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INSULATION 

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C— •_-,.,>— «^--     T>--^ W««M-«    Fair. 

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BROOKLYN.  N.  Y. 
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New  York  Division 
National  Guard 


WAR    RECORD 


By  the 
OFiaCERS  AND  MEN  OF  THE  DIVISION 


Illustrated 


Editor 
HENRY  HAGAMAN   gURDICK, 

Captain,  Inf.,  U.S.R. 
(formerly  7th  Infantry,  N.  G.  U.  S.) 

Associate  Editor 
RUPERT  LEE  BURDICK 


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Published  by 
BuRDicK  &■  King,  New  York. 


Lrr# 


-^^^^ 


Copyright  1917 

R.    L.   BURDICK 


SEP  14  1917 

©GI.A47;M63 


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This  book  is  a  semi-official  record  of  the  Federal  Service  of  the  New 
York  National  Guard  units.  For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  militia 
was  this  organization,  in  June,  1916,  mustered  into  Federal  Service  for 
action  outside  the  boundaries  of  our  nation.  When  the  Mexican  crisis 
arose  and  the  call  came  it  found  a  ready  response  from  the  National  Guard. 
Especially  prompt  was  the  preparation  and  mustering  in  of  the  New  \  ork 
Division. 

Few  of  those  who  witnessed  the  departure  of  the  various  regiments  can 
ever  forget  the  fortitude  of  the  men,  many  of  whom  were  of  the  peace- 
ful, civilian  population,  who,  disregarding  selfish  or  pecuniary  interests, 
entrained  willingly  to  face,  at  the  Mexican  Border,  what  was  confidently 
expected  to  be  deadly  warfare.  That  this  service  did  not  develop 
into  such  an  unhappy  conclusion  does  not  minimize  the  courage  of  the 
men,  but  is  rather  a  matter  of  congratulation.  This  service  gave  the 
troops  a  training  under  conditions  closely  approximating  war,  which  will 
stand  them  in  good  stead  in  the  present  war.  The  reception  accorded  the 
returning  units  demonstrated  that  the  appreciation  of  the  people  was  as 
sincere  as  if  those  ranks  had  shown  vacant  places  and  saddened  hearts  had 
greeted  the  khaki-clad  men. 

The  lights  and  shadows  of  that  service  are  set  forth  herein  ;  the  dangers, 
the  dull, hard  work,  the  wonderful  training,  the  happy  hours,  and  the  humor 
of  the  trip  are  told  by  men  who  experienced  them.  Therefore  this  volume 
is  a  record  of  achievement,  the  story  of  the  metamorphosis  of  well-trained, 
but  somewhat  inexperienced,  troops  into  an  efficient  fighting  machine 
worthy  to  take  their  place  with  the  armies  of  the  world. 

As  this  book  was  being  outlined  a  greater  call  swept  the  country,  and 
again  our  brothers  and  sons  of  the  National  Guard  have  responded — this 
time  even  more  quickly  and  better  prepared,  owing  to  their  valuable 
previous  training. 

Thus,  the  purpose  of  the  book  has  been  enlarged  to  furnish  a  memento 
— an  all-too-brief  record  of  what  these  National  Guard  organizations  have 
done  and  are  now  doing  in  the  service  of  their  nation — that  may  be  to 
those  who  participate  a  permanent  story  of  their  heroism  written  by  those 
best  fitted  to  tell  it. 

And  for  those  to  whom  this  war  shall  bring  sorrow  through  the  loss  of 
their   sons,   brothers,   sweethearts  and   friends   in    the    Guard — -may   their 
number  be  few — it  is  hoped  that  this  volume  will  be  a  prouf 
gift  they  have  given  to  preserve  our  national  ideals  and  uphc 
mental  rights  of  civilization. 


i 


I 


t  \1 


As  this  book  was  in  the  process  of  preparation  its  chief  editor  was 
ordered  into  Federal  Service,  and  the  completion  of  the  book  had  to  be  left 
to  another.  Feeling  that  its  patriotic  purpose  should  not  be  abandoned, 
the  writer  has  carried  on  the  work,  albeit  handicapped  by  the  lack  of  first- 
hand information,  to  which  is  attributable  whatever  of  error  may  be  found 
in  this  book. 

Some  of  the  articles  which  were  expected  to  be  included  could  not  be 
secured,  because  of  the  mobilization  of  the  Division.  Since  it  was,  there- 
fore, impossible  to  give  a  complete  history  of  each  New  York  National 
Guard  Regiment,  at  least  one  representative  story  of  each  branch  of  the 
service  has  been  selected  from  the  material  at  hand.  No  unit  should  feel 
slighted  by  the  omission  of  a  more  lengthy  account  of  its  service,  because, 
were  circumstances  otherwise,  every  one  of  them  would  have  had  a  full 
representation. 

R.  L.  B. 
New  York, 

August  15.  1917. 


$7-'   ""^ 


^-^: 


f 

1^ 


Foreword By   Governor    Charles   .*>.    IVhilincin  o 

Introduction  and   Review  of  Mexican  Border   Service 

By   Maj.   Gen.   John   F.   O'Ryan  ii 

Review  of  Mexican   Situation   to  June,    igi6 By  Cap/.  Moses  King,   U.S.R.  15 

Organization   of  the   Sixth  Division By  Maj.   Edzcard   Olmsted  21 

Commanding    Officers,    Sixth    Division 31 

Headquarters    Staff,    Sixth    Division 32 

Military  Courts  and  PoHce By  Maj.  J.   L.   Kineaid  z^ 

Rifle  Practice,  Texas,   1916 By  Lt.  Col.  f.  .U.   Waterbury  37 

Entertainments  of  the  Division By  Lt.   Col.  Franklin    11'.    Ward  41 

•G.  O.  I,  1917,  re  Col.  N.   B.  Thurston 45 

Signal   Corps By    Lt.    Gordon    Ireland  47 

Twenty-second  Engineers By  Lt.   C.   E.  Bregencer  55 

Squadron   A,   Cavalry By  Maj.    William  R.    II  'right  63 

First   Field   Artillery By  Lt.    William   P.    Welsh  71 

Third   Infantry By   Lt.    Kennard    Underwood  77 

Seventh   Infantry By  Caft.  H.  H.  Burdick,  U.S.R.  83 

Twenty-third  Infantry By  Capt.  H.   W.  Congdon  91 

Seventy-fourth  Infantry By  Capt.  K.  G.  Kaffenberger  cjj 


PART  II.     WAR  W  ITH  GERADVNY 


Review    of    Events    Leading   Up    to    the    Declaration    of    a    State    of    War    with 

Germany By    R.    L.    Burdiek  104 

President  Wilson's  Address  to   Congress,  April  2,   1917 107 

Service  of  the  N.  Y.  National  Guard  Since  the  Return  from  Texas: 

I.     All   Units   to   July   15,    1917 ^^- 

II.     Units  Not  in  N,  Y.  Division  July  15  to  August  15,  1917 112 

III.     The  Twenty-seventh   (New  York)   Division,  July  15  to  August  15,  1017  113 


Governor  Charles  S.  Whitman 
Commander-in-Chief 


or  NewVocjk 
TIVE  Chambek 
Albany 


August  7.  1917. 


Mr.  R.  L.  Burdlok, 
The  War  Record, 
1703  Klnga  Highway, 
Brooklyn,  New  York. 

Dear  Sir: 

I  am  In  receipt  of  your  letter 
of  Jxily  27th,  In  which  you  request  a  foreword  froci  me 
to  be  included  in  the  publication  which  you  are  pre- 
paring as  a  record  of  the  Federal  service  of  the  New 
York  Division,  "ational  Guard,  both  on  the  Llexican 
Border  and  since  its  return,  up  to  the  present  laobili- 
zatlon. 

It  needs  but  a  reference  to  the  purpose  for 
which  the  Guard  was  called  to  demonstrate  the  successful 
acoociplishment  of  the  mission  to  which  it  was  assigned. 
When  the  Guard  was  called  into  Federal  service  In  June 
1916  for  border  duty,  if  there  existed  ion-.lnent  danger 
of  an  invasion  at  that  time,  it  went  no  further,  and  if 
there  was  danger  of  further  aggression,  that  danger  was 
avoided.  The  force  that  accomplished  this  result  was  the 
National  Guard  and  I  sincerely  believe  that  last  Summer 
this  force  undoubtedly  did  save  the  country  froni  war  with 
Mexico. 

No  one  Who  had  the  opportunity  of  seeing  our 
Guard  upon  the  border  could  fail, to  feel,  as  I  did,  a 
thrill  of  pride  that  these  men  were  our  citizens.  They 
made  their  own  camps,  built  their  own  roads,  dug  their 
own  ditches,  accepted  as  mere  Incidents  of  the  service 
the  heat,  the  hardships,  the  lack  of  facilities;  and  with 
it  all,  exercised  a  self-restraint  and  discipline  which 
was  reflected  In  the  splendid  health  and  the  condition 
of  the  troops  upon  their  return  to  the  State.   I  am  prcud 
of  every  man  who  did  his  own  part  in  the  Mexican  Border 
service.     TVhatever  may  be  its  future,  the  Guard  has 
removed  the  last  vestige  of  doxibt  as  to  its  usefulness  or 
availability. 

To  every  officer  and  man  who  participated, 
I  say,  "Well  done'.  You  accomplished  your  mission;  more 
could  not  be  asked.   The  State  of  New  York  acclalRis  you, 
and  I,  in  behalf  of  the  people  of  the  State,  express  their 
pride  and  gratitude.'! 

Very  truly  yours, 


Photn  Allies  Stmlio.  N.  Y. 


Major  General  John  Francis  O'Ryan 
Commanding,  New  York  Division 


i<L. 


SJ 


"T 


'<. 


INTRODUCTION  AND  REVIEW  OF  MEXICAN 
BORDER  SERVICE 

By  Major  General  John  F.  O'Ryan, 
Commanding,  New  York  Division 

The  New  York  Division,  pursuant  to  the  President's  order  of  June  i8, 
lyK),  was  mobilized  the  following  day  in  the  armories  of  the  organizations. 
The  strength  of  the  tactical  division  at  the  time  of  mobilization  was 
approximately  14,645  officers  and  men.  These  figures  do  not  include  the 
strength  of  the  coast  artillery  corps  at  that  time,  nor  that  of  the  infantry 
regiments  in  excess  of  the  nine  constituting  the  infantry  of  the  Division, 
totaling  in  all  6,430  officers  and  men. 


^ 


The  tactical  division  was 
Headquarters,    N.   Y.    Division 
Headquarters,   1st  Brigade 

2nd  Infantry 

14th   Infantry 

69th   Infantry 
Headquarters,  2nd  Brigade 

7th   Infantr\' 

12th  Infantry 

71st   Infantry 
Headquarters,  3rd   Brigade 

3rd    Infantry 

23rd    Infantn,- 

74th   Infantry 
1st  Battalion,   Signal  Corps 
22nd   Engineers 
1st   Cavalry 


constituted  as  follows : 

Squadron  A  Cavalry 
Machine  Gun  Troop,  Cavalry 
.    Headquarters,   Field   Artillerj-   Brigade 

1st  Field  Artillery 

2nd    Field   Artillery 

3rd  Field  Artillery 
1st   Field   Hospital 
2nd   Field    Hospital 
3rd  Field  Hospital 
4th   Field   Hospital 
1st  Ambulance   Company 
2nd  Ambulance  Company 
3rd  Ambulance   Company 
4th   Ambulance   Company 
Supply   Train 
Field   Bakery 


The  Division  was  promptly  recruited,  until  most  organizations  were 
substantially  at  war  strength.  The  strength  of  the  Division  on  the  Border 
was  as  follows: 


Officers 

Headquarters,    Division     16 

Signal    Battalion     9 

Engineers    34 

1  St    Cavalrj'    56 

Squadron  A,  Cavalry IS 

Machine   Gun   Troop   Cavalry.  .  4 

Field  Artillerv  Brigade   Hdqrs.  4 

1st     Field  Artillerv'^. 42 

2nd    Field  Artillerv 47 

3rd    Field  Artillery 34 

1  St     Field  Hospital 6 

2nd    Field  Hospital 5 

3rd    Field  Hospital 4 

4th     Field  Hospital 6 

1st     Ambulance  Company 5 

2nd    Ambulance  Company S 

3rd     Ambulance  Company 5 

4th     Ambulance  Company 5 

1st    Brigade   Headquarters    .  .  . 


Men 

0 

166 

712 

1,288 
382 


0 

1,030 

1,068 

695 

74 

65 

66 

61 

78 

78 

79 

81 

3 


Officers 

2nd   Infantry   56 

14th   Infantry    51 

69th    Infantry    54 

2nd  Brigade  Headquarters 5 

7th    Infantry    56 

12th    Infantry    53 

71st    Infantry    57 

3rd   Brigade   Headquarters 2 

3rd   Infantry    S3 

23rd   Infantry    47 

74th    Infantry    S3 

Quartermaster     Corps     Detach- 
ment. Division    •. 

Medical      Department      Detach- 
ment,   Division    

Supply    Train    5 

Bakery    Company     1 


Men 
1,660 
1,028 
1,011 
13 
1,218 
1,133 
1,543 
5 
1,535 
1,037 
1,306 

14 

4 
185 
29 


'^"~" 


&"' 


'4 


It  was  with  the  keenest  interest  that  officers  and  men  who  had  been: 
serving  in  the  Division  for  a  period  of  years  prior  to  the  call,  watched  the 
machine  they  had  assisted  in  building,  assemble,  move  to  the  Mexican 
Border,  and  there  perform  its  functions.  For  three  or  four  years  prior  to- 
the  call  the  time  of  the  officers  of  the  Division  had  been  fully  occupied  in 
zealously  preparing  for  just  such  an  emergency.  A  comprehensi\e  system 
of  schools  for  officers  had  been  established,  and  the  graduates  of  these 
"schools  were  given  opportunity  to  go  in  for  more  advanced  tactical  study 
and  work.  Schools  of  application  for  all  arms  of  the  service  to  provide  for 
technical  training  of  officers  had  been  successfully  organized  and  the  results 
demonstrated  the  special  capacity  and  fitness  of  some  officers  and  the  limi- 
tations of  others.  Where  the  circumstances  warranted,  officers  in  the  latter 
class  were  caused  to  sever  their  connection  with  the  Division.  \\  ith  the 
advance  in  professional  standards  among  the  officers,  greater  interest  in 
their  work  was  soon  manifested  by  the  enlisted  men.  Hand  in  hand  with 
this  instruction  and  training  there  was  gradually  built  up  a  \ery  high 
standard  of  discipline.  Officers  generally  came  to  recognize  that  advance- 
ment was  dependent  solely  upon  merit,  as  determined  b}-  regimental  com- 
manders, approved  by  superior  authority.  A  spirit  of  confidence  in  Xew 
York  Division  system  and  aims  was  clearly  manifested  throughout  the 
Division  for  some  time  prior  to  the  call  of  June  i8,  1916.  The  importance 
of  this  sentiment  in  its  influence  on  the  morale  of  the  Division  cannot  be 
overestimated.  Following  previous  periods  of  active  Fe.leral  si?rvicc  it 
frequently  occurred  upon  the  return  of  regiments  to  their  home  stations 
that  the  public  were  regaled  with  accounts  of  factional  quarrels  among  the 
officers  of  organizations  or  between  one  organization  and  another,  based 
upon  incidents  of  the  service.  No  unpleasant  incidents  of  this  character 
followed  the  return  of  the  Division  froni  the  Mexican  Border  .Service.  The 
units  of  the  Division  went  to  the  border  disciplined  and  very  well  trained 
organizations.  They  returned  from  the  Border  .'Service  with  higher  stand- 
ards of  discipline,  with  greater  experience,  and  with  increased  morale. 
Much  unfriendly  matter  concerning  the  Guard  generally  had  been  circu- 
lated in  the  press,  particularly  in  the  City  of  New  York,  while  the  troops 
were  on  the  Border,  and  it  was  with  surprise  and  enthusiasm  that  the 
people  of  the  City  inspected  the  personnel  of  organizations  upon  their 
return  to  home  stations.  The  marked  confidence  of  the  people  in  the  dis- 
cipline and  efficiency  of  the  Guard  regiments  was  almost  immediately 
manifested  by  the  increased  applications  for  enlistment. 

Throughout  the  period  of  the  Mexican  Border  Service  tmder  a  system 
of  instruction  which  called  for  vigorous  physical  exercise  at  all  times,  and 
under  conditions  of  most  trying  tropical  heat,  the  personnel  of  the  Divi- 
sion at  all  times  manifested  a  truly  remarkable  esprit.  There  was  naturally 
disappointment  that  there  was  no  opportunity  to  engage  in  active  cam- 
paign, and  in  consequence  there  was  a  sentiment,  held  more  particularly  by 
those  who  had  abandoned  important  avocations  with  the  hope  of  seeing 
such  service,  that  the  sacrifices  in\ohed  in  continued  Border  Service  were 


K>  -: 


r2 

- — ■<- 


r\\ 


V    ^v; 


Afev! 


s;j 


unwarranted.  Nevertheless,  the  soldierly  spirit  was  at  all  times  dominant 
-everywhere.  The  personnel  of  the  New  York  Division  had  been  carefully 
instructed  in  previous  years  to  distinguish  between  boisterous  enthusiasm 
and  a  quiet  spirit  of  military  self-sacrifice.  The  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  was 
everywhere  manifest  throughout  the  Division. 

All  remember  the  surprise  of  the  people  of  the  Border,  both  Texans 
and  Mexicans,  during  the  period  when  the  units  of  the  New  York  Division 
were  arriving  at  McAUen,  Mission  and  Pharr,  leaving  the  trains  and 
making  their  camps.  The  physical  fitness  of  the  men,  the  number  of  motor 
•cars  and  animals,  the  batteries  of  artillery,  signal  companies,  cavalry,  engi- 
neers and  sanitary  units,  as  well  as  the  infantry,  all  impressed  them 
mightily.  This  show  of  strength  undoubtedly  solved  the  Border  situation. 
The  solution  was  effective,  though  not  glorious,  and  it  provided  the  coun- 
try with  a  greatly  needed  asset  in  the  form  of  a  large  force  of  trained  and 
!liardened   soldiers. 


Brigadier  Gener.\l  Louis  W.  Stotesbury 
Adjutant  General 


be 


t 


11 


i 


Col.  Charles  L.  De  Bevoisk 
1st   Cavalrv 


CuL.     \\  ILLAKD     C     KlSKl 

7th   Infantry 


Col.   Cornelius   Vanderbilt 
22nd  Engineers 


CoL.   William   G.   Bates 
71st    Infantry 


'X 


REVIEW  OF  THE  MEXICAN  SITUATION 
LEADING  UP  TO  THE  CRISIS  OF  JUNE  1916 

By  Capt.  Moses  King.  U.S.R.  W 

The  history  of  Mexico  has  been  one  of  unrest.  For  over  a  hundred 
years,  with  the  exception  of  the  last  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
there  has  been  one  uprising  or  revolution  after  another.  First,  to  throw 
off  the  yoke  of  Spain,  then  one  faction  or  leader  trying  to  wrest  the  power 
from  another.  The  brief  and  stormy  rule  of  Maximillian  backed  by  France 
was  followed  by  more  unrest.  In  1828  and  29  four  different  presidents 
held  office,  each  in  turn  being  overthrown  by  the  man  who  compelled  the 
choice  of  himself  as  successor.  This  record,  however,  was  surpassed 
in  1846-48  during  the  war  with  the  United  States,  when  there  were  twelve 
changes  in  the  chief  executive. 

In  1836  the  Texans  made  good  their  separation  from  Mexico,  and  in 
1S45  the  state  was  annexed  to  the  United  States  and  a  dispute  arose  over 
the  boundary.  A.t  this  time,  as  in  fact  at  almost  all  times  in  its  history, 
Mexico  was  torn  by  revolution  and  contending  factions  and  there  being  no 
strong  government  to  enforce  order  a  series  of  outrages  upon  American 
citizens,  together  with  other  causes,  led  in  1846  to  the  declaration  of  war 
on  Mexico  by  the  United  States.  Owing  to  the  internal  troubles  in  Mexico 
this  country  had  little  trouble  in  defeating  her  armies  and  annexed  a  large 
part  of  her  territory. 

Conditions  continued  in  an  unsettled  state  in  Mexico  with  only  occa- 
sional brief  respites  until  in  1877  Porforio  Diaz  ousted  Lerdo  de  Tejada 
and  became  president,  and,  except  for  the  years  from  1880  to  1884  when  he 
tried  having  his  friend.  General  Manuel  Gonzalez,  rule  for  him  and  under 
his  supervision,  ruled  with  an  iron  hand  until  1910.  He  was  strong 
enough  to  suppress  all  discontent  and  gave  Mexico  a  period  of  quiet  which 
permitted  the  development  of  her  immense  resources. 

By  1910  Diaz,  being  quite  old,  had  lost  some  of  his  old  time  control 
of  affairs,  and  opponents  began  to  rise  and  plot  his  overthrow.  The  result 
was  an  ever-increasing  amount  of  unrest,  particularly  in  the  north,  which 
was  farthest  from  the  capital  and  hence  most  difficult  to  control,  and  also 
where  the  richest  and  largest  developments  brought  about  by  foreign 
capital  were  located.  These  were  naturally  easy  prey  for  the  revolutionists 
and  a  source  of  income  wherewith  to  finance  their  plans. 

Conditions  indicating  serious  unrest  and  intrigue  on  both  sides  of  the  ^^i^\ 

border  led  to  the  stationing  of  two  cavalry  troops  along  the  frontier  in 
Texas  in  November,  1910,  and  these  were  augmented  as  necessity  indicated 
until  the  entire  border  line  from  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande  in  Texas  to 
San    Diego,    California,   was   patrolled   by    United    States    troops. 

In  191 1  Francisco  Madero  launched  his  revolution  which  resulted  in  the 


».. 


;-\:^ 


rM 


'^'^"3;>y^"-^ 


•  overthrow  of  Diaz.  F^caring  the  neutrality  of  the  United  States  might  be 
violated,  under  orders  of  President  Taft,  in  March,  191 1,  a  division  of 
troops  was  concentrated  at  San  Antonio,  Texas,  for  the  purpose  of  maneu- 
vers and  to  render  the  civil  authorities  any  aid  that  might  be  required.  A 
separate  brigade  was  also  mobilized  at  Galveston,  Texas,  and  a  partial 
brigade  at  San  Diego,  California.  The  return  of  these  troops  to  their 
home  station  began  June  15,  191 1,  and  continued  gradually  until  August 
7,  191 1,  as  the  Madero  party  gained  power. 

Subsccjuently  and  owing  to  later  revolutions  whirh  were  set  on  foot 
against  the  government  of  President  Madero,  it  again  became  necessary  to 
patrol  the  frontier  in  aid  of  neutrality  laws.  The  United  States  troops  on 
the  border  assisted  in  the  suppression  of  General  Reyes'  attempt  to  insti- 
gate an  insurrection  against  Madero's  government  and  later  when  author- 
ized by  Congress  assisted  in  preventing  the  importation  of  arms,  which 
was  primaril}^  responsible  for  the  unsuccessful  end  of  the  insurrection  led 
by  Orozco  in  Chihuahua. 

By  1913  about  7,000  officers  and  men  of  the  United  States  Army  were 
on  the  border.  An  extensive  patrol  was  continuously  maintained  by  these 
troops  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  Sasabe,  30  miles  west  of  Nogales, 
Arizona,  a  distance,  following  the  winding  of  the  river,  of  1,600  miles. 

In  February,  1913,  with  the  overthrow  of  the  Madero  government  and 
the  establishment  of  the  Huerta  regime,  active  military  operations  were 
promptly  inaugurated  by  the  so-called  Constitutionalists  under  Carranza 
and  others.  This  led  to  a  series  of  contests  for  the  possession  of  the 
"border  towns.  Conditions  became  so  bad  that  orders  were  issued  February 
21  and  24,  1913,  for  the  troops  of  the  second  division  to  move  to  Galvcblon 
and  Texas  City. 

