Springfield in the Spanish American War

Finally on the 3d of October, all the companies of the Second were assembled in Springfield, the local companies marching to the railway station to meet them and after passing in review before the city officials at the city hall, the regiment marched to the armory for muster-out. The parade, the first appearance of the Second since it left for the front, brought out thousands of people to watch the men who had done good service on a foreign soil, and had watered it with the blood of many who had marched away on the morning of May 3d. The regiment presented a curious sight in some respects and as a spectacle it must be said the affair was not an altogether happy one. The men were without rifles or equipments, some wore the faded khaki uniform issued just before leaving Cuba, others the old blue outfits of the Massachusetts militia and the ranks were thinner than when the regiment left South Framingham. There seemed to be a chill in the air, too, and instead of applause there was subdued comment on the appearance of the men as they marched past.

Surely the men did not look like ballroom soldiers. The uniforms were in many cases ill-fitting and soiled, the marching was not done with the precision of some crack national guard organizations which did not go to the front, and the faces of the majority of the officers and men wore the yellow signal of service in a pestilential climate. But this in itself ought to have been warrant for some outburst of satisfaction in the gallant deeds of the regiment instead of curious stares and the silence of wonderment. However, there were sporadic cases of applause and as the men did not much care whether they received any or not, they found little fault with the lack of it. Only the members of the companies from outside the city wondered mildly what it all meant, and if after all it would not have been as well to have stayed at home and not have tried to stand by the flag when men were wanted.

The ceremonies at the armory were informal enough. Each company was mustered out in turn by Lieut. Col. E. M. Weaver of the Fifth Massachusetts U. S. V., who as a lieutenant in the Second U. S. Artillery had mustered us in at South Framingham on May 3d. He was assisted by Lieut. Edwards and it did not take very long to put each company "out of business" as United States Volunteers. The company was formed, the men answered to their names and took position in the same manner as when mustered in, and this over the company commander was informed that the company was mustered out and that discharge papers for each man would be provided.

But the discharge papers did not come that day nor for several days. The paymaster had failed to arrive with the funds and until these were distributed the men had but little use for discharge papers. It was explained that the reason for delay on the paymaster's part was due to errors in the rolls sent in from a few of the companies and as the men wanted their three months pay and allowances rather more than discharges, it is no wonder if some unkind things were said as to the paymaster and these companies.

It was not until November 17th that the long looked for pay arrived, and the companies were ordered to once more assemble at the armory, this time for the purpose of settling accounts with Uncle Sam. This operation was simple enough, yet very interesting to the recipients of the contents of the small and dingy valise of the paymaster. The three months' pay with the allowances for clothing and ration money made quite a sizable sum for the great majority of the men, and the nice new greenbacks which they received were not refused. With the money came the discharge papers as a sure enough sign that we were no longer soldiers of the United States. Many of the officers and men failed, however, to settle up with Major Sherman on the 17th. Some of the officers had not squared their accounts with the war department and in some cases they were obliged to wait a considerable time before they accounted for every bit of property they were held responsible for and complied with all the red tape. A number of the men were not able to be on hand, owing to sickness and other causes, when Major Sherman finally arrived and they were likewise forced to wait. An interesting episode of "paying off" time was the breezy disagreement between Major Sherman and Capt. McDonald of B company, over the former's refusal to pay some eight men of the latter's company, who had, it seems, signed one pay roll and supposed that everything was all right. As it happened, when Major Sherman came to Springfield, he failed to bring the correct roll for B company, and insisted that the members should sign a new one. This was done, but as the eight men referred to were out of the city, they were unable to sign, and when they appeared for their pay, were told they would have to wait for some time. The majority of the men needed the money and needed it badly, but although Capt. McDonald exhausted every effort to obtain it for them, it was not till quite a while had elapsed that they were paid. The opportunity afforded Capt. McDonald for some caustic criticisms of the workings of the war department was not allowed to pass.

