The Portland daily press., 1898-05-24
TO DEFEND PORTLAND.
Artillery to be Supported by Con-
necticut Infantrymen.
TWO COMPANIES ARRIVE FROM
CAMP NIANTIC.

Special Train Makes Quick Run From
Connecticut and Brings Troops for
Fort Preble-The Night Spent in the
Cars at Union Station.
At eight O'Clock last evening. engine
NO. % of the Boston and Maine railroad,
with Engineer Willard Patterson of Port
land, at the throttle, pulled into the
Union station with one baggage car and
three passenger coaches, having on board
the two infantry companies which have
just been ordered to REINFORCE the garri-
son at Fort Preble.
These companies are K and B of the
First regiment of infantry, Connecticut
volunteers, recently transformed from the
First regiment Connecticut National
Guard have been in camp 9 at Mantle,
Connecticut, since May 4th. The regiment
is commanded by Col Charles L. Bur-
dette and was intact until last Sunday
night, when one company was ordered to
Fort Constitution, two companies to Fort
Preble. two companies to Plum Island,
and onelcompany to Gull island.
The companies ordered to Fort Preble
and Fort Constitution left Mantle vester-
day morning at 11.s0 O'Clock, by the New
York and New Haven railroad and arriy-
ing in Boston at four o'clock were trans
ferred to the Boston and Maine tracks
and left Somerville for Portland at 437.
They were delayed about twenty-one
minutes at Portsmouth. in order that the
company destined tor Fort Constitution
might unload Its baggage, sand when
this was over, the run was a quick and
smooth one until between Saco and Soar
boro hot box caused a stop and delayed
the arrival of the train about thirty
minutes.
No sooner had the train come to stop
in the Union station than the men
alighted from the cars, and assembly be-
ing sounded the companies lined up
along the platform.
The officers Of the companies are as fol-
lows:
Company K-Captain Henry 81. Saun-
uoISs uIsb llouutudut, AuWIu II. W6U6T-
man; second lieutenant, Nathan 6.
Valentine.
Company F-Captain, Charles Fl. New
ton; first lieutenant, George W. Ripley;
second lieutenant, Frank G. Smith.
The enlisted strength of each company
is "a men, with full complement of non
commissioned officers, and accompanying
the command is Assistant Hospital
Steward George L. Stevens, with three
orderlies.
The men were in heavy marching order
and carried the Merriam pack. This
pack, with the sticks fastened to the
knapsack, enables the soldier to improvise
shelter.
Over the knapsaok was rolled the blank
ct and underneath was. the overcoat neatly
folded. Each man was equipped with
haversack, canteen and the forage was
worn, while the campaign hat was at
taohed to the knapsaok. The Merriam
pack, whion was invented by son of
Maine whose name it bears, throws the
weight of the soldiers load. by means of
straps, about the hips, greatly relieving
the strain on the shoulder which the or
binary knapsack causes.
The command brought ten days rations,
the necessary camp equipage including
fourteen A tents and two wall tents.
The personnel of this augmenting forces
is exceptionally good. Most of the men
are young, averaging about twenty -four
years of age, are clean cut and present a
good military appearance.
company has on it's muster roll not
less than twenty five college men, includ-
ing representatives from Yale, Harvard,
Brown, Wesley and Trinity. K company
has one at least, and he halls from Am
herst.
Not many have seen service in the
regular army, but even it has some repre-
sentatives inatheses companies and amodg
these may be mentioned Michael McGrath
OF K company, who served in Troop K of
the 9th o. S. cavalry. Sergeant Bailey
and Private Joy of F company have also
seen service with the regulars.
In this command is James Frederick
Newman, who was seven years in the
5Oth Queens Own" He served in
India, Malta, Gibraltar and Egypt. Most
of the enlisted strength is, however, from
Hartford, Conn.,, and Portland is fortu-
nate in having two such crack companies
OF Connecticut's contri button to the U.
s. volunteer force as part of Its defenses.
1t was not expected by the commanding
officer at Fort Preble that the companies
VOL Id Arrive hpfnra g 20 the 81 n
had to wait some time for their orders.
In the meantime the men amused them
selves by singingipatriotic songs. Upon the
arrival Of Captain Rodgers it was ordered
that the two companies return to the cars
and there remain for the night. In the
informing at T. 80 O'Clock the march will be
taken up for Fort Preble and 1t is
thou ght owing to the limited space for
company within the limits of the fort,
that only one company will remain at
Preble. The other is likely to pitch its
tents under the shadow of the big ten
H.