The  next  year  following  the  insult  to  the  United  States  flag  at  Tampico 
and  the  demand  for  a  salute,  the  United  States  navy  seized  Vera  Cruz. 
Under  orders  of  April  23,  1914.  the  5th  brigade,  2nd  division,  was  rein- 
forced and  detached  and  sailed  on  April  24th  under  Brigadier  General 
Funston  lor  Vera  Cruz  to  relieve  the  navy  of  the  work  of  occupying  the 
town.  The  troops  arrived  April  28,  1914,  and  remained  until  November  23, 
1914,  when  Huerta  w^s  forced  to  give  up  the  government,  which  was 
taken  over  by  Carranza,  who  has  held  the  nominal  control  since. 

Soon  after  his  accession  to  power  he  broke  with  his  chief  general,  Fran- 
cisco ^^i^a,  who  has  ever  since  endeavored  to  overthrow  his  erstwhile 
chief. 

On  June  30,  1915.  there  were  486  officers  and  14,354  men  serving  on  or 
near  the  border,  and  the  second  division  was  still  at  Galveston  and  Texas 
City. 

Carranza  had  not  established  his  government  sufficiently  strong  to 
exercise  much  control  over  the  large  states  of  Chihuahua  and  Sonora, 
which  are  contiguous  to  the  western  part  of  the  United  States.  These 
states  had  always  been  claimed  by  Villa,  now  styled  an  "outlaw." 

On  the  night  of  March  8-9,  1916,  with  a  force  variously  estimated  at 


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from  500  to  1,000  men,  he  crossed  the  international  border  from  Mexico  to 
the  United  States  at  a  point  about  3  miles  west  of  the  border  line  gate, 
and  concentrated  his  force  for  an  attack  on  the  town  of  Columbus,  New 
Mexico.  The  attack  was  made  during  hours  of  extreme  darkness  and  was 
for  the  purpose,  according  to  information  subsequently  obtained  by  the 
military  authorities,  of  looting  the  town  after  disposing  of  the  garrison.  A 
fight  ensued  in  which  seven  American  soldiers  were  killed  and  two  officers 
and  five  soldiers  were  wounded  and  eight  civilians  killed  and  two 
wounded. 

Immediately  after  the  raid  one  troop  of  Cavalry  crossed  the  border  and 
pursued  the  Mexicans.  An  additional  troop,  stationed  at  the  border-line 
gate,  also  mounted  and  struck  the  retreating  Mexicans  in  the  flank ;  the 
two  troops,  then  joining,  continued  the  pursuit  of  the  Mexicans  south  for 
a  distance  of  12  miles,  discontinuing  the  pursuit  only  when  their  ammuni- 
tion was  exhausted  and  the  horses  and  men,  without  water  and  almost 
exhausted,  could  continue  no  longer. 

On  March  10,  1916,  the  commanding  general  of  the  southern  depart- 
ment was  directed  to  organize  an  adequate  military  force  under'  the  com- 
mand of  Brig.  Gen.  John  J.  Pershing,  with  instructions  to  proceed  promptly 
across  the  border  in  pursuit  of  the  Mexican  outlaws  who  had  attacked  Co- 
lumbus. Under  these  instructions,  two  columns  were  organized,  one  start- 
ing from  Columbus  and  the  other  from  Culberson's  ranch.  The  advance  of 
the  Columbus  column  started  on  March  15,  on  the  road,  through  Palomas, 
Ascension,  Corralitos,  toward  Casas  Grandes.  The  Culberson  column  left 
the  same  night,  via  the  Ojitas  route,  and  arrived  at  Colonia  Dublan,  4 
miles  north  of  Nueva  Casas  Grandes,  on  the  night  of  March  17.  These 
troops  pushed  rapidly  south,  the  bandits  scattering  and  fleeing  from  their 
front.  Gen.  Pershing  was  acting  under  orders  to  respect  in  every  manner 
the  sovereignty  and  rights  of  Mexico  and  her  people,  and  to  avoid  all 
possible  occasion  of  conflict  with,  or  irritation  to,  the  representatives  of  the 
de  facto  Government  of  Mexico. 

During  the  pursuit  of  Villa  and  his  followers,  Maj.  Frank  Tompkins, 
Thirteenth  Cavalry,  with  Troops  K  and  M  of  that  regiment,  under  the 
command  of  Col.  W.  C.  Brown,  Tenth  Cavalry,  camped  outside  of  the  town 
of  Parral,  Mexico,  and  sent  a  detachment  of  soldiers  to  the  town  for  the 
purpose  of  purchasing  supplies,  at  about  11  o'clock  a.m.,  April  12,  1916. 
Major  Tompkins  was  cordially  received  by  the  higher  civil  and  military 
officials.  The  Mexican  general,  Lozano,  accompanied  Maj.  Tompkins  on 
his  way  to  the  camp.  On  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  groups  of  native  sol- 
diers and  civilians  jeered,  threw  stones,  and  fired  on  the  column.  Maj. 
Tompkins  at  once  took  a  defensive  position  north  of  the  railroad  but  was 
soon  flanked  by  Mexican  troops  and  forced  to  retire.  The  American  troops 
continued  to  withdraw  to  avoid  further  complications,  until  they  reached 
.Santa  Cruz,  8  miles  from  Parral.  Gen.  Lozano  attempted  to  control  his 
men  when  the  fighting  first  began,  but  failed. 

For  some  time   subsequent  to  this.  Gen.  Pershing's  force  maintained 


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itself  in  substantially  the  same  position,  using  scouting  parties  and  detach- 
ments for  the  purpose  of  locating  the  force  of  Villa,  which  had  been  broken 
up  and  scattered  in  various  directions  through  the  difficult  and  mountain- 
ous country  through  which  the  expedition  had  penetrated. 

On  the  morning  of  the  2ist  of  June,  1916,  Troops  C  and  K  of  the  Tenth 
Cavalry,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Charles  T.  Boyd,  while  on  the  way 
to  Villa  Ahumada  on  such  a  scouting  expedition,  reached  the  town  of 
Carrizal,  and  sought  permission  from  the  commanding  officer  of  the  Mexi- 
can forces  garrisoned  there  to  pass  through  the  town  in  order  to  reach 
Villa  Ahumada.  Gen.  Gomez,  the  Mexican  commander,  sent  an  officer  of 
his  command  to  the  American  troops  denying  the  permission  requested. 
During  the  conference,  Mexican  troops  were  seen  to  move  toward  the 
f^ank  of  the  American  troops.  The  latter  assumed  a  defensive  position,  but 
an  engagement  immediately  ensued,  in  which  Capt.  Charles  T.  Boyd  and 
Lt.  Henry  R.  Lewis  S.  Morey,  Tenth  Cavalry,  and  9  enlisted  men,  were 
wounded.  Twenty-three  enlisted  men  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry  and  i  civilian 
interpreter  were  captured  and  sent  to  Chihuahua  City. 

Gen.  Pershing's  force  has  been  on  Mexican  soil  since  the  15th  day  of 
March,  during  part  of  the  time  engaged  in  active  and  vigorous  pursuit  of 
bandits,  but  during  the  larger  part  of  the  time  encamped  generally  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Colonia   Dublan. 

In  addition  to  the  raid  on  Columbus,  N.  Mex.,  several  raids  of  more  or 
less  importance  have  occurred  during  the  past  year,  the  most  notable  of 
them   being: 

Glenn  .Springs,  Tex.,  May  5,  1916,  the  casualties  being  3  American  sol- 
diers and  I  civilian  killed ;  3  American  soldiers  wounded.  At  this  place,  it 
is  believed  that  2  Mexican  bandits  were  killed  and  a  number  wounded, 
although  it  was  impossible  to  secure  definite  information. 

San  Ygnacio,  Tex.,  June  15,  1916,  the  casualties  being  4  American  sol- 
diers killed  and  5  wounded ;  6  Mexican  bandits  killed. 

Near  Fort  Hancock,  Tex.,  July  31,  1916,  i  American  soldier  and  i 
civilian  (United  States  customs  inspector)  killed,  and  i  American  soldier 
wounded;  3  Mexicans  killed  and  3  captured  by  Mexican  de  facto  Govern- 
ment troops. 

The  known  presence  of  large  numbers  of  bandit  forces  and  irregular 
military  organizations,  hostile  alike  to  the  de  facto  Government  of  Mexico 
and  to  the  Government  and  people  of  the  United  States,  made  it  apparent 
that  further  aggression  upon  the  territory  of  the  United  States  was  to  be 
expected.  The  Mexican  border  is  a  long  and  irregular  boundary  line, 
passing  in  places  through  cities  and  towns,  but  for  great  stretches  run- 
ning through  sparsely  settled  regions  and  through  a  wild  and  difficult 
country.  The  forces  at  the  disposal  of  the  commander  of  the  Southern 
Department  for  the  protection  of  this  border  had  been  strengthened  from 
time  to  time  by  the  transfer  to  that  department  of  a  very  large  part  of  the 
Regular  Army  within  the  limits  of  the  continental  United  States,  including 
some  detachments  of  Coast  Artillery  forces,  withdrawn  from  their  coast 


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defense  stations.  It  was,  however,  clear  that  even  thus  strengthened  the 
forces  under  Gen.  Funston's  command  were  inadequate  to  patrol  this  long 
and  difficult  line  and  to  assure  safety  to  the  life  and  property  of  American 
citizens  against  raids  and  depredations.  The  President,  therefore,  deemed 
it  proper  to  exercise  the  authority  vested  in  him  by  the  Constitution  and 
laws  to  call  out  the  Organized  Militia.  On  May  9,  1916,  he  issued  a  call, 
through  the  governors  of  the  States  of  Arizona,  New  Mexico  and  Texas, 
directing  the  concentration  of  the  militia  of  those  States  at  places  to  be 
designated  by  the  commanding  general  of  the  Southern  Department. 

The  reasons  which  caused  the  President  to  issue  the  call  for  the  Militia 
of  Texas,  Arizona,  and  New  Mexico  on  May  9,  1916,  impelled  him,  on  June 
18,  1916,  to  call  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  a  large  part  of  the 
Organized  Militia  and  National  Guard  of  the  other  States  of  the  Union  and 
the  District  of  Columbia,  the  call  being  duly  issued  on  the  date  last  men- 
tioned through  the  governors  of  all  the  States  concerned  and  the  Com- 
manding General  of  the  District  of  Columbia  Militia. 

On  August  31,  1916,  the  date  of  the  latest  complete  returns  received,  the 
troops  in  the  Southern  T")epartment  consisted  of  2,160  officers  and  45,873 
enlisted  men  of  the  Regular  Army  and  5,446  officers  and  105,080  enlisted 
men  of  the  National  Guard,  making  a  total  of  7,606  officers  and  150,953 
enlisted  men  in  that  department.  On  the  date  given  there  were  1,557  o^- 
cers  and  28,176  enlisted  men  of  the  National  Guard  in  the  other  military 
departments,  making  a  total  of  7,003  officers  and  133,256  enlisted  men  of 
the  National  Guard  in  the  Federal  service  on  August  31,  1916. 

The  mere  presence  of  this  enlarged  force  on  the  border  has  sefved  to 
preserve  peace  and  to  protect  life  and  property.  Disturbances  by  outlaws 
and  bandits  in  northern  Mexico  have  continued  and  roving  bands  of  vari- 
ous numbers  have  moved  through  the  territory,  harassing  Mexican  forces 
and  raiding  Mexican  communities,  but  they  have  not  ventured  an  attack 
upon  the  people  of  the  United  States. 

From  the  beginning  the  department  appreciated  the  sacrifice  which  the 
members  of  the  National  Guard  were  called  upon  to  make  in  the  interest 
of  the  national  defense.  These  organizations,  made  up  of  men  engaged 
in  all  sorts  of  industrial,  commercial,  and  professional  activity,  were  sum- 
moned suddenly  and  without  opportunity  adequately  to  provide  for  a  pro- 
longed absence  from  home.  In  many  instances  family  illness,  business 
commitments,  and  other  pressing  engagements  had  to  be  faced,  and  an 
effort  was  made  by  the  department  in  the  presence  of  extreme  cases  of 
hardship  to  minimize  the  sacrifice. 

The  readiness  with  which  the  militia  responded  to  this  call  was  most 
gratifying,  and  when  the  transitional  condition  in  which  it  was  found  by 
the  call  is  remembered,  the  confusions  and  difficulties  attending  the  mobili- 
zation willseem  insignificant  in  comparison  with  its  success. 


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ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  N.  Y.  DIVISION 

By  Major  Edward  Olmsted, 
Assistant  Chief-of-Staff 

On  Sunday,  June  i8,  1916,  Division  Headquarters  had  been  established 
at  State  Camp,  Peekskill,  for  three  weeks  in  connection  with  the  Schools 
of  Application  and  preparation  for  the  maneuvers  near  Green  Haven, 
scheduled  for  the  following  month. 

Beginning  at  about  7.00  p.m.  on  that  day  numerous  telephone  inquiries 
were  received  from  newspapers  and  press  associations  throughout  the 
State  requesting  information  regarding  the  mobilization  of  the  National 
Guard. 

Thus  the  first  intimation  to  the  military  authorities  of  the  State  that 
any  orders  were  on  the  way  and,  in  fact,  the  full  text  of  the  President's 
call,  received  by  telephone  from  the  New  York  Sun  and  repeated  by  tele- 
phone from  Peekskill  to  the  Governor  at  Albany,  was  of  prior  receipt  to 
the  official  message.     This  was  as  follows: 

"Hon.  Ch.\rles  S.  Whitm.^vn,  Governor  of  the  .State  of  New  York, 
Albany,  N.  Y. 

Having  in  view  the  possibility  of  further  aggression  upon  the  territory 
of  the  United  States,  and  the  necessity  for  the  proper  protection  of  that 
frontier,  the  President  has  thought  proper  to  exercise  the  authority  vested 
in  him  by  the  Constitution  and  laws  and  call  out  the  organized  militia 
and  the  National  Guard  necessary  for  that  purpose.  I  am,  in  consequence, 
instructed  by  the  President  to  call  into  the  service  of  the  United  States 
forthwith,  through  you,  the  following  units  of  organized  militia  and  the 
National  Guard  of  the  State  of  New  York,  which  the  President  directs 
shall  be  assembled  at  the  State  mobilization  point.  New  Dorp  (or  at  the 
place  to  be  designated  to  you  by  the  Commanding  General,  Eastern  De- 
partment), for  muster  into  the  service  of  the  United  States: 

New  York : 

One  division,  including  three  brigades  of  three  regiments  each,  of  'v\- 
fantry. 

One  regiment  and  one  squadron  and  one  machine  gun  troops  of  cavalry. 

Two  regiments  of  field  artillery. 

Two  battalions  of  engineers. 

One  battalion  of  signal  corps. 

Three  field  hospital  companies. 

Four  ambulance  companies. 

Organizations  to  be  accepted  into  the  Federal  service  should  have  t.he 
minimum  peace  strength  now  prescribed  for  organized  militia,  the  mrixi- 
mum  strength  at  which  organizations  will  be  accepted  and  to  which  the}^ 
should  be  raised  as  soon  as  possible  is  prescribed  in  Section  2,  Tables  of 
Organization,  United  States  Army.  In  case  any  regiment,  battalion,  or 
.squadron  now  recognized  as  such  contains  an  insufficient  number  or  organi- 
zation to  enable  it  to  conform  at  muster  to  regular  army  organization  tables 
the  organizations  necessary  to  complete  such  units  may  be  moved  to 
mobilization  camp  and  there  inspected  under  orders  of  the  Department 
Commander  to  determine  fitness  for  recognition  as  organized  militia  by 
the  War  Department.     Circular  19,  Division  of  Militia  Aiifairs,  1914,  pre- 


3 

5 


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scribes  the  organizations  desired  from  each  State  as  part  of  the  local 
tactical  division,  and  only  these  organizations  will  be  accepted  into  service. 
It  i-  Toi'.::f:~x<:d  that  all  officers  of  the  Adjutant  General's  Department.  Quar- 
t'-rni;!  r  r  Corps  and  Medical  Corps,  duly  recognized  as  pertaining  to  State 
H<;adfju.-i.r'':rs  under  Table  i.  Tables  of  Organization,  Organized  Militia, 
and  not  elsewhere  reriuired  for  duty  in  State  administration,  be  ordered  to 
camp  for  duty  as  camp  staff  officers. 

Such  number  of  these  staff  officers  as  the  department  commander  may 
determine  may  be  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  for  the 
purpose  of  proper  camp  administration,  and  will  be  mustered  out  when 
their  sen.  ices  are  no  longer  required.  Where  recognized  brigades  or  divi- 
sions are  called  into  sen,ice  from  a  State,  the  staff  officers  pertaining  to 
ihese  units  under  Tables  of  Organization,  United  States  Army,  will  be 
mustered  into  service,  and  also  the  authorized  Inspectors  of  small  arms 
practice  pertaining  thereto.  Except  for  these  two  purposes  of  mobilization 
^.-imp  service  and  of  the  prescribed  staff  service  with  tactical  units,  officers 
of  State  Headquarters,  under  Table  i,  above  mentioned,  will  not  be  mus- 
tered into  service  at  this  time.  If  tactical  divisions  are  later  organized,  the 
requisite  additional  number  of  staff  officers  with  rank  as  prescribed  for 
'iivision  staff  will,  as  far  as  practicable,  be  called  into  service  from  those 
States,  which  have  furnished  troops  to  such  division.    Acknowledge. 

N'ewton'  D.  Baker, 
Secretarj'  of  War." 

Orders  were  promptly  issued  by  the  Division  Commander  and  the 
Adjutant  General  for  the  assembly  of  commands  at  their  home  stations  and 
covered  the  details  of  subsistence,  transportation,  pay,  physical  examina- 
tion, preparation  of  muster  rolls,  transfer  of  property,  organization  of 
depot  units,  requisitions  for  supplies  and  all  the  procedure  requisite  for  the 
transition  from  the  status  of  organized  militia  under  the  so-called  Dick 
Bill  of  1903  to  that  of  National  Guard  of  the  United  States  in  the  federal 
service  under  the  provisions  of  the  recently  enacted  "National  Defense 
Act"  approved  June  3,  1916. 

It  was  a  remarkable  and  fortunate  coincidence  that  a  meeting  of  Com- 
manding Officers  of  all  organizations  had  been  called  for  June  19th  at 
Peekskill  for  a  conference  regarding  details  of  the  proposed  July  maneu- 
vers. It  was  thus  possible  to  convey  essential  instructions,  at  first  hand 
and  for  the  benefit  of  all  those  present,  concerning  the  very  much  more 
immediate  and  important  details  of  the  mobilization  and  to  apprise  com- 
manders of  the  plans  so  far  as  formulated  at  that  time. 

The  strength  of  the  auxiliary  units  included  in  the  call  and  that  of  the 
nine  Regiments  later  designated  as  those  to  constitute  the  three  Infantrj' 
Brigades,  at  this  time  was  approximately  14,500  officers  and  men.  By 
reason  of  a  recruiting  campaign  in  May  there  had  been  a  gain  in  the  New 
York  City  commands  of  some  2,000  men  and  many  companies  in  up- .State 
Regiments  f because  of  similar  recent  additions),  were  at  war  strength. 

War  Department  Reports  give  the  total  number  of  New  York  troops 
moved  to  the  Border  as  18,761.  The  war  strength  for  this  force  should 
have  been  about  28,000  officers  and  men,  so  that  the  percentage  of  war 
strength  furnished  was  sixty-seven.     Due  to  the  fact  that  all  units  of  the 

22 


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Division  were  not  in  Texas  at  any  one  time,  the  strength  of  commands 
given  in  the  following  table  was  that  as  reported  at  the  time  of  stated 
retnrns.  The  dates  noted  are  those  of  arrival  at  and  departure  from 
Border  stations. 

The  War  Department  plans  contemplated  the  shipment  from  Govern- 
ment Depots  and  Arsenals  to  the  Mobilization  Camp  of  "war-strength 
efjuipment'" — being  that  required  for  the  difference  between  commands  at 
their  normal  or  peace  strength  and  the  maximum  war  strength  as  pro- 
\ided  in  Tables  of  Organization.  For  three  years,  the  Division  Commander 
had  repeatedly  urged  that  these  supplies,  so  much  needed  immediately 
upon  mobilization,  be  stored  in  the  armories  of  commands  for  instant 
availability.  During  the  week  ending  June  24th  eiTorts  in  this  direction 
were  renewed  with  the  effect  that  a  -portion  of  such  equipment  actually 
was  delivered  to  Armories  in  New  York  City  and  issued  to  organizations. 

The  Kincaid  Bill  passed  by  the  State  Legislature  providing  for  the 
mobilization  of  the  New  York  National  Guard  and  carrying  an  appropria- 
tion of  $500,000  applicable  for  equipment,  etc.,  was  a  most  fortuitous  cir- 
cumstance since  contracts  had  been  made  for  the  hire,  with  option  of  pur- 
chase, of  horses  and  mules,  so  that  instructions  to  anticipate  deliveries  of 
these  animals  in  addition  to  those  owned  by  organizations,  enabled  our 
mounted  commands  to  report  better  provided  for  immediate  field  service 
than  those  of  any  other  state. 

The  normal  procedure  following  a  call  for  Federal  service  in  accordance 
with  former  instructions,  was  for  the  units  to  assemble  at  their  Company 
Rendezvous  (the  local  armory),  recruit  and  equip  new  men  within  the 
limits  of  available  materiel  and  on  receipt  of  orders  proceed  to  join  other 
units  of  their  regiment  at  the  Mobilization  Camp.  There  it  was  contem- 
plated to  raise  commands  to  war  strength  with  complete  equipment,  muster 
them  into  federal  service,  commence  field  training,  rifle  practice,  etc.,  and 
in  due  course  entrain  for  the  concentration  camp. 

In  view  of  preliminary  surveys  made  about  three  years  before,  a  site  at 
New  Dorp  on  Staten  Island  had  been  designated  as  the  Mobilization 
Camp  for  New  York  troops.  Early  in  May  of  1916,  the  State  farm  at 
Green  Haven  in  Dutchess  County  had  been  inspected  and  recommended  for 
the  purpose,  and  it  had  been  planned  to  hold  the  maneuvers  on  this  tract 
in  July.  A  detachment  of  Engineers  had  already  commenced  work  on 
mapping,  preparing  the  water  supply,  etc.  Upon  application  to  the  Com- 
manding General,  Eastern  Department,  the  Green  Haven  tract  was  desig- 
nated as  the  Mobilization  Camp  for  the  New  York  Division  and  was 
named  Camp  Whitman. 

In  line  with  existing  plans  then,  orders  were  issued  to  the  Corps  of 
F.ngineers  and  the  Sixty-ninth  Infantry  to  proceed  to  Camp  Whitman  to 
complete  the  preparation  of  the  site  and  to  the  Fourteenth  Infantry  to 
entrain  for  Peekskill  for  several  days'  rifle  practice  on  the  range,  thence 
by  marching  to  Camp  Whitman  (about  thirty  miles),  the  intention  being- 
to  have  the  other  New  York  Citjr  regiments  follow  in  prompt  succession. 

21 


i.i>. 


At  the  same  time,  the  up-State  regiments  were  to  move  to  Poughkeepsie 
and  march  to  Camp  Whitman,  later  marching  to  Peekskill  for  several  days' 
rifle  practice  and  return  to  the  Mobilization  Camp.  The  Cavalry  and  Field 
Artillery  were  also  ordered  from  their  several  home  stations  to  camp  at 
Van  Cortlandt  Park.  After  these  plans  were  well  under  way,  the  War 
Department  directed  the  movement  to  Texas  to  expedited  because  of  the 
existing  emergency  (we  were  afterwards  informed  by  General  Parker  that 
there  was  at  the  time  immediate  need  for  "men  with  guns  in  their  hands"), 
■-■^^^  so  that  many  of  our  troops  were  sent  direct  from  their  armories  as  soon 
as  entrainment  was  possible,  and  the  general  movement  to  the  Border 
commenced. 