In those days it was a great thing to be a returned soldier as was instanced in the cases of several of the boys who were members of more or less secret organizations. It got to be a common thing for these associations to show their appreciation of their soldier members by presenting them with money or badges, or some token of esteem, and a number of the men who served with the Springfield companies are wearing medals or badges thus presented. Probably none of them was prouder of his medal than Private Morris Grenowitz of B company who had the distinction of being the only Hebrew in the three Springfield companies. He was a member of the Young Men's Hebrew Association, and soon after his return the association held a public reception in his honor and presented him with a check for a small sum of money and a gold medal. Private Peter F. Boyer of B company was given a gold watch by the members of an organization to which he belonged and several of the other boys were similarly remembered, among them Private William Ferrier of G company who was given a handsome gold ring. A number of the members of the Springfield companies resided in West Springfield and the inhabitants of the village of Mittineague in that town honored their soldiers one evening by a big reception and entertainment with plenty of red fire, etc., included.

A largely attended public reception and flag presentation was held in the city hall, on the evening of November 3d, to which the officers and members of the Springfield companies, and their relatives and friends were invited and the hall was packed to the doors. Gov. Wolcott and members of his staff were present and the governor spoke, as did a number of the prominent citizens, all eulogizing the work of the regiment and paying a tribute to the officers and men who had failed to return. The tattered colors of the regiment were in evidence and their appearance in the hall was the signal for an outburst of applause. On this occasion the stands of colors purchased for each company in connection with the Fourth of July celebration of 1898, which never came off, were formally presented, and as the representatives of each of the companies advanced to receive the new and handsome flags, the audience broke into applause and cheers. These flags were bought with the proceeds of the sales of the Fourth of July badges which were to have been a feature of the celebration and a good sum was realized.

Previous to muster-out First Sergeant T. F. Burke of B company had been appointed on the recommendation of Col. Clark as Second Lieutenant to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Lieut. Harry J. Vesper.

Immediately following the muster-out Dr. E. A. Gates, who had been promoted from Assistant Surgeon to Surgeon with the rank of Major, vice Bowen, deceased, was ordered to Boston and Worcester to assist in the work of examining the men of other regiments to be mustered out. Assistant Surgeon Hitchcock was also ordered on this same duty. Dr. Hitchcock was attacked with a serious spinal trouble and for some months his life was despaired of. He finally recovered but not until after weary months of suffering.

Soon after the muster-out of the Second the provisional militia companies organized in the city during the war ceased practically to exist, although they were not formally disbanded for some time afterwards. The reorganization of the Second as a part of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia did not start until after its muster out of the United States service and it was at one time freely predicted that the work of reorganization would be the hardest task ever experienced by those in charge. It looked so at times, but in spite of the croakers and pessimists who asserted that it was likely that the Second would never be the same regiment again the reorganization was quietly and successfully effected and it was not long before the outfit was once again in its old form. A surprisingly large number of the officers and men who had served in the war remained in the regiment and this was especially the case in the three Springfield companies, G and B having more of the veterans than K. The state granted the regiment a 30 days' furlough dating from Nov. 3 to Dec. 3 in order to allow time to get matters straightened out before its entrance upon a career of militia service again.

Meanwhile steps had been taken toward an expedition to go to Cuba and bring back the bodies of the dead of the Second. The co-operation of the cities and towns from which the regiment was recruited was obtained and a number of meetings were held in this city, representatives from Worcester, Holyoke, Northampton, Greenfield, Orange and Adams being present with authority from their respective cities and towns. After a number of meetings an expedition was organized which left for Cuba in January, 1899. The Springfield representatives were Lieut. T. F. Burke of B company, Lieut. Fred Jenks of K company, Private Dozilva Lamoreaux of G company and Private Alfred Rose of B, the latter going as interpreter. The progress of the expedition was slow at first, owing to many difficulties connected with obtaining permission to disinter the bodies and of getting transportation, but thanks to incessant work and powerful influence these were at last disposed of and the party sailed from New York on Jan. 29. It was necessary to go first to Porto Rico and remain there some days but after Santiago was reached there was comparatively little trouble. The bodies of the Springfield men were all located and identified with one exception, that of Private Robert E. Kelly of G, who was fatally shot on the night of July 2d at San Juan. The bodies were encased in metallic coffins and on arrival in Springfield were given proper burial. An elaborate service was held over the body of Sergeant Richard H. Bearse of B company in the State Street Baptist church, representatives of the city government and the organizations of which he was a member as well as his own company, being present. The church was crowded with friends and the ceremonies were impressive. Before this the body of Musician Frank P. Jones of K had been brought on from Montauk and buried in Oak Grove cemetery after largely attended services in the State Street Methodist church. The bodies of the G company men were buried with military honors also and those of Privates Little and Stetson, whose relatives could not be found, were interred in a lot which the company purchased in the Springfield cemetery.

