have an idea there
are better bands than the 1st Regiment
organization, but no band in all the world
according to the testimony of every man
in the regiment, ever played THE Star
Spangled Banner" as 1t was played that
day. The men came to order arms. and
led by their colonel the regiment cheered.
Never was there such cheer as came
from those throats. 1t was a volume of
sound that rolled over the hills like an
overwhelming torrent. 1t was taken up by
miles and miles of soldiers until the sound
Yankee Doodle" Dixie" Columbia" and
last of all America" AS the notes of the
glorious anthem f1oated out, Colonel Har-
ries turned to his men and with his sword
as a baton led them in singing the words.
1t was q glorious chorus of S61 manly
voices, husky with emotion, but rising
higher and higher as they sang of the
SlCrfes of the land for which they fought
and for whose glory and honor life was
small sacrifice. In front was the fallen
city, the stars and stripes floating over it.
To the right and to the left was miles of
cheers and music. Capron's Battery was
laundering out its salute of twenty-one
guns to the flag. 1t was a. scene the reg1-
ment will never forget and which will
make future patriotic occasions seem weak
TO it's men.
Had Become AccIimated.
The day after the surrender Colonel Har-
ries made an earnest application to go to
Porto Rico with the expedition to that is
land. The days sick report showed only
FIVE men not ready for duty. and the colo
mel pointed cut to General Miles and Cen
eral Shafter that the regiment in
splendid condition, and was not tain ed with
fever.
Tuesday the 10th, the regiment moved its
camp and in conjunction with the 9th
Massachusetts and 1st Illinois camped on
the ridge above General Wheeler's head
quarters. The boys made themselves at
home at once in their new situation, which
was one of their natural faculties. The
men of the command had become by this
time almost perfect soldiers in every par
tiCElar. This is Colonel Harries' opinion.
ard it was also the opinion of army Off
GERS who visited the camp. They were
thoroughly Cubanized by this time and
were with the soldier who was asked
if lie had Just arrived and who replied:
Nav, I've been here always The men
were thoroughly acclimated by this time
to having centipedes crawl over them or to
find tarantuiaS in their boots.
Lieut. Griffiths, in command of the COM
missary was an angel in blue to the reg
inent He secured stores where others
Were hungry. and it is whispered he drew
re tions for his men from several sources
Lieut.. Griffiths is described by one of his
fellow offica-s as the "mildest mannered
man who ever stole hardtack to feed his
regiment" Battalions Of the regiment in
these days stood guard over the Spanish
prisoners, and the indescribable filth and
insanitary condition of the Spanish camp
vas responsible for much of the fever that
later spread through the regiment
There were some changes among the off,
GERS. Capt Simonson had resigned and
Lieut.. Mock was nominated as captain and
assigned to his company. Second Lieut..
Boiseau wfss nominated for promotion to
first lieutenant and First Sergt Sheridan
Ferree nominated for second lieuten-
ant.
The men were losing faith now about go
ing to Porto Rico, as 1t was believed tho
fever scare would prevent a:sy OF the troops
in Cuba bel Ig taken. At that time the de-
cision was an injustice to the regiment, as
it was in perfect conf'. on, and had 1t been
sent to Porto Rico would have almost
ta.nly escaped without a touch of fever.
Nearly every afternoon these days
marked by terrific rain storm. against
whose violence no shelter sufficed.
Fighting Disease.
July 81 Lieutenant Cook and Private
Poore were sent to the hospital, suffering
with typhoid. There was proper food
for them in camp The day before an effort
to get something for these men, an offer of
so for a can of condensed milk had been
made by Colonel Harries, through the
camps of thirty regiments, but the milk
was not found. The surgeons of the regi-
ment kept the men filled up with quinine
and prevented them from eating the fresh
beef which began to be issued on the I'D.
| These precautions aid much to prevent fa-
talities from fever and dysentery. which
killed so many men in other regiments. On
the I'D some OF the regiment went into
Santiago and with their own eyes the
troubles the army would have had if it
had been necessary TO make an assault.
On the 24th the welcome announcement
was received that Capt. Theodore Mosher
had been appointed lieutenant colonel of
the regiment, to which place he had been
nominated by Colonel Harries before the
regiment left the United States. Captain
Mcsher had been seriously wounded in the
fighting before Santiago, and he did not
| accept his assignment until early in Sep
tember. The appointment was splendidly
received by the regiment.
The regiment was still anxious to go to
Porto Rico, although without much hope.
Col. Harries had been promised that If any
troops went from Cuba his regiment should
be among them July % Lieut.. Cook was
sent home on a hospital ship. Private
Poore was too sick to go and lay dying in
the hospital at Siboney.
Dark Days.
From this on the stay in Cuba was one
struggle with sickness. That the men did
not die in large numbers was due solely to
the discipline maintained throughout by
Col Harries and to the splendid work CT
the surgeons, who fought disease night and
day. Fifty-three men were on the sick list
by this time and the number kept increas-
ing. The men suffered from dysentery,
malaria. and it is quite probable that many
milo cases OF yellow fever existed in the
regiment.
Rain fell heavily every day and health
was not to be expected under the circum-
stances. The sick report on the 26th
jumped up to 81, and on the following day
went up to 176, and the conditions were
getting worse. Colonel Harries was at
tackled with fever, and for many days
was an exceedingly sick man, although he
never gave up command of his regiment,
but stuck it out in the camp until the end.
The regiment had been informed that 1t
was to be sent home Immediately and
every heart was filled with longing for
home. Spaniards, Cubans Americans were
dying in all directions like sheep, and pes
| thence spread its black wings over the
| entire army. 1t would not have been re-
markable If the District regiment, made up
| of men so short time from loving homes