The  destination  of  the  New  York  Division  was  the  Brownsville  Dis- 
trict and  more  specifically  Hidalgo  County,  Texas,  in  the  "Magic  Valley" 
("of  the  Rio  Grande),  the  stations  assigned  by  Brigadier  General  James 
Parker,  U.  S.  A.,  the  District  Commander,  being  the  towns  of  Pharr, 
McAllen  and  Mission  on  the  single-track  St.  Louis,  Brownsville  and  Mex- 
ico Railroad.  Pharr  is  thirty-two  miles  west  of  Harlingen — the  supply 
base — McAllen  being  about  three  miles  farther  west  and  Mission  about 
five  miles  to  the  west  of  McAllen. 

The  country  along  the  railroad  is  flat  with  a  gradual  slope  from  Mission 
to  the  East  and  South,  except,  where  under  cultivation,  covered  with  chap- 
paral,  cactus  and  mesquite,  which  was  very  dense  along  the  river,  where  in 
some  localities,  there  were  also  larger  trees.  Throughout  this  section  were 
numerous  irrigation  canals  with  their  laterals  and  ditches. 

The  First  New  York  Infantry  Brigade,  consisting  of  the  Second,  Four- 
teenth and  Sixty-ninth  Regiments,  First  Ambulance  Company  attached,  all 
under  the  command  of  Brigadier  General  James  \V.  Lester  and  numbering 
some  3,950  officers  and  men,  were  stationed  at  Mission,  the  first  organiza- 
tion to  arrive  there  being  the  Fourteenth  Infantry  on  July  3rd. 

The  Third  New  York  Infantry  Brigade,  consisting  of  Third,  Twenty- 
third  and  Seventy-fourth  Regiments,  2nd  Ambulance  Company  attached, 
all  under  the  command  of  Brigadier  General  William  Wilson  and  number- 
ing some  4,120  officers  and  men,  were  stationed  at  Pharr,  the  first  organiza- 
tion to  arrive  there  being  the  Seventy-fourth  Infantry  on  July  loth. 

The  Second  New  York  Infantry  Brigade  included  the  Seventh,  Twelfth 
and  Seventy-first  Regiments,  commanded  by  Brigadier  General  George 
Dyer,  with  the  remaining  auxiliaries — Engineers,  Signal  and  Sanitary 
Troops,  Cavalry,  Field  Artillery  and  Trains,  were  stationed  at  McAllen. 
where  also  was  situated  the  Camp  Hospital  and  the  Headquarters  of 
Major  General  John  F.  O'Ryan,  commanding  the  New  York  Division.  The 
fir->t  organization  to  arrive  at  McMlen  was  the  Seventh  Infantry  on  July 
2nd,  and  the  greatest  number  of  troops  at  this  station  at  any  one  time 
was  10,290  officers  and  men,  as  shown  by  the  return  of  August  30,  1916. 

On  the  return  to  home  stations  at  Headquarters,  2nd  Brigade  and 
Second,  Fourteenth  and  Seventy-first  Regiments  Infantry,  and  because  of 
an  epidemic  of  paratyphoid  fever.  Mission  was  abandoned  as  a  Camp  and 


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First  Brigade  Headquarters  moved  to  IVIcAllen,  tlie  regiments  constituting 
the  Brigade  being  the  Seventh,  Twelfth  and  Sixty-ninth. 

At  the  same  time,  the  Third  Tennessee  Infantry,  Colonel  Gary  F. 
Spence,  Commanding,  replaced  the  Third  New  York  Infantry  in  the  Third 
Brigade  at  Pharr.  Thereafter  the  designation  of  General  O'Ryan's  com- 
vmand  was  changed  from  New  York  Division  to  Sixth  Division. 

After  the  departure  of  Division  and  Third  Brigade  Headquarters  and 

•  the  Seventh  and  Twenty-third  Infantry,  the  Third  Tennessee  Infantry  was 
moved  to  Llano  Grande,  and  all  the  remaining  New  York  Troops  were 
stationed  at  IMcAllen  under  Brigadier  General  Lester,  as  Camp  Com- 
mander. The  Brigade  thereafter  was  known  as  Second  Brigade,  Thir- 
teenth Provisional  Division,  to  which  the  auxiliary  troops  were  assigned, 
all  being  under  the  command  of  Brigadier  General  James  Parker,  U.  S.  A., 
as  Division  and  District  Commander. 

Other  changes  of  station  by  New  York  Troops  while  on  the  border  were 
those  of  the  Third  Field  Artillery  on  December  8th,  for  Brownsville,  and 
the  Division  Supply  Train  on  February  nth  for  San  Antonio,  both  by 
marching",  that  of  the  latter  unit  covering  some  320  miles,  a  notable  achieve- 
ment. 

The  last  New  York  organization  to  leave  Texas  was  the  Fourth  Field 
Hospital  which  entrained  at  McAllen  on  March  12,  IQ17. 

The   first   month   or   six  weeks   at   the   border   were   strenuous    in   the 

•  extreme.  Unfamiliar  and  difficult  conditions  were  encountered  and  dis- 
posed of.  It  was  a  time  of  becoming  acclimated,  domiciled  and  generally 
established  in  a  country,  and  under  conditions  of  climate  and  routine  new 
to  all.  The  necessary  orders  providing  for  Service  Calls,  Schedules  of 
Instruction.  Camp  Sanitation  and  Hygiene,  Military  Police,  Examining 
Boards,  Prohibition  (This  was  the  well-known  G.  O.  No.  7),  were  promul- 
gated for  the  government  of  the  rapidly  growing  military  communities. 
One  of  these  orders  prescribed  complete  measures  to  be  taken  for  the 
protection  of  the  camps  in  the  event  of  a  night  attack. 

At  this  time  Division  Headquarters  was  in  receipt  of  numerous  instruc- 
tions from  the  Southern  Department  concerning  the  new  materiel  and 
animals  needed  to  complete  our  equipment.  Innumerable  reports,  on  this, 
that  and  the  other  thing,  were  called  for.  All  such  matters  it  was  necessary 
to  communicate  to  all  those  concerned,  together  with  instructions  regarding 

.  details  of  routine,  administration,  conduct  and  "setting  up  housekeeping." 
On  the  part  of  the  troops  this  last  involved  hard  physical  labor  under  trop- 
ical sun  or  frequent  torrential  rains  in  what  may  be  characterized  as 
"Intensive  Castramentation" — the  science  and  practice  of  camp  building, — 
Unnecessary  to  recount  the  details. 

In  due  course  of  time  the  ground  was  cleared  of  the  chapparal,  roads, 
drainage  ditches  and  latrines  had  been  dug,  mess  shacks,  incinerators,  tent 
flooring,  frames  and  screens  built,  and  organizations  began  to  vie  with  one 
another  in  the  matter  of  horticultural  exhibits  in  their  camps.     There  was 

,  also  much  back  and  heart-breaking  labor  for  the  common  weal.  The  disposal 


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/  of  refuse  involved  the  establishment  of  "Dumps"  for  this  purpose   near 

V===>  each  of  the  Camps,  Pharr,  McAllen  and  Mission,  and  this  constituted  a 
job  that  was  never  finished.  Also  at  McAllen  numerous  details  were  neces- 
sary for  work  on  the  water  system— which  was  wholly  inadequate.  Though 
miproved  after  some  time,  the  mounted  commands  were  always  fearful  of 
its  unreliability,  a  well-founded  suspicion  in  more  ways  than  one,  since 
the  First  Field  Artillery  and  Squadron  A,  Cavalry,  drove  their  own  wells 
and  installed  tanks  with  pumping  systems  so  that  thereafter  they  were 
independent  of  the  town  supply  as  their  own  was  superior  and  more 
abundant. 

All  this  construction  work  did  not  move  evenly  and  continuously  to 
completion  as  there  were  many  causes  for  interruption,  one  being  the 
frequent  heavy  rains. 

During  this  time,  also,  the  possibility  of  imminent  active  service  involv- 
ing a  moveme-nt  "across  the  river"  was  impressed  on  all  so  that  drill, 
inspections  and  the  issue  of  equipment  essential  to  the  success  of  the  "big 
:push"  engaged  the  attention  of  those  responsible. 

Early  in  August  features  of  more  strictly  military  training  commenced. 
Elementary  small  arms  practice  with  rifle  and  pistol  was  begun  at  the 
extemporised  short  ranges  about  three  miles  southwest  of  McAllen  for  the 
troops  at  that  station  and  at  Mission,  and  another  about  two  miles  south- 
east of  Pharr  for  the  Third  Brigade,  principally  for  the  instruction  of  men 
whose  experience  had  been  limited  or  none  at  all. 

The  "hardening"  process  was  initiated  by  practice  marches  of  a  few 
days  for  Infantry  by  Companies  or  Battalions.  Some  of  these  were  gruel- 
ling hikes. 

The  Cavalry,  a  Squadron  at  a  time,  were  the  pioneers  to  make  the 
marches  later  familiar  to  all  north  of  Mission  and  into  the  bosque  from 
Sterling's  Ranch  to  La  Gloria,  Laguna  Seca  and  Young's  Ranch. 

Beginning  August  loth,  this  march  of  about  a  hundred  miles,  sched- 
uled to  be  covered  in  twelve  days,  was  made  by  every  Infantry  Regiment 
in  turn,  one  each  from  Mission,  McAllen  and  Pharr  starting  on  the  same 
day  and  followed  three  days  later  by  the  next  three  regiments  from  those 
stations. 

The  orders  for  the  movement  prescribed  that  bivouacs  should  be  made 
in  the  order  named,  at  Mission,  Alton,  Sterlings,  La  Gloria,  Sterlings, 
Laguna  Seca,  Youngs,  Laguna  Seca,  Sterlings,  Edinburg,  Pharr,  McAllen, 
and  that  marches  should  be  conducted  as  in  enemy  country  with  the 
proper  provisions  for  security,  outposts,  etc. 

The  Gulf  Hurricane  of  August  i8th,  heavy  roads,  steaming  humid  days 
through  the  chapparal,  and  a  scarcity  of  water  at  some  of  the  bivouacs, 
made  this  march  a  rather  stiff  test  for  the  hiking  ability  and  "guts"  of  our 
Infantry,  and  tried  the  mettle  of  transport  and  supply  personnel.  Generally 
all  measured  up  well,  their  Route  Sketches,  War  Diaries  and  Field  Orders 
ifor  the  marches,  combats  (simulated),  and  outposts  filed  at  Division 
.Headquarters,  comprising  a  valuable  record  of  their  performance. 


October  6th,  instruction  combat  practice  for  all  the  Infantry  com- 
panies and  cavalry  troops  over  the  rough  terrain  at  La  Gloria  Ranch 
commenced,  and  continued  for  two  months  or  until  all  units  had  completed 
the  course  in  field  firing.  This  involved  six  days'  absence  from  their 
proper  stations  of  commands  participating,  each  battalion  making  a  march 
of  two  days  to  the  range  where  two  days  were  occupied  in  the  firing  prob- 
lem and  another  two  days  for  the  return  march.  The  course  comprised  an 
interesting  and  instructive  tactical  problem,  involving  the  proper  handling. 
— as  regarded  fire  discipline  and  control — of  a  company  in  combat,  incident 
to  its  advance  on  a  hostile  position.  The  enemy,  represented  by  targets, 
appeared  unexpectedly  at  unknown  ranges  and  the  advance  could  only 
continue  after  fire  superiority  had  been  gained  (as  determined  by  hits  on 
targets).  The  relative  standing  by  Brigades,  Regiments,  Battalions,  or 
Scjuadrons,  and  Companies  or  Troops  was  indicated  by  their  respective 
figures  of  merit  carefully  compiled  by  Major  George  F.  Chandler,  Adju- 
tant, 1st  Brigade,  who  was  the  Range  officer  in  charge  of  the  firing  and 
arranged  all  details  of  the  problem. 

The  records  disclosed  that  first  place  in  each  Tactical  unit  of  the 
Division  as  above  indicated,  had  been  attained  as  follows: 

By   Brigades 2nd   Inf.    Brigade 

By  Regiments 1st  Cav.  Regt. 

By  Battalions Squadron  A  Cavalry 

By  Companies Co.  "C,"  7th  Inf. 

During  October  and  November,  a  week's  instruction  in  the  mechanism 
and  practice  in  firing  the  machine  guns  (Colt,  Benet-Mercie,  or  Lewis 
types)  with  which  they  were  equipped,  was  given  machine  gun  companies 
and  troops  of  Infantry  and  Cavalr\%  each  unit  marching  to  and  from  Har- 
lingen,  where  a  Machine  Gun  School  of  instruction  was  established  for  the 
purpose. 

In  September,  October  and  November,  the  ist  and  2nd  Field  Artillery 
had  firing  practice  with  their  3-inch  materiel  in  the  desolate  terrain  to  the 
north  of  La  Gloria  Ranch :  and  in  December,  the  3rd  Field  Artillery 
marched  via  Brownsville  for  firing  practice  with  their  4.7-inch  Howitzers 
over  the  country  between  the  old  battle  field  of  Palo  Alto  and  Point  Isabel. 
During  October  and  November  a  line  of  eight  detached  posts  was  estab- 
lished, covering  28  miles  along  the  Military  Road,  as  a  line  of  resistance  and 
with  a  front  of  about  52  miles  along  the  Rio  Grande,  as  a  line  of  observation. 
The  Infantry  and  Cavalry  of  the  Division  were  assigned  by  Battalions  or 
.Squadrons,  with  detachments  of  the  Machine  Gun  Companies  or  Troops 
from  their  regiments,  to  these  detached  posts  for  a  week  at  a  time,  and 
were  given  detailed  instructions  relative  to  the  thorough  observation,  map- 
ping and  patrolling  of  their  sectors,  the  establishment  of  intrenched  outpost 
positions,  opening  up  of  connecting  roads,  precautions  in  the  event  of 
attack,  etc.  As  all  of  this  was  intensely  practical,  the  situation  being  a  real 
one  and  none  of  the  conditions,  assumed,  the  varied  duties  necessary  in  the 
carrying  out  of  the  orders  were  performed  most  efficiently  and  enthusi- 

28 


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nstically  by  all  concerned.  That  those  engaged  in  this  duty  were  on  the 
"qui  vive"  was  evidenced  by  the  report  received  at  Division  Headquarters 
at  2  a.m.  one  dark  night  that  a  flotilla  of  boats  crossing  from  Mexico  had 
been  driven  back  by  the  heavy  fire  of  a  vigilant  but  over-zealous  outguard 
which  "shot-up"  some  drift  wood.  A  sequel  to  this  incident,  which  may  be 
apochryphal,  but  makes  a  good  story,  is  to  the  effect  that  "our  friend  the 
■enemy,"  Major  Flores,  Com.niandant  of  the  Mexican  garrison  at  Reynosa, 
just  across  the  Rio  Grande  from  Hidalgo,  requested  that  further  night  firing 
be  discontinued,  as  it  disturbed  the  rest  of  his  troops. 

Almost  immediately  after  the  arrival  of  the  New  York  Division  at  its 
stations  on  the  Border,  the  Cavalry  commenced  patrolling  the  river  bank,  at 
first  under  the  guidance  of  detachments  of  the  28th  U.  S.  Infantry,  until 
they  later  became  thoroughly  familiar  with  all  the  fords,  crossings,  bends, 
and  with  the  many  trails  through  the  chapparal  south  of  the  Militar}' 
Road.  Besides  the  many  short  practice  marches  and  bivouacs  of  the 
mounted  troops,  the  entire  1st  Cavalry  made  an  interesting  march  in 
October  to  Point  Isabel,  covering  i(So  miles.  Bivouacs  en  route  in  both 
•directions  were  at  Llano  Grande.  San  Benito  and  Brownsville,  all  of  which 
places  were  stations  of  troops,  both  of  the  National  Guard  and  the  Regu- 
lars. The  Regiment  was  reviewed  while  at  Brownsville  by  Brig.  Gen. 
James  Parker.  U.S.A.  ("Galloping  Jim"),  the  District  Commander. 

During  the  six  months  while  the  New  York  Division  was  at  the  border, 
there  were  other  frequent  reviews  of  Regiments  and  Brigades.  There  were 
bIso  six  occasions  when  Division  Reviews,  including  detachments  of  all 
arms,  were  given  at  the  "White  House  Field"  about  three  miles  south- 
■east  of  McAllen,  to  distinguished  personages.    These  were  as  follows: 

Sept.  22d,  Major  General  O'Ryan,  Commanding  N.  Y.  Division  : 

Sept.  23d,  Brig.-Gen.  James  Parker,  U.S.A.,  Commanding  Browns- 
ville District: 

Oct.   I,  Major  Genera!    Frederick  Funston.   Commanding  Southern 
Dept. ; 

Nov.  16.  Hon.  Charles  S.  Whitman,  Governor  of  New  York ; 

Nov.  2q,  Hon.  James  \^^  Wadsworth,  Jr.,  Senior  U.  S.  Senator,  from 
New  York; 

Dec.  12,  Brig.-Gen.  Edward  M.  Lewis,  Ind.  N.  G.,  Commanding 
13th  Div. 
Tactical  Exercises  of  the  different  arms  by  Company,  Battalion  and 
Regiment  were  incidental  to  the  training  of  all  the  troops.  Small  Maneu- 
Acr  problems  were  worked  out  in  connection  with,  the  daily  drills  or 
marches.  In  addition  to  these,  in  September  and  October,  there  were 
combined  arms  Exercises,  by  Reinforced  Brigades,  which  involved  a 
inarch  to  the  Rio  Grande  to  repel  an  invading  (imaginary)  force,  a 
bivouac  with  outposts  and  a  retirement  before  superior  force.  These 
were  also  problems  covering  the  attack  and  defense  of  a  convoy  and 
several  others  incidental  to  the  field  inspections  of  troops  bv  officers  of 
the  Armv. 


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The  departure  of  several  cornm.'uids  to  their  home  stations  in  Septem- 
ber precluded  the  possibility  of  extensive  division  maneuvers,  which  had 
been  contemplated. 

Officers  of  the  regular  army  who  were  commissioned  by  the  Governor 
and  their  assignments  to  duty  with  the  New  York  Division,  were  as 
follows : 

Colonel  W'm.  S.  ]\IcNair,  F.  A.,  as  Brigadier  General,  Commanding 
Artillery  Brigade. 

Lt.-Col.  Harry  H.  Bandholtz,  Infantry  as  Colonel,  Chief  of  Staff. 

Captain  Gordon  Johnston,  Cavalry,  A.D.C.  to  Commanding  General,. 
Eastern  Department,  as  Colonel,  Commanding  12th  Infantry. 

Captain  \\'illiam  N.  Haskell,  Cavalry,  as  Colonel,  Commanding  ()()Xh. 
Infantry. 

Captain  Daniel  \\'.  Hand,  F.  A.,  as  Colonel,  Commanding  3rd  Field 
Artillery. 

Captain  George  H.  White,  Infantry,  as  Lieutenant  Colonel.  74th 
Infantry. 

Major  W  illiam  E.  \\  elsh.  Infantry,  as  Lieutenant  Colonel,  23rd 
Infantry. 

Colonel  Johnston  being  aggrieved  at  a  requirement  of  discipline,  which 
in  his  opinion,  publicly  discredited  his  command,  tendered  his  resignation 
as  Colonel  of  Infantry.  In  accepting  the  resignation  his  action  was  char- 
acterized by  the  War  Department  as  indicating  a  spirit  of  insubordination 
and  lack  of  self  discipline,  not  expected  in  an  officer  of  his  experience.  The 
services  of  the  other  officers  named,  were  of  the  utmost  benefit  to  the 
organizations  with  which  they  were  connected.  Under  a  ruling  of  the 
War  Department,  these  capable  officers  were  recjuired  to  resign  their  State 
commissions  on  the  final  muster  of  their  commands,  who  lost  them  with 
great  regret. 

Other  officers  of  the  Army  stationed  in  Texas,  who  were  temporarily 
assigned  for  duty  with  units  of  the  New  York  Division,  were 

Major  Frank  E.  Bamford,  28th  Infantry,  as  Division  Adjutant. 

1st  Lt.  Max  R.  Wainer,  28th  Infantry,  as  Adjutant,  2nd  Brig. 

Capt.  Arthur  G.  Hadsell,  28th  Infantry,  as  Adjutant,  3rd  Brig. 

Lt.-Col.  Charles  E.  Tayman,  28th  Infantry,  as  Camp  .Adjutant  at  ]\Ic- 
Allen,  imder  General  Lester. 

The  Sixty-fifth  Infantry  of  Bufl'alo  were  reorganized  and  mustered  into 
the  federal  service  as  the  Third  New  York  Field  Artillery  (Heavy),  armed 
with  4.7  Howitzers. 

Other  new  commands  were  the  Field  Bakery  Company,  Division  Sup- 
ply Train  and  Fourth  Field  Hospital. 

The  Pioneer  and  Pontoon  Battalions,  Corps  of  Engineers  were  reor- 
ganized as  the  22nd  Regiment,  New  York  Engineers,  and  Headquarters, 
Supply  and  Machine  Gun  Companies  or  Troops  were  organized  in  the 
Infantry  and  Cavalry,  Headquarters  and  Supply  Companies  in  the  Field 
Artillerv  also,  conforming  to  the  provisions  of  the  National  Defense  Act. 


.^:v-N^-,..<s--; 


^ 


COMMANDING  OFFICERS 

SIXTH  DIVISION 

MEXICAN  BORDER  SERVICE. 

Division:  Major  General  John  F.  O'Ryan 

1st  Brigade:  Brigadier  General  James  \V.  Lester 

(2nd,  14th,  and  69th  Infantry) 
2nd  Brigade :  Brigadier  General  George  R.  Dyer 

(7th,  I2th  and  71st  Infantry) 
Brigadier  General  William  Wilson 

(3rd,  23rd  and  74th  Infantry) 
Brigadier  General  William  S.  McNair 

(ist,  2nd  and  3rd  Field  Artillery) 
Major  William  L.  Hallahan 
Major  Frederic  N.  Whitley 
:Major  William  S.  Conrovv 
Col.  Charles  I.  DeBevoise 
Major  William  R.  Wright 
Capt.  Henry  Sheldon 
Col.  Henry  H.  Rogers 
Col.  George  A.  Wingate 
Col.  Daniel  \V.  Hand 
Major  John  F.  Dunseith 
Major  Louis  H.  Gans 
Major  Arthur  W.  Slee 
Major  PYank  Harnden 
Capt.  Frank  W.  Sears 
Capt.  Charles  O.  Boswell 
Capt.  Leander  H.  Shearer 
Capt.  Jefferson  R.  Latta 
Col.   Tames  M.  Andrews 
Col.   John  H.  Foote 
Col.  WiUiam  N.  Haskell 
Col.  Willard   C.    Fiske 
Col.  Gordon  Johnston 
Col.  William "G.  Bates 
Col.  Edgar  S.  Jennings 
Col.  Frank  H.  Norton 
Col.  Nathaniel  B.  Thurston 
Major  Thomas  H.  Stanton 
Capt.   Jesse   A.    Willard 


te. 


