Evening star., 1901-03-04
PINE TREE STATE,
The Maine Troops Form a ProvisiOnal
battalion.


For the first time in a great number Of
years the old pine tree state of Maine had
today military representation in the in
auguraI pageant. The troops marched as
a portion OF the Sd Brigade In the third
military division. They were formed into
a provisional battalion under command Of
Maj Frank B. Welch. The first company
in line was Company NJ, 1st Infantry, one
or the best-known organizations of the
state. 1t was commanded by Captain l. W.
Graham and halls from Portland. The
next company was Company c of the I'd
Infantry Captain w. r. kimball, of Bath.
Company G was organized in May 1890.
and Is known as the Hyde Light Guards,
named in honor of the late Gen. T. w.
Hyde, a brave general in the late war,
known as the boy brigadier, who later or
ganiZed the Bath Iron Works, the largest
iron shipbuilding plant in New England
The personnel of the company Is one of
high character, its membership being COM
posed of the best young men of the city,
many of whom are employed as draughts-
men, machinists and skilled workmen upon
the torpedo boats and battleships now being
constructed at the Bath Iron Works for the
government. Capt. VIM. r. Kimball its
present commander joined the company in
1891 as second lieutenant; was soon promo
ted to first lieutenant, and In 1895 was
elected captain. During the year spent in
the volunteer service he was granted a
leave of absence, after being mustered out
at Savannah, Ga, IN the spring of 1899,
ported back for duty, and was given COM
mand Of the company again.
Lieut.. George A. Buker has been a mem
ber of the company for the past nine years.
Enlisting a private, he was soon pro-
NOTED and afterward elected second lieu
tenant. In 1898 he was commissioned first
lieutenant.
Lieut. Chas. l.. Pratt was for a number
of years first sergeant of the company.
During the Spanish-American war he was
n n n
Artillery. On his return from Cuba he
Joined the company again, and was soon
elected second lieutenant
At the outbreak of the Spanish-Amerlcan
war the company went into camp at the
state camp grounds at Augusta with full
ranks, under command of Capt. Kimball
After several weeks In camp the companies
of the I'd Regiment We're ordered home to
walt for the second call. the 1st Regiment
being selected to represent the states
quota of troops.
On the second call for volunteers Maine
furnished battalion of heavy artillery.
Capt kimball was commissioned to raise
one of the batteries. and was given com
mand of Battery d. He recruited his men
some weeks at Augusta in preparation the
battalicn was ordered to Savannah. Ca
and attached to the Ith Army Corps. com
manded by Gen. Fitzhugh Lee. Later 1t
in Cuba Battery d was detached from the
and sent to Marianao, a town
near the city of Havana, where for a num-
per OF weeks 1t was on provost duty. under
the command of Maj. Russell B. Harrison
provost marshal of the 7th Army Corps.
There are some fine shots in the COM
pany. The year before the Spanish Amer
lean war every member was a qualified
marksman.
Signal Corps.
Ihe third organization from Maine was
the Signal Corps from Portland. command
ed by Lieut.. G. w. Butler. The corps was
formed In 1884. being composed Of one lieu
tenant and twenty men, all electricians or
telegraph operators. At the outbreak OF the
war with Spain in 1898 the membership was
increased to forty men. and the command
was mustered into the service of the United
states as the Sth Company, United States
Volunteers. Signal Corps. The commanding
officer, Lieutenant Butler, was promoted to
be a captain, and commanded the company
until its muster-out, in December. 1898. The
company served during the Santiago cam-'l