In all their manœuvres in Puerto Rico, the City Troopers were divided into four platoons. No drills were held, but, as a matter of record, the Roster of the Troop at this period of the campaign is here given, passing from right to left in the line:
Captain, John C. Groome.
First Lieutenant, Edward Browning.
Second Lieutenant, J. Frank McFadden.
FIRST PLATOON.
Right Squad.—Sergeant, Frederic Thibault; Privates, Frank Bower, Alfred Pardee, Alfred Bright, Thomas Cadwalader, H. Percy Glendinning, Thomas Robb, Jr., Henry J. Wetherill, T. Wallis Huidekoper, Edward Gregg; Corporal, J. Houston Merrill.
Left Squad.—Privates, Edward E. Stetson, Charles Wheeler, Edward Rawle, William I. Forbes, William West, Williams Biddle Cadwalader, Charles C. Brinton, Frank A. Janney, James De Kay, Edward Cann; Corporal, Adolph G. Rosengarten.
SECOND PLATOON.
Right Squad.—Sergeant, William H. Hart; Privates, Robert Fell, William Farr, Samuel K. Reeves, Thomas J. Orbison, Samuel Goodman, Jr., Henry S. Godfrey, Clifford Pemberton, Jr., Maitland Armstrong, George Wilson; Corporal, Gustav A. Heckscher.
Left Squad.—Privates, N. B. Warden, Stuart Wheeler, M. G. Rosengarten, J. Warren Coulston, Jr., Charles Coates, James M. Rhodes, Jr., Francis C. Green, John Conygham Stevens, John Zimmerman, Norman Risley; Corporal, Samuel Chew.
THIRD PLATOON.
Right Squad.—Sergeant, William E. Bates; Privates, Edward Lord, Henry G. Woodman, C. King Lennig, Trenchard Newbold, Thomas Ridgway, Benjamin B. Reath, Carroll Smyth, James Starr, Edward Brooke; Corporal, George C. Thayer.
Left Squad.—Privates, John Strawbridge, William E. Goodman, Jr., William G. Warden, Jr., George L. Farnum, J. Clifford Rosengarten; Hospital Steward, William H. Cornell; Privates, S. Frederick Mills, Francis Rawle, Edward B. Cornell; Corporal, Henry C. Butcher, Jr.
FOURTH PLATOON.
Right Squad.—Sergeant, Charles H. Smith; Privates, George H. McFadden, Jr., Harry C. Barclay, Reginald H. Shober, Francis L. Cramp, Carroll Hodge, H. Austin Smith, Ward Brinton, Edward Rogers, Charles B. Lewis; Corporal, Francis A. Thibault.
Left Squad.—Privates, Herman A. Denckla, Henry Drinker Riley, Edward C. Taylor, W. B. Duncan Smith, Bromley Wharton, Lightner Witmer, Frederick B. Neilson, Douglas H. Jacobs; Commissary Corporal, A. Mercer Biddle; Corporal, Alexander W. Wister, Jr.
Private Ranson, Farrier.
Private Newlin, Cook.
Private Kirk, Cook.
Private Gibbons, Saddler.
Private Halbustadt, Wagoner.
Private Nilon, Blacksmith.
Trumpeter, Brossman.
Trumpeter, R. Singer.
Stable Sergeant, John Wagner, Jr.
Ordnance Sergeant, Robert E. Glendinning.
Quartermaster-Sergeant, Dr. William C. Lott.
First Sergeant, J. Willis Martin.
While the Troopers were in camp at Guayama, under orders from General Brooke, they changed their old style of camp life a little by using a number of large hospital tents, loaned by General Brooke's headquarters, which were occupied by six or seven men each, instead of the little dog tents intended for two men. The larger tents made life more bearable during the heavy rains, and were greatly appreciated by all.
Although each duty was taken up with uniform cheerfulness, and nothing was slighted, it soon became evident that for the first time there was a unanimous desire on the part of the City Troopers, now that peace was assured, to get home as quickly as possible. So there was great rejoicing when, on Thursday morning, August 25th, Captain Groome received orders to proceed at once to Ponce with the Troop, there to take passage for New York. Just before this order came, a detachment of Troopers had gone from camp on a hunt after Spanish guerrillas. They were promptly recalled by General Brooke's command.
The packing of saddles and stowing away of tents was attended to with a will, and on Friday morning the march of thirty-seven miles to Ponce was begun. This distance was to be made in two stages, as marching was slow at the best with skirmishers out, and the weather was so sultry that for most of the distance the men trudged along on foot, leading their horses.
Although buoyed up by the prospect of soon seeing home and friends again, the Troopers found the first day's march the hardest work they had undertaken since enlistment. Spaniards could be seen in the hills all about, and a close outlook had to be kept. The march led through deep cuts in the road, where there was not a breath of air stirring, where the terrific heat seemed determined to beat to the ground all living things that ventured to brave its fury. Rain—hot, steam-like rain—alternated with the blazing sun, and uniforms were one hour drenched with rain, the next hour dried by the sun, and a few moments later soaking wet with perspiration.
At midday a halt was made at the same plantation visited on the way out. There was a grove of what the Troopers styled "United States trees," and in its shade they lay around and ate canned stuff and dried their clothes. Then the tramp was resumed with all its fatigue, and at night a camp fire was built on another sugar plantation. Three of the men living there spoke English, and the first use of it they made was to notify Captain Groome that a number of the laborers were sick with small pox, and that the spot selected for a camp was particularly infected.
The Captain had quite a consultation with various people before selecting the final camping ground, and the weary Troopers had no sooner attended to their horses than they dropped off to sleep. Like dead men they lay in their blankets, totally oblivious of the swarms of mosquitoes which gathered about them, or of the land crabs, little snakes and other queer creatures that all night long crawled over their bodies in a familiarly inquiring manner.