3rd  Brigade : 

Field    Artillery    Brigade: 

Signal  Battalion : 
1st  Battalion  Engineers : 
2nd  Battalion   Engineers 
1st  Cavalry : 
Squadron  A : 
Machine  Gun  Troop : 
1st  Field  Artillery: 
2nd  Field  Artillery: 
3rd  Field  Artillery: 
1st  Field  Hospital : 
2nd  Field  Hospital: 
3rd  Field  Hospital : 
4th  Field  Hospital : 
1st  Ambulance  Co. : 
2nd  Ambulance  Co. : 
3rd  Ambulance  Co. : 
4th  Ambulance  Co. : 
2nd  Infantry : 
14th  Infantry: 
69th  Infantry : 
7th  Infantry : 
I2th  Infantry: 
71st  Infantry: 
3rd  Infantry : 
23rd  Infantry : 
74th  Infantry: 
Supply  Train : 
Bakery  Company : 


<*t    \; 


'"Hx 


Copyright  Wlfi.  Ci-nwtord  &  l!u(lul|.l( 

Standing,  left  to  right:  Capt.  Jacckcl,  Capf.  Aslifonl  (U.S.A.),  Major  Reagan, 
Oapt.  Humphries,  Major  Steers,  Lt.  McCann,  Major  Waterbury,  Major  Maloney.  Sit- 
ting, left  to  right:  Major  Kincaitl,  Lt.  Col.  Terriberry,  Lt.  Col.  Sternberger,  Major 
■General   O'Ryan,   Col.    Bandholz,   Major   Olmsted,   Major   Ward,   Major   \^anderbilt. 


HEADQUARTERS  STAFF 

SIXTH  DIVISION 

MEXICAN  BORDER  SERVICE. 


■Commander : 
Aides : 


Chief  of  Staff: 
\sst.  Chief  of  Staff 
Asst.  Chief  of  Staff 
Adjutant : 
Inspector: 
Judge  Advocate : 
Quartermaster: 
Asst.  Quartermaster 
Asst.  Quartermaster 
Surgeon : 
Asst.  Surgeon : 
Sanitary  Inspector : 
Ordnance  Officer: 


Major  General  John  F.  O'Ryan 

1st  Lt.  Frederick  E.  Humphries 

1st  Lt.  Alfred  Wendt  (ist  Cav.) 

1st  Lt.  Robert  R.  Molyneux  (istCav.) 

1st  Lt.  Francis  J.  McCann   (23rd  Inf. ) 

Col.  H.  H.  Bandholtz 

Major  F.  W.  Ward 

Alajor  Edward  Olmsted 

Major  Allan  L.  Reagan 

Major  Cornelius  \'anderbilt 

Major  J.  Leslie  Kincaid 

Lt.  Col.  Henry  S.  Sternberger 

Capt.  James  F.  Loree 

Capt.  Hugo  F.  Jaeckel 

Lt.  Col.  W.  S.  Terriberry 

Alajor  E.  R.  Maloney 

Major  William  H.  Steers 

Major  F.  M.  Waterbury 


THE  MILITARY  COURTS  AND  POLICE  OF  THE 
SIXTH    DIVISION 

By  Major  J.  L.  Kincaid,  Judge  Advocate 

No  story  of  the  Mexican  Border  service  of  the  New  York  Division 
vi^ould  be  complete  without  some  reference  to  the  Mihtary  Courts  and 
Police. 

The  system  of  courts  prescribed  for  the  Army  corresponds,  in  a  general 
way,  to  the  ordinary  courts  of  criminal  jurisdiction.  Corresponding  with 
the  Police  Magistrate  we  have  the  summary  court  officer.  Each  regi- 
ment and  other  separate  organization  has  a  summary  court  officer,  and 
while  these  men  did  not  make  the  lasting  impression  that  the  General 
Courts  did,  due  perhaps  to  the  fact  that  they  could  only  sentence  for  three 
months,  still  it  is  considered  that  they  contributed  in  no  small  part  to  the 
maintenance  of  discipline  in  the  Division. 

General  Courts-Martials,  consisting  of  from  live  to  thirteen  officers,  are 
appointed  by  the  Commanding  General  of  the  Division,  and  their  jurisdic- 
tion is  practically  unlimited.  All  of  the  graver  military  ofifenses  and 
crimes  involving  moral  turpitude  come  before  these  courts  for  trial. 

The  New  York  Division  was  particularly  fortunate  in  having  a  large 
number  of  exceptionally  clever  lawyers  who  were  detailed  from  time  to 
time  as  judge-advocates  of  the  general  courts  of  the  Division.  Among 
these  were  Lieut.  Col.  James  Crookc  McLeer;  Capt.  William  Donovan,  of 
the  1st  Cavalry;  Lieut.  Nathaniel  H.  Egleston,  of  Squadron  A;  Lieut. 
Cornelius  M.  W'ickersham,  of  the  12th  Infantry,  and  Lieut.  Chas.  B.  Crane, 
of  the  7th  Infantry. 

About  fort}'  cases  were  tried  by  General  Courts-Martial  during  the 
Mexican  Border  service  of  the  Division,  and  the  sentences  ranged  from 
one  to  ten  years. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  things  the  statistics  of  the  military  courts 
of  the  Division  show  is  that  in  almost  two-thirds  of  the  cases  tried  the 
offenders  were  recruits  of  less  than  three  months'  service.  This  demon- 
strates beyond  any  question  the  benefits  obtained  by  proper  military 
training. 

In  all  about  one  hundred  officers  of  the  Division  served  as  members  of 
the  various  General  Courts-Martials,  and  all  look  back  to  this  service  as  one 
of  the  most  interesting  phases  of  their  Border  service.  At  times,  the  driv- 
ing sand  storms  and  the  blazing  hot  sun  caused  considerable  physical  dis- 
comfort, but  the  human  side  of  the  work  always  served  to  hold  the  interest 
of  the  officers  concerned,  and  many  amusing  stories  are  told  of  the  various 
trials.  One  that  became  almost  a  classic  was  the  answer  of  a  witness  in 
one  of  the  famous  G.  O.  No.  7  cases,  when  he  was  asked  if  the  prisoner  was 


3 


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i 


1^ 


^;(t^^i 


drunk.  He  defined  drunkenness  as  follows:  "He  is  not  drunk  who  from 
the  floor  can  rise  again  and  take  one  more." 

The  latest  change  in  Tables  of  Organization  provides  for  two  com- 
panies of  military  police,  regularly  organized  and  enlisted  as  such,  but  at 
the  time  of  the  Mexican  Border  service  no  such  organization  was  provided 
for,  and  the  military  police  was  made  up  of  men  detailed  from  the  various 
organizations  of  the  Division.  It  consisted  of  a  force  of  about  one  hundred 
men  stationed  at  Mission,  McAllen  and  Pharr.  As  a  distinguishing  mark 
they  wore  upon  their  arm  a  blue  brassard  bearing  the  letters  "M.  P."  This 
work  was  very  efficiently  done  under  the  leadership  of  such  officers  as 
Lieut.  Col.  McLean,  of  the  7th  Infantry ;  Major  Button,  of  the  2nd  Infan- 
try, and  Lieut.  Col.  Foster,  of  the  12th  Infantry. 

The  military  police  were  quartered  wherever  suitable  facilities  could 
be  had.  In  McAllen  they  were  located  behind  the  screen  on  the  stage  of 
a  moving  picture  theatre. 

One  member  of  the  military  police,  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty,  shot 
and  killed  a  drunken  soldier  who  was  terrorizing  the  city  of  McAllen.  The 
military  policeman  was  tried  by  a  General  Courts-Martial  for  his  own 
nrotection  and  was  acquitted. 


Major   J.    L.    Kincaid,    Judge    Advocate,    and 
Major  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  Inspector 


^ 


I 


k3J 


Major  General  O'Ryan,  Directing  Battle 


:Major  General  O'Rian.  N.G.U.S.,  anu  Major  General  Funston,  U.  S.  A. 


Slow   Rifle  Fire— /TH   Infantry 


One  Group  of  50  Rifle  Targets 


Rifle  Practice— Sharyland 


RIFLE  PRACTICE,  TEXAS,   1916 


hW^' 


By  Lt.-Col.  F.  M.  Waterbury, 
Ordnance  Department 

There  has  been  considerable  criticism  regarding  riHe  practice  and  the 
training  of  the  National  Guard  in  the  use  of  the  rifle  while  serving  at  the 
border.  It  is  easy  to  criticise,  but  difficult  to  train  all  men  to  become  good 
shots.  Some  are  natural  shots.  Some  can  never  learn  to  become  even 
average  good  shots,  but  fire  discipline  and  fire  control  makes  the  work  of 
all  of  some  value  on  the  firing  line. 

As  far  as  the  New  York  Division  is  concerned  rifle  instruction  and  prac- 
tice was  not  neglected  in  the  training  of  the  men.  Before  one-quarter  of 
the  Division  arrived  in  Texas  the  Ordnance  Officer  had  visited  the  District 
Ordnance  Depot  at  Harlington  and  learned  that  the  Government  would 
allow  ammunition  for  target  practice.  Subsequently,  under  date  of  July 
I2th,  telegraphic  order  No.  iJ'Sj  was  received,  which  read:  "Expendi- 
ture in  target  practice  of  small  arms  ammunition  for  National  Guard  not  to 
exceed  one  hundred  rounds  per  rifle  and  fifty  rounds  for  each  pistol  or 
revolver  is  authorized."  It  was  found  that  there  was  but  one  army  range 
in  the  immediate  territory  of  the  New  York  Troops,  situated  about  one 
mile  southwest  of  Pharr.  This  was  built  for  two  targets  only.  Target 
machines  for  the  equipment  of  a  suitable  sized  target  range  for  Division 
practice  could  not  be  drawn  as  they  were  not  on  hand  at  this  depot,  con- 
sequently an  elementary  course  was  arranged  and  the  permission  of  owners 
obtained  for  the  use  of  lands  near  Pharr  and  Sharyland.  One  range  of 
25  targets  was  built  at  the  former  place  for  the  use  of  New  York  Troops 
at  Pharr  and  two  ranges  of  50  targets  each  were  built  at  the  latter  place 
for  the  use  of  the  New  York  Troops  at  ]Mc.A.llen  and  Mission.  The  "X" 
target,  with  ly^  in.  bull,  was  used  on  these  ranges  at  25  yards.  Pistol  and 
revohci-  targets  were  also  erected  for  officers  and  men  armed  with  pistol 
or  revoher,  the  regulation  "L"'  pistol  targets  being  used  at  full  distance  for 
the  Army  Record  Course   (25  yards). 

The  practice  opened  first  for  the  troops  at  AIcAUen  on  July  22nd,  then 
the  ranges  at  Pharr  were  completed  and  another  one  built  at  Sharyland  for 
the  Mission  Troops,  so  that  early  in  August  men  were  being  sent  from  all 
three   Brigades  each  day  to  this  rifle  training,  weather  permitting. 

Each  one  of  the  three  ranges  had  its  corps  of  range  officers,  including 
a  competent  instructor  on  both  the  rifle  and  pistol.  Schools  were  held 
during  the  day  on  the  nomenclature  of  both  arms,  at  which  men  were 
required  to  take  the  m.echanism  apart  and  assemble  it,  and  sights,  windage, 
etc.,  were  explained.  At  the  targets  men  were  given  instruction  in  both 
slow  and  rapid  fire,  each  man  being  coached  by  either  an  officer  or  non- 
commissioned officer.    Twenty  rounds  of  service  ammunition  per  man  were 


^ 


g 


-^ 


II 


used  in  ihis  work;  e\  cry  organization  having  the  practice  with 
the  exception  of  two  regiments  whose  firing  was  postponed  on  account 
of  heavy  rains  which  destroyed  the  ranges  and  flooded  the  firing  points. 
These  regiments  were  to  practice  last  but  by  the  time  the  ranges  were  re- 
built and  the  other  organizations  had  fired,  they  were  absent  on  a  ten  day 
practice  march  and  upon  their  return  were  ordered  north  for  muster  out. 
Each  commander  kept  the  record  of  his  men  so  that  extra  instruction  in 
tlie  use  of  the  rifle  might  be  given  to  the  poorer  shots. 

That  this  elementary  instruction  proved  valuable  was  demonstrated 
when  the  combat  firing  exercises  were  held  in  October  and  November  at 
La  Gloria,  when  everybody,  including  recruits,  participated  in  a  company 
tactical  problem  using  ball  ammunition,  and  this  without  a  single  accident 
occurring,  although  a  quarter  of  a  million  rounds  of  ammunition  were 
expended  in  this  practice. 

New  York  State  had  never  before  had  the  opportunity  of  holding  com- 
bat firing  on  account  of  the  time  required  and  the  impossibility  of  obtain- 
ing a  range  so  situated  as  to  eliminate  the  element  of  danger.  The 
Commanding  General  instructed  the  Division  Ordnance  Officer  to  build  a 
suitable  range  for  combat  firing  at  La  Gloria,  about  eighteen  miles  from 
McAllen,  this  being  an  ideal  location  for  the  purpose,  twelve  hundred 
yards  in  area  with  about  half  the  tcrraine  open  country  and  the  remainder 
covered  with  cactus  and  chapparal.  A  company  of  Engineers  and  a  squad 
from  the  Signal  Battalion  worked  about  ten  days  on  a  plan  designed  jointly 
by  the  Ordnance  Officer  and  the  Engineers'  Topographical  Officer.  Six 
pits  were  dug  and  moving  targets,  in  individuals,  squads,  sections  and 
companies  were  erected,  over  a  hundred  field  targets  being  used.  All  the 
pits  were  connected  by  telephone  and  controlled  by  the  signal  station  at 
the  firing  point.  The  officers  and  men  engaged  in  the  practice  did  not 
know  the  location  of  the  targets  or  time  of  their  appearance  or  disappear- 
ance. Just  previous  to  entering  the  last  stage  of  the  combat  which  was 
held  in  a  cleared  area  of  three  hundred  yards,  with  the  enemy  in  company 
strength,  the  troops  were  compelled  to  thread  their  way  through  a  hundred 
yards  of  thick  cactus  and  chapparal.  The  range  presented  a  perfect  tacti- 
cal problem  for  a  rencontre.  To  carry  this  out  a  simple,  special  situation 
was  given  each  unit  before  firing,  approximately  as  follows: 

The  Commander  of  a  company  of  troops  is  informed  by  friendly  inhab- 
itants that  a  band  of  raiders  about  lOO  in  number  is  operating  near  La 
Gloria.  The  Captain  sends  out  two  independent  patrols  who  confirm  this 
information  even  as  to  the  number  of  rifles,  whereupon  he  immediately 
marches  his  company  or  troop  to  attack.  During  a  halt  while  in  advance 
guard  formation,  the  point  is  fired  upon  (blank  cartridges  from  the  first 
l>it)  and  the  action  begins.  Some  discussion  was  introduced  in  the  instruc- 
tion as  to  the  proper  use  of  an  advance  guard,  its  change  of  mission  in 
attack,  etc.  The  matter  of  handling  troops  was  left  entirely  to  the  com- 
pany or  troop  commanders.  The  battalion  commander  accompanied  the 
range  officer  and  tactical  criticism  was  made  through  the  proper  channel 

ss 


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es 


so  as  to  eliminate  any  friction  which  might  otherwise  obtain.  The  inten- 
tion was  to  make  the  combat  exercises  tactically  correct,  to  teach  the  mean- 
ing of  fire  superiority  and  to  show  that  the  individual  shot  must  subordi- 
nate himself  to  the  unit  of  which  he  is  only  a  part.  The  officers  and  men 
of  each  battalion  or  squadron  were  instructed  by  the  range  officer  in  a 
half  hour  talk  upon  arrival  at  the  range  and  before  going  through  the  exer- 
cises, special  attention  being  given  to  the  enlisted  man  and  encouraging 
him  to  ask  questions  which  were  answered  carefully  by  the  range  officer. 
Rifle  fire  in  all  its  phases  from  the  viewpoint  of  the  expert  as  well  as  the 
novice  was  discussed.  In  ordinary  target  practice  only  the  target  is  con- 
sidered and  not  the  target  the  soldier  himself  presents  to  the  enemy  and 
this  being  a  good  opportunity,  demonstrations  in  visibility  were  made  by 
separating  companies  into  platoons,  each  platoon  facing  the  other  over  the 
last  range  of  three  hundred  yards,  in  standing,  kneeling  and  prone  posi- 
tions, the  last  with  hats  off  and  hugging  the  ground.  A  method  of  crossing 
a  road  by  rolling  as  opposed  to  dashing  across,  was  chosen.  The  value  of 
slow,  deliberate  movements  as  a  mode  of  security  in  scout  work  was 
demonstrated.  The  danger  of  glittering  equipment  was  pointed  out  by 
example  and  the  fact  was  proven  that  immobility  plus  the  olive  drab 
uniform  renders  the  soldier  practically  invisible.  Each  unit  shot  once 
each  day,  covering  the  two  days'  period  that  the  battalion  or  squadron 
remained  at  La  Gloria.  The  element  of  competition  injected  into  the 
scheme  added  materially  to  the  interest  which  was  maintained  throughout 
the  course,  while  the  frequent  critiques  gave  each  individual  rifleman  more 
knowledge  of  actual  work  on  the  firing  line  and  of  the  meaning  of  fire  disci- 
pline, fire  control  and  fire  dispersion  than  he  had  ever  before  attained. 
In  rating  the  different  units  a  formula  was  developed  in  which  dispersion 
of  fire  was  given  due  weight  as  follows :  Number  of  hits  plus  value  of  hits, 
plus  target  hit,  divided  by  number  of  targets  appearing.  The  difference  in 
value  of  the  hits  at  the  various  distances  was  based  on  regular  target 
practice,  modified  by  tactical  values,  i.e.,  2,  3,  4  and  5  being  given  for  ist, 
2nd,  3rd  and  4th  ranges  respectively.  The  total  figure  obtained  by  adding 
the  scores  of  the  four  distances  was  then  divided  by  the  number  of  rifles, 
this  arriving  at  a  final  figure  of  merit  after  adding  the  two  days'  scores 
together.  It  was  proved  in  this  firing,  as  in  the  slow  fire  instruction  during 
elementary  practice,  that  the  results  from  the  use  of  the  battle  sight  were 
not  comparable  with  the  results  obtained  with  the  point  blank  sight. 

This  schedule  of  combat  firing  was  continued  without  a  break  each  day 
for  six  weeks  until  all  the  remaining  infantry  and  cavalry  units  at  the 
border  had  practiced. 

In  November  and  December  the  remaining  units  at  the  Border  expended 
the  balance  of  the  one  hundred  rounds  per  rifle,  allowed  by  the  Govern- 
ment for  the  rifle  practice  and  instruction  of  the  National  Guard.  This 
practice  was  on  the  regulation  "A"  target  at  200  and  300  yards  on  the  two 
and  three  target  ranges  at  Pharr,  Ponitas  and  Sam  Fordyce,  from  three  to 
twenty  miles  from  camp.     The  Cavalry  were  also  busily  engaged  in  addi- 

39 


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the  balance-   of  tlu-   fifti 


tls    ]l(.T    pistdl 


tional  pistol  practice,  nsiiifj  up 
allowed  by  the  (iovernmcnt. 

In  August  and  September  the  entire  Division  engaged  in  field  maneu- 
vers over  an  area  of  ground  frcjni  the  Division  Camps  to  the  Kiu  (irande. 
During  these  different  ])r<)l>lenis  about  75,ocK)  rounds  of  blank  ammunition 
were  expended. 

The  Machine  (iun  Companies  of  the  regiments  of  the  Division  were  sent 
to  the  Ordnance  Depot  at  Harlington  where  schools  of  instruction  were 
held  for  a  period  of  se\eral  weeks. 

The  .Artillery  Brigade  of  the  Xew  \'ork  Dixision.  three  conipU'te  rc-gi- 
ments,  had  extensive  field  firing  instruction  with  their  ^  in.  and  4.7  in. 
guns,  besides  individual  pistol  practice.  The  range  used  by  the  ist  and  2<\ 
Field  Artillery  regiments  was  constructed  by  the  artillery  troops  at  La 
Gloria,  about  a  mile  from  the  rifle  range.  This  range  was  open  about  three > 
months  and  both  regiments  not  only  recei\ed  excellent  training  but  did 
commendable  work.  In  December  the  3rd  Field  Artillery,  e(|uipped  with 
the  4.7  in.  guns,  i)racticed  at  Point  Isabel,  about  73  miles  south  of  our 
headquarters. 

The  distances  to  and  from  all  the  ranges  were  of  necessity  covered  by 
marching,  but  as  the  troops  were  well  seasoned  the  matter  of  a  twenty  or 
thirty  mile  "hike"  was  of  little  consecjuence. 

The  Navy's  idea  of  "unlimited  ammunition  for  rifle  practice"  would  be  a 
.step  of  progress  if  adopteil  by  the  L^  .'>.  .Army. 


\i\\'  York   Troops  ox  thk   Rio  Gr.\xdi-: 


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THE  ENTERTAINMENTS  OF  THE  DIVISION 

By  Lt.-Col.   Franklin  W.   Ward, 
Assistant  Chief  of  Staff,  N.  Y.  Division 

The  task  of  recording  all  the  various  forms  of  entertainment  of  a 
tactical  division  of  New  York  soldiers  responsible  for  the  protection  of 
approximately  -"ifty  miles  of  Texan  border  along  the  Rio  Grande,  is  by  no 
means  an  easy  one,  particularly  if  an  attempt  is  made  to  follow  a  strict 
definition  of  the  word. 

For  instance,  hurricanes  that  blew  in  from  the  Gulf  and  swept  over  and 
around  them,  and  the  "northers"  that  swept  through  them— might  be  called 
entertainments,  or  at  least  diversions.  Then  there  was  the  "hiking"  and 
the  "digging-in"  by  day,  with  the  pump-handle  braying  of  the  burros, 
and  the  ear-splitting  shriek  of  the  overworked  locomotives,  by  night,  all 
entertaining  in  a  more  or  less  serious  sense.  Then  there  was  pay-day,  the 
various  Palaces  of  Sweets,  the  Delmonico  Jr.  restaurant,  the  Screen-off- 
Restorio,  Helen's  Palm  Cafe,  the  excursions  to  Corpus,  Bevo,  Peruna,  let- 
ters from  home,  and  The  I\.io  Grande  Rattler. 

Then  there  was  the  Amusem  Airdome  Picture  Theatre,  that  great 
leveler  of  military  rank,  where  nightly  in  clear  weather,  a  single  bench 
would  be  very  liable  to  contain,  in  the  order  named,  a  brigadier  general, 
a  mule-skinner,  a  colonel  of  infantry,  a  Mex,  six  privates,  a  citizen  of  Texas 
and  a  contract  undertaker. 

However,  the  old  saying  which  indicates  that  all  work  and  no  play 
makes  Jack  a  dull  boy,  was  in  all  probability  in  the  mind  of  Major  General 
O'Ryan  when  he  began  the  development  of  a  systematic  and  carefully 
planned  series  of  entertainments  for  the  benefit  of  the  soldiers  of  the  N.  Y. 
Division. 

.Shortlv  after  the  arrival  of  the  troops  at  ]\IcAllen,  Mission  and  Pharr, 
spacious  entertainment  platforms  were  constructed  of  heavy  lumber  on 
ground  convenient  to  the  camps  located  at.  those  points.  These  platforms 
were  elevated  about  five  feet  and  equipped  with  the  conventional  prize 
ring,  posts,  ropes,  etc.  A  piano,  hired  in  the  adjacent  town,  was  placed  in 
one  corner  and  a  rough  shelter  tent  built  over  it  to  protect  it  from  the 
weather.  Alany  of  the  individual  organizations  also  erected  platforms  for 
their  own  use. 

The  chaplains  of  the  various  regiments  were  asked  to  formulate  plans 
for  suitable  entertainments,  and  nights  reserved  for  the  benefit  of  each 
organization.  As  a  result  on  at  least  one  evening  during  the  weeks,  when 
the  commands  were  occupying  their  "home"  camps,  thousands  of  khaki- 
clad  men  would  assemble  tor  the  performance.  Splendid  upstanding  men 
they  were,  squatting  two-hundred  deep,  their  bronzed  open-air  faces  dimly 
illuminated  against  the  darkness  of  the  warm  damp  night  by  the  lights  on 
the  platform,  a  suitable  setting  for  any  picture  calculated  to  show  strong 


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American  manhood,  rough  perhaps,  and  brown,  but  clean-cut  as  a  knife 
blade,  and  all  was  good  nature  and  good  fellowship  among  these  men 
with  boys'  eyes,  whose  lot,  by  a  trick  of  fate,  had  been  thrown  together. 

