The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1921-03-23

| IN IJ1o, Dul ~ WoA4Q De Jne ldnkeSt
! ing attitude to pass over this period
without a word of appreciation for
! the faithful work and thorough in
structon given by Capt. Milo Mygatt
! of the regular army, a man as cord
| Tally hated at the time as every con-
.cert Gus hardWolkng officer is
bound to be, but to whose efforts is
Cue a large part Of the credit for
shaping the Vermont troops into one
of the few units actually trained, re-
cruitcd, equipped, ard ready to ans
weI that call when it came. We see
now Just how much we owe to this
thorough going soldier Of the highest
type under whose instructions many
OF Us now realize it was a privilege
to serve. Then too we have a debt Of
gratitude to the officers and men
stationed at Forth Ethan Allen, where
the company spent several weeks in
1913, IA, and Is.
On the 10Th of June, 1916, the
President issued an order calling out
The National Guard Of Vermont in
anticipation of trouble along the
Mexican Border and on the night of
June 18th, by the light of Pickering
candles, the men of Company d held
ND their right right hands and for
the first time in its history took the
dual oath" which every guardsman
takes today, not only swearing to de-
fend the State, but to defend the
constitution of the United States
AGAINST all enemies whomsoever.
Then with 3heets of newspaper
covering all but line at time to
keep off the rain that drove in
through the open tent door and drip
ped from hats and ponchos, their
signatures to the roll that declared
them soldiers of the United States.
On July 2nd, Co. ID. detrained at
Eagle Pass, Texas, being the first
troops of the National Guard to reach
the Rio Grand in answer to the Pres
idents call. During the nine months
Border Service. Co. ID was chosen for
important outpost duty, patroling 4
mile of wooden railroad trestlc, at
Dino, over which all the food fo.'
some ten thousand soldiers as we'll as
the population of the city Of Eagle
Pass had to be carried At this time
the company numbered sixty odd men
and three officers, which was con-
sidered a large outfit at that time,
many of the regular army commands
having only fifty or ;ess.
While no opportunity was offered
to bring home any Mexican scalps,
the centipedcS, tarantulaS, and scor-
plans furnished thrills, and more than
one rattlesnake skin now hangs on
the wall of more than one home in
Vermont.
The company returned to Fort
Ethan Allen the latter part of Sept
embci, and we've mustered out Of
Federal service the 8th day Of
Octobel
The new Armory, which houses the
present company vas opened the 18th
VI February, lVl1, tut me company
mad hardly settled IN its new quar-
ters before the boys again took Inc
1eId. ON the night OF April ,, 1910
four days before the Plesldcn. call,
the Vermont infantry received orders
10 report 10 the Va4.ouS company
stations, pending moollzatlon orders.
WITHIN - hours all but two OF the 50
men then carried upon the rolls Of
the local organ22ton had reported
at the Armoly, although 1t was nee
essay 1or several TO return from
other states, including two who were
tcmpol alily employed in Connecticut
One OF those missing was seriously
i'll; the other was held at the naval
torpedo station in New Jersey as an
expert machinist.
On the morning Of April 9Th, Co.
D cntIaincd fol- FC., ethan Allen,
and although only authorized to
carry 100 men on the rolls, there were
112 with the outfit by the time they
reported at the point of rendezvous,
the surplus being transferred to Com
pany c upon arrival at Burlington.
Although every man was eager for
immediate service, such was not the
will OF the Powers That Were, and
St. Johnsbury boys put in sin mCnthS
doing bridge and railroad patrol, Gov
cring points from Rouses Point to
Middlcbury.
Upon the formation of the Goth
Division, the 1st Infantry was split
and after the final shake up, there
were Is men and two officers OF the
original outfit still left with Company
y. The remainder were transferred
to the l01st Ammunition Train, the
1O2nd and the 103rd Machine Gun
Battalions.
The remainder, after serving for d
time at Camp Bartlett, Mass, were
sent to Charlotte, North Carolina,
and early in 1913 moved to Camp
Wad9wolth, Spartansburg, South
Carolina, where the old 1st Vermont
[nafntry, with some 600 of the or
ginal personnel became the 57th
Pioneer Infantry Company d drew
as requirements men from Carolina
and Tennessee with few from New
York, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.
They sailed for France on the LIE
viathan, one of the largest of the
German vessels seized by the United
States upon our entry into the war
formerly called the Naterland The
trip was disastrous, since out Of some
$4,000 troops carried, better than 90
died at sea from Spanish influenza,
at that time just beginning to rage in
The States
The outfit finally lost its identity
upon reaching lie Mans, France,
where the regiment was broken up
and the mon sent forward as replace
mcnts to the various combat division;