The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-07-15

/ First New York Regiment Military
l. Governor of the Hawaiian Islands.
The appointment, however, will be
only temporary, for Colonel Barber was
yesterday assured that the First will go
to the Philippines as soon as it is pos
sible for the War Department to relieve
them of garrison duty at Honolulu.
Late yesterday afternoon Colonel
Barber received q number of kilograms
from Washington. After toying with
the wires for few moments the col
oneI went out to Camp Merritt. He
was in the best of humor Approach
ing Lieutenant Colonel Stacpole he
said. Colonel, we may yet go to the
Philippines" When asked for an eX-
PLANTATION Colonel Barber stated that
he had received assurances from Wash
ington that the First New York Volun-
teers would not be compelled to perma-
nently remain on garrison duty at Hon
olulu.
Il have been assured" he said, that
my regiment will ultimately go to Ma
Mia Six companies will leave here on
transports for Honolulu about July 80
The remaining six companies Will start
for the islands August II. Our stay
there 1 believe will be only temporary.
AS soon as it is convenient to send re-
Inducements we will go to the Philip
pines
When asked if his duties would be
more than military Colonel Barber
said: Il understand that l am TO be
practically the Military Governor of the
islands until such time as a suitable
government can be established on a
permanent basis. So far as can see
nv position will be something like that
of General Merritt, only, OF course, on
a smaller scale. 1 will in all likelihood
have considerable civil as we'll as mill
tary duty to perform
The news of the favorable chances
of the First going to Mania has Great
ed the greatest enthusiasm among the
officers and men.
When the First New York Volunteers
left their native State it was with the
assurance that their destination was
the Philippine Islands. Before leaving
San Francisco Major General Wesley
Merritt sent a personal request to
President Mckinley to have the First
New York Volunteers assigned to ac-
tive duty in the Department of the Pa
cific, of which he is commander. Col
onel Barber and General Merritt are
old friends. The request of General
Merritt to have the First New York as
signed to his command was Immediate
" granted, and when the regiment
wheeled out of Jersey City week ago
yesterday it was understood their des-
tinatiOn was Manila.
Colonel Barber had received assurances
from the administration that the men
under his command would go to the
Philippines just as soon 5 the department
0uartermaSter here was able to charter
the necessary transports. 1t was under
stood that he could not 60 with the ex-
petition that embarked Yesterday owing
to the uncertainty of the time OF trans
pOrtatiOn across the continent.
Last Friday afternoon word was re-
ceived on the train that the adjutant gen
eral had assigned the First New York
Volunteers to garrison duty at honolulu.
Colonel Barber is too good soldier to
take issue with his superior officers. He
made no complaint whatever at the sud
den turn of affairs. The enlisted men
were quite heartbroken. Practically every
man in the regiment had given up good
position in hopes of seeing active service.
The nearest approach to actual warfare
that could be hoped for in the Hawaiian
Islands would be the regulation garrison
on his arrival here Wednesday after
noon Colonel Barber received number
of personal kilograms from Washington
and New York. He refused to make pub
lie the nature of their contents. When the
camp site Of the New York Volunteers
at the old Bay District racetrack was des-
ignated to him he openly manifested his
displeasure. The place is one stretch OF
dry sand. mixed with debris and decayed
matter. He Immediately called the atten..
ton of Surgeon Davis TO the condition or
the site, and after a brief examination
the doctor stated that p ermaanent en- en-
First New York would be q menace TO the
health of the men.
Yesterday morning S f mel baTe per
in the Phelan building and laid the matter
before him. The regiment had already
pitched its conical tents in the miniature
desert, and. Notwithstanding the great In
convenience that would result in the
breaking up of the camp, Colonel Barber
requested General Otis to permit his regl-
ment to move their tents to the Presidio
reservation. General Otis granted the re-
quest, and this morning at sunrise the
First New York will break camp at the
old Bay District track and reopen house
at the Government reservation.
Army officers speak of the First New
York as volunteer regulars II was the
first and in fact, the only regiment that
left New York or any other Eastern State
fully equipped for service. The only draw
back in the equippage is the antique rifles
with which the men have been supplied.
Like all Of the volunteer regiments, the
First New York is armed with Springfield
rifles which long ago outlived their use
fitness, so far as modern warfare is con-
cerned They are only effective at short
range and other things being equal,
would be no match for the Mauser rifles
with which the Spanish and all European
soldiers are armed, or the Crag-Jorgenson
which is now the regulation weapon OF
the United States army.
lust before being appointed to active
field service Brigadier General Royal T.
Frank. commander of the Department of
the East, the most important military
command of the United States, after an
official inspection Of the First New York
Volunteers proclaimed Them the equal Of
any regiment Of regulars in the service.
There IS more wealth and influence rep
resented by the First New York Volun-
teers than by any other regimental body
of troops in the service Among the pri-
Yates are scions of the wealthiest New
York families. Many Of them are men of
pronounced social cast and belong to the
ultra-fashionable or smart set" of the
metropolis. Colonel T. II. Barber is on
of the wealthiest men in the State Of New
York. He lives during part of the year at
Albany, the State capitol, where his in
terests are very great. Lieutenant Colo
mel II. c. Stacpole has been for thrty-one
years in the adjutant generals office of
the State.
Major Robert Emmett is also a man Of
great wealth. He has a splendid estate at
Port Chester. just outside the city limits
of Greater New York For fifteen years
he was in the regular army and when he
threw up his commission was a captain
in the Ninth Cavalry. He is the great
granddaughter Of Robert Emmett one of
the most picturesque heroes in Irish his
tory. Major Emmett bears a striking re-
sembance to his illustrous ancestors
Lieutenant Brownson Winthrop, quar-
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