Who  that  has  witnessed  the  spectacle  can  forget  the  deep  quiet  that 
always  prevailed  during  the  rendition  by  some  favorite  singer  of  "You'll 
Always  Be  the  Same,  Sweet  Girl,"  or  ''The  End  of  a  Perfect  Day"?  And 
who  that  heard  it  will  forget  the  deep-throated  tribute  that  always  followed 
"Good-bye.  Good  Luck,  God  Bless  You"? 

Favorites,  there  were  many  of  them — the  mere  appearance  of  Bannon, 
the  popular  virger  of  the  7th  Infantry's  entertainments,  was  sufficient  to 
develop  loud  calls  for  "Aladdin's  Lamp."  Then  there  was  Kirkpatrick  of 
the  Squadron,  who  could  do  anything  from  a  four-round  go  to  a  love  song, 
and  the  Squadron  A  Glee  Club  whose  songs  and  music  were  always  a 
finished  product.  Then  there  was  Shriner  of  the  74th  who  sang  "Asleep 
in  the  Deep,"  and  Metcalf  with  "Mother  Machree."  Many  others,  like 
Love  of  the  2nd  Field  Artillery,  Hyde  of  the  23rd,  and  Goodwin  of  the 
I2th  became  very  well  known  to  the  tune-loving  audiences. 

The  fight  fans  were  treated  to  many  exhibitions  of  the  manly  art.  Prob- 
ably the  favorite  knight  of  the  buckskin  mits,  was  little  "Stockings" 
Conroy,  of  the  2nd  Infantry,  who  found  himself  famous  after  a  four-round 
go  with  a  Goliath  from  the  14th,  who  looked  big  enough  to  eat  him  alive. 
At  McAllen  the  most  popular  figure  in  the  squared  circle  was  Pvt.  Norman 
Selby,  of  the  71st  Inf.,  better  known  among  fight  fans  as  Charles  Kid 
McCoy.  It  was  at  the  boxing  exhibitions  that  the  favor  or  disfavor  of  the 
soldier  audiences  was  most  emphatically  indicated,  and  many  a  seeker 
for  pugilistic  honors  went  cold  under  the  boisterous  acclamation  to  "take 
him  off!" 

It  was  not  long  after  the  arrival  of  the  N.  Y.  troops  in  Texas  before 
large  roomy  frame  buildings  were  constructed  at  each  of  the  three  camps. 
These  buildings  were  furnished  with  the  ordinary  conveniences  of  a  club, 
there  were  facilities  for  letter  writing  and  reading,  each  house  being 
plentifully  supplied  with  current  literature,  newspapers,  magazines,  etc. 
The  entire  expense  of  this  most  highly  appreciated  enterprise  was  borne 
by  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  A  similar  building  was  erected 
at  McAllen  camp  by  the  Knights  of  Columbus. 

This  article  might  not  be  considered  complete  unless  some  mention 
is  made  of  the  occasional  gatherings  of  soldiers  for  entertainments  of 
particular  varieties.  For  instance,  forty  odd  alumni  of  Amherst  and  Wil- 
liams held  a  banquet  at  which  "Lord  Jeffrey  Amherst"  and  other  songs 
of  college  days  were  sung.  All  stein  songs,  however,  were  omitted.  There 
were  also  meetings  of  the  Harvard  Club  and  Psi  Upsilon.  There  was  base- 
ball galore  and  later  football  was  played,  one  of  the  most  notable  games 
being  that  between  the  4th  Ambulance  Company  and  the  69th  Infantry's 
teams.    A  bowling  tournament  at  McAllen  also  attracted  much  interest. 

The  star  occasion,  however,  was  Frontier  Day,  for  not  only  did  the 
entire  Division  turn  out  for  the  entertainment,  but  every  regiment  from 


"1. 


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Rio  Grande  City  to  Brownsville,  contributed  its  quota  of  men,  and  the 
civilian  population  of  the  entire  "Magic"  Valley  attended  en  masse,  arriv- 
ing in  lumbering  carts,  autotrucks,  jitneys,  horse-back,  special  train,  and  on 
foot.  Soldiers,  Mexicans,  cowboys,  rancheros,  senoritas,  and  Northern 
tourists  met  and  mingled  on  the  narrow  sidewalks  of  the  one  main  thor- 
oughfare of  McAllen. 

The  exhibition  was  given  on  the  field  near  Division  Headquarters. 
The  morning  was  given  over  to  athletic  events  in  which  a  large  number 
of  entrants  from  the  various  regiments  of  the  Division  competed  for 
the  prize.  In  the  afternoon  the  military,  mounted  and  Wild  West  events 
were  held.  Over  six  thousand  people  had  passed  into  the  field  before  two 
o'clock  and  the  canteens  and  pop-corn  stands  sprinkled  around  the  field, 
did  a  land  office  business.  Boys  with  peanuts  and  programs  were  as  busy 
as  their  brothers  at  the  New  York  Polo  Grounds  on  a  Saturday  afternoon. 
The  Cavalry  and  Artillery  events  were  very  interesting  but  it  was  the 
Grand  Melee,  in  which  picked  men  from  Squadron  A  and  the  ist  Cavalry 
participated,  that  particularly  delighted  the  crowd.  Wearing  masks  and 
padded  headgear  with  long  paper-string  plumes,  the  combatants,  ten  to  a 
side,  charged  fiercely  at  each  other  on  horse-back  and  slashed  away  at  the 
streamers  with  wooden  swords. 

The  Wild  and  Woolly  West  in  which  broncho  busting  was  demon- 
strated, proved  somewhat  of  a  surprise  as  the  cleverest  riding  was  not  done 
by  the  professional  Western  busters,  but  by  two  members  of  the  N.  Y. 
Division,  Pvts.  Hathaway  of  the  2nd  Field  Artillery  and  Joe  Hooker  of  the 
1st  Cavalry. 

The  evening  show  was  opened  by  the  22nd  Engineers  with  a  fireworks 
display  that  possessed  much  military  interest,  for  it  included  the  newest 
things  in  trench-lighting  and  other  features. 

A  mammoth  vaudeville  show  and  two  championship  bouts  concluded 
the  programme,  which  ended  at  ii.OO  p.m.,  when  the  band  of  the  3rd  Ten- 
nessee Infantry,  which  had  furnished  the  music  during  the  evening,  played 
Home  Sweet  Home. 

The  Horse  Show  which  was  given  under  the  auspices  of  the  ist  Cav- 
alry, was  another  entertainment  which  was  probably  the  first  of  its  kind 
ever  held  under  shnilar  conditions,  and  by  a  similar  organization  of  men. 
Many  of  the  best  looking  horses  entered  belonged  to  men  in  the  ranks. 
The  entries  exhibited,  taken  as  a  whole,  were  the  finest  class  of  horses 
ever  exhibited  at  a  show. 

The  show  lasted  for  three  days  and  the  music  was  furnished  by  three 
military  bands,  while  the  scores  of  the  World's  baseball  series  were  posted 
on  the  bulletin  board.  The  show  ended  with  races,  a  rescue  race  and  a 
four-mount  relay  race  being  the  most  thrilling. 

Another  event  that  attracted  considerable  interest  among  the  soldiers 
was  a  point  race  held  by  the  12th  N.  Y.  Infantry  on  Thanksgiving  Day, 
the  race  consisting  of  a  three-mile  cross  country  run  with  full  pack  and  100 
rounds  of  rifle  ammunition. 


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Perhaps  of  all  the  pleasures  that  the  average  soldier  had,  the  receipt  of 
mail  from  home  stood  first.  It  is  safe  to  say  a  large  majority  of  the  men 
of  the  N.  Y.  Division  had  never  before  been  so  far  away  from  their  home 
cities,  and  the  daily  distribution  of  letters  and  packages  was  an  occasion 
i)f  great  interest.  Some  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  task  may  be  learned 
vvhen  it  is  stated  that  the  greatest  sale  of  stamps  in  one  month  at  the 
McAllen  postoffice  before  the  arrival  of  the  New  York  troops  was  7,300. 
In  the  month  of  July  the  sales  amounted  to  72,700.  The  day  the  camp  was 
established  the  mail  was  carried  from  the  station  in  a  push-cart,  while 
during  July  the  daily  delivery  averaged  three  two-horse  truck  loads.  The 
mail  received  averaged  from  6o,oo(J  to  70,000  pieces,  while  that  sent  out 
averaged  40,000  pieces  a  day. 

A  military  postmaster  was  appointed  by  General  O'Ryan  and  the  post- 
ofifice  force  supplemented  by  twenty  enlisted  men  experienced  as  clerks  in 
the   New   York   postoffice. 


M.AjOR    General    Funstox,    USA;    M.\.tor    Gener.m. 

O'Ryan,   N.G.U.S.,   and    (in    background) 

Brigadier  General  Parker,  U.S.A. 


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HEADQl-ARTERS,    DHISIOX,    XATIOXAL   GUARD,    NEW   YORK. 

Albany,  January  15,  191 7. 

General  Orders, 

\o.   I. 

I.  The  Division  Commander  announces  with  deep  regret  the  death  of 
Colonel  Nathaniel  Blunt  Thurston,  Commanding  the  74th  Infantry.  Colonel 
Thurston's  death  occurred  in  the  line  of  duty  at  11:00  p.  m.,  January  15,  1016, 
at  McAllen,   Texas,   and   was  caused  by  apoplexy. 

Colonel  Thurston  was  so  well  known  throughout  the  military  service 
that  an  extended  recital  in  this  order  of  his  qualities  and  virtues  would  seem 
unnecessary.  Essentially  he  was  a  soldier.  He  was  rigid  and  just.  But  as 
many  of  the  younger  ofiicers  will  testify,  his  sternness  was  a  cloak  for  a  kindli- 
ness and  sympathetic  understanding  that  marked  his  character.  Of  the  highest 
integrity  and  loyalty,  he  combined  with  these  qualities  great  capacity  for 
organization  and  for  energetic  leadership,  which  crowned  with  success  every 
undertaking   entrusted   to  him. 

In  the  loss  of  this  remarkable  man  the  Division  Commander  and  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Division  StaflF  have  lost  an  intimate  friend  and  a  most  capable 
advisor.  The  74th  Infantry  has  lost  a  Colonel  who  by  virtue  of  his  eminent 
capacity  and  qualities  of  leadership  has  raised  that  regiment  to  an  excep- 
tional standard  of  efhciency,  and  the  National  Guard  as  a  whole  has  lost  one 
of   the  most  capable   men   ever  in   its   service. 

II.  Nathaniel  Blunt  Thurston  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  E,  22nd 
Regiment,  Infantrj-,  N.  G.,  N.  Y.,  August  6,  1877 ;  was  promoted'  Corporal. 
April  3,  1878;  1st  Sergeant,  February  20,  1879;  was  commissioned  second  lieu- 
tenant. February  11,  1880;  first  lieutenant,  April  6,  1880;  Captain,  December 
20,  1886,  major,  July  28,  1896;  lieutenant  colonel.  May  14,  1898;  inspector  of 
small  arms  practice  and  ordnance  ofticer  on  the  staff  of  the  major  general 
commanding  the  division,  with  the  grade  of  lieutenant  colonel,  December  31, 
1898;    colonel   by   brevet,    September   18,    1902. 

Under  his  brevet  commission  as  Colonel,  he  was  at  dififerent  times  in  com- 
mand of  the  22nd  Engineers,  the  ist  Field  .\rtillery  and  the  13th  Coast  Defense 
Command,  in  each  instance  with  credit  to  himself  and  marked  benefit  to  the 
command.  Under  his  conduct,  the  National  Guard  of  this  state  attained  and 
held  a  position  of  the  first  importance  in  the  rifle  practice  of  the  countrj-,  and 
repeatedly  won   the  leading  trophies   for   excellence   in  military  marksmaiiship. 

Colonel  Thurston  was  in  the  United  States  service,  as  Lieutenant  Colonel 
of  the  22nd  Regiment  of  Infantry,  N.  Y.  Volunteers,  from  May  24,  1898,  to 
November  23,  1898,  and  as  Colonel,  74th  N.  Y.  Infantn-.  from  June  30,  1916, 
to  the  time  of  his  death. 

III.  The  prescribed  badge  of  militar\-  mourning  will  be  worn  for  thirty 
days  by  officers  of   the  Division   Staff  and  of  the  Ordnance  Department. 

By   Command  of   Major   General   O'Ryan  : 

CHAUNCEY  P.  WILLIAMS, 

Colonel.   Adjulant   General. 


Official  : 

Lieutenant  Colonel.  Adjutant  General. 


Buzzer  Station  Operating  Under  Difficulties 


McAiXEN  Camp  Telephone  Line  ^''^Avn!^!^ 


A  Wire  Section 


fe.J 


THE  SIGNAL  CORPS 

By  Lt.  Gordon  Ireland 

The  President's  call  of  June  i8th  found  the  New  York  Signal  Corps, 
under  the  State  Military  Law,  Section  34,  organized  as  a  Battalion,  com- 
manded by  a  Major  who  was  also  Chief  Signal  Ofticer  of  the  Division,  and 
comprising  battalion  headquarters,  one  radio  company,  one  wire  company 
and  a  telegraph  and  telephone  detachment. 

The  Battalion  assembled  in  its  quarters  as  promptly  as  the  previously 
arranged  squad  telephone  and  telegraph  notification  plan  could  reach  the 
men.  At  10.00  p.m.  on  June  19th,  less  than  three  hours  after  the  mobiliza- 
tion order  had  been  received  by  telegraph  from  Peekskill,  92.8  per  cent,  of 
the  existing  Battalion  was  in  uniform  and  present  at  roll  calls.  Armory 
guards  were  established,  entrance  and  departure  allowed  on  duly  counter- 
signed pass  only ;  and  the  companies  settled  down  to  the  details  of 
preparation  for  entraining,  orders  for  which  were  expected  every  moment. 

On  June  21st,  the  entire  Telegraph  and  Telephone  Detachment  was 
ordered,  and  proceeded  under  command  of  ist  Lt.  Frederick  M.  Steeves, 
from  Battalion  Headquarters  to  Camp  Whitman,  at  Beekman,  Dutchess 
County,  to  establish  a  complete  communication  system  for  the  organiza- 
tions which  were  then  supposed  to  be  going  to  occupy  that  Camp.  This 
unit  was  not  mustered  into  Federal  Service,  and  did  not  leave  the  State. 
The  Detachment  remained  at  Camp  Whitman,  working  hard  and  faithfully 
on  telephone  installation  for  the  whole  Camp,  and  maintaining  and  operat- 
ing it  when  completed,  during  the  whole  period  of  use  of  the  Camp,  until 
August  3,  1916. 

July  3rd  the  Battalion,  after  a  medical  examination  in  which  not  a  single 
man  presented  was  rejected,  was  mustered  into  the  active  Federal  service, 
by  Capt.  J.  L.  Gilbreth,  Inf.,  U.S.A. 

The  Fourth  brought  leaving  orders,  with  details  of  railroad  accommo- 
dation ;  and  on  July  5th  the  Battalion  entrained  at  the  Communipaw  yards 
of  the  Jersey  Central  Railroad,  and  moved  out  at  i.oo  p.m.,  amid  somewhat 
suspiciously  throaty  farewells  from  men  and  women  relatives.  The  gov- 
ernment contract  speed  of  not  to  exceed  25  miles  per  hour,  observed 
throughout  the  trip,  gave  ample  opportunity,  for  those  who  had  cheerfully 
oflFered  greater  service  than  they  were  afterward  called  upon  to  render, 
to  learn  what  the  rest  of  the  country  really  thought  of  them.  As  far  as 
the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains,  people  came  to  their  store  or  farm  house  doors 
and  waved  hats  or  aprons,  or  sometimes  flags,  and  occasionally  cheered  a 
little  as  the  yellow  burdened  train  passed.  From  West  Virginia  onward, 
through  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Arkansas  and  into  Texas,  the  encouragement  of 
supporting  loyalty  seemed  to  diminish  as  curiosity  strengthened: 
it  was  not  "We  are  glad  you  are  going  forward  for  us,"  but  "What 
do  New  York  soldiers  look  like?     How  do  they  talk?"     Throughout  the 


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five  days"  journey  the  wire  company  maintained  inter-coach  communica- 
tion by  lines  strung  along  the  outside  of  the  cars,  which  proved  of  over- 
whelming interest  at  many  stops,  and  gave  the  telegraph  operators  excel- 
lent opportunity  for  practice  under  more  or  less  distracting  surroundings. 
There  were  daily  schools,  lessons  in  elementary  Spanish  ;  and  brisk  exercise 
at  one  or  two  stops  each  day. 

The  Battalion  train  ran  through  Harlingen  Junction,  Texas,  at  night: 
and  the  first  sight  of  the  spasmodically  irrigated  \'alley  that  was  to  be  their 
half-year's  home  came  to  most  of  the  men  in  a  glimpse  of  good-looking 
citrus  trees  and  a  palm  avenue,  as  the  train  approached  the  West  McAllen 
siding.  Arriving  at  6.oo  a.m.,  the  Battalion  had  made  camp,  had  break- 
fast, pitched  conical  tents,  and  unloaded,  transported  and  put  away  all  its 
property  by  ci.20  a.m.  At  T.40  p.m.  appeared  and  burst  a  heavy  rainstorm 
bj'  way  of  hospitable  introduction  to  the  similar  features  of  the  next  few 
weeks.  The  ist  Field  Hospital,  3rd  Ambulance  Co.,  ist  Cavalry,  and 
7th,  I2th  and  -ist  Infantry  were  already  established  at  McAllen.  The 
Signal  Battalion  occupied  a  rectangle  about  300  by  800  feet  in  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  Camp,  next  to  the  McAllen  Canal. 

The  actual  performance  of  duty  by  the  Battalion  in  and  from  Mc.'Mlen. 
from  July  loth  to  December  13,  1916,  falls  into  two  distinct  classes. 
Organized  and  equipped  as  Field  Companies,  its  units  were  charged  with 
the  duty  of  keeping  ready  at  any  moment  to  be,  fully  equipped,  at  any 
point  of  action  of  infantry,  cavalry  or  artillery ;  and  thence,  preserving 
contact  w'ith  subordinate  commanders,  to  maintain  uninterruptedly  under 
combat  conditions  such  communication,  without  regard  to  change  of  head- 
quarters, as  would  keep  the  commander  fully  and  continuously  informed 
as  to  the  progress  of  the  action  and  the  position  of  his  troops,  hospitals, 
trains  and  supply  departments.  On  the  other  hand,  in  semi-permanent 
camps,  such  as  the  three  of  the  6th  Division  became,  even  without  guar- 
antee of  continuance,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  .Signal  troops  to  erect  and  main- 
tain an  efficient,  durable,  and  ample  communication  system  among  all 
commands.  This  ordinarily  means  substantial  telephone  lines,  strung 
overhead,  from  a  central  switch  board  to  all  organization  headquarters.  In 
the  absence  of  the  I'elegraph  and  Telephone  Detachment,  created,  trained 
and  equipped  for  this  function  (and  in  fact  performing  it  at  Beekman). 
the  field  companies,  with  the  readiness  in  undertaking  and  ingenuity  and 
persistence  in  executing  which  has  come  to  be  characteristic  of  the  Corps, 
essayed,  constructed  and  put  into  successful  operation  not  merely  a  Camp, 
but  a  Border  sector,  telephone  system,  such  as  no  Field  Signal  Battalion 
had  theretofore  undertaken. 

On  August  3rd  a  platoon  of  the  radio  company,  under  ist  Lt.  Herbert 
L  Watson  accompanied  Maior-Cicn.  John  F.  O'Ryan  and  Squadron  A  on 
the  practice  march  of  80  miles  around  the  Mission — Monte  Christo — La 
Gloria  circuit.  They  returned  to  camp  on  August  8th,  in  satisfactory 
condition,  with  an  excellent  march  record,  and  having  been  able  to  be  of 
practical  assistance  horn  La  (jioria.  in  imtling  the  Commanders,  through 


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the  McAllen  station,  in  touch  with  their  much  needed  forage  and  supply 
'irains. 

Enough  riding  and  draft  horses  having  been  received  to  mount  two 
wire  sections,  Co.  B  undertook  field  practice  involving  two  imaginary  Bri- 
gades, in  advance,  attack,  one  night  bivouac  camp  and  retreat.  Officers 
representing  Brigade  Headquarters  were  found,  connected  with  Field 
Division  Headquarters,  ammunition  and  supply  trains  and  sanitary  units 
kept  in  touch  through  the  night  and  followed  as  they  advanced  or  re- 
treated. Notwithstanding  the  actual  presence  of  other  troops,  much  was 
gained  in  self-reliance  and  the  exercise  of  individual  resource  by  the  per- 
sonnel engaged. 

On  August  I7th  two  radio  sections  went  to  Alonte  Christo,  and  there 
established  communication  with  Division  Headquarters  for  the  Range  at 
La  CTloria,  during  the  artillery  practice  firing,  which  was  maintained  until 
November,  with  the  addition  of  a  telephone  system  on  the  range  itself 
installed  by  a  detail  from  Co.  A  on  .September  27th. 

On  September  20th-2ist  a  detachment  (the  McAllen  Brigade  rein- 
forced) of  the  Blue  Division  marched  south  in  two  columns  on  parallel 
roads  one  mile  apart,  met  and  drove  off  Red  cavalry,  in  lively  brushes  on 
the  outskirts  and  in  the,  streets  of  Hidalgo,  camped  for  the  night  in  the 
town,  and  in  the  morning  withdrew  before  a  threatened  flank  attack,  under 
rear  guard  harassment  by  Red  cavalry.  The  wire  Signal  Company  was 
required  to  establish  and  keep  up  communication  between  the  Right  and 
Left  Columns;  which  it  did  continuously,  to  such  eflfect  that  Commanders 
in  the  critique  in  the  Hidalgo  County  Court  House  Wednesday  evening 
declared  that  there  were  more  reports  made  to  them  of  stations  established 
and  ready  for  business  close  at  hand  than  they  could  possibly  use. 

On  September  15th  Company  B  with  full  equipment  and  combat  train 
left  Camp  at  6.20  a.m.,  proceeded  through  McAllen  and  as  far  east  as 
McColl.  turned  north  across  the  railroad  and  marched  about  5  miles  to  the 
Monte  Christo-Edinburg  highway,  west  on  that  road  with  an  hour's  halt 
by  the  roadside  for  mess,  to  Lomita  Boulevard  about  nine  miles  north  of 
Mission,  and  along  the  railroad  to  "Sterling's"  Ranch,  where  it  pitched 
camp,  at  4.20  p.m.  A  wind  had  overthrown  the  main  water  supply  tank 
so  that  all  the  animals  were  watered  at  the  windmill  trough  a  mile  and  a 
half  through  the  chaparral  to  the  northwest. 

