Daily Kennebec journal., 1917-10-26
DR.. MCDavid Tells How Civil
War Recruiting Was Done

An interesting feature OF the liar
vest suIper gwen last evening b. Seth
Williams Independent Relief Corps to
seth Williams Post Thursday evening
was tl. paper dealing with Some
!:ccJI.,tipns of the Early DaHs of
~ pIe ~ertcd 10y Dr. William Nc
1'atId
The suTrer vhich was an EXCELLENT
""" vas Presented by. comnittc
from tne Relief Corps. consisting #
Nre l.arN Ware. Mrs. otis Littlfticid
and NrS \ p Perkins. Covers were
laid f"r ~ and after the supper there
vns 'moks talk at which remarks
worc made ny Commander George
cav. lamcs W. White Capt A. 3.
''"'trs and ny NcDaNid Of the Post.
in 'he '"nr.e Il his remarks Dr Nc
i'"f!d c"airas,ed the war preparations
~ those davs with the activities in
connection With tho present war. He
so.i.
In 'hcso da,s ~ recruiting. mohil-
atior ord orgarilinC Of Young mon
- eligible a-e fpr tho great war
'roe- '7, water = would rot :. en- out
80 r,ao" ~ recall the early days OF
- ard =" give YOU who took part in
g. a slrht glimpse of tho activities Of
surus'a IN military sense following
tho fa'l ~ Forth Sumpter Sunday.
Arr1l - 1851, Fort Sumpter in
'lsrlestoa harhor fell into the hands
- the rebel forces in South Carolina
" the lowering o' the Star Spangled
Etrner' as an act of surrender Major
anderson denande ard was grant .
- sa.u'c ~ n guns to tho flag as
.' ~rs lowered from the staff where it
f.H Il" rro ldll moved during the hom :
laIdmcnt
VrIrposa tho excitement that fol-
A'. o.. to fall ~ Fort Sumpter was
s'..r eNceedcd in this or any other
ig nj. The whole north arose as ono
'"au and the patriotic enthusiasm that
'll"d ~ Ereat hilloWS over the North
aud West is hol ond belief The peo-
ilc 49, TODAY have no idCa OF the fiery
zeal that filed tho hearts of everyone
'"unE au1 old. IN those early days of
~.
- few da,s after this act the writ
er - 'hls article was painting or as
sisiir- In painting = picket fence
around 'h' premises OF Dr. Smell. now
tho old Ladies Home on Winthrop
street, this city. Henry G Staples
afterwards Colonel Of the 3rd Maine
Regiment. came along and accosted
The writer IN these words: I'm going
20 open a recruiting office on Water
'tieet tomorrow and would like to
have You come down and enlist.
~ prCmiSrd would think tn mat
tor over aud would report l,tcr. That
rirht didn't Sleep much debating.
"1'N my aelf whether or no IL was M.
'r'N r." 'nust for my 'ountrN's cause.
NN '"untrN's can won and carly
the n"Nt morning was one of the first
~ pla,c mN name on the enlistment
rarei' Tho recruiting Cflico was in a
~ ant S'ot" iu y wooden block nearly
opposite IN" tout uf Da, strot. 4 fife
nj snare drum ratified OF martial mu-
sir through the DAY and evening and
mad" thugs lively around tn recruit
in- ho1turait,,s
N"' viii pardon me if think
'hngN moved p little livslicr than they
dp i""Hf ln ~u,te ut more progressive
ti'nee ~ fho end of Amin We had
organized y company Of leo men and
hN the middle ~ MAY wc had n full
regiment ~ ,awp On the State Grounds
iu 'front.' ~ tho State House. This
to-iurnt was tho Third Maine and
va ratsed IN the kenncber Valley.
N'nd 'on there vas no organized mi
w. "a in the St.tt" at that time arnund
v'nh +" Nu,ii ar iscea..
There were independent, military COM
paniss IN some ~ the cities ana towns of
ne state Augusta had none The
Bath Grsys. crack company. becama
80 A OF the 3d Maine Regiment
'By June Maine had recruited and or
gauized four regiments of infantry. each
lnn strong The LIST Was raised in Port
land the ~ ~ Bangor the 81 in Augusta
and i've Nh in RockLaud b the 9Th OF
igrc the Sd was mustered into th. l. :
s"rNtcc and the 9TH - June We left Au-
eusta fer the seat nf war. There was no
grcat crowd of citizens to see US OF Gov
stror Washhurn made speech to us
tr"m the taicou! OF the Augusta house
ard The "id Aucus.a Citizeus' band led Ms
=" the foot 90 Riues hin To- the tune Of
"Thc Gtr Ief, Behind Me
ny the middle Of June Maine had four
fuily equipped regiments in the field and
lure I took part IN tho first great bat
tie ~ the war. the battle OF Bull Run.
- think This was going some FOR these
days and compares tavorahiy with the
equipment mobilization and movements
- the Maine troops OF the present day.
eur uniform was n homely gray provided
~ tho STATE hut was exchanged for I'm
,ic Saiss blue when we reached Wash
irEtcn.
I'm Boston W. were hanoueted on the
''cmmun: in New York we marched down
broadway amid the cheers OF thousands
IN phnadslrhis we were given hot coffee
ard sandwiches and ordered to load our
guns before passing through Baltimore
we were one ot the first regiments to
tyxs through Baltimore after the attack
On The Massachusetts sth and were ready
Tor any emergency that might arise. but
VIC were not molested-