Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-18
WAR STORIES TOLD.
Society of Volunteer Engineers
at Annual Banquet.
SERVICE IN CUBA RECALLED
Function in Commemoration of the
Muster Out of Sd United
States Regiment.

VI Tie udyS IN SuDa curing anu
Immediately after the Spanish-American
war were retOld around the banquet
board in the kenesaw cafe, 10Th and Irv-
ing streets. last night at the annual
gathering of the Washington members Of
the Society of Volunteer Engineers of the
War with Spain.
Yesterday was the eleventh anniversary
of the mastering out of the Sd United
States Volunteer Engineers and the ban
quet was held in commemoration of the
event. Simultaneous -banquets were held
last night in this city, st. Louis, Phila-
delphia and New Orleans, and the sur
vivors of the regiment journeyed from
their homes in various parts of the coun-
try to one of the four cities to spend an
evening in the same spirit that prevailed
when they were soldier boys in 1889.
Greetings Sent by Wire.
The spirit of unity in the organization
was also rejuvenated last night, for
from each banquet board went kilograms
to the three other banquet boards extend
ing best wishes and a "hurrah'' for the
old regiment. The Washington members
OF the organization had expected as their
guest of honor Lieut.. Col. D. Du b. Gail
lard, L. 8. A, assistant to oCl Goethals
on the Panama Canal Zone, who COM
manded the Sd Engineers during it's serv-
ice. But he was called out of the city on
an army order, which meant that he hao
TO go. There were tributes to his energy
and capability as an army engineer
throughout all the talk at 1.-THE banquet
One of the tales of the regiments al
ways told at the annual banquets of the
organization. and told, as usual last
night no aptI hy hn n
Engineers of d regiment of Virginia col
Ored volunteers. The Sd Engineers was
a part CT big camp in the south of the
country shortly after its enlistment. A
colored soldier was shot by white street
car conductor, and feeling, ran high in
the colored regiment. There was talk of
the use of the arms with which the regi-
ment was equipped in shooting up the
town. and this talk became so threaten
ing that the officers in command of the
camp took precautions for preventing an
outbreak.
Engineers Take Possession.
The Sd Engineers was ordered to cap
ture the cOlored regiment. In the dark
of night the engineers marched into the
regimental streets of the other troops and
in a very few minutes took possession of
every gun and other weapon which could
do damage or inf1ict injury. The captured
ammunition was carried off to the camp
OF the I'd Engineers and there it stayed
until the proper ordnance officers took
possession of il.
Another distinction OF the regiment was
that it possessed double of Col Roose-
Welt How striking the resemblance real
ly was is shown by the fact that the Of
ticer, in civilian clothes, but wearing a
silk hat and eyeglasses. visited the navy
yard here and the guard turned out in his
honor, with the officers, under the i'm
preston they were doing honor to the
commander-in-chief Of the army and
navy.
Every man in the Sd Engineers was
trained in a trade or profession, and to
them fell much of the work of reconstruc-
ton in the days Immediately following the
defeat of Spain in Cuba. Even the pri-.
Yates in the regiment were sufficiently
skilled in engineering to direct public
work in building roads, making maps and
reconstructing jails and other public
buildings on the island. The men Of the
regiment. directing native workmen, con-
built wharveS and barracks and ran
steamboats, and trains.
Reconstruction Days.
There were many stories of the recon-
struction days in Cuba that were told last
night. their topics ranging from the diff
culties in procuring onions from Spanish
speaking storekeepers to the skirmishes
in capturing blockades in the interior.
Following the banquet at the kenesaw
the members of the organization visited
the Arcade and Midway as the guests of
F. L. Averill. Among those in attendance
were Maj. F. l.. Averill and wife, Capt:
E. H Grove and wife, Lieut.. B. l.. Minor.
A. w. Brinck. A. Il. McGonegal. Denny"
Lyons and w. H. Werden and wife. Some
of the survivors" who are now members
Of Company c of the District National
Guard-which is largely recruited from
the veterans of the Sd Engineers-were
unable to attend because of being in camp
on the guard rifle range. but they held a
celebration all their own in camp.