The  permanent  communication  work  of  the  Battalion  arose  slowly  at 
first,  but  more  rapidly  in  September  and  October.  On  July  nth,  the  day 
after  reaching  McAllen,  Co.  A  erected  a  wireless  mast  and  established 
within  the  Battalion  camp  a  radio  station,  which  remained  in  continuous 
and  successful  operation  from  that  time  until  the  Battalion  left.  This 
station  exchanged  messages  at  first  with  the  station  operated  by  Regular 
Signal  Corps  at  Hidalgo ;  and  received  the  press  messages  sent  out  every 
evening  from  the  powerful  stations  at  Miami  and  Key  West,  Fla.  As  the 
regular  Signal  troops  were  withdrawn  more  and  more  from  the  New  York 
sector  and  cojicentrated  at  company  reorganization  camps,  pursuant  to  the 


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War  Department's  policy,  the  Battalion  radio  station  took  over  the  relay 
work  between  Fort  Sam  Houston,  Fort  Ringgold  and  Brownsville.  Near 
the  end  of  September,  the  regular  station  at  Hidalgo  was  closed,  and  the 
McAUen  station  became  the  official  link  in  the  course.  The  wind  storms 
of  August  5th  and  iSth,  of  whose  coming  warning  was  received  through 
the  radio  station,  retaliated  by  blowing  down  the  pole ;  but  it  was  immedi- 
ately put  up  again,  and  there  was  no  period  longer  than  twelve  hours  when 
this  line  of  communication  was  out.  On  the  latter  occasion  all  wires, 
including  the  Western  Union  lines,  out  of  the  District  were  down  for  four 
days,  and  until  August  25th,  in  addition  to  the  official  work,  all  press 
despatches  were  sent  out  by  this  station,  working  well,  to  Brownsville. 
Time  signals  were  received  direct  from  Arlington,  Virginia,  at  11.00  a.m. 
and  9.00  p.m.,  and  World's  Series,  election  and  football  returns  received 
and  distributed.  Constant  operation  of  a  field  wireless  set  for  155  days 
over  200  miles  has,  as  the  District  Signal  Officer  remarked,  probably 
not  been  accomplished  by  any  other  National  Guard  organization. 
For  the  first  eleven  weeks,  until  about  September  27th,  the  power 
for  this  station  when  sending  was  furnished  from  the  regular  portable 
generator,  turned  by  four  men,  with  which  the  field  radio  section  is 
equipped.  There  was  then  received  and  set  up  a  new  J4  k.w.  generator 
with  a  2  H.P.  motor  and  a  191 5  pack  set,  which  in  spite  of  belt 
troubles  and  mechanical  difficulties  requiring  continual  tinkering  and 
adjustment  was  kept  in  commission  thereafter ;  so  that  for  the  last 
twelve  weeks  gasoline  supplanted  hand  power.  Detachments  from  Co.  A 
relieved  the  regular  operators  for  ;.  short  time  at  the  Hidalgo  station. 
Radio  stations  were  established  at  Mission  and  Pharr  on  July  22nd,  and 
supplemented  other  inter-camp  communication  lines  until  they  were  with- 
drawn on  August  8th. 

Very  shortly  after  the  Battalion  arrived  at  Mc Allen  it  became  evident 
at  Headquarters  that  the  existing  commercial  telephone  and  telegraph 
lines  were  entirely  inadequate  to  handle  the  Division's  business.  Accord- 
ingly, the  Signal  troops  were  called  on  for  relief;  and  at  once,  afoot,  with 
borrowed  draught  horses  for  the  wire  carts,  laid  military  field  lines,  on 
July  i8th  to  Hidalgo,  connecting  the  Camp  with  the  Border  telegraph 
system,  and  on  July  20th  to  Mission  and  Pharr,  connecting  those  camps 
with  Division  Headquarters.  All  three  of  these  wires  were  subsequently 
elevated,  by  working  details  from  the  Signal  Battalion:  and  kept  under 
patrol  by  Signal  Corps  linemen  until  December  9th. 

The  permanent  system  was  the  natural  outgrowth  of  a  demand,  as  the 
Camps  became  seemingly  fixed,  for  stronger  and  less  troublesome  con- 
struction and  additional  facilities.  On  August  5th  a  squad  of  ten  men, 
mostly  ex-linemen  or  with  other  commercial  experience,  under  Sgt.  Don- 
ald McLean,  assisted  by  Cpl.  Hallam  B.  Peters,  both  of  Co.  A,  was  assigned 
to  the  construction  of  a  weather-defying,  overhead  telephone  system  for 
the  McAllen  and  Pharr  camps.  These  men  worked  steadily,  as  fast  as 
supplies  could  be  obtained,  first  from  home  quarters,  later  moving  to  and 

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camping  at  Pharr,  until  October  i8th,  digging  holes,  erecting  poles  of  2x4 
timber,  putting  on  wooden  cross  arms  and  brackets,  and  stringing  twisted 
pair  wire,  between    Division    Headquarters    and    the    quarters    of  every 
organization  Commander  at  McAllen,  including  the  1st  Cavalry  and  22nd 
Engineers;  Brigade  Headquarters  and  every  organization  at  Pharr;  trunk 
lines  to  the  commercial  telephone  switchboards  at  both  places  (over  which 
conversations  were  subsequently  held  between  McAllen  and   New  York 
City)  ;  an  independent  double  line  between  McAllen  and  Pharr:  and  at  each 
.^^^        place  built  and  painted  a  small  central  exchange  with  sleeping  accommo- 
C^    J^^         dations,  in  which  a  Signal  operator  was  thereafter  on  duty  day  and  night. 
"'"'  On  October  .'ith  and  5th,  for  the  purpose  of  easing  up  the  strain  caused 

by  the  presence  of  the  troops  at  the  Border  on  the  single  wire  strung  bv  the 
Regulars  along  the  Military  Road  from  Brownsville  to  El  Paso  the  con- 
struction of  a  metallic  telephone  line  seemed  imperative,  and  was  under- 
taken by  the  Battalion  by  direction  of  Major  F.  E.  Hopkins,  8th  Field 
Artillery,  U.S.A.  Signal  O'ficer  for  the  District  from  Brownsville  to  Sam 
Fordyce,  and  ist  Lt.  Ira  D.  Hough,  Co.  B,  2nd  Texas  Inf.  (Western  Union 
District  Chief  from  Dallas),  assistant.  Business  became  especially  heavy 
when,  on  October  14th  (G.  O.  No.  37),  the  infantry  regiments  of  the 
Division  began  actual  patrol  duty  at  detached  two  company  posts  along  the 
Rio  Grande  from  Madero  to  San  Juan  Hacienda.  The  line  was  extended 
on  November  ist  (G.  O.  No.  46)  to  one  mile  east  of  Penitas  on  the  west, 
and  to  La  Donna  Canal  on  the  east.  Problems  of  control,  food,  medical 
•service  and  patrol  reports  necessitated  immediate  and  constant  connection 
with  Headquarters.  Again  the  Signal  Corps  was  called  upon;  and 
responded  with  a  proposition  to  string  two  additional  wires,  making  a 
three  wire  line,  for  the  whole  52  mile  front  of  the  New  York  sector,  from 
Donna  Pump  to  Los  Ebanos.  Construction  began,  east  and  west  from 
Hidalgo,  and  was  pushed  as  fast  as  the  necessary  material  was  received 
from  the  District  Signal  Office,  at  Brownsville. 

As  the  Battalion's  men  on  detached  service  were  drawn  in  for  the 
journey  home,  small  parties  of  Regular  signalmen  took  over  the  working 
of  the  stations  the  New  York  men  had  been  holding:  radio  at  McAllen, 
telephone  and  telegraph  at  McAllen  and  Mission,  and  telephone  at  Pharr. 
With  the  standard  type  of  construction  used,  and  patrolling  to  meet 
weather  conditions  continued  by  the  regulars  as  established  by  this  Bat- 
talion, there  is  no  reason  why  these  lines  should  not  continue  in  service- 
able condition  for  many  years.  They  form  a  visible,  permanent  and  • 
important  result  of  the  6th  Division's  stay  in  Texas;  and  the  satisfaction  of 
aiding  by  so  effective  and  lasting  a  contribution  at  this  point  to  that 
national  defense  for  which  the  Guard  stands,  may  well  explain  to  no  small 
extent  the  fact  that  discontent,  grumbling  and  infractions  of  discipline 
reached  their  minimum  in  the  Division  among  the  men  of  the  Signal 
Battalion. 

Master  Signal  Electrician  Willett  B.  Baker,  Co.  A,  died  in  the  Camp 
Hospital   at   McAllen   on   October   18th.      He   was  the   ranking   non-com- 


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missioned  officer  of  the  New  York  National  Guard,  and  after  36  years  of 
Militia  service  in  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  had  on  continuous  duty 
with  Co.  A  from  September,  1899,  to  the  time  of  his  death  endeared  himself 
by  his  loyalty  and  unselfish  devotion,  his  rare  capabilities  as  drill  master, 
technical  operator  and  horseman,  to  every  man  who  had  been  associated 
in  any  manner  with  that  Company  for  the  last  seventeen  years.  That  he 
should  have  closed  his  eyes  in  service  with  the  colors,  as  his  lifetime  of 
devotion  testifies  he  must  have  wished,  is  but  slight  consolation  to  his 
man  friends  and  pupils  in  their  loss. 

Not  a  man  of  the  Battalion  was  up  on  charges  before  a  General  Court 
Martial  during  the  entire  period  of  service;  and  there  were  but  15  cases 
before  the  Summary  Court  within  the  Battalion.  Not  one  of  the  Otficers 
of  the  Battalion  was  on  leave  or  absent  for  a  day  from  June  19th  to  Decem- 
ber 23rd.  Maj.  W'illiam  L.  Hallahan,  Capts.  Arthur  L.  Howe  and  Robert 
W.  Maloney,  and  ist  Lts.  Herbert  I..  Watson  and  Gordon  Ireland  scrxed 
on  General   Courts  Martial   at   Division   Headquarters. 

On  December  8th  instructions  from  the  War  Department  were  for- 
warded by  telegraph  from  Headquarters,  Southern  Department,  for  the 
Battalion,  with  four  other  units,  to  return  to  home  stations  for  muster  out. 
Formal  transmission  of  this  order  ( S.  O.  No.  276,  Dec.  9)  was  received 
from  Division  Headquarters  on  December  nth.  plans  provided  in  antici- 
pation for  breaking  camp  and  entraining  were  energetically  carried  out, 
and  the  Battalion  with  68  horses  departed  from  McAUen  at  9.45  p.m.  on 
December  13th,  first  of  such  five  units  to  get  away,  and  establishing  a 
Division  record,  it  is  thought,  for  shortness  of  time  between  receipt  of 
orders  and  actual  pulling  out.  The  homeward  route  was  through  Arkan- 
sas (with  snow  at  Suttgart),  Tennessee  and  Illinois,  where  seven  cold 
hours  were  spent  in  railroad  yard  shifting  at  Chicago,  Ohio,  Pennsylvania, 
and  the  Erie  through  the  Southern  Tier  into  Jersey  City  at  9.00  a.m.  on 
December  20th.  The  Companies  marched  with  escorts  of  ex-members  and 
bands  to  their  respective  Armories,  and,  e.xcept  for  necessary  guards,  were 
allowed  to  go  home  that  afternoon.  The  property  was  brought  in,  checked 
and  put  away,  paper  work  completed,  and  the  command  mustered  out  by 
Regular  Army  Captains  on  December  23,  1916. 

This  recital  of  the  varied  activities  of  the  Battalion  will,  in  so  far  as  it 
proves  successful,  serve  to  bring  a  tingle  of  just  pride  into  the  veins  of 
every  man  fortunate  enough  to  have  borne  a  personal  part  in  those  activi- 
ties; and  may  enable  fellow  Guardsmen  of  the  Division,  and  others,  to 
understand  more  clearly  the  nature  of  the  duties  and  manner  of  their 
oerformance  in  this  little  advertised  branch  of  the  service. 


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Copyright  1916,  Undecwood  &  Underwood 
C?,  I  Back  on  New  York  Pavements  Again — 7th  Infantry  Arriving  at  23RD  Street. 

Col.  Fiske  in  Foreground 


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7  ■•  S^vT^^i'  ■'^Wr: 


Laying  Out  Trenches  With  Tape 


Laying  Water 
Pipes  Under 
Difficulties 


Constructing  Ponton  Bridge 


THE  22nd  CORPS  OF  ENGINEERS 
By  Lt.  C.  E.  Bregenzer 

At  the  time  of  President  Wilson's  call  for  Mexican  border  service,  a 
provisional  company  of  the  22d  Engineers  was  engaged  in  topographical 
and  water  supply  work  at  Camp  Whitman,  N.  Y.,  preparing  camp  for  sup- 
posed innocuous  summer  maneuvers.  The  remainder  of  the  regiment 
joined  them  June  21,  1916,  two  days  after  the  call,  bringing  with  them  the 
advance  ponton  and  combat  trains.  The  work  at  the  new  mobilization 
camp,  already  under  good  headway,  was  vigorously  prosecuted,  not  only 
along  the  lines  of  water  supply,  but  also  road  construction  and  other  engi- 
neering duties. 

Prepared  and  hardened  by  this  strenuous  work,  the  first  battalion, 
Major  F.  Whitley  commanding,  was  mustered  into  United  States  service 
July  4th,  and  entrained  for  the  Mexican  border  July  12th.  The  second 
battalion.  Major  W.  Conrow  commanding,  was  mustered  in  July  6th  and 
departed  July  14th.  They  arrived  at  McAllen,  Texas,  on  July  i8th  and 
21  st  respectively. 

The  22d  Engineers  have  an  enviable  record  as  rainmakers,  and  true  to 
tradition,  their  advent  at  McAllen  was  coincident  with  a  torrential  down- 
pour of  rain,  fittingly  introducing  the  rainy  season.  The  camp  site  of  the 
engineers  was  located  in  a  depression  or  resaca,  and  it  soon  required  all 
their  engineering  ingenuity  to  prevent  flooding,  as  the  site  formed  a  nat- 
ural water  basin. 

Their  first  duties  perforce  were  to  dig  canals,  laterals  and  other  ditches, 
but  these  only  availed  temporarily,  as  the  continued  rains  and  the  intrud- 
ing back  waters  of  the  Rio  Grande  soon  drove  them  from  the  site.  Their 
engineering  instinct  chose  a  location,  second  to  none,  just  a  few  hundred 
yards  west  of  the  site  occupied  by  the  12th  Infantry.  Here  they  ex- 
changed picks  and  shovels  for  grubbing  mattocks  and  machetes,  and 
inspired  by  the  location  and  its  sandy  soil,  soon  cleared  the  ground  of 
prickly  cactus  and  wiry  mesquitc. 

The  rainy  season  and  subsequent  floods  not  only  harassed  the  engi- 
neers, but  laid  an  especially  heavy  hand  on  the  12th  Infantry,  at  the  west- 
ern end  of  whose  company  streets  a  large  lake  formed,  lending  a  Venetian 
aspect,  and  driving  the  occupants  from  their  tents,  and  rendering  the  adobe 
streets  all  but  impassable.  Col.  Johnson  and  Lt.  Kluge  struggled  with  the 
difficult  problem  and  finally  decided  to  dig  a  canal,  having  obtained  per- 
mission to  break  the  dike  of  one  of  the  neighboring  irrigation  ditches. 
They  sent  to  the  engineers  for  surveying  instruments  and  several  officers 
and  men  were  detailed.  A  profile  survey  by  the  engineers  verified  the 
judgment  of  the  officers  of  the  12th  Infantry,  and  a  drainage  ditch  was 
staked  from  the  lake  to  the  irrigation  ditch,  being  a  measured  distance  of 
1,475  ^cct.    The  canal  averaged  from  2.5  to  14  feet  in  depth  and  allowed  of 


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a  0.3  per  cent,  ruii-ol't'.  Vhv  ditch  was  dug  by  soldiers  from  the  12th 
Infantrv  and  J'ourtli  Anilnilance  Company,  and  about  600  feet  by  a  con- 
t racier,  who  used  Fresno  scrapers,  ])lows  and  mules.  Part  of  the  dike  was 
blown  up  with  explosives  bj'  the  engineers. 

This  drainage  canal  bisected  the  camps  of  the  12th  lnfantr_\  and 
h'ourth  .\nibulance  Company,  so  bridges  were  retjuired  to  establish  inter- 
communication. Lt.  T-.  Koop,  of  the  Engineers,  was  assigned  as  bridge 
engineer,  and  he  designed  and  placed  four  beam  bridges  of  from  u  to  16 
ft  span,  and  one  trestle  bridge  of  three  12  ft.  s])ans,  at  \arious  hications 
on  this  canal.  He  was  assisted  by  Lts.  Palmer.  Mcllen  and  the  writer  in 
this  work.  Part  of  this  work  was  done  1)\'  ni,L;lit,  and  some  of  the  be.ani 
bridges  took  less  than  two  and  ojie-half  hours   in   construction. 

Lt.  Koop  continued  as  bridge  engineer  and  examined  all  bridges  in  the 
territory  occupied  by  the  New  York  Division,  repairing  more  than  thirt\- 
and  constructing  ele\en  new  bridges.  The  work  extended  as  far  as  Oblate 
on  the  .Mission-Monte  Christo  road,  and  as  far  as  Hidalgo  on  the  McAllen- 
Hidalgo  ro.nd.  In  the  two  later  instances  the  work  was  done  by  Compan\- 
A.  Prior  to  the  first  Hidalgo  maneuvers  Company  C  was  sent  o\  er  the 
.Middle  McAllcn  road  to  repair  culverts  and  bridges.  The  repaired  five  and 
built  one  new  bridge,  covered  four  culverts  and  placed  a  section  of  cordu- 
rt)y  road. 

In  this  w(irl^  the  ninunted  section  of  the  company  did  good  service  as 
they  were  able  to  advance  with  the  bridge  train,  leaving  bridge  timbers  at 
■^ite.  then  returning  and  handling  lighter  repairs.  Night  overtook  them  at 
the  site  of  the  new  bridge,  and  they  bivouacked  at  the  location,  building 
the  new  bridge  before  mess  call  sounded  the  following  morning. 

Master  Engineer  Sergeant  Richardson  gathered  statistics  on  all  types 
uf  railroad  and  highway  bridges,  tabulating  type  of  structure,  materials 
.and  Iciad-carrying  capacity.  Com])any  F.  l.t.  Donoxan  in  charge,  also 
built  bridges  in  outlying  districts. 

Hurins.;  the  P.rigade  maneuvers  at  Hidalgo,  a  company  of  engineers 
'ormed  part  of  the  advance.  During  the  first.  Company  A,  Capt.  Ross 
conmianding.  were  detailed  and  they  carried  out  the  j^ractical  part  of  the 
theoretical  objective  by  constructing  a  fascine  raft,  hurriedly  built  from 
willows  in  chokers  improvised  from  poles.  The  raft  sustained  a  weight  of 
ten  men.  During  the  second  maneuvers,  held  at  the  same  place,  Capt. 
Daly,  commanding  E  Company,  was  also  given  the  problem  of  constructing 
a  raft.  He  used  empty  oil  barrels,  which  were  found  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
pumping  station  at  flidalgo,  which  proved  successful. 

Even  as  at  Camp  \\  hitman,  the  problem  of  water  supply  was  one  of  the 
most  important,  for  the  arrival  of  troops  and  stock  soon  taxed  the  pumping 
station  at  McAllen  to  the  limit.  This,  primarily  designed  to  meet  the 
needs  of  a  population  of  2,000,  eventually  served  10,000.  When  it  had  been 
decided  to  increase  the  number  of  supply  lines  and  install  showers,  I..t.  J- 
E.  Baker,  of  the  engineers,  was  assigned  to  the  quartermaster  at  McAllcn, 
to  design  and  supervise  this  work,  which  involved  the  design  and  construc- 

56 


y 


tion  of  200  sliovvcrbaths  and  latrines,  and  laying  approximately  6o,oou  feet 
of  pipe,  ranging  from  6  to  .;-4  in.  Most  of  the  trench  excavating  was  done 
by  Mexican  labor,  but  details  from  the  engineers  laid  the  pipe,  llie  work 
consisted  of  laying  a  6-in.  pipe  from  the  pumping  station  parallel  to  the 
railroad  to  Division  headquarters,  then  south  to  the  regimental  street  of 
the  7th  Infantry,  then  west  along  the  first  company  street  to  its  end, 
where  the  6-in.  line  branched  off  at  an  angle  of  50  degrees  in  the  direction 
of  the  engineers'  camp.  At  a  jioint  400  ft.  this  side  of  the  latter  camp,  a 
4-in.  line  was  also  run  in  the  rear  of  the  7th.  12th  and  71st  Infantry,  then 
reduced  to  a  .^-in.  line,  supplying  the  First  and  Second  Field  Artillery  and 
Squadron  A.  These  mains  were  tapped  for  showers  and  supply  and  there 
was  no  dearth  of  water  after  the  drilling  of  a  third  well  at  the  pumping 
station.  The  work  was  arduous  for  it  had  to  be  done  during  the  hot  Aug- 
ust weather.  Sgt.  Smith  and  Pvt.  Kellogg,  of  the  .engineers,  did  most  of 
the  work  connected  with  cutting  and  threading  pipe.  The  field  work  was 
done  under  supervision  of  Lt.  Donovan  and  the  writer. 

I-a  Gloria,  located  about  22  miles  northwest  of  McAllen,  in  the  "hin- 
terland," was  as  well  known  to  the  various  units  as  Sterling's  Ranch.  To 
this  epitome  of  desolation,  in  its  disconsolate  setting  of  chaparral,  mes- 
quite,  sage  and  ubiquitous  cactus.  Company  C  was  sent  to  augment  the 
water  supply,  when  it  had  been  decided  to  use  this  location  as  an  infantry 
and  artillery  range.  It  required  a  two-day  hike  to  reach  this  place,  a  one- 
night  halt  being  made  at  Oblate.  La  Gloria  is  not  a  hamlet  or  settlement, 
but  simply  a  deranged  windmill,  the  erstwhile  rendezvous  of  Mexican 
bandits,  the  marks  of  whose  hurried  exit  can  still  be  seen  in  the  windmill 
structure.  When  camp  was  made,  and  the  guard  arranged,  the  windmill 
was  repaired  and  careful  measurement  revealed  that  under  average  wind 
conditions  it  would  develop  about  one  and  one-half  gallons  of  water  per 
minute.  A  portable  4  h.p.  gasoline  engine  and  a  pump  jack,  both  of 
remote  pattern,  had  been  sent  to  be  installed  as  a  power  auxiliary.  The 
engine  particularly  was  in  a  provocative  stage,  as  it  lacked  several  essen- 
tials. A  survey  was  made  for  a  storage  tank,  pipe  fittings,  pump  rods, 
belting,  lumber,  engine  parts  and  other  supplies,  and  the  writer  started  for 
.Sterling's  Ranch  to  order  them.  In  the  meanwhile  the  engine  was  taken 
apart  and  cleaned.  Several  stagnant  waterholes  in  the  vicinity,  proving 
prolific  sources  as  mosquito  breeders,  were  emptied  and  cleaned,  and  a 
6  X  6-in.  timber  head  was  placed  in  the  windmill  structure  for  mounting 
the  pump  jack.  As  at  other  times  it  developed  the  22d  Engineers  had  all 
trades  represented,  for  four  men  were  found  in  the  company  who  knew  the 
moods  of  gasoline  engines  and  finally  coaxed  it  into  action.  After  twenty- 
two  working  hours  the  tank  was  installed,  the  engine  belted  up,  fittings 
made,  and  the  result  was  ten  gallons  per  minute.  Besides  the  accom- 
plished task  La  Gloria  will  long  live  in  the  memories  of  Company  C,  for 
the  singing  of  the  quartette,  the  Quixotic  speech  of  "Dizzy"  O'Rourke 
from  the  top  of  the  windmill,  and  the  outburst  of  post  No.  4  with  "Oh 
Sergeant,  Sergeant,  the  'willies'  are  coming" ! 


1 


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^ 


%(    Q. 


i  iic  cumpany  left  for  McAllen  at  5.30  p.m.,  arriving  there  at  1.55  a.m., 
having  taken  only  the  customary  rests  and  one  hour  at  Mission.  This  is 
one  of  the  best  hike  records  made,  although  it  was  done  under  the  patron- 
age of  a  glorious  moon. 

Water  supply  work  was  also  required  at  Laguna  Seca,  where  the  West 
Indian  hurricanes  had  severely  damaged  the  seven  extant  windmills. 
Capt.  Woodward  and  a  detail  from  Company  B  was  hurried  there  in  a 
motor  truck.  When  they  arrived  they  found  several  essentials  lacking,  but 
water  as  well,  so  they  rigged  up  a  rope  drive  using  the  jacked-up  rear 
wheels  of  the  motor  truck  as  a  prime  mover,  which  proved  successful. 

