The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-10
Gallant Twenty-sixth Passes Through This
City En- Route To the Philippines.
DEPARTED WITH HEARTY GOD SpEED
The Freedom of the City Offered Colonel Rice and His Men By
Mayor Dodge-Unable To Parade Here On Account Of
Railroad Arrangements Colonel Rice is Proud of
His Men and They Of Him-Ieut. PIummer
and Other Worcester Men Remembered.

For a brief time yesterday Worcester
+ was the proud host of the Twenty
sixth United States volunteer regiment.
COL Rice and his magnificent command,
who have been the guests of the city
Of Boston and have been entertained
. by the city Of Providence, passed
through the city at noon. coming in
over the New York, New Haven and
Hartford railroad from Providence, and
leaving over the Fitchburg road for
Chicago and San Francisco, en- route
tOr service in the Philippines.
There was but a brief stop in this
Edty. just enough to allow of a change
Of engines and the transfer from one
road to the other, yet hundreds of citi-
zens assembled at the viaduct and at
the Fitchburg yards to godspeed and
cheer the gallant volunteers.
That Col Rice was unable to accept
the invitation of Mayor Rufus B. Dodge,
Jr, to make a short stay in this city
and to parade his command as he did
lin Boston and at Providence, was
source of disappointment to thousands
who were eager and anxious to honor
the veterans famous command, which,
by the way, had no existence two
months ago except upon paper, and to-
day is a representative regiment of citi-
zen soldiers the equal of the finest
Standing armies of all the great ma
tons Of the globe.
Although the visit of the regiment to
Worcester was unexpected and unan-
nounced except through The Spy yes
terday morning, a crowd of many hun
dreds assembled at vantage points of
view for a glimpse of brave soldier
boys who are to do battle for their
country amid the jungles of the Philip
+ pines
At the viaduct, where the heavy
trains We're transferred from the tracks
Of the Providence road to the Fitch
ourg Mayor Dodge and members of the
CITY government assembled to greet the
leglment and to extend the freedom of
me city to the soldier boys. Veterans
q the civil war-hoary comrades of
= -''N w. WHO saw the TlSOT anu lOll VI
actual warfare in the heat of civil
strife, stood shoulder to shoulder with
NE manly veterans of the Cuban cam
palgn, enthused with the inspiration of
sturdy, rugged young men, the flower
y combined citizenship and soldtery,
saylng country and home to fight for
nelr country beneath the blazing sun
ana tropical rains of the islands of the
s far east
Many who had friends and relatives
ABOARD the long trains which are speed
ING across the great continent towards
ae waiting transports at the Golden
Iate were on the scene to greet and to
Jay farewell, perhaps forever, to the
0raye boys in blue.
When the first section of the long
Ialn pulled in at the viaduct there was
!, mad scramble of friends of the SOL
ller boys to board the Wagner sleep
i,s cars and to grasp the hands of low
" ones or friends who were Justify dis
army.
sWeethearts were urgent and the
guards were lenient and many fond
sHlorace was exchanged, and later,
mneh the various sections of the train
puneq out amid the cheers of the
moWd many head was turned and
M Lany tear trickled from the eye of
NUS, r'ose 10 whom the departure of the
l,SAueht meant perhaps the last
e"Inpse OF loved face on earth.
~ lhe F1tchburg roundhouse where a
asN was made to shift engines and to
SSuGch to each of the four sections a
C uuDle header of two powerful engines,
MUwus assembled about the cars and
NJ U,yIe spectators of touching farewells.
W Wnyh the third section arrived, Lieut..
@Snllam H, Plummer was hurried from
snd ram by a score of intimate friends
~ p"u was given an ovation. His hand
n ~ n, srasped first by a representative
Ia me spy and as he stood for the
sst time in his home city. The Spy ar
bsc photographed him against the
% bckground Of the officers car from
p %s window Of which Maj Dickman
49, SSsgu upon the scene, while from the
snuoWs Of the long line of Wagner
o,iTpers hundreds of bronzed faces
o Oneq with wonder on the kind of ova-
worcester can tender to one of
uer honored sons.
,oa ne trst section of the heavy train
Woe ied the viaduct at lilo o'clock. 1t
tbo made UP of freight cars carrying
mo, ,teglnental stores. horses and equip
d. Inc second section came at 1920
M mn. ana carried the Third battalion,
Of Men and l6 officers under command
mada a. Cook. The entire train was
sleaneo,up OF 30 solid vestibule Wagner
dvctpnur IN charge of the veteran con-
soptS Cowan, who has carried troops
Who ana across the continent. and
regir,aolaates that never has he seen a
IN bo.4nt transported In finer cars or
ma Ter order than Col Rice's com
ho,N section three arrived n half
oRcor,aa 'er with 413 enlisted men and IA
man under command of Maj Dick
n ma constituted the First battal-
ctoci,. ne fourth section came in at |
w with the Second battalion and