Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-23

refreshments. The First City Zou-
aNes had drilled in the State Capitol
for short time. but this is the first
armory that had been owned by a
Harrisburg military company.
The Zouaves had had a permanent
armory during the entire existence
as single company and battalion.
This was located in the Exchange
building on the site of the present
Post Office The last drill in this
arnory was held on October IS,
1884. The building was rebuilt and
much enlarged and the first drill
1eic in this remodeled structure was
elo on February IS. 1885. 1t was
occupied by the two Harrisburg COM
panleS at the time of their muster
ing into the United States service.
The unit performed excellent serv
ice IN quelling numerous disturb
anceS throughout Pennsylvania, be-
ing called into service numerous
tilnes. II took prominent part in
the work done during the great
| PENNSYLVANIA railroad riots at Home
stead and In the great strike of an
thracite coal miners at Hazleton.
Sinking of the Maine
with conditions with Spain be-
coming more strained early in 1898,
I N'''i VI COilpdI II proceeded WITH
greater keenness and all inspections
were more thorough Following the
sinking of the Maine and with the
aut horization of the use of the ARMY
ana Navy, issued on April 20, 1898.
company ID prepared to be mustered
into the United States service. On
April 2S it left Harrisburg for Mount
Gretna, Lebanon county determined
on as the place for mobilization of
pennsylvania troops. Harrisburg
held a great celebration in behalf of
the company.
Captain Joseph B. Hutchison was
in command of Company D, but on
May y he was commissioned a major
in the Eighth Regiment. First Lieu
tenant Ezekiah Laubenstein was
made captain to fill the vacancy
second Lieutenant Edwin r. Bergs-
tresser was made first lieutenant and
| corporal Charles f. Etter was made
second lieutenant. The company
was mustered into the United States
service on May -. 1898.
The regiment. however. never left
the United States After being at
Camp Hastings, Mount Gretna, for
some time, the men went to Camp
Meade, Middletown. Pa, after which
IT was ordered to go to Augusta. Ga.
! When peace was finally declared the
company was mustered out of the
service on March Z. 1899, at Camp
/ Mackenzie, Ga. A big reception was
! tenaered to the men on their re-.
turn to Harrisburg. 1t was again
mustered into the National Guard of
/ Pennsylvania at the City Grays
Armory on April 25.
When the entire body of Pennsyl-
wanna National Guardsmen was mus
4 fnE eaN int
/ in May, 1898, it became necessary to
have another body of citizen SOL
! diery So early in May of that year
! preparations were made for the for
! NATION of new National Guard.
( Provisions were made for the or
ganlZation of six regim ents of twelve
companies each. The numbers given
the new bodies did not conflict with
these that had been held by the old
regiments. Many former members
OF the old PENNSYLVANIA National
| Guard enrolled in the new Guard
To the Eleventh Regiment
Harrisburg's unit in the new or
| sanitation was Company H, attached
TO the Eleventh Regiment. Mem
bers of Company D who for some
reason had not gone into the United
States service and those who were
sent home were given the preference
in the formation of the new unit.
( THIS unit was mustered into the Ma
tional Guard on July %. 1898 Maur-
ice +. Finney was elected captain of
! the new company, with Nicholas
! Tack and Harry C. Houtz as first
and second lieutenants Company I
never took part in any event until
the reception on September 7, 1898,
TO Company l, Fourth Pennsylvania
Volunteer Infantry, a Harrisburg
company, on its return from Porto
! Rico.
! When the reorganization of the
! National Guard took place after the
return of the various commands
! from the United States volunteer
| service in 1899, Company H, Elev-
enth Regiment, was transferred to
the Eighth Regiment as Company 1.
AS such it replaced Company 1,
! Eighth Regiment, of WrightsvilIe,
which failed to reorganize after the
muster out. The transfer took place
on June 81, 1899, under orders dated
April 81. 1899.
! The two companies, d and l. have
continued to exist in Harrisburg ever
/ since, taking part in all big occa-
sions and in every disturbance of
any consequence. Scores of leading
citizens of the city have been in
clu6ed on their rosters. They have
conducted their drills in the City
Grays' Armory, Second and Forster
streets, ever since.
Both companies have been num-
bered among the most proficient
units of the Pennsylvania National
Guard. They were mustered into
the United States service during the