The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-14
NAMES HEAVY ARTILLERY.
THE BATTALION WAS ORGANIZED
UNDER THE SECOND CALL.

iOn-Battery A Raised Under the
First Call and Was Joined by the
ether Three After They Had Been.
Raised Under the Second Call-Al
Four Expect to GO Into FOrtifica-
lions i'm Cuba-HistOry of the Bat
talon.
Three of the four batteries that comprise
the battalion OF the Maine Artillery
encamped at the old rifle range were re-
cruited under the second call of the PresI-
dent for troops. Battery A was raised I'M
der the first call, and has thus been in
the service some time longer than the 9TH
ers.
Maine has not sent out many soldiers,
The state was not called upon for so large
a quota as many others. In addition TO
the battalion of artillery it has furnished
but one regiment. This was of infantry
and went out under the first can.
The battalion is styled the First Maine
Heavy Artillery. 1t was under this desg
nation that it was mustered into the ser
vice. Each of the batteries was mustered
in at Augusta. Battery A was received as
a part of the forces of the United States
about the middle of May. Not hong after
wards it was sent to Fort Popham on the
Kennebec river, where it remained until
some time in September, though it was at
tached to the battalion when the remain
ing three batteries were organized under
the second cali. While at Fort Popham
its strength was recruited until it now has
1872 men. This is a larger number than any
of the others have. Each of these have APP
proximately 1906 which was the minimum
number with which battery was allowed
to enter the service. The maximum is 19S,
but Battery A was instructed to discon-
tinue its recruiting when its mark of 1872
had been reached.
Batteries B, and d were mustered in
at Augusta July 49, 10 and 20, respectively.
| Their officers gathered the men from diff
| ferent places and sections of the state, the
! following towns and cities being most
| largely represented by the artillerymen
| now at Savannah: Augusta, Bath, Show
! hogan, Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, East
! port and Machias Each OF these bat
teries has its captain and two lieutenants,
! though Battery A has two second lieuten-
| ants on account of its size. If the others
|
| they too, would be entitled to another sec
| ond lieutenant.
The artillery is commanded by Maj. E.
| L. Newcomb of PASSPORT Maj. Newcomb
has had long experience in military. For
some time he was inspector general of the
! National Guard of Maine, and, just a
short time before the outbreak of the war
| he was selected colonel of the First Regl-
ment of the National Guard.
I Cant Henry Crockett is in e0ron1 nd Of
Battery A. It's other officers are Lieuts
! Paul, Garcelon ana Kelieher. Capt Hume,
Lieut.. Adams end Lieut. Wade, who is
acting as adjutant of the battalion, are
the officers of Battery b, and those of
Battery G. Are Capt. levitt, who is sick
at his home in Gardiner; Lieut.. Whitney
| and Lieut. Dutton. Capt. Kimball, Lieut.
McPheters and Lieut.. Spear are the Off
GERS of Battery D.
The battalion did not leave Augusta UNI
| til some three weeks ago. when the de-
parture was made for Savannah The stay
of the batteries at Augusta was not of
| great benefit to them, so far as any drills
with heavy artillery were concerned. There
| is but one battery, A, that has had any
| thing to do with heavy guns. This bat
terry had some little experience in hand
| ling heavy artillery while at Fort Pop
| ham, where several pieces of heavy mod
ern ordnance were being put in while the
men were there.
! Heavy 0rtillerlsts are expected to be
proficient in the handling of light or heavy
| guns and also to be we'll up in infantrv
drills and maneuvers. Thus far the bat
| talon has had opportunity to perfect itself
| in nothing beyond infantry drills The
men are armed with Springfield rifles and
| drills are held regularly every day. The
artillerists hope that when they get To
Cuba they viii have an opportunity to
learn something of heavy guns. Their
| expectation is that they will be put in
some of the forfications on the island
and that they will thus get the wished-for
! opportunity
! GOOD health has prevailed in the battal-
ion since its arrival here The men have
in fact, gotten along better than thew
did while in Augusta. There were six
| deaths while they were camped near that
| city. News was received by his comrades
in Battery d yesterday of the loss of an
other member. Private John Merror has
just died at his home in Norridgewock.
Eighteen In tent Is the way the ar
| tillerists bunk. They have the conlcal
Sibley tents. These were issued them bv
the state at the time they were mustered
in, but they hope that they will soon be
| given the ordinary A-tents that are much
more comfortable, convenient and health
| full.
The uniform of the artillery privates Is
the same as that Of the infantry. When
| it comes to the officers and non-eomnis-
stoned officers, however, there Is a Diff
ference, as the insignia of rank are red
instead of white Stripes and chevrons
are red, and the ground of shoulder straps
is also red. 1t is by this color that the
distinction is made from infantry. cavalry
hospital corps and men in the subsistence
department. The cavalry has yellow as
the predominant color, the hospital work
ers green, and non-commissioned officers
in the subsistence department have a blu
ish gray
A a