The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-10
RETURNS HOME.
Last of Massachusetts Vol
unteer Regiments to
Get Back.

Boston, April 9.-The Eighth Massa-
chusetts regiment, United States vol
unteers. Col. William A Pew COM
handing, the last body of volunteer
soldiery from this state to return from
active duty, arrived home this after
noon on the United States transport
Meade. and was welcomed with I'M
bounded enthusiasm The Meade left
Matanzas at 6.10 a. m. last Tuesday,
and her run until she was enveloped in
a dense fog off Cape Cod, was days,
% hours and so minutes.
For "a hours the home port was near,
but so difficult was navigation, that it
was ITO this morning before the yes
sci anchored at quarantine. The
Meades welcome from craft in the
harbor was a merry one, and soon the
transport was bedecked with color from
stem to stern.
The regiment was reported by Maj.
CogsWell, the regimental surgeon, as
having a clean bill of health, and the
formalities at quarantine were quickly
at an end. About the same time, the
police boat Guardian, Capt. Bragdon,
arrived, having on board Gov. Wolcott,
accompanied by Adjt. Gen. Dalton, Act
of the staff. and Lieut.. Col Bailey OF
Amesbury, formerly of the regiment.
The soldiers again and again cheered
the governor, each of those accompany
ing him, and Col. Pew. On board the
Meade the officers call was sounded,
and the governor, as he came over the
side. was received in military style, the
Eighth regiment band and drum corps
playing Hail to the Chief and then
n from a FOREIGN shore. -
The Cunarder Catalonia, inward
bound, passed quarantine and her
crew and passengers cheered the SOL
der boys, and back went Wild re-
Spouse.
Gov. Wolcott addressed Col. Pew in
short speech of welcome. There was
an interchange of greetings, and then
the governor and party returned TO the
city. A little later, the Resolute, haY-
ing on board Quartermaster Hyde, u.
S. A., went alongside the Meade, and
the plan for disembarking the reSl-
ment was explained to Col. Pew. The
Meade then proceeded to the New Eng
land pier, where she was locked at
noon.
The Meade brought A officers and
1857 enlisted men from Matanzas, the
only absentees among the officers pc
ing Chaplain Saunders and Capt. j. Z.
vice with 1927 officers and men, and
was mustered in almost year ago.
The voyage up was a fair one, although
rather rough along the Carolina coast
and off Hatteras. There was the usual
amount of sea sickness, but no serious
cases, and the few patients in the SICK
bay improved as the health giving
breezes were met.
BY the time the Meade was docked
the water all about her was full OF
small craft, many of them chartered
by DELEGATIONS from cities represented
by companies in the regiment. AS soon
as the transport was locked, ratlons
were issued, and at 230 p. m. the regi-
ment marched ashore amid the CHEERS
of the crowd which swarmed over
every available inch of space on the
| docks. The regiment headed by a pat
Don Of police, marched from the pier
through a number of streets, passing
the state house, where Gov. Wolcott
reviewed it, and continuing to the
South armory on Irvington street,
where the regiment will be quartered
until its muster out. The streets
through which the Eighth marched
were thronged with thousands of spec
tators who had stood in place since 8
o'clock in the morning.
After the regiment had reached the
armory it was decided to give it As
hour furlough. The various companies
therefore soon left the city for their re-
spective homes Eighteen members of
the regiment came as prisoners, and
were turned over to the commandant at
Fort Warren to serve out terms Of i'm
prisonment for violations of the mu-
tiny law or dissipation. Considerable
dissatisfaction was expressed by the
men during the voyage at the guam
tity and quality of the provisions fur
nished. Last Friday evening the trou-
BILE among the soldiers almost APP
nroached mutiny.