Sunday was the last day of rest at home that the Troopers were to enjoy for months to come. On the following Monday, Governor Hastings ordered the State Troops to mobilize at Mt. Gretna Thursday. President McKinley's call had made no requisition for cavalry, but Captain Groome received a personal telegram from Governor Hastings saying that the Troop would be wanted without question, and the usual printed notices were sent out, ordering the men to be at the armory ready to start at five o'clock Thursday morning. As a matter of fact, a majority of the Troopers spent the two preceding days there, helping pack the stores and equipments, and getting everything in perfect condition.
Wednesday night all was in readiness, and the cavalrymen's spirits were high as they read in the evening papers how Sampson's fleet was engaged in bombarding Matanzas, and how the Spaniards were rushing work upon their fortifications in Cuba and Porto Rico.
War had been begun without any formal declaration. Spain had refused to answer the American ultimatum and had given Minister Woodford his passports, thus breaking diplomatic relations. At once the United States fleet, off the Cuban coast, began to capture Spanish vessels. Then, at the request of the President, Congress passed a declaration to the effect that a state of war had existed between the United States and Spain since Monday, April 25th.
At this time Spain was credited with having two powerful fleets of a strength almost equal to that of the United States Navy, and with possessing an army in Cuba and Porto Rico of 150,000 well seasoned, splendidly drilled men; war problems were admittedly assuming a graver aspect each day.
All the forces of nature seemed combined, on Thursday morning, to deter the City Troopers from their expressed intention of joining the volunteer army. Faint-hearted men would surely have been terrified at the first view presented of the hardships of a soldier's life. It was freezing cold, yet a sort of rain was falling that at times became hail and at times came down as snow. Whatever form the downfall took, it soaked through all coverings and chilled to the bone those compelled to endure its pelting attack. An icy wind was twisting and cutting through the streets of the city.
When the Troopers stepped from their comfortable homes into the storm, it was not yet five o'clock. Daylight was scarce as strong as the light from the lamps still burning in the streets; deep slush covered the streets and sidewalks. Singly, and by groups of two or threes, the cavalrymen slipped and splashed their way to the old armory on Twenty-first Street.
Roll call at five o'clock found, out of the sixty-six active members of the Troop, the following present: Captain John C. Groome, First Lieutenant Edward Browning, Assistant Surgeon Charles H. Frazier, Cornet Richard Tilghman, First Sergeant J. Willis Martin, Quartermaster Sergeant William C. Lott, Sergeants R. E. Glendinning, John Wagner, Jr., Frederick Thibault, C. Emory McMichael and William H. Hart; Corporals William E. Bates, Charles H. Smith, John Houston Merrill and Francis A. Thibault; Trumpeters Pugh and Singer; Privates A. Mercer Biddle, Frank B. Bower, Ward Brinton, Thomas Cadwalader, Jay Cooke, 3d, Francis L. Cramp, Herman A. Denckla, George L. Farnum, J. Edward Farnum, William I. Forbes, Persifor Frazier, Jr., H. Percy Glendinning, Henry S. Godfrey, Samuel Goodman, Francis E. Green, Robert E. Griffith, Guston A. Heckscher, T. Wallis Huidekoper, Francis A. Janney, Charles K. Lennig, George McFadden, Percy C. Madeira, Richard W. Meirs, Frederick B. Neilson, Edward P. Rawle, Benjamin B. Reath, Samuel K. Reeves, J. Ridgway Reilly, James M. Rhodes, Jr., Thomas Ridgway, Henry D. Riley, Thomas Robb, Jr., Adolph G. Rosengarten, Mitchell G. Rosengarten, Jr., Edward K. Rowland, Reginald K. Shober, James Starr, J. C. Stevens, Edward C. Taylor, Nelson B. Warden, William G. Warden, Bromley Wharton and Alexander W. Wister, Jr. The absentees were: Second Lieutenant J. Frank McFadden, who was coming to rejoin his command as fast as the "Lucania" could bring him from Europe; George Thayer, who had cabled from Ireland that he would return upon the first available vessel; H. C. Butcher, who was in the mountains near Cripple Creek beyond the reach of telegrams, and who at that time did not know war was talked of; W. Goodman and S. Chew, who were in a similar condition of ignorance somewhere in the Klondike regions of Alaska, and Corporal Borie, sick in bed with typhoid fever.
Just at 5.50 the ringing notes of the bugle sounded assembly. At six o'clock came "boots and saddles." Ten minutes later the men mounted and rode out into the icy rain, each man wearing the service uniform, heavy overcoat and poncho, and armed with saber, Springfield carbine (cal. 45) and Colts' revolver (cal. 38), and with the blanket, mess outfit, haversack and nose bag, and two days' rations securely strapped to the saddle.
With bowed heads they slowly passed to the Reading siding at the corner of Twenty-third and Arch Streets, where the long troop train was waiting. Quartermaster Sergeant Lott and his detail having loaded all the stores and camp equipage before the arrival of the Troop, there was nothing for the men to do but load their horses on the cars. Inside of half an hour the last horse had been loaded, and the Troop was ready to start. For nearly an hour, however, they remained in the cars at the siding, and "last" good-bys were said over again to the few remaining friends who had braved the weather to see the cavalrymen off. Finally at 7.30 the engine gave a warning toot, and the train pulled slowly out amid prolonged cheers.
Delays innumerable and inexplainable occurred on that journey, and a trip which ordinarily requires less than three hours consumed, in the Troopers' case, an entire day; so that the shades of evening were added to the gloom which had prevailed all day when Camp Hastings was reached. From the cars the Troopers tramped a half mile, up and down hill, to a little valley which had been designated as their camp site.