The times., 1898-11-21
MUSTERED OUT AND PAID.
The First District Volunteer
Regiment Is No More.
THE LAST ASSEMBLY CALL
Nearly 100000 in Gold Handed
Over to the SoIdicrs-scenen in the
Center Market Armory - Tedious
Work Lasted Until Lnfe nj Night
All Records BROKEN.

Shortly before II o'clock last night the
First Regiment of District of Columbia
Volunteers ceased 10 exist. At that hour
the last man received his muster out pa
pers and pay for his service and furlough
rations, and walked from the Center Mar
ket Armory a citizen.
The passing of the regiment, which was
thus completed, Is the quickest of which
the War Department has any record at
the present time. 1t ordinarily requires
ment. In some instances. the work can be
completed in less time, but In the pres
ent case the entire District Regiment was
mustered out in just ten days.
The record for 1t is due in a great
measure to DR.. Percy c. Hunt who ex-
amined the men, and to the chief mus
tering officer. Capt George *. McGun-
negle, and his assistants, Lieut.. c. II. Nc
Neil, of the Fifth Artillery. and Lieut.. IL.
LaF. Applewhite. of the Sixth Cavalry.
The physical examination which the
members and officers of the regiment we're
required to pass was begun by DR.. Hunt
on the 10th of the month The colonel
and his staff were examined first. then
the band and the first. second. md third
battaiions in numerical order.
Only thirty-nifie men out of a total of
S6s were not examined. These We're too
sick to report at the armory. They Will
be examined later and will receive their
money through the War Department. The
money due the members of the regiment
VINO lost their lives on the field or in
camp will be distributed TO the relatives
through the War Department.
Escortins the Gold.
The physical examination was conclud-
ed last Saturday. Everything was in read.
mess for the final muster out yesterday.
Early in the morning, and long before the
quiet of Sunday morning is usually broken
by the sounds of awakening day, a guard
of eight priyates marched up the Avenue
to the Treasury Department
When they reached Uncle Sans great
storehouse of wealth they were met Ly
Paymaster Muehlenburg, and directed to
one of the large basement doors in front
of which stood bullion wagon. They
assumed places on either side of the
wagon.
Presently several employees of the Treas
ury appeared bearing heavy iron chest
A second and third were loaded into
the wagon, which then started in the d.
| rection of the Center Market Armory un-
der the escort OF the soldiers.
Few persons thought as they saw the
4 wagon pass along the Avenue that II con-
/ tanned small fortune In gold. which
/ would soon find Its way into the pockets
! of several hundred volunteers and Off
| GERS.
When the paymaster reached the
armory the three massive chests, con-
tanning nearly $4,000 in gold. were car
ried into the hall and placed behind three
! pine tables, which We're arranged so as
to form long counter.
One of them was unlocked and the pay
! master took out three cotton money bags
! and from them poured several thousand
! dollars in double eagles, eagles and five
| dollar gold pieces. \ package, of one
! dollar bills and some small change was
! added and the announcement was then
\ made that the paymaster and the muster
! ing officers were ready 10 receive the
| first company.
A MOnotonOus Wait.
This was at o'clock, and several min
utes after the striking of that hour Com
pany A, of the First Battalion, formerly
the Emmet Guards, entered the hall
! Col. Harries and his staff and the men,
of the regimental band We're mustered
out while the first company was being
got together in its quarters.
The ceremonies were simple but tedious
Many of the men had to wait around the
/ armory until late in the evening before
! their turn came. At noon they We're
marched out In squads for dinner, and at
dusk the same process was repeated, in
the case of those members who had not
| received their pay at that time, Mem
bers of the companies which were for
| tunate enough to have been mustered
out early in the day, however. were citi-
zens again and free to go to their homes
or wherever they pleased.
| When Company A entered the hall the
captain called out the names of the MEM
| bers. In turn the men advanced five
| PAGES and formed another line. They then
| advanced one by one TO the paymaster's S
| table and were handed their money, At
the same time they were mustered out
by the mastering officer. AS each man
| was mustered out he received certificate
| which read as follows:
ITO All Whom 1t May Concern:
Know ye that private of
| Company A, of the First District of Co.
lumbia Volunteers, who was enrolled on
the llth day of May, one thousand eight
| hundred and ninety-eight, to serve two
| years. or during the war, is hereby hon
orably discharged from the service by.
reason of muster out. No objection to his
re-enlistment is known 10 exist
| ''The said -- was born in
! -- in the State of and
when enrolled was years of age.
- feet --- inches high,
complexion, - eyes, - hair, and
| by occupation a
| Given at Washington this Goth day of
| November, 1898.
Commanding Company
''Countersigned-G. McGunnegle. Cant
| Fifteenth U. S. Infantry, Chief Muster
ing Officer"
Brief Military Record.
The reverse side of the discharge paper
reads as follows:
Military record, Battles, Engagements.
Skirmishes, and peditions:-Present
! with his company at the siege and sur
| render of Santiago de Cuba July II to II