Twice within the year 1899 were the Springfield companies called together to go over again in memory the deeds of the previous year. For some time there had been desultory talk of public honors being paid to the dead of the companies and finally a memorial service was arranged for and was held in the city hall on Sunday afternoon, April 16. It was one of the most disagreeable days imaginable, a fall of mingled rain and snow filling the streets with slush, but despite this the building was jammed to suffocation. The platform was decorated with appropriate bunting and in front were representations of memorial tablets bearing the names of the officers and men of the companies who had given their lives in the cause. The war-worn regimental colors were brought on from Boston for the occasion and were draped in the rear of the platform. Affecting tributes were paid to the dead heroes and eulogies were pronounced by some of Springfield's most prominent citizens.

The camp of the First Brigade M. V. M. at South Framingham in August, 1899, brought the regiment once more onto the ground where it was mustered into the United States service the year before, but under much different circumstances than then. The ranks of the Second contained a very large percentage, a majority, in fact, of those who had gone out with it to Cuba and the red sleeve stripes indicating service in war were conspicuous on the blouses of the greater number of the men. At this time old friendships formed during the campaign were renewed and new ones formed.

On the occasion of the annual fall drill of the state militia in Boston in October Admiral George Dewey was the guest of the city and the event was also made the occasion of the formal "turning over" of the "war colors" to the state. The Second came in for no little share of the honors of the occasion, as well it might.

As time wore on after the return of the regiment from the fever stricken camps in Cuba the malarial poison left the bodies of the men and within six months afterwards the majority of them had regained their normal health. There were many, however, with whom the exposures and hardships of the campaign had raised havoc and to this day some show the effects of the short but eventful period when they were serving under the flag. The latest man in the Springfield companies to succumb to the ravages of disease contracted in the campaign was Private John L. Morehouse of K company, who died Nov. 12 of typhoid fever.

In October, 1899, a number of the officers and men of the Springfield companies who had served in the Cuban war began the organization of a camp of the Legion of Spanish War Veterans, an order patterned after the model of the Grand Army of the Republic and which it is to be hoped will be to the veterans of the war with Spain what the Grand Army is to the men who fought in the Civil war. The camp was named after Henry S. Lee of Springfield, whose splendid and self-sacrificing work for the benefit of the soldiers and sailors in the Spanish war will never be forgotten by them or the people.

Thus closes the record of Springfield's three infantry companies in the war with Spain. It is not a long chronicle but it is one in which the people of the City of Homes can always take a just pride. It is not confined to these companies alone either, for aside from the efficient duty performed by her company in the naval brigade, there were many individual enlistments in regular regiments and there was the splendid work done at the United States armory in turning out the arms with which the troops were equipped. As in the Civil war the works were run day and night and the force of employees trebled. There was good work done too at the recruiting station and it is not too much to say that Springfield was a prominent factor in the war from its beginning to its close. When the rebellion against the authority of the United States in the Philippines broke out and volunteers were again called for Springfield again showed its patriotism. A number enlisted from this city in the famous 26th and among them were many of the men who had seen service in Cuba. Others went into the 46th and more would have gone had it been necessary. As always the city and its men young and old showed their loyalty to the flag, whether it led the way to the hills around Santiago or to the rice swamps and jungles of Luzon.

