The Somerset reporter., 1899-01-05

the struggle. and they were about to go
10 Porto Rico y hen re protocol. which
put an end u hostiaues. WAS signed.
An alarming amount Of sickness, espe-
cialy typhoid foyer. prevailed in the
Chickamauga camp. 1t WIS almost cpl
demic. and compelled the government u
abandon il. This caused the regiment to
return to Maine 1t has since its return
been mustered out Of the service. After
its return to Maine. as well as before,
1t suffered good deal from the fever
with which il had been infected before il
returned home.
What causes may have induced so
much sickness. Who is responsible for it
and whether or not II could have been
avoided by proper foresight and care.
leave to others 10 determine. Yet it does
seem to me tsat without some strong
compelling cause II MAS not good judg-
ment to concentrate in one camp so large
body Of troops as rendezyoused At
Chickamauga. and 10 keep them there
for a long period Of time in the heat Of
summer and under a southern sun.
The number Of commissioned officers
that served in the First regiment Of in
fantry volunteers While in the nited
States service was -. The number of
non-commissioned officers aud privates
furnished under the first call when the
regiment left Augusta was $50. There
IOIt, llt W ilOlt SilfllE III vi lllt lil3tliA
at that time WAS 1927, as two Of the
commissioned officers named We're not
commissioned to fill vacancies until the
regiment returned to Maine as there
was no official notice of the vacancies
prior to that time.
The battery of heavy artillery. mean
ing battery a. had a total strength of
four commissioned officers. and lie en-
listed men when it left Augusta to gar
V@fe-
of officers and men furnished under the
first call was 1177.
Under the presidents second cal the
number of non commissioned officers
and priVates in the infantry companies
was increased to 1906 and battery A OF
the heavy artillery increased to 200 This
makes grand total that served in both
of these organizations under both calls
of 1345 officers and men.
There was also organized largely from
the Second regiment of the National
Guard of the state of Maine. in response
to the second call three batteries of ar
tillery, having L commissioned officers.
and 319 nom commissioned officers and
privates, a 'otal of 800
Maine also furnished under special in
structions from the war department, a
signal corps, consisting of two commits
stoned officers and 40 enlisted men, max
lllS d loldl 81 the ldilu iOIttS volunteer
Ing in these organizations in the war
with Spain of I'LL officers and men a
large number of soldiers, seamen ana
marines also volunteered and enlisted
in the regular army of the United States
and in the naval service, of which We
have at present no account or record.
In response to a request of the seere-
tary of the navy the Volunteer Naval
Reserve associations of Portland and
for one year. There were six commits
stoned officers and IS prvates in the
Portland organization; three commits
stoned officers and 30 priVates in the
Bath organization. Both the signal corps
and the naval reserves were in excess of
the quota assigned to Maine. The signal
corps was ordered to the front and did
excellent service in the several battles
on the Island of Cuba, near Santiago,
which led to the surrender of that city
and the Spanish forces occupying it. The
volunteer naval reserves have also been
mustered out of the service. The four
batteries of heavy artillery are all If
the Maine troops now in the service Of
the United States. they are "a present
encamped at savannah in the state Of
Georgia. and Will form part Of the
army of Cuban occupation. as they have
already received orders to prepare 10 go
to Havana.
The health of these four batteries at
the present time is excellent All If these
soldiers and volunteer naval reserve
both officers and men, were and are as
gallant and brave troops as ever mus
tered in any land to do battle for the
right, and if they were not permitted to
participate more extensively in actual
warfare it was no fault of theirs, as they
were ever ready and solicitous to be sent
hi,
state with honor and deserve its thanks
The number of deaths in the regiment
while in the service was two Commls-
stoned officers and Al non comm 81 toned
officers and men. In the four batteries
up to the present time seven enlisted
men. In the signal corps three enlisted
men; making a total of SO officers and
men. This includes one man who died
after his company was mustered out
and is not quite 3 per cent of the men
enlisted. SO low a death rate. when con
sidering the large amount of sickness
especially in the First regiment Of Maine
infantry volunteers speaks well for the
care and attention which was bestowed
by officers. surgeons. nurses and all
others having charge of the sick.
The secretary OF war. when the frs
call for volunteers was issued. assigned
as the quota of the state of Maine a resi-
y
heavy artillery. and he expressly re
quested that this call be filled, so far as
possible from the National Guard of
the state, as the government desired men
that were somewhat familiar with mill
tary drill and tactics Before the call
was issued. Adjutant General John T.
Richards and myself had consulted to-
gether, and had foreseen that the guard
would probably be the first troops asked
for. and had already taken some effective
measures to prepare 1t TO respond An
order had been issued directing all com
mandng officers of companies to report
for honorable discharge all soldiers in
their several commands having any
physical disability which might prevent
them from being mustered into the
United States service: and another order
requesting and directing that every com
pany be recruited. by new enlistments
to the minimum number allowed under
the present military laws OF Maine, and
that no recruit be accepted unless he had
passed the physical examination re
quired by the regulations Of the regular
army. Also orders for tents. clothing.
blankets and for other necessary equip
ment were placed early II was fortu-
nate for us that we did this, otherwise
we should have experienced no little aiiil-
Guilty in obtaining many things that
were very necessary for the proper
equipment and comfort OF the men.
To comply with the request of the Soy
rotary of war to f1ll the quota from the
National Guard as far as possible both
regiments were ordered into camp at
Augusta the first of May, and found on
their arrival all things prepared and IN
readiness to receive them. All efforts To
get a change in the assignment Of quota