About  September  ist,  the  two  battalions  were  reorganized  into  a  regi- 
ment of  engineers  in  accordance  with  the  new  table  of  organization.  This 
resulted  in  the  apportionment  of  Lt.-Col.  \V.  Conrow,  commanding.  Major 
H.  Garrison,  ist  battalion,  and  Major  F.  Humphreys,  2d  battalion,  Capt 
Dieges  and  Lane  as  battalion  adjutants,  and  Capt.  Bates  as  regimental 
adjutant,  vice  Capt.  Barrett,  appointed  to  command  of  Company  B.  Capt. 
Robinson  became  topographical  officer  and  Capt.  Snyder  and  Lt.  Palmer 
were  placed  in  command  of  Companies  D  and  C  respectively.  Chaplain 
Fell  also  joined  the  regiment.  Capt.  Dunn  was  made  regimental  supply 
officer,  and  nine  master  engineer  sergeants  were  appointed  and  warranted. 
Immediately  after  the  reorganization  Capt.  Snyder,  commanding  D  Com- 
pany, was  sent  to  Los  Ebanos,  and  Capt.  Johnson,  F  Company,  to  Sam 
Fordyce.  Major  Humphreys  also  took  station  at  Los  Ebanos.  These  two 
companies  were  given  the  task  of  taking  care  of  the  heavy  ponton  train, 
which  had  been  damaged  by  the  weather.  They  also  improved  the  water 
supply.  These  troops  remained  at  the  above  stations  until  recalled  to 
McAllen,  when  the  first  battalion  was  ordered  home. 

Most  of  the  road  work  was  done  under  contract,  and  the  engineers  only 
gave  attention  to  such  bad  spots  as  were  in  need  of  immediate  repair.  All 
the  companies  of  the  regiment  did  a  good  share  of  this  work,  of  which 
there  was  much.  It  is  hardly  necessary  here  to  digress  on  the  condition  of 
the  roads  during  the  rainy  season.  Capt.  Daly  and  Bates,  of  the  engineers, 
were  in  charge  of  the  contract  road  work  for  some  time,  and  during  the 
former's  administration  one  of  the  main  regimental  thoroughfares  was 
treated  to  a  gravel  surface,  which  pro\'ed  a  great  improvement. 

At  the  time  the  second  battalion  left  McAllen,  a  map  covering  234 
square  miles  in  extent  had  been  made.  This  covered  all  topographical 
features  and  such  other  information  as  was  necessary  for  tactical  pur- 
poses. Most  of  this  work  was  done  with  the  military  plane  table,  and 
covered  territory  as  far  east  as  Donna  and  as  far  west  as  Los  Ebanos. 
The  data  gathered  forms  a  valuable  collection  of  information.  The  work 
was  in  charge  of  Capt.  Robinson. 

The  infantry  rifle  range  at  La  Gloria,  designed  by  Major  Waterbury 
and  Capt.  Robinson,  was  constructed  by  Company  C,  who  seemed  to 
have  an  affinity  for  the  place.  The  range  was  3,600  ft.  long,  and  the  work 
consisted  of  digging  a  conduit  trench  3,600  ft.  long,  3  x  10  x  7  ft,  operating 


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pits  at  the  300,  500,  700  and  1,200  yd.  points,  a  set  of  target  butts,  and  clear- 
ing a  space  225  x  900  ft.  of  stubborn  cactus,  mesquite  and  other  allied  desert 
growth,  also  in  the  construction  of  mechanism  for  operating  surprise  fig- 
ures at  various  points.  It  took  a  week  of  good  hard  work,  and  a  detail  of 
60  men  from  B  Company  helped  one  day  in  clearing.  Lt.  Palmer,  com- 
manding C  Company,  and  a  detail  of  thirty-four  men,  also  took  charge  of 
the  operation  of  the  range,  later  succeeded  by  Lt.  Barbour  and  a  detail  of 
men  from  Company  E. 

Under  direction  of  Lt.-Col.  Conrow  and  the  immediate  supervisioin  of 
■Capt.  Robinson,  a  complete  system  of  modern  trenches  was  traced  and 
constructed  in  a  field  adjoining  the  engineer  camp.  The  dimensions  were 
■of  a  size  to  accommodate  one  company.  The  first-line  trenches  were  of  the 
■en-quad  traverse  type,  and  were  connected  by  communicating  trenches 
to  dressing  stations,  bomb-proofs,  latrines,  overhead  shelters,  and  other 
features  dictated  by  most  modern  practice.  Work  in  sapping  and  mining 
was  also  carried  on,  and  troops  were  trained  in  defensive  work  in  con- 
nection with  mine  craters.  The  execution  of  this  work  was  the  daily  engi- 
neer drill  of  such  engineer  troops  as  were  not  otherwise  detailed.  In  front 
of  the  trenches  a  complete  system  of  barbed  wire  entanglements  was  con- 
structed, together  with  other  types  of  obstacles.  A  trip  wire  system  was 
also  installed  to  prevent  night  surprises  and  attacks.  On  approaching  the 
entanglements  the  enemy  could  not  avoid  contact  with  the  wire,  which 
automatically  released  a  device,  which  in  turn  exploded  flares  provided 
with  reflectors,  outlining  all  in  strong  silhouette,  and  bringing  them  under 
■direct  field  of  fire  of  the  trenches.  Mortars  were  also  constructed  having 
a  sector  of  from  40  to  60  degrees,  from  which  illuminating  bombs  were 
fired,  lighting  up  the  entire  field.  Several  night  maneuvers  proved  the 
success  of  this  work. 

The  entire  system  of  defense  was  used  as  a  school  of  instruction  for 
members  of  the  various  infantry  units,  who  attended  lectures  by  engineer 
•officers  and  were  taught  how  to  trace  and  dig  trenches  efficiently. 

Shortly  after  the  engineers  arrived  on  the  border  Lt.  Thos.  A.  Crim- 
mins,  of  A  Company,  was  detailed  to  the  quartermaster's  department  to 
supervise  the  erection  of  structures.  He  was  assisted  in  the  work  by 
Master  Engineer  Sergeant  Kiniernan,  Sergeant  Boster,  F  Company,  and 
Privates  Colgate,  Patterson  and  Vollmer,  of  A  Company. 

The  work  done  under  them  consisted  of  149  mess  shacks,  six  regi- 
mental storehouses,  quartermaster's  depot,  base  hospital,  field  bakery, 
■pack  train  shed,  and  motor  truck  shed,  besides  tent  flooring  benches  and 
tables.  It  is  estimated  that  approximately  1,250,000  feet  of  lumber  were 
used  in  these  various  operations.  This  work  without  question  contributed 
more  to  the  comfort  of  the  men  than  any  other  performed,  for  no  one  will 
gainsay  that  the  mess  shacks  and  tent  floors  did  a  great  deal  to  make  life 
more  bearable. 

Everyone  who  was  on  the  Border  is  familiar  with  the  necessary  but 
.malodorous  existence  of  incinerators,  and  a  trip  of  inspection  among  them 


1 


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was  highly  interesting,  because  they  revealed  so  many  and  varied  ambi- 
tions along  lines  of  masonry  construction.  Several  experimental  ones 
Iniilt  by  the  engineers  almost  rivaled  the  famous  (luiffery  and  pungent 
"Incinerator"  of  Rio  Grande  Rattler  fame. 

Two  were  built  by  the  engineers  along  the  line  of  boiler  furnace  con- 
struction, supplied  with  grates,  ashpits  and  superimposed  grates  for  des- 
troying solid  mess  offal.  By  means  of  baffles,  the  space  under  the  pan 
was  reduced  to  six  inches  and  this  saved  much  wood.  Tests  made  with 
these  showed  that  the  offal  of  one  mess  could  be  destroyed  in  two  hours, 
shortening  the  term  of  the  blacklisted  detail  in  charge.  The  C  Company 
incinerator  showed  the  love  of  the  craftsman,  for  Private  Kelly,  who  is  a 
bricklayer  by  trade,  did  work  which  is  rated  at  the  laying  of  eight-brick  per 
day,  and  the  job  was  certainly  a  fine  one. 

Seeking  after  comfort  is  one  of  the  unwritten  laws  of  the  soldier  and  in 
pursuit  of  it  sluiceways  and  watergatos  on  a  neighboring  ranch  suf- 
fered, according  to  claims  by  the  owner.  At  all  events  a  detail  from 
Company  C  was  ordered  to  rebuild  them.  Whoever  supervised  the  work 
was  no  mean  adept  at  demolition  work,  for  he  knew  how  to  get  at  the  inner 
workings.  After  a  week's  hard  work  these  were  replaced  with  new 
material.  To  placate  the  outraged  feelings  of  the  owner,  standards 
equipped  with  drums,  were  added  which  would  save  him  from  a  wetting. 
The  sluiceways  were  4  x  6  x  i8  ft.  with  4x6  gates. 

This  describes  briefly  the  various  engineering  activities  of  the  22d  Engi- 
neers on  the  Border,  which  though  brief  in  description  involved  many 
weary  hours  of  work.  Details  were  always  in  demand  and  little  time  was 
devoted  to  siesta  and  maiiana,  the  prevailing  Mexican  deities. 

In  addition  to  their  engineering  duties,  the  engineer  troops  enjoyed 
all  the  various  phases  of  infantry  drill.  In  addition  they  had  ponton 
bridge  trestle  drills  on  Lake  Conception,  and  several  exciting  races.  Be- 
sides this  a  mounted  detail  from  each  company,  under  the  command  of 
Capt.  Bates,  were  given  a  vigorous  course  in  cavalry  drill,  and  those  who 
were  present  afterwards  denied  seeing  anything  so  very  wonderful  in  Cos- 
sack riding.  That  the  engineers  were  proficient  in  infantry  drill  is  easily 
shown  bv  the  splendid  showing  made  by  the  Second  Battalion  at  the  third 
review,  on  which  occasion  they  not  only  received  the  encomiums  of  ]Major 
General  OR  van,  but  also  of  the  regular  army  officer.  The  battalion  was 
under  command  of  Major  Frederick  Humphreys. 

Much  improved  in  health,  discipline  and  morale  the  First  Battalion  left 
for  New  York  October  12th.  The  Second  Battalion,  in  the  same  condition, 
only  with  a  hardier  bronze,  arrived  in  New  York  on  Christmas  Eve  and 
paraded  up  Fifth  .\vciuie  under  the  leadership  of  Colonel  Cornelius  \'an- 
derbilt. 


V.-^^  '■<■.*■  -isi 


Bivouac  at  Ojo  de  Agua 


c 


T« 


THE  SQUADRON  A,  CAVALRY 

By  Major  William  R.  Wright 

On  June  19,  191 7,  information  was  received  that  the  President  of  the 
United  States  had  called  upon  the  National  Guard  to  do  something  as  yet 
undetermined  but  involving  mobilization.  The  Squadron  at  that  time  was 
scattered  over  the  face  of  the  earth,  in  Switzerland,  California,  Yellowstone 
Park  and  many  other  places  frequented  by  privates  of  cavalry  when 
not  on  active  duty,  but  all  started  back  at  once,  and  by  the  same  evening 
95  per  cent,  were  on  deck  for  assembly,  all  others  coming  in  to  report  with 
a  promptness  in  proportion  to  their  distance. 

During  the  first  week  of  our  service  the  galleries  of  the  armory  were 
filled  with  eager  cavalrymen,  the  burden  of  whose  conversation  was  "A 
horse,  a  horse,  my  kingdom  for  a  horse."  The  130  horses  always  on  hand 
would  of  course  not  go  far  towards  mounting  the  500  eager  applicants  that, 
with  the  troops  at  war  strength,  would  clamor  for  something  better  than 
shanks  mare.  Fortunately  arrangements  had  already  been  made  to  supply 
the  Squadron  with  horses  for  Camp  Whitman  and  this  contract  was  changed 
to  meet  the  new  conditions.  On  Wednesday,  the  20th,  therefore,  Troops 
A  and  B  mounted  their  own  horses  and  rode  off  to  Van  Cortlandt  to 
establish  camp,  while  a  detail  from  the  other  troops  departed  for  the  West 
130th  Street  docks  to  receive  the  first  instalment  of  our  new  thorough- 
breds. 

In  accounts  of  the  doings  of  the  various  equine  reception  committees 
details  vary,  but  all  unite  in  saying  that  German  Sherman  was  right.  A 
vast  open  space  with  a  concrete  floor  was  carefully  moistened  to  the 
required  degree  of  slipperiness,  and  filled  with  the  requisite  number  of 
horses  from  lighters,  the  horses  were  then  properly  excited  by  black  snake 
whips  operated  by  well-trained  hostlers,  and  the  game  was  on.  The  rules 
prescribed  that  troopers  should  not  hit  in  the  clinches  and  should  break 
clean  when  torn  asunder  by  two  or  more  steeds  going  in  diflferent  direc- 
tions, but  no  restrictions  were  placed  on  the  steeds  themselves.  A  man 
who  did  secure  a  good  horse  and  got  him  out  of  the  dock  usually  had  him 
taken  away  by  the  Division  Q.  M.  Department  at  once  and  given  to  some 
other  organization ;  unless  the  intelligent  animal  seconded  his  efforts  to 
dodge  quickly  around  the  corner  and  escape  with  his  prize.  Even  when 
our  chargers  were  safely  delivered,  assigned  to  troops  and  tied  on  the  picket 
line  troubles  did  not  cease.  Devilish  ingenuity  was  shown  by  stable 
sergeants  who  had  acquired  a  particular  trying  lot.  He  who  could  day 
after  day  report  the  same  number  of  horses  on  the  line  and  yet  point  with 
pride  to  a  steady  improvement  in  their  appearance  and  manners,  was  in 
direct  line  for  promotion.  Sorry  indeed  was  the  fate  of  the  recruit  horse 
guard  who,  while  dreaming  of  the  glories  of  war,  found  at  the  end  of  his 
tour  of  duty  that  he  had  seven  more  horses  than  when  he  started,  and  that 


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all  of  the  seven  were  kicking  seventeen  different  ways.  Stern  were  the 
refusals  of  experienced  troopers  when  loose  horses  were  brought  up  to  be 
tied  to  their  line;  although  their  captors  (from  another  troop)  might  even 
tearfully  protest  that  they  just  saw  them  break  away  from  that  line  and 
had  expected  thanks  for  their  kindness. 

During  this  excitement  the  troops  had  all  been  moved  to  the  camp  at 
Van  Cortlandt  Park,  recruits  had  been  enlisted  to  fill  all  the  five  troops  to 
within  a  few  numbers  of  war  strength,  large  boxes  of  uniforms,  supplies 
and  arms  were  arriving  daily,  and  drills,  horse  training  and  fatigue  duty 
were  ahvays  with  us. 

Our  departure  had  been  delayed  by  the  necessity  of  securing  horses 
for  all.  On  July  5th,  however,  everything  was  ready ;  all  sworn  in,  exam- 
ined, and  mustered ;  well  equipped  with  arms,  uniforms,  and  other  martial 
trappings ;  a  horse,  such  as  he  was,  for  every  man,  mules  for  every  wagon 
and  machine  gun  pack,  and  we  received  the  permission  of  the  Eastern 
Department  to  fire  when  we  were  ready.  On  the  morning  of  Thursday  the 
sixth,  we  broke  camp,  packed  up,  received  the  colors  with  ceremony,  and 
in  column  of  twos  rode  under  the  fine  trees  of  the  park  bound  for  our 
entraining  point  at  Yonkers — "Every  man  a  millionaire  and  mounted  on  a 
thoroughbred'' — as  the  daily  press  so  beautifully  and  truly  has  described  it. 

Let  us  pass  briefly  over  our  outward  bound  trip.  It  was  marked  by 
extreme  deliberation  and  lack  of  haste.  Twice  freight  trains  could  not 
slow  up  enough  and  ran  into  us  from  the  rear.  As  the  rear  car  by  regula- 
tions is  devoted  to  officers,  these  accidents  could  not  have  had  serious 
consequences  and  created  no  excitement.  Through  the  heart  of  the  con- 
tinent we  majestically  proceeded  while  tortoises  and  snails  whizzed  by  us 
towards  the  front.  At  Parsons,  Mo.,  when  we  had  finally  learned  the  art 
of  sleeping  in  day  coaches,  they  were  removed,  and  we  had  to  start  all  over 
again  and  get  the  hang  of  a  tourist  sleeper.  At  last  we  were  in  Texas, 
we  reached  Houston,  Harlingen,  Donna,  Pharr,  McAllen  ; — we  were  then 
in  the   "M.Tgic  A'alley," — on   the   Border   at   last. 

For  the  first  month  or  two  our  chief  impression  of  Texas  can  be 
expressed  in  three  letters, — an  M,  a  U,  and  a  great  big  D.  There  was  mud 
in  camp  and  mud  when  we  drilled,  mud  on  all  hikes,  and  mud  in  which  our 
motor  trucks  sank  with  all  on  board.  Our  horses  drank  the  same  material 
slightly  diluted  with  water,  and  in  so  doing  plastered  themselves  and  their 
riders  from  head  to  foot.  Very  soon  after  our  arrival  our  camp  was 
ditched  and  supposedly  drained  ;  dikes  and  ditches  protected  all  tents  and 
we  thought  that  we  were  ready  for  anything.  One  Sunday,  however, 
Texas  favored  us  with  the  first  of  its  many  weather  surprises.  A  shower, 
seemingly  no  more  severe  than  others,  visited  us  and  our  beautiful  camp 
disappeared  under  the  waves.  Ditches  ceased  to  exist,  dikes  were  sub- 
merged and  dissolved.  With  frantic  haste  each  troop  turned  out  en  masse 
and  put  forth  every  effort  to  dam  the  waters  into  another  Troop  street  be- 
fore they  could  be  dammed  into  theirs. 

Our  military  instruction  and  training  falls  naturally  into  several  classes. 


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First  our  hikes,  because  in  many  ways  they  were  a  holiday  as  they  took  us 
out  of  the  camp  and  varied  the  monotony.  On  August  second,  three  weeks 
after  our  arrival,  we  were  pronounced  ready  for  our  first  one,  and  accom- 
panied by  the  Division  Commander  set  out  to  look  over  the  ground  for  the 
Infantry  hikes  which  later  were  required  of  all  troops.  The  first  of  the 
Division,  we  left  our  hoof  marks  in  turn  in  Sterling's,  La  Gloria,  McAUen's 
Ranch,  Young's  Ranch,  I,aguna  Seca  and  Monte  Christo.  'Tis  true  that 
our  own  motor  trucks  and  those  sent  to  us  by  the  Division  Quartermaster 
sank  all  over  the  country  and  had  to  be  pulled  out  on  our  return  trip.  Still 
we  saw  the  mesquite  country,  and  we  successfully  made  one  day's  march 
of  over  thirty  miles.  Getting  away  from  the  McAllen  mud  hole  did  both 
men  and  horses  good  in  spite  of  hard  work  and  short  rations. 

While  the  Infantry  marches  previously  referred  to  were  being  held. 
Troop  C  was  detailed  to  Monte  Christo,  ostensibly  as  Supply  Depot  gu^ard, 
really  to  act  as  stevedores.  This  hard  work  was  turned  into  a  sporting 
event  and  many  records  for  unloading  freight  were  shattered  by  our  ama- 
teur roustabouts.  Later  Troops  D  and  A  in  turn  held  down  this  job,  btit 
C  Troop  had  the  longest  service,  including  the  experience  of  passing 
through  the  hurricane  in  shelter  tent  camp,  and  "pointed  with  pride"  to  the 
fact  that  one  tent  stayed  up  throughout  the  storm.  B  Troop  saw  detached 
service  at  Mission  with  Troop  D,  2nd  U.  S.  Cavalry,  while  the  Machine 
Gun  Troop  had  two  private  trips,  to  Penitas  for  target  practice  and  to 
Harlingen,  at  the  Machine  Gun  School. 

Drills  were  varied  with  field  problems  and,  no  matter  what  decision 
was  given  by  an  umpire,  these  always  furnished  food  for  discussion  and 
mutual  recrimination  for  days  afterwards.  We  had  also  several  larger 
maneuvers  in  connection  with  other  troops  of  the  Brigade,  the  first  of 
which  was  made  notable  by  our  capture  of  Hidalgo  without  firing  a  shot; 
owing  to  our  adopting  the  safe  though  oft-neglected  method  of  approach- 
ing via  the  family  entrance  instead  of  the  front  door.  On  another  occasion 
we  planned  a  little  problem  all  our  own,  to  attack  theoretically  a  former 
Mexican  settlement,  where  some  squatters  had  recently  been  evicted  and 
their  houses  and  crops  burned  by  the  sherifs.  Approaching  the  supposedly 
deserted  ruins,  concealed  in  thick  brush,  we  guarded  every  avenue  of  exit, 
formed  cordon  of  mounted  .skirmishers  and  charged  in  with  raised  pistols, 
to  discover  that  our  "bag"  contained  five  Texas  rangers,  bristling  with 
weapons  as  usual,  and  somewhat  puzzled  at  our  offensive  appearance. 

A  feature  of  our  training  throughout  was  the  call  to  arms,  usually  just 
when  one  was  carefully  squeezing  four  aces.  At  this  psychological  moment 
a  loud  bugle  call  would  shatter  the  calm  of  night.  Musical  critics  would 
announce  that  it  was  "To  Horse,''  "To  Arms,"  or  anything  equally  foolish. 
You  were  expected  to  dash  madly  to  your  tent,  clothe  and  arm  yourself 
and  possibly  continue  to  the  picket  line,  where  you  rudely  awakened  your 
trusty  steed  and  placed  saddles  and  other  things  on  unusual  parts  of  his 
anatomy,  owing  to  the  dark  and  to  his  habit  of  changing  ends  while  you 
picked  things  up.    Then  in  some  cases  you  would  form  skirmish  line  and 


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plunge  through  the  cactus,  invariably  picknig  oui  the  largest  and  thorni- 
est plant  on  which  to  prostrate  yourself  when  the  line  was  halted. 

A  particularly  pleasant  and  profitable  trip  was  the  field  firing  at  La 
Gloria.  We  had  had  practice  before  at  the  short  range  near  Sharyland, 
but  this  was  different.  Not  only  was  it  instructive,  but  it  was  good  fun, 
and  we  fired  with  vindictive  energy  at  the  sometimes  almost  invisible 
silhouettes.  When  all  records  were  in,  and  we  learned  that  the  Squadron 
led  the  Division  in  battalion  scores,  and  that  all  of  our  troops  had  finished 
in  the  first  twelve  companies,  we  were  satisfied  indeed. 

Reviews,  possibly  unpopular  to  other  troops  at  McAllen,  were  no  hard- 
ship to  us.  As  the  line  of  march  to  the  White  House  field  ran  by  our  camp, 
and  as  our  honorable  position  at  such  functions  was  at  the  tail  of  the 
column,  we  could  always  breakfast,  saddle  and  fall  in  leisurely,  while  in- 
fantry and  artillery  plodded  by,  and  finally  the  appearance  of  the  First 
Cavalry  would  warn  us  that  our  time  was  approaching.  Nor  when  we 
reached  the  held  was  the  review  lacking  in  novel  features,  at  least  after  the 
introduction  of  the  "extended  gallop."  We  received  this  innovation  coldly 
when  first  it  was  sprung  on  us,  and  the  Squadron  Field  and  Stafif  beat  the 
rest  of  the  organization  by  approximately  half  a  mile.  Thereafter  we  woke 
up  to  the  possibilities  of  such  a  maneuver,  and  on  future  occasions  they 
had  to  ride  for  their  lives. 