CHAPTER XX

WHEREIN IS NARRATED THE ADVENTURES ON THE HIGH SEAS OF SPRINGFIELD'S SAILORS

WHILE the land soldiers which Springfield furnished the government were enjoying themselves in Florida and Cuba and toying with the canned roast beef and other incidentals of a campaign, the Springfield marine contingent was not having an altogether lovely time. On the monitor Lehigh and the auxiliary cruiser Prairie there was work and hard work too in plenty but on the whole the rations and the quarters were better than those enjoyed by the infantry contingent. But the boys of H company, naval brigade, pined for active service and those on the Lehigh were aggrieved at not getting it while their comrades on the Prairie were roaming the seas on a fast ship in chase of the enemy or doing blockade duty off the coasts of Cuba and Porto Rico. It was hard work for the Lehigh men to be cooped up on their old, "flat boat" in Boston harbor during the stirring times of the summer of 1898 but it is to their credit that although they grumbled at their lot as all good sailors do, yet they did their full duty and did it well.

The bringing of the Lehigh from the League Island navy yard to Boston Harbor was in itself something of an achievement for the tug which towed her broke down and the monitor was forced to proceed under her own steam, much to the surprise of those on the tug Clara Clorita. This happened at Vineyard Haven and from that point to Boston the Lehigh was cast off from the tug and was sailed the remainder of the way under her own steam and by her own crew. When the Lehigh left Philadelphia the navy yard officials were apprehensive of her behavior at sea as she was primarily a coast defence vessel but the naval brigade men in the monitor found no great trouble in sailing her.

The Lehigh reached Boston on May 5 and on the 9th the Springfield officers and men of the crew were given leaves of absence and furloughs to enable them to attend the presentation of "The Ensign" by Springfield amateurs at the Court Square theater for the benefit of the company fund. The crew included Lieut. J. K. Dexter, Lieut, (j. g.) W. O. Cohn, Ensign Walter S. Barr and Seamen W. A. Sabin, A. N. Luce, R. P. King, Paul H. Lathrop, L. E. Ladd, W. S. Johnson, W. F. Bright and R. H. B. Warburton. The presentation was a successful one in every way and netted quite a sum.

Meanwhile the Lehigh had been permanently detailed for duty in Boston harbor as a coast defence vessel and a disagreeable surprise was in store for some of the Springfield men when they returned from their furloughs. They were all anxious to re-enlist for service and had been assured by Capt. Weeks, commanding the naval brigade, that if they telegraphed to him their willingness to re-enlist before a certain hour on the 10th, places would be kept for them. But on their arrival on the ship on May 12th they found that there was only one vacancy left. Just how the mistake was made was never thoroughly explained, but it was suspected by the Springfield men that there was a scheme to shut as many of them as possible out in favor of some Boston naval militiamen. They felt it keenly and Lieut. Dexter succeeded in straightening out matters so that Coxswain Johnson and Seamen Bright and Warburton were re-enlisted. Sabin, Luce and King had already done so and this left only Lathrop and Ladd out in the cold. In spite of their efforts they could not get in.

The officers suffered also from the fact that there were not places enough for all of them in the Lehigh's complement as a coast defense ship. Lieut. Colin was offered the alternative of going on the waiting list or being reduced in rank to ensign. He chose the latter and remained with the ship but there was no place for Ensign Barr and he was placed on the waiting list and returned home to await orders. Later Lieut. Dexter was taken from the Lehigh and placed on the converted ferry boat "Governor Russell," the property of the City of Boston which had turned over to the government, as executive officer.

All this time the "Prairie dogs," as the crew of that vessel were dubbed by their less fortunate comrades, were having a fairly good time at the Brooklyn navy yard. Much time was spent there in fitting up the vessel as an auxiliary cruiser and until the work was well advanced the crew was lodged and fed in hotels and later in the navy yard barracks.

As it happened, Ralph H. Newcomb was the first of the Springfield men to reach the Prairie and report for duty. He was in Washington on a visit when orders were issued for H company to report at Brooklyn and when he was notified by Lieut. Crossman he lost no time in getting to that city and the navy yard, beating out his comrades by several hours.

Hammocks were "swung" on the Prairie for the first time on Saturday, May 7th, and from that time until muster-out in September hotel fare was a dream of the past to which the boys looked back with considerable regret. The Prairie, completely transformed into a war ship, left the navy yard and steamed down the harbor to Tompkinsville. This was on Friday, the 13th of May, but if there was any "hoodoo" it failed to work. The next day the Prairie steamed out to sea and had target practice, badly frightening some of the residents of the coast with the big guns. Late in the afternoon the Prairie gave chase to a suspicious craft which turned out to be an English tramp steamer.

The Prairie had been assigned to patrol duty on the North Atlantic coast with the San Francisco. The "Frisco" was sighted on the day following and both ships steamed into Provincetown and remained there for the next day, sailing out late in the afternoon. It is recorded that the sailors washed clothes during their stay in Provincetown and it is evident they were getting a taste of the life of a jolly tar. The regular patrol tour of the Prairie was from Provincetown north to some 40 miles above Boston, then south to Nantucket to Provincetown, meeting the San Francisco off the cape and obtaining mail.

These were not idle days by any means. What with battalion drills, inspection, target practice, painting ship and the regular routine of ship's work the long hours of duty passed quickly and the men were pretty well tired out as a rule when the time came to get into their hammocks. But the men of H company learned fast and soon accustomed themselves to life on one of Uncle Sam's war ships. The one thing they did not take to very kindly in the line of work was coaling ship and this came rather oftener than they had any relish for.

In the way of food there was little to complain of, although the fare was not Delmonico-like by any means. One of the mess cooks kept a diary of what he served up for every meal during the service of the Prairie and it shows that the menus, while probably simple enough to the men on board, would have been regarded as the acme of luxurious living by their brethren of the Second. A few samples are given: breakfast, June 10, Indian meal and coffee; dinner, soup, roast beef and potatoes; supper, hash and French toast. June 12th, breakfast, bacon and potatoes; dinner, sausages and potatoes; supper, beans, cold meat and sausages. The daily average was fully up to the samples given above.

Capt. Train of the Prairie was a disciplinarian and there were punishments meted out for various small offences. One man was deprived of shore liberty for three months for throwing swill out of a port hole. For smoking outside of "smoking hours" the customary punishment was 48 hours of extra duty, while for being late with hammocks the sentence was for the delinquents to parade the deck for an hour or two hours with the hammocks on their shoulders.

The Prairie sailed from Provincetown June 10th for a brief cruise southward, but returned on the 14th. The weather was very foggy during the cruise and on the 14th the ship came near running down an English tramp steamer passing within a boat's length of her.

On the 16th the Prairie sailed again from Provincetown for Delaware breakwater, arriving there on the 18th. The next day she sailed for New York, anchoring off Tompkinsville the 20th. Coaling ship was one of the innocent amusements of the day and the men stowed away 83 tons in the afternoon. Early next morning the sport was resumed and before breakfast 28 tons more had been put away in the bunkers, the record for the day being 182 tons. The next day the coal situation again took the attention of the crew but they finished the job. Shore liberty resulted in some of the men overstaying it and being shut off from any more during the stay. On Sunday, June 26th, the men got into blue dress for inspection but before the ceremony was over orders came to sail at once for Key West. Off came the blue suits and the men got into their "coal" suits again and finished coaling ship at 1.30 in the morning. The Prairie sailed for Key West on the 27th, arriving there June 1st. Her stay was short, for the same day she left with mail for the blockading squadron off Cuba and sighting the Amphitrite the next day transferred her mail to her. Later that day the Prairie gave the mail to the Newport, Montgomery, Vicksburg and Marietta. That afternoon the men on the Prairie saw the Marietta pick up a refugee from the shore and saw the guns from Morro Castle fire at her but fail to strike.