WE BECOME PLAIN CITIZENS ONCE MORE AND SQUARE ACCOUNTS WITH UNCLE SAM.
OCTOBER 3d, 1898, is one of the "star" days in the history of the Second, that being the day on which we ceased to be soldiers of the United States and became plain and humble citizens once more. Incidentally it was something of a day for Springfield for one of the features of the muster-out was a brief parade of the regiment from the railway station to the state armory, where the exercises occurred. Before that, the armory had been for some time the scene of much activity. The furlough of the regiment, given it at Montauk, had expired October 24th, and for the rest of the time preceding muster-out the officers and men were required to make the armory their home during the day. Their meals were served there, a contract being made with a Springfield caterer, and it can be said that the daily menu was far more satisfactory than those we had in the campaign although the government paid for both. During this period, the officers and men were also required to appear in uniform and the streets took on a decidedly military appearance. Much interest was shown by the people of the city in everything that pertained to the muster-out and the armory had many visitors daily. But it was all play in those days for some of the officers and men. There is a lot of red tape and formality connected with putting volunteer organizations out of the United States service, and there was plenty of work to be done in making out rolls and all sorts of papers, so that those detailed for this work were kept busy for many days.
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.
The Prairie
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.