“Company Orders No. 8.
“You are hereby commanded to report at your armory immediately in service uniform upon reading this order. Bring your blankets, suit of underclothing, and two days’ rations to pack in your knapsack. Report without fail. Let B Company be the first in line for suppressing riot.
Irving B. Cook, Commanding Company.”
This was the plan by which the company was to be massed at short notice When the time came to test its effectiveness it had been so well applied to the company that it was like pressing the button and the entire machinery started in motion. Within an incredible short space of time after Captain Cook received orders to assemble his company, non-commissioned officers in charge of squads were speeding on their respective missions of notification. Many members, hearing that the militia were called out, reported without receiving any official notice. Company B was not the only company, nor was the First Regiment the only regiment, that had taken time by the forelock and laid plans for the rapid massing of their men. Subsequent developments showed that arrangements had been made beforehand in all the companies of both regiments and that these arrangements had well fulfilled their end.
Thus far we have but considered one end of the action. Let us therefore transfer ourselves to the other end, namely the thresholds of the homes of the members. Here scenes occurred the memory and influence of which will never be forgotten. What a feeling of gloom and of sadness settled upon that household after the notifying officer had hurried up the steps, rang violently the door-bell and notified him, who was both a member of the family and a member of the National Guard, to report for duty at the armory. We may now talk lightly of the things we have done. We may now laugh heartily over the experiences of those campaigns. The public may sneer at the results which we have accomplished, but who could say on the night we were called out that the duty which we were ordered to perform was not such that we had no assurance of ever returning again to the bosom of our families. Is there a man who would speak lightly of the tear that glistened in the mother’s eye or the quivering of her lips? Who is there that would ridicule the sobbing of the sisters and of the wives, or sneer at the deep, heartfelt emotion of the father hidden beneath a gruff voice. Shame on him who has for these no thought but scorn! “Parting is such sweet sorrow,” the poet sings. Until the night of the 3d few of us however recognized this truth. Parting is sorrow, but ah! how sweet it is to know something of that great affection with which we are held. Thank God there come such times as these when the mist of humdrum life is lifted and we behold our position in the hearts of our family.
Many of us still remember how, while in our boyhood days, our souls used to thrill and how inspired we were when we read that after the battle of Lexington, old Israel Putnam left his plow yoked in the fields, mounted his fastest horse, hurried to Boston and offered his services to his country. But when we left those happy days behind us and went out into the cold, prosaic, and selfish world, and thought of Putnam’s noble and inspiring patriotism, a feeling of regret would arise within us to feel that there were no more Putnams. But during the late excitement we were undeceived. Right here among us we have such patriots. Patriots whose example ought to inspire and thrill every citizen. Like Old Putnam, they also paused in the midst of their toil and, without waiting to be notified, hastened to offer their services to their State. Would that the grave could open up, so that Old Putnam might rest contented in the belief that the destinies of this Republic are presided over by young patriots worthy of their revolutionary sires.
To come back to the First Regiment Armory again. Throughout the evening it presented both inside and out an animated appearance. Fully five hundred people were gathered in front of the armory watching the course of developments. Inside of the armory men were hastening to and fro. Others were gathered into groups talking in an excited tone over the unusual event. In Company B’s rooms members were busily packing their knapsacks, rolling their blankets, and getting into their uniforms. Every now and again some member who was notified late in the evening would come running in and endeavor to make up for lost time. The experience of being called out was to them a novel one. Whoever thought that they—the National Guard, the “tin soldiers”—would ever be called upon to do anything more arduous or dangerous than to parade the streets on a holiday for the sake of eliciting admiration from the fair sex. Here was an opportunity for them of a lifetime to dissolve forever the charge of the contemptuous wretch, who stands upon the edge of the sidewalk during a parade of the National Guard and sneeringly remarks: “If they only smelt powder, how they would run.” Every member of the Guard determined that they would on this occasion establish a reputation far beyond the possibility of ever being open to the charge of being “sidewalk soldiers” again. They would—and many a noble resolve was made that night. To those standing upon the street watching the preparations of the militia to depart and who derisively jeered, the men said nothing, but to themselves said: “You just wait a few days my fine fellows and we will show you what we can do.” But alas, who can ever tell what the wheels of time will bring forth. At the same time everyone was more or less excited. Some were gay, others were thoughtful, and again some probably felt a peculiar sadness, feeling perhaps as though they were taking their last leave of those persons and things which were closely associated with their lives. Even the turning of the key of their locker was done with tenderness. For who knew that this would not be the last time. All, however, were ready for orders.
At 9:40 P. M. the command was given to “fall in.” Company B proceeded to the drill-hall, where they were formed by First Sergeant A. F. Ramm. On roll-call the following men answered to their names:
| Captain | I. B. Cook. | Private | Hayes, |
| 1st Lieut. | E. C. Lundquist | “ | Heeth, A., |
| 2d Lieut. | Geo. Filmer. | “ | Heizman, |
| 1st Sergt. | A. F. Ramm. | “ | Kennedy, |
| Sergt. | B. B. Sturdivant, | “ | Keane, |
| “ | A. H. Clifford, | “ | Lang, |
| “ | W. N. Kelly. | “ | Monahan, |
| Corp. | J. N. Wilson, | “ | McKaig, |
| “ | B. E. Burdick, | “ | O’Brien, |
| “ | E. R. Burtis, | “ | Overstreet, |
| “ | A. McCulloch. | “ | Perry, |
| Musician | Gilkyson, | “ | Powleson, |
| “ | Murphy, | “ | Radke, R., |
| “ | Rupp, | “ | Radke, G., |
| “ | Wilson. | “ | Sullivan, H. B. |
| “ | Stealy, | ||
| Private | Adams, | “ | Sieberst, V. |
| “ | Bannan, | “ | Shula, F., |
| “ | Baumgartner, | “ | Sindler, |
| “ | Claussenius, G., | “ | Tooker, |
| “ | Claussenius, M., | “ | Unger, |
| “ | Crowley, | “ | Wise, |
| “ | Flanagan, | “ | Wilson, R. E., |
| “ | Frech, | “ | Williams, |
| “ | Fetz, A., | “ | Warren, |
| “ | Gille, | “ | Wear, |
| “ | Gehret, A. C, | “ | Zimmerman. |
Upon the completion of the roll-call the company was turned over to the command of Captain Cook. In five minutes the entire regiment was mustered and formed in a hollow square. The size of the companies spoke volumes for the reputation of the regiment. It was now a little over three hours since the non-commissioned officers started on their tours of notification, and probably not more than an hour since some of the members were notified; still, here was almost the full regiment, thirty officers and three hundred and forty-six men, prepared to march. The zeal and alacrity with which the orders were obeyed is worthy of commendation. The men as they stood in ranks, attired in their campaign uniforms, their knapsacks and blankets strapped to their backs, presented a striking appearance. May their appearance that night never fade from our memories. Colonel Sullivan stepped into the center of the square and made the following remarks: