Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-11-18
VOLUNTEERS HOLD
REUNION TUESDAY
TWenty-Fifth Anniversary of
Campaign in Cuba to Be
Auspicious Event.

The twenty fifth anniversary of the
muster out of the LIST District Of
Columbia Infantry. United States Vol
unteers. war with Spain, which par
ticipated in the Santiago campaign in
Cuba, will be celebrated at the
Franklin Square Hotel Tuesday. No
yember 90. at s o'clock. At 1890
o'clock Tuesday the members Of the
wartime regiment. headed by Gen.
George H. Harries. who commanded
Il in Cuba as colonel, will assemble at
the White House gates and at 12:45
o'clock will be received by President
Coolidge.
The final details for the program
Tuesday have been completed, and II
Is expected that this will be one OF
the largest reunions ever held in the
National Capital. A number OF men
prominent in military affairs have
been invited to attend the celebra-
ton. including Secretary Of War
Weeks. Secretary Of the Navy DENLY.
the District Commissioners, Bascom
Slemp. secretary to President Cool
idge: Gen. John A. I.ejeune, COM
mandant United States Marine Corps;
United States Veterans Bureau; Gen.
Lloyd NJ. Brett, former adjutant gen,
erai District of Columbia militia. and
at present national commander-in
chief of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars; Gen. John Glenn. Grand army
of the Republic; Col. Dimmick: Wash
ington Gardner. commissioner OF PEN
sions: Hays Haymakcr of the ou-
reau of pensions. and many others IN
official life. Representative L. Z.
Dyer of Missouri, who served as a
private in Company C of the regi-
ment. Will also be an invited guest.
Postmaster General New Is also ex-
pected to be present.
Mai. Hodgson Toastmaster.
Maj. Fred S. Hodgson will act as
POSTMASTER in the evening. and many
Interesting events and incidents of
that memorable campaign will be
told at the gathering.
1t was August Is, weak from hun
ger, their diet on the voyage home
having consisted of bareback and
canned corn beef, that the members
Of the District regiment arrived at
Montauk Point. Long Island. The
regiment disembarked from the
transports the day after arrival and
'all hands" were at once Quaran-
tined. They remained in the deten-
ton camp until August 20. The next
day they were released from quaran-
tine and tents were pitched at Camp
Wikoff.
An inquiry at that time developed
the fact that many of the men who
were sent to the hospital at Camp
Wikoff owed their illness to lack
of proper food. exposure to the severe
tropical electric and rain storms and
lying unprotected in the water filled,
muddy trenches before Santiago.
The joyous days for the HON com-
ing. to be mustered out of the mill
q
ceived sixty days furlough. with pay,
came through an announcement on
September s, when camp was broken
and the men embarked on steamer
for Jersey City. where they were pro-
yided with sleeping cars.
The regiment arrived in Washing
ton September and disembarked
from the cars on that eventful Fri
day morning at Sd street and Vir-
ginia avenue southwest. There they
were met by members Of the District
reception committee and served with
a hot breakfast The citizens of the
National Capital turned out en- masse
to bid the volunteers welcome home.
Grated for the occasion, and there was
a continuous roll of cheers for the
heroes of Santiago.
PENNSYLVANIA Avenue Parade.
Followed by many civic, military
and veteran organizations. the LIST
District OF Columbia Volunteer In
fantry paraded along Pennsylvania
avenue to the Executive Mansion,
where it was reviewed by the late
President william Mckinley and
members of his cabinet, amid more
cheers and the waving of flags. The
warriors then marched to. the White
House grounds, in rear of the White
House-not the White Lot-where.
after stacking arms, the regiment
was disbanded and their campaign Of
nearly four months of hardships and
exposure brought to an end. The
mastering out of the troops took
place, officially, November 20.
In speaking of the hardships during
the Santiago campaign. one Of the
veterans of that event relating con-
ditions existing In Cuba said the
men had to undergo great hardships
while in the trenches. such as lying
out in the chilly, tropical air at night
on the rain-soaked ground; living on
bareback, one or two day. and occa-
sionally salt pork, and enduring the
intense heat in the daytime. The
position assigned to the District regi-
ment was to close up the right wing
where Gen. Lawton had been fighting.
while the men were engaged in
digging trenches two Spanish off,
GERS with a flag of truce left their
. lines and advanced directly toward
Domer Of Company c, with his hand
kerchief on a ramrod. advanced to
meet them. One of the Spaniards
made known the purpose of his call.
1t was to object to the District men
digging trenches while the flag Of
truce was flying. Capt. Domer re-
Piled
you have been digging trenches"
CONTINUED on Twenty-seventh Page.)
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