The Saint Paul globe., 1904-10-30


n II o'clock tomorrow afternoon
MA the first and second battallons
IN of the Twenty first infantry VIII
leave Fort Smelling for san
Francisco. where they will remain
about three months before returning to
the Philippines. The third battalion
will also start westward tomorrow
from stations in North Dakota ana
Montana.
The baggage of the Twenty first Will
he loaded on railway cars at Smelling.
The regiment itself, however, Will
hoard street cars at the end of Seventh
street and travel thus to the st. Paul
union depot About 6 o'clock p M the
command will take a special train on
the Omaha road. The route to the
coast will be-Omaha road to Omaha;
burlington line to Denver: Union Pa
cific to Ogden, Utah; Southern Pacific
to San Francisco.
The first and second battalions will
reach the Preside, San Francisco,
some time Friday morning. During
the same day they will probably be
Joined by Companies L and M of the
third battalion, from Fort Lincoln,
N. D., and by Companies K and l. OF
the same battalion from Fort Keogh,
Mont.
At the Presidio the Twenty-first will
relieve the Twenty-e eighth infantry
which has been ordered to Fort Shell
ing. Ten companies of the Twenty
eighth. instead of eight, may go to
Smelling, where the infantry barracks
have been enlarged since the Twenty
first arrived in June, 1902.
From Smelling, Lincoln and Keogh
the Twenty-frst will take about $40
men. Each company has been re-
cruited to it's full peace strength OF
sixty-five men.
Regiment Highly Esteemed
Through the departure of this or
eanization ST Paul will suffer an ac-
knowledged loss; for no regiment ever
stationed at Fort Smelling has been
more highly esteemed byS the Twin
Cities than is 1.-The Presidents Own"
During the two years and five months
of their tour at the historic Minnesota
post the officers of the Twenty first
have had but little time for social rec
iprocity with their civilian nelghbors.
The extra additional duties entailed
upon army officers because of the
more modern and scientific methods OF
the new general staff has cut off many
hours of leisure formerly enjoyed by
American garrisons. Yet local society
has had sufficient opportunity to verify
the reputation of the Twenty first as
one OF the finest regiments in the
army.
Some of the Iieutenants at the fort
don't hesitate to declare, with agree
able enthusiasm, that the Twenty-frst
is the very finest of the fine.
'cWhy, look at our record" they ex-
claim. Hasn't it been equal to the
best ever since the regiment was or
ganized? Aren't our officers all picked
men-everybody wants to get trans
ferred to the Twenty first, you know
Isn't our colonel one of the very few
colonels who is never made the subject
of a growl in barracks or in quarters?
Even our band is said to play more
artistically than any government band
outside of Washington. And as for
our men well, not long ago, when
most of the regiment were discharged
so they might stay at home if they
didn't want to go to the Philippines,
fully 90 per cent voluntarily re-enl1st-
discharged no less than thirty-two re-
enlisted for three years. Where can
yous find men more devoted to the
service?
.'The men have got not only the
proper spirit, but the proper training
as well. Some of the companies are
drilled five hours a day, and yet you
see they're not dissatisfied.
.If any proof is necessary as to the
estimation in which the regiment is
held by the army, might mention
that, since it was known we were go
ing to the Philippines, any number of
officers have tried to get transferred
into the Twenty first from other regi-
ments. But our fellows are too we'll
satisfied. Only one officer has con-
sented to a transfer, and that for fam
lily reasons. He was as sorry to leave
US as we-were to part from him.
These favorable opinions are sub
stantiated by the official records of the
Twenty first.
History of the Twenty-first
The regiment was organized by di-
reetion of President Lincoln May 4,
1861, and confirmed by act of congress
July %, 1861, as the second battalion
of the Twelfth regiment of infantry.
The designation was changed to Twen-
ty-first regiment Sept. 81, 1856, under
the act of July 2S, 1866 When, on
March 8, 1869, congress reorganized and
reduced the army to the skeletonized
form under which it struggled against
peace and Indians during thirty years.
the Twenty first was consolidated with
the Thirty second infantry. The Twen-
ty-frst, however, did not lose its name
AS part Of the Twelfth regiment, the
Twenty-first took part, throughout the
Civil war, in many of the most noted
campaigns The Twelfth served under
Gen. Grant, was part of the Army of
the Potomac, and fought with dis
tinguished gallantry at Gainesville, at
the Weldon railroad, in the Wilderness
at Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, the
second Bull Run, at Seven Pines, Get
tysburg. and in many another historic
struggle
After the Rebellion the regiment, as
the Twenty-first, followed Gen. o. o.
Howard and Gen. Nelson A. Miles in
four important campaigns against the
Indians-the Anaches, Modocs, Nez