Quartermaster Sergeant Richard H. Bearse of B, was the first man of the Springfield companies to succumb to the fever and the nostalgia which accompanied it. He was taken sick soon after the surrender, but kept up and about for some time, as he had all through the campaign. But he went down at last and the end came on rapidly. He died on August 1st, and there was not a man in the regiment more regretted for all who ever knew "Dicky" Bearse, loved him.
The second man to go, in the battalion, was Corporal W. C. Piper of K, who died in the division hospital, August 5th, of pernicious malarial fever. He had been taken there only the day before and his comrades were horror stricken when notified of his death. The day following a detail from his company was sent to the hospital and buried him. Private Paul Vesper of B, died the 10th, from the same cause as Piper, in the division hospital.
It was a day or two afterwards that we heard of the famous "round robin" and its result. The thought of soon sailing for home did much to cheer us up and we began to make what few preparations we had to make, although there was as yet nothing authentic about our going. But on the 10th Col. Clark received orders to be ready to embark on short notice and the news spread like wildfire through our camp. Our working suits which we had worn all through the campaign, and our blankets and haversacks were ordered burned and in place of them we were issued the khaki uniforms of yellow with blue facings.
A few days before Col. John F. Marsh, of Springfield, had arrived, and brought with him several boxes of good things sent by the people of Springfield. The time was so short that many of the boxes were unopened and were taken to the ship when we sailed. Nearly all their contents were looted, however, during our trip to Montauk point.
August 11th we received orders to embark the following day, and on the 12th those of the regiment able to march, fell in, and we "hiked the pike" for Santiago. With flags flying we marched through the Calle de Marina, or Marine street, and after a short wait on a pier, were put on a lighter and taken off to the transport Mobile, already occupied by the other two regiments of our brigade and a number of horses. The sick officers and men were sent to the pier in ambulances and those able to walk not only had to do that, but were also obliged to handle all the baggage, a job that would have been child's play at other times, but which in our debilitated condition was a task almost beyond our strength. Col. Clark had been attacked with the fever that morning and was unable to do anything. Lieut. Col. Shumway was so ill as to be unfit for duty but he stuck it out and did what he could. Lieut. Hawkins and Lieut. Leyden were brought down from the division hospital and Lieut. Vesper was brought down from his tent in our camp by Captain Crosier of D. Company.
Meanwhile there were a number of our men sick in their quarters or in the hospitals who could not be moved to the ship, besides others who had been spotted as "suspicious" cases by the surgeons on the day previous, and ordered to remain behind, it being feared that they were in the first stages of yellow fever. It was necessary that some remain behind to care for these poor fellows, but who to detail to this hard duty was a problem which Col. Clark finally solved by detailing Lieut. W. H. Plummer of A Company of Worcester, and a detail of one man from each company in the regiment to remain. Private Dozilva Lamoreaux of G, Private Robert A. Draper of B and Private Albert Marsden of K volunteered to compose this detail from our companies, and their sacrifices in doing this will not be forgotten by their comrades.
Privates Little, Stetson, Brownell and Dunn of G company, Corporal John B. Fulton, and Privates Judd, Rivers, Champagne, Smith, Wheeler and Frey of B company, and Privates Maynard, Solace and Hall of K were left behind on the island, either sick or as yellow fever suspects when the regiment was ordered home.
1st TURRET'S CREW. MONITOR LEHIGH.