The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-01


Spain than has Utah. Utah was one o.
the drst states to respond to the cal
for volunteers, and not only promptly
filed its quota, but tried to furnish {
battalion in excess of her allotment
AS it was, the response to the call 1al
exceeded the number accepted, and as
a result there We're a large number Of
able men rejected for no other reason
than that there was no room for them
The appearance. conduct and actions
of the Utah troops at all times won toI
them a name OF which they can wei
be proud. Wherever they appeared II
was generally conceded that no liner
body Of men, both physically and
morally, ever wore the blue UNIFORM
at San Francisco, where the Titan
troops were stationed for so long q
time, the people had nothing but good
accounts to give of them. They were
orderly. gentlemanly and courteous al
all times, prompt a1.d efficient in all
military duties, and, though strangers
in that place, theirs was one OIL the
most popular camps there.
AS to their courage and ability in the
field and in battle, their record stands
out prominently without a DlemlSn.
The work of batteries A and B in the
battle OF Malate is too well known TO
need repetition here. The story Of now
the Utah boys trudged through mud
axle deep, drawing their heavy guns
after them to the field Of battle; how
through a terrific storm of shot and
shell they stuck TO their guns and
poured hot shot after shot Of shrapnel
into the Spanish works. with terrible
and deadly effect, and how each ana
every man stuck to the guns to the
very last, is a familiar story TO every
one in Utah.
The Utah batteries in Manila won
for themselves q name which viii go
down TO posteTity on the pages of his
tory and on the scroll of fame. In the
official reports Of the battle of Malate
the two batteries were especially men
toned for their bravery and effective
work In fact, it has been said that had
it not been for them, the battle might
have had a different ending. In no
case has the conduct of the Utah vol
unteers been other than exemplary.
and their actions reflect great credit
upon the state and the United States.
UTAH AIR MAKES FIGHTERS.
* might be taken as singular coin
cidence that the Utah troops, and those
which have been stationed here within
the past few years. carried off most OF
the hOnors in the land engagements of
the war with Spain. It was the Utah
batteries at Manila who won the day,
AID il was the Sixth, Sixteenth and
Twenty-fourth regular infantry that
charged the blockhouse and trenches
in the bloody battle Of San Juan. A
great many Of the men in the Sixteenth
infantry were Utah men who had en-
listed in the regiment before they left
Fort Douglas, and a great many more
volunteered with it when the force Of
the army was placed upon a war foot
Ing. The Twenty-fourth left Fort Doug
To- nd nfpanf n fNnh9 and the
Sixth was stationed at Fort Douglas
only q few years age.
Only batteries A and 3 of the Utah
volunteers were given d chance TO dis
tinguish themselves in the war. and
they improved the opportunity. but be
il said 10 the credit Of the other organ
iZauOns that they did their duties to
the end, and undoubtedly, had they
been given the chance, they also would
have distinguished themselves. The
cavalry troop. under Captain Game.
was assigned to duty as park patrol in
the Yosemite; battery c, under Cap
tain Jennings, was stationed at Angel
island; the rough riders were sent to
Florida. and the company Of engineers
were transported to Honolulu. In those
stations the end OF the war found them.
Upon the destruction OF the Maine on
Feb L. 1898, the talk Of war began,
and the citizens Of Utah were bitter in
their expressions of hostility toward
Spain It was then that the talk of
a volunteer army commenced, and the
Utah boys bethought themselves Of en-
tering the ranks TO fight for Uncle
Samp. As events followed each other
and pointed TO certain war, rumOr was
FOR calling out the militia from the sew
eral states. Then came the question as
to whether the president had the power
to send the militia outside Of the Unit
National nd
settled this by at once volunteering its
services in a body. In fact, battery A,
L. y. c., sent Q telegram to the sec
rotary Of war offering its services, and
stating that 1t was willing TO go wher-
ever IT'S services might be required.
However, the militia was not called
into service. but instead the president.
Ola April %. issued a call for $4,000
volunteers. This made the Utah quota,
in proportion TO the other states. 425
men, but later this was increased to 521
On April %, TWO days after the presi-
dents call. Governor Wells was Off
cially notified, and made his call for
the requisite number Of volunteers. The
governors proclamation asked for vol
unteers TO Ill up two batteries Of 173
men each, and one troop Of cavalry of
100 men.
Then came a telegram from Secre-
fary Alger TO Governor Wells, asking:
1.-The president has authorized enlist
ment Of eighty-fiVe men in your state,
good shots, good riders, TO form a COM
pany in mounted rifle regiment. Com
pany officers TO be taken from your sec
ton. Can you give us the men?"
Governor Wells Immediately replied:
Utah viii be PROUD to furnish eighty
five men for company IN mounted rifle
regiment, as authorized by president,
IN addition TO her regular quota
Governor Wells then appointed the
following recruiting officers: r w
Young, Willard Young, Frank A. Grant,
George ". Gibbs, George T. Downey,
Joseph z. Game, John Q. Cannon and
Ray c. Naylor. These officers met and
fixed the dates for recruiting in the
different parts Of the state as follows:
Thursday, April IS, Salt Lake. Logan,
Provo, Bountiful. Price, Springville,
Lehi, Nephi, Mercur. Friday. April %,
Eureka Pennington. Mt. Pleasant
Park City, Manti. Saturday, April 80,
Richmond. Bingham, ogden, Salina
Monday. May 2. Brigham City, Tooele,
Heber, Richfield. and Tuesday, May 9,
Grantsville.
RECRUITS WERE READY.
Recruiting Immediately began, and
enrolled. The outside towns responded
TO the cali, and it was soon found
necessary TO discontinue enlistments,
as IA men had been enrolled, and were
ordered to rendezvous on May at
Fort Douglas. It was intended to es-
tablish a camp on that day at Fort
Douglas but the weather was bad, and
it was found impossible. Arrangements
were made with Lieutenant DashieIl,