The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-31
THIRD STARTS EAST
OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE REGI-
MENT LEAVE UNDER ADVERSE
CIRCUMSTANCES
SUFFERED FROM THE COLD

|
| Delay, While the Weather Was
Almost Unbearable-Men Had
Their Hands and Feet FrOst-Bit-
- ten---As erowdgt to Bid Them Good
Bye In Spite of the Cold.
The Third regiment. which has for
ten years been regarded as g. Mime
sofa institution, its officers and men
as citizens of Minnesota and residents
of the, Twin. Cities, ,bade farewell to
| Fort Smelling yesterday morning and
Is now being whirled to New York,
where it will board a transport, which
Will carry 1t to the Philippines. After
a century Of fighting on American soil,
the regiment opens new chapter in
its history by going to fight with saw
ages in an alien land.
The departure Of this regiment was
/ accompanied by no unusual demon
strat1on on the part Of the people of
st. Paul The only demonstration In
its honor was made by the clerk of the
weather, who sent the mercury down
to about 20 degrees below zero and
! nearly froze the soldiers as they were
brought into the city to take the
trains. ai7i..-@
The men were awakened by reveille
about O'Clock, and Immediately after
breakfast they prepared to: take their
last look upon Fort Smelling. 1t was
a sad time they spent, packing their
knapsacks and haversacks and rolling
their blankets and shelter tents for
the long Journey Gen. Page had or
dered that the trolley cars which were
to bring the soldiers to the union de-
pot should be at the fort at 8 o'clock,
and at 1870 the men assembled for the
last time in front Of their company
quarters. There were no visitors to
witness the departure of the troops,
but there were many women and other
members Of the officers households
who were to accompany the regiment
to Manila. These were taken to the
cars In the post omnfbuses.
The weather was intensely cold and
keen wind blew from the northwest,
cutting the mems faces and exposed
hands and penetrating even their thick
uniforms. They We're not kept waiting
long for the word Of command but, as
soon as all was ready, Gen. Page gave
the word and the regiment, with the
band in the lead started for the cars.
The men looked neither to right nor
left as they marched for the last time
down the broad avenue to the bridge,
and they laughed and joked to keep UP
their spirits. AT the other end of the
bridge they found. the cars waiting. a
long procession eofst them, and, as quick
ly as they reached them, they boarded
the cars and ywere started on their
journey. - lgcE o.. ..
Companies B and E and a platoon
OF Fl, under Capt. Williams and Lieut..
Edwards, werey the first to arrive in
the city. They went to the Minneapo-
lis & st. Louis depot, where their train
was awaiting them and where they
were greeted by-Siebert's band, which
was led by the regiments veteran,
Drum Major McGuffin, whom age has
denied the privilege of accompanying
the regiment to Manila. The musical
instruments were SO badly frozen that
1t was almost impossible for the play
ers to make a sound, and, after a few
attempts to play "The Stars and
Stripes Forever they gave it up. A
number of members Of the Commercial
cluo was with the band, but even
Secretary Slime found the cold too
much for comfort and the contingent
retreated to the depot building. The
soldiers We're obliged to stand on the
platrorm fifteen sWfputes,%and several
became FROST bitten
companies D and L and a detach-
ment of Company G next arrived and
were marched to the Wisconsin Cen
trail train. They were commanded bv
Maj. Brfnckerhoffs and Capt. Nichols.
-Ihe hospital corps was next at the de-
pot. commanded by Medical officer
Smith.
Companies A and K and part of G.
upon their arrival, were ASSIGNED to the
northwestern, and Capt. Hanney or
dered them aboard the cars without
delay.
Companies F and G and the balance
OF II boarded the Chicago Great West
ornf C<ovr
them and lost no time in getting them
In the cars.
Gen. Page and the Headquarters staff
and their families occupied the Burling-
ton coaches with the band, and Com
pan1es L and M and g. number of the
hospital corps. Gen. Page was accom-
panied by his wife and his two sons.
Harry and John. who are to 20 with
him to Manila Gen. Page was quite
Ill when he arrived at the depot, the
colo weather proving too much for him.
But while the men were boarding
the cars there were many delays of
one kind and another and the soldiers
round time to wander about the depot
Their sweethearts had gathered there
to bid them good bye and they filled
the depot building. There were also
a number of men in the crowd. AS the
men marched through the depot they
farewell to their friends. Few seemed
to feel badly about going away; most
of them were IN good spirits and seem
ed to be glad they were going on long
journey. The women chung to them I'M
til the last moment and then bade them
a fearful farewell
The guards on duty at the car en-
frances suffered much from the cold.
Many had nothing but white cotton
gloves on their hands and their hands
and fingers became frozen. They found
their gun barrels very cold and some
Of them actually froze to the steel
weapons. Many wore skin caps. but
there were also many who wore only
hats. and the ears Of many who had
no protection for them were frost bit
ten. 1t was so cold in the depot shed
that the, steam rising from the locomo-
tives became CONCEALED and fell In
snow so that the tracks and platforms
and the coats of people were covered
with the white flakes.
The hour set for the regiments de-
parture was 10 o'clock. but when that
arrived not half, the regiment was in
the cars and it was fifteen minutes of
II when the Burlington train, bearing
Gen. Page and officers. started out of
the depot. A few persons out on the
platform waved handkerchief as the
train drew out. The section was quick
ly followed by the Northwestern and
that by the Chicago Great Western.
and the MINNEAPOLIS & st. Louis, and
the Wisconsin, Central, and the Third
had gone.
The regiment will get together again
at Chicago and from there will proceed
East on the Lake Shore to New York,
without having ito change cars, how
aUpr