The evening times., 1898-09-09
History of the Regiment From its
Formation Until the Return.
1T PERFORMED ITS DUTY WELL
In the War Against Spain the District Troops
Played No Small Part in Upholding the
Honor of This Country and the
Glory of the Nations Flag.

We're publicly thanked by Col. Harrles.
The regiment was moved to Washington
and after "A parade and review by the
President. started on the o'clock p. m.
train over the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road for Camp Thomas. Along the line
of march the District Volunteers were
given an ovation. There were many pa
thetic scenes at lexington, where the
regiment embarked on the cars Wives,
mothers. sisters, children and sweet
hearts were there in force to bid the
boys farewell.
Before its departure the members or
the regiment decided not to have regi-
ment band. and the following roster of
officers was announced:
Col George II. Harries, commanding;
Lieut.. Col. G. II. Heyl; regimental adJu-
tant First Lieut. William Edward Horton;
Major NJ Emmet Urell, with First Lieut..
James L. Mock as battalion adjutant;
Major ID. L. Hine with First Lieut..
Charles b. Hudson as battalion adjutant;
Major Richard A. O'Brien, with First
Lieut.. c Fred Cook as battalion adjutant:
chaplain Rev. George Dudley; surgeon,
Major r. A. Pyles; assistant surgeon,
First Lieut.. Clarence A. Weaver; assistant
surgeon First Lieut. S. Clifford Cox.
Captains-Harry Walsh. Company A;
William T. H King. Company b: Charles
S. Domer. Company Civilian S. Hodges,
Company ID; Frank /. Graham. Company
+: Otto @. Simonson, Company F; Fred
s. Hodgson, Company G.; H. b. LOCKER,
Company II Richard d. Simms, Company
!: Glendie B. Young, Company X; George
w England. Company L, and Sydney L.
Jacobs. Company NJ
May A.-Arriyed at Chattanooga, and
the regiment left soon after daylight for
Rossville; then marched to Chickamauga
Park. a distance of miles, and went into
camp.
After a varied experience at camp
Thomas, the regiment embarked for
Tampa on June i and arrived there on
June l.
After reaching Tampa the District Vol
unteers We're without food for more than
twenty-fOur hours, owing to the non-ar-
rival Of the commissary trains. The hum
ger of the boys became so keen that some
of them begged for food from strangers
on the streets of Tampa.
The regiment remained in camp at Tam
pa nearly a month, during which time
they drilled and marched almost con-
| stantly, and the officers reported that the
men We're becoming acclimated and would
| be ready for the Cuban campaign when
needed. One of the exciting episodes of
camp life al Tampa was the stampede of
| several hundreds of gaunt. wild Govern
ment mules The animals charged through
the camp of the District regiment, causing
/ panic among the volunteers and causing
| many Of them to take to tree tops for
safety.
on July . the regiment embarked on
! the steamship Ca;ania at Tampa, bound
4 for Santiago. where fighting was in prog
I ress. TO re-enforce Gen. Skaters army.
! The departure for Cuba was a memora-
I ha -ria Uplrt
/ cheered until they were hoarse.
The Catania was detained off Key
! West for twenty-four hours, as some part
/ of her machinery had broken down. Then
! she sailed for Santiago. and reached
4 the coast of Cuba on July s. The regi-
ment disembarked on the following day
at Siboney. and encountered considera-
BILE difficulty in landing through the
surf
1t was at Siboney that the first death
in the regiment occurred. Private ". B.
Poore. of Company X, died from typhoid
fever. and was buried there. 1t was
I openly charged that the lack of sick diet
( caused Private PORES death. He was
compelled to subsist while in the hospital
! on coarse greasy army fare. The Sec
ond District soldier TO die at Siboney
was Lieut.. Hardin. He was i'll when
the regiment landed but his death was
duc 10 INT tApDSuEc anu on the
terrible night of July IL. when the
troops. without blankets or tents, were
exposed to a fearful downDour of icy
! rain throughout the night.
The third fever victim was Private Soc
! rates Maupin. He died in one of the hos
pitfalls at Santiago. While en- route from
Santiago to Montauk Point Privates
Waldman and Baldman died on the
/ transports. and were buried at sea-
On the morning of July II the District
Regiment made the record march of any
troops in the army of invasion. The
condition of the roads was bad. and
marching extremely difficult, but the
men started from Siboney in the morn
( ing, and by afternoon reached the firing
lines and trenches in front of Santiago.
having traversed eighteen miles under
the most severe and trying conditions.
through yellow mud and under the fierce
glare Of the tropical sun
The regiment at once commenced TO
dig trenches, and were under fire that
evening from the Spanish pickets and
] sharpshooters.
While in the trenches in front of San
tiago, before and after the first armistice
the District Volunteers were among the
most advanced men of the American ar
my. They were so near to the eneny's
line that they could hear the Spanish
sentinels calling out the hours and crying
All 5 Well in their native tongue. The
entire regiment was in the trenches and
had the camp Immediately in the rear
The men had to undergo great hard
ships while in the trenches, such as w.
ing out in the chilly, damp tropical air at
hlSht on the rain-Soaked ground: living
upon hardtack and salt pork and end,Ir-
ing the intense heat. The position as
signed the District Regiment was to close
up the right wing where Lawton had
been fighting
While the men were engaged in digging
trenches two Spanish officers with a flag
of truce, left their lines and advanced
directly toward the District Regiment
Capt Charles Domer. of Company c.
with his handkerchief on ramrod, ad-
vanced TO meet them. One of the Span
iards made known the purpose of his
call. 1t was to object to the District men
digging trenches while the flag of truce
was flying. Capt. Domer replied:
You have been digging trenches" and
pointed out to newly made defenses
1t was agreed that neither side should
continue the digging until the armistice
had been concluded. Capt. Domer re-
turned TO the American lines and reported
/ the conference to Col. Harries The colo-
mel promptly approved the captains
! course
The service band of the regiment was
/ with the volunteers in Cuba, 1t having
Joined the command at Tampa early in
June. At the surrender of Santiago.
! July IL, the band played a number of pa
1 triotic airs while the troops triumphantly
/ uttered cheer after cheer when ''OId
! Glory was raised where the red and vel
4 lew flag of Spain had fioated over the
] government building in the city of San
tiaGo.
On T,lx- ha