One  of  the  pleasantest  features  of  our  service,  the  nearest  approach  to 
what  we  had  expected  when  mobilized,  was  river  patrol.  Within  a  week 
of  our  arrival  at  McAllen  a  composite  troop  was  ordered  to  Hidalgo  for 
this  duty.  How  eagerly  were  places  on  this  detail  sought  after.  \\'hat 
tales  they  brought  back  of  the  iazy  brown  river,  of  peaceful  Mexico  seen 
close  at  hand,  of  willow  thickets  and  steaming  heat  therein,  of  Mexican 
guides  and  of  the  military  road.  Later  the  entire  Squadron  performed  this 
duty;  the  Machine  Gun  Troop  at  Jackson's  Crossing,  C  and  D  at  Madero, 
A  and  B  at  Dougherty's  Ranch.  These  were  halcyon  days.  W'c  clamored 
for  Cossack  post  assignment,  or  failing  that  to  be  at  least  on  a  visiting 
]iatrol.  Even  in  the  camps  of  the  supports  the  mess  which  did  not  supply 
duck,  quail,  rabbit,  hot  bread  and  honey  was  at  once  deserted  for  neigh- 
boring haciendas  which  did  so.     AH  too  soon  were  we  ordered  back. 

Lieutenant  Colonel  John  D.  Hartman,  2d  U.  !>.  Cavalry,  joined  us  in 
August  as  Inspector  Instructor.  Remaining  only  a  short  time,  he  proved 
himself  to  be  the  finest  type  of  regular  cavalry  officer,  and  left  with  us  the 
sincere  hope  that  our  trails  would  often  cross  again.  He  returned  later 
and  with  nimierous  other  members  of  the  Inspection  Board  put  us  through 
our  paces  in  an  unexpected  and  thorough  field  inspection.  A  little  later 
Captain  KdlvTt  C.  Foy,  2d  U.  .S.  Cavalry,  was  detailed,  afterwards  affec- 
tionately and  naturally,  but  to  his  own  great  mystification,  known  as 
'"Eddie."  He  introduced  us  to  the  "Riley  seat"  which  caused  stiffness  and 
soreness  to  so  many  supposedly  hardened  cavalrymen.  .\t  first  it  seemed 
to  consist  of  placing  our  knees  against  our  chests  and  maintaining  our 
equilibrium  hv  pra\-er  alone.     Later  we  grew  more  at  ease. 


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One  day  the  Major  General  appeared  approaching  from  the  direction  of 
McAllen.  The  Squadron  was  at  drill.  Number  i  gazed  in  horror,  hoping 
against  hope  that  something  would  deflect  him.  Hope  faded  and  died. 
"Turn  out  the  guard,  Major  General  Commanding.'"  One  bashful  rookie 
burst  from  the  guard  tent,  blushing  at  thus  being  thrust  into  the  limelight. 
He  formed  platoon  front,  counted  fours  and  presented  arms.  The  General 
appeared  mterested.  He  dismounted,  inspected  the  guard  in  detail  and 
asked  for  the  commanding  officer.  For  some  time  after  this  the  guard 
tent  was  always  crowded ;  Generals,  Colonels  and  privates  who  passed 
were  received  with  all  the  honors  of  war.  The  entire  guard  was  there  in 
serried  ranks.  Arms  flashed  and  bugles  flourished.  Evidently  we  were  at 
war  again. 

While  all  these  martial  duties  had  been  going  on  our  camp  had  been 
gradually  changing;  in  fact,  improvements  were  being  made  up  to  the  date 
of  our  departure.  The  camp  water  system,  which  never  produced  more  than 
a  gentle  perspiration,  was  replaced  by  our  own  well,  pump,  tank  and  pipe 
lines ;  the  gift  of  a  member  of  Troop  B,  anonymous  but  ever  blessed. 
Watering  troughs  for  the  horses  and  shower  baths  for  the  men  appeared. 
Water  flowed  freely.  No  longer  was  it  necessary  to  buy  White  Rock  with 
which  to  shave.  Not  to  us  applied  the  daily  order  which  came  down  from 
headquarters  that  "owing  to  the  scarcity  of  water  shower  baths  would  be 
permitted  only  between  the  hours  of  2.00  and  2.05  a.m."  Canvas  covered 
horse  sheds,  screened  tent  frames,  mess  shacks,  officers'  "bird  houses" 
appeared,  and  our  own  roomy  infirmary  and  diet  kitchen.  When  once 
admitted  there  even  caviar  and  pate-de-foie-gras  was  yours  for  the  asking: 
and  methods  of  faking  just  the  right  temperature  to  prolong  the  stay  were 
cherished  secrets.  The  Squadron  A  Club,  "Texas  Branch,"  was  built, 
which  made  us  think  of  home  over  our  Beevo  because  it  was  so  different 
Cboth  architecturally  and  alcoholically).  Later  it  was  supplied  with  a 
large  blackboard  for  football  scores  and  totally  erroneous  and  misleading 
election  returns. 

More  sturdy  sports  prevented  our  decadence.  We  entered  the  Field 
and  Frontier  Day  with  enthusiasm.  Our  magnificent  track  and  field  team 
of  one  consistent  point-winner  carried  off  the  point  prize  from  all  the  foot 
soldiers  of  the  Division.  Our  mounted  athletes  also  scored  the  greatest 
number  of  points  in  the  mounted  part  of  the  program,  and  we  were  con- 
tent. Two  polo  games  were  played  with  the  Army  Officers  at  Fort  Brown. 
Both  lacked  the  vital  element  of  victory,  but  both  were  close,  fast  con- 
tests and  also  served  to  introduce  us  to  the  joys  of  Brownsville.  In  camp, 
ba,seball  (hard  and  soft),  football,  soccer,  and  general  roughhouse  filled 
our  few  daylight  hours  of  leisure,  while  at  night  the  great  American  game 
flourished,  with  bridge  or  chess  for  the  high-brows.  Several  crap  shooters 
of  All-American  calibre  were  also  discovered.  Such  were  our  humble  and 
homely  pleasures. 

A  few  days  before  Thanksgiving  the  Division  Commander  sent  word' 
to  us  that  in  appreciation  of  the  services  of  the  Squadron,  a  three  days" 


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holiday  could  be  granted  to  a  reasonable  number.  The  fortunate  ones 
scattered  over  Texas, — to  San  Antonio,  Galveston,  Corpus  Christi,  and 
many  other  abodes  of  civilization.  Such  an  event  as  this  predicated  other 
happenings.  They  came  on  the  Monday  following  our  return,  in  the  shape 
of  orders  for  home.  Whether  these  orders  resulted  from  petitions  from  the 
above  mentioned  towns  that  we  be  removed  at  once,  we  cared  not.  We 
•only  rejoiced  and  wired  to  New  York  to  reserve  tables  at  our  favorite 
hostelry,  to  celebrate  our  relief  from  bondage. 

Thursday,  December  15th,  was  finally  set  for  our  departure.  Camp 
was  struck,  our  furniture  and  personal  property  distributed  to  the  less  for- 
tunate, the  32  horses  per  troop  which  we  were  to  take  home  were  picked 
out  and  the  other  sent  to  San  Antonio,  the  train  all  loaded,'  and  we  were 
ready.  We  cannot  fail  to  make  mention  of  the  kind  send-off  given  us  by 
the  less  fortunate  organizations  which  we  left  at  McAllen.  The  luncheon 
at  the  1 2th  Infantry  Camp,  their  subsequent  parade  at  the  train,  the  colifee 
and  chocolate  served  by  the  69th  at  the  train  that  evening,  the  turning 
out  of  the  entire  1st  Cavalry  mounted  to  bid  us  farewell,  all  made  us  feel 
that  the  New  York  Division  was  something  more  than  a  name. 

About  midnight  the  wheels  commenced  to  turn ;  we  were  off  at  last. 
The  trip  home  was  of  course  marked  by  the  same  speed  as  when  outward 
bound.  Of  course  at  one  place  we  had  to  unload  and  repack  all  of  our 
wagons,  because  the  cars  in  which  they  were  placed  were  declared  to  be 
too  large  to  go  through  certain  West  \'irginia  tunnels :  but  this  was 
merely  a  customary  and  usual  incident  to  troop  travel.  Finally,  the 
first  section  pulled  into  Jersey  City  at  i  a.m.  on  Saturday,  December 
23rd,  and  at  daylight  we  started  to  unload.  The  second  section,  with 
the  horses,  arrived  about  10,  and  by  noon  we  were  saddled  up  and 
ready  to  start  across  the  ferry.  Horses  and  men  were  chilled  through 
l)y  the  biting  cold  wind,  but  we  were  on  the  last  lap  and  the  knowl- 
edge of  this  brought  a  warm  glow  in  spite  of  all.  Soon  we  were  all 
formed  in  the  West  23rd  Street  Ferry  plaza,  with  wagons  packed  and 
ready  to  be  towed  behind  the  motor  trucks  which  had  done  such  good 
service  throughout.  Escorted  by  the  Depot  Squadron  we  marched  through 
to  Fifth  Avenue,  swung  into  platoon  column,  and  drew  sabre.  What  we 
had  been  dreaming  of  for  months  was  actually  taking  place,  but  not  until 
this  moment  could  we  feel  that  it  was  really  true.  Through  Christmas 
streets,  and  between  Christmas  crowds  which  received  us  with  kindly 
applause,  past  friends  whose  greetings  strained  "attention"  to  the  break- 
ing point,  past  the  reviewing  stand  at  the  University  Club,  filled  with  civic 
and  military  dignitaries,  we  pressed  on  to  the  Armory,  and  finally  filed 
through  its  familiar  door.  A  few  minutes  to  put  away  equipment  and 
horses  (and  how  it  all  ever  was  packed  in  there  will  always  remain  a 
mystery),  and  we  reformed  dismounted  to  march  to  the  8th  Regiment 
Armory,  adjoining  ours,  where  ex-members  and  families,  food  and  drink, 
laughter  and  a  few  tears  awaited  us.  We  formed  in  mass,  retreat  was 
sounded,  and  we  were  dismissed.     The  finish  line  was  crossed. 


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Artti.i.fry   Camp 


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THE  FIRST  FIELD  ARTILLERY 

By  Lt  William  P.  Welsh 

Among  the  many  experiences  incidental  to  service  on  the  border,  in 
our  recent  unpleasantness  with  Mexico,  the  period  of  encampment  at  Van 
Cortlandt  Park  during  the  first  ten  days  following  the  President's  call  will 
hold  its  place  in  the  minds  of  most  artillery  men  with  almost  anything 
that  happened  subsequently.  I  say  artillery  men,  because  other  organiza- 
tions were  happily  spared  the  trials  which  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  First  and 
Second  Regiments  of  Field  Artillery.  Squadron  A  and  the  First  Cavalry 
were  encamped  somewhere  up  in  the  hills  to  the  northeast,  nobody  knew 
just  where,  but  the  four  city  batteries  of  the  ist  F.  A.,  B,  D,  E,  and  F, 
along  with  the  entire  2nd  F.  A.,  were  spread  out  invitingly  on  the  most 
accessible  and  attractive  area  in  the  Park,  the  polo  field.  The  result  was 
that  every  day  a  host  of  admiring  friends  gathered  to  partake  of  the  specta- 
cle. They  were  most  welcome,  and  it  would  be  unfair  to  imply  that  their 
attentions  and  interest  were  not  much  appreciated  by  officers  and  men 
alike,  but  the  efifect  from  the  military  standpoint  was  lamentable.  The 
reavy  routine  chore-work  characteristic  of  field  artillery  was  increased  to 
endless  proportions.  Everywhere  the  machinery  was  clogged.  Watering 
horses,  feeding,  grooming,  all  was  done  when  the  opportunity  seemed 
ripe  and  accomplished  more  by  persuasion  than  by  command.  But  even 
these  things  were  secondary  matters.  The  chief  occupation  consisted  in 
sending  after,  extricating  and  bringing  up  to  camp  the  horses  purchased  by 
the  government  and  unloaded  on  the  pier  at  130th  Street  and  Hudson 
River.  It  was  this  activity  which  more  than  anything  else  furnished  the 
tragedy  and  comedy  of  those  days  and  stamped  the  proceedings  as  some- 
thing better  than  a  cross  between  a  three-ring  circus  and  a  veritable  loi- 
Ranch.  These  horses  were  powerful  and  must  have  been  more  or  less  wild 
when  they  left  their  native  ranges  "somewhere  in  the  Northwest,"  and 
their  natural  dispositions  were  not  improved  by  the  hard  trip  East.  They 
were  unloaded  in  Jersey,  ferried  across  the  river  in  lighters  and  herded  on 
the  huge  pier  in  an  excited  and  formidable  mass  formation — and  this  is 
where  the  show  started.  The  simple  problem  then  consisted  in  getting 
them  from  the  pier  to  Van  Cortlandt.  To  do  this  a  detail  from  each  bat- 
tery was  sent  down  to  the  pier,  where  each  man  in  his  turn  was  directed  to 
a  certain  horse  with  instructions  to  place  a  halter  on  it  if  possible  and  lead 
it  away.  And  it  must  be  said  that  the  ensuing  melees  demonstrated  a  high 
order  of  courage  and  resolution  on  the  part  of  the  men.  But  the  agility 
and  skill  in  all-round  oflfensive-defensive  tactics  displayed  by  the  horses 
remains  unparalleled  in  the  experience  of  all  who  participated  in  the 
mighty  scenes.  Three  months  later.  General  Frederick  Funston  reviewed 
the  entire  New  York  division  in  a  great  Texas  field  three  miles  from  the 
Rio  Grande  :  and  it  is  said  that  his  only  comment  was  made  when  the 


3  r 


^' 


artillery  rolled  by  pulled  by  these  same  horses.    "They  have  done  wonders 
with  the  horses." 

Any  chronicle  of  field-artillery  is  apt  to  take  on  the  appearance  of  a 
series  of  anecdotes  about  horses.  This  is  not  because  there  is  nothing  else 
of  interest  in  it,  but  because  they  are  the  center  of  interest,  the  first  and 
last  dominating  problem.  There  was  much  going  on  all  this  time  of  a 
very  different  character.  Endless  checking  and  re-checking  of  property, 
muster-in  rolls  which  had  to  be  made  out  according  to  the  complex  Gov- 
ernment system.  Physical  examination  had  to  be  made ;  Federal  oaths 
had  to  be  signed ;  and,  last  but  not  least,  a  large  percentage  of  recruits  in 
all  organizations  had  to  be  instructed  in  elementary  military  principles, 
for  no  one  knew  how  soon  we  would  be  sent  into  action. 

The  horses  arrived  at  camp  in  groups  of  half  a  dozen  or  so  at  all  hours 
in  the  day  and  night  and  each  man  had  a  story  of  struggle  to  tell,  usually 
corroborated  by  mute  evidence  in  the  way  of  torn  clothing  and  occasion- 
ally bruises  and  bumps ;  only  in  one  or  two  cases  were  there  any  serious 
mishaps.  Some  of  the  horses,  having  contracted  influenza,  were  separated 
from  the  others  and  placed  under  the  care  of  the  veterinaries.  Government 
officials  proceeded  to  inspect  and  approve  those  fit  for  service,  and  to  con- 
demn those  unfit.  Those  which  were  approved  had  to  be  branded  and 
shod.  This  last  was  accomplished  with  the  aid  of  great  stocks  built  for 
the  occasion,  which  were  the  scene  of  many  more  heroic  and  it  must  be 
said,  brutal  struggles. 

But  at  last  things  were  whipped  into  shape  and  orders  came  to  move, 
the  Second  Battalion  under  Major  Austin  being  the  first  to  go.  They 
entrained  at  Yonkers  on  the  28th  of  June  and  pulled  out  late  that  night.  It 
was  five  days  later  that  orders  came  from  Headquarters,  B  Battery  and 
the  Hospital  Corps  to  move  out,  which  organizations  were  the  only  remain- 
ing units  of  the  First  F.  A.  at  Van  Cortlandt;  Batteries  A  and  C  having 
been  mobilized  at  Camp  Whitman,  did  not  join  the  regiment  until  all 
units   reached  the  border. 

Headquarters,  B  Battery,  the  Hospital  Corps  and  the  band  entrained 
at  Yonkers  on  July  3rd,  and  pulled  out  that  night.  A  bit  of  interesting 
inside  history  may  be  mentioned  here.  About  six  o'clock  that  evening 
when  every  unit  had  been  loaded,  bag  and  baggage,  orders  came  counter- 
manding the  order  to  entrain  and  directing  that  all  units  return  at  once  to 
Van  Cortlandt  Park,  there  to  await  an  inspection  of  property  which  would 
be  held  by  a  Federal  Inspector,  some  time  in  the  indefinite  future.  The 
consternation  caused  by  this  order  need  hardly  be  mentioned,  but  fortu- 
nately Tt.-Col.  Smith,  who  was  in  command  of  the  regiment  in  the  absence 
of  Col.  Rogers,  knew  where  a  strenuous  kick  would  do  some  good  and 
proceeded  forthwith  to  register  the  kick.  What  transpired  is  veiled  by  the 
censor,  but  after  a  tense  period  of  several  hours,  new  orders  came  clearing 
the  tracks  and  the  air  simultaneously,  and  the  train  started  on  its  eight- 
day  journey. 

A  detailed  account  of  experiences  on  the  trip  down  would  not  \ary  a 


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om^ti 


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§  C 


great  deal  from  those  of  other  organizations  on  the  way  to  the  border 
under  the  same  conditions.  All  had  to  take  whatever  accommodations 
were  provided  by  the  unsympathetic  railroads,  and  make  the  best  of  them. 
These  might  have  been  a  whole  lot  worse,  but  they  should  have  been  a 
great  deal  better.  The  difficulties  of  feeding  the  two  hundred  men  on  our 
train  three  times  a  day  were  not  lessened  by  the  primitive,  improvised 
kitchens  it  was  necessary  to  rig  up  in  the  common  freight  cars  allotted  to 
us  for  that  purpose.  The  stoves  had  to  be  taken  down,  reinforced  and  put 
up  again  at  least  once  a  day.  Whether  we  had  cofifee  for  supper  or  not 
depended  in  large  measure  upon  the  temperament  of  the  engineer  ahead. 
If  he  was  inclined  to  put  on  the  brakes  sharply,  stop  unexpectedly,  or  start 
again  suddenly,  the  absolute  minimum  of  liquid  in  all  receptacles  would  be 
emptied  on  what  remained  of  the  fire  in  the  stove  and  the  constantly 
soaked  floor.  But  it  was  valuable  experience  in  developing  the  resource- 
fulness and  self-reliance  mentioned  in  the  drill  regulations  and  that  is  the 
spirit  in  which  it  was  taken  by  the  men. 

The  country  we  traversed  during  the  greater  part  of  the  journey  was 
monotonous,  iminteresting  and  remarkable  for  lack  of  variety,  until  we 
reached  the  lower  region  of  Texas,  when  the  weird  hanging  moss  began 
to  appear  on  the  trees  and  all  vegetation  gradually  changed.  Houses  and 
signs  of  human  activity  became  very  infrequent,  and  the  beloved  cactus 
made  its  first  appearance.  On  the  day  before  we  reached  our  destination 
we  stopped  at  the  little  town  of  Kingsville  and  every  one  remembers  its 
refreshing  tropical  beauty,  with  its  palms,  Spanish  mission  architecture, 
plaza  and  clustered  electric  lights.  It  is  decidedly  the  prettiest  place  we 
visited,  all  the  more  pleasing  because  of  the  desolate  region  surrounding. 

In  regard  to  the  welfare  of  the  horses  it  is  only  necessary  to  explain 
that  approximately  once  in  every  twenty-four  hours  they  were  unloaded, 
watered,  fed  and  groomed.  This  schedule  extended  over  a  period  of  eight 
days  proved  to  be  every  exhausting  to  the  already  sorely  tried  animals. 
The  great  heat  also  contributed  to  their  discomfort,  so  that  when  we 
arrived  at  our  destination  they  were  all  very  tired,  a  large  percentage  sick 
with  distemper,  and  some  were  greatly  emaciated  and  worn, — this  in  spite 
of  all  that  could  be  done  by  commanding  officers,  veterinarians  and  all  con- 
cerned to  alleviate  the  harsh  conditions. 

The  Second  Battalion  reached  McAllcn  on  July  5th  and  proceeded  at 
once  to  make  itself  at  home.  The  ground  had  to  be  cleared  first  of  cactus, 
mesquite,  tarantulas,  scorpions,  lizards  and  various  other  fauna  and  flora 
more  or  less  frightful  in  appearance,  but  rarely  the  source  of  real  danger. 
The  ground  allotted  to  the  First  F.  A.  was  fortunately  slightly  higher  than 
that  of  the  rest  of  the  camp :  but  the  full  advantages  of  this  were  not  mani- 
fest until  later.  By  the  time  the  second  train,  containing  Headquarters,  B 
Battery,  etc.,  arrived  on  July  nth,  the  Second  Battalion  was  well  estab- 
lished. L.t.-Col.  Smith  was  greeted  at  the  depot  by  Major  Austin,  who 
gave  great  assistance  in  the  work  of  hauling  material  from  train  to  camp, 
using  the  Second  Battalion  horses  which  had  recuperated  from  the  trip. 


3 

9 


^'^■>--^'-~ 


& 


!'/■' 


The  days  that  followed  were  long  and  arduous,  the  business  of  making 
camp  occupying  the  attention  of  everyone.  Weather  conditions  were  a 
chief  source  of  exasperation.  We  were  told  by  the  natives  in  all  sincerity 
that  prior  to  the  arrival  of  the  soldiers  it  had  not  rained  a  drop  in  eleven 
months.  If  this  was  true,  Mother  Nature  certainly  exerted  herself  to  make 
up  for  lost  time.  The  sky  was  heavy  with  great  dark  clouds  most  of  the 
time,  the  air  hot  and  humid.  Suddenly  it  would  start  raining  and  for  a 
few  minutes  it  would  seem  like  a  small  sized  cloud-burst,  when  it  would 
as  suddenly  stop,  the  sun  would  break  through,  bake  everything  to  a  crisp 
brown  for  a  space  and  retire  behind  the  clouds;  then  it  would  start  raining 
again.  The  soil  was  of  a  sandy  nature  which  soaked  in  the  water  rapidly, 
but  the  time  came  within  a  few  weeks  when  it  seemed  to  have  soaked  in 
about  all  it  could  contain ;  when  the  camps  pitched  on  the  lower  ground 
began  first  to  be  muddy,  then  sloppy  and  finally  flooded.  It  was  then  that 
the  higher  ground  of  the  First  proved  to  be  a  blessing.  Except  during 
actual  showers,  our  ground  was  always  dry  and  strong  underfoot.  But 
heavy  rains  and  hot  sun  were  not  the  only  extremes  to  which  we  were 
treated.  Great  hurricanes  swept  in  from  the  Gulf  on  more  than  one 
memorable  occasion,  threatening  to  scatter  our  tents  and  material  over  a 
large  portion  of  Texas.  The  actual  damage  done  was  comparatively  small, 
due  to  the  great  energy  of  every  one  in  safeguarding  property. 

Field  training  began  in  earnest  the  second  week  after  reaching  Mc- 
,\llen.  Everything  previous  to  this  may  be  said  to  be  part  of  the  mobili- 
zation. The  mobilization  was  completed  with  the  arrival  of  A  and  C 
Batteries  on  July  17th  and  i8th.  This  united  the  First  Battalion  under 
Major  Seymour.  Lt.-Col.  Smith  was  now  in  command  of  the  entire 
regiment,  the  first  time  it  had  been  brought  together.  He  at  once  adopted 
a  programme  of  progressive  training,  starting  with  elementary  draft  exer- 
cises for  the  horses.  In  the  instruction  of  the  men  he  laid  especial 
emphasis  on  the  importance  of  guard  duty  and  gave  this  particular  branch 
his  keen  personal  attention.  OfScers'  School  was  conducted  every  day, 
Major  Seymour  and  Major  Austin  supervising  the  instruction  alternate 
weeks. 

This  schedule  was  followed  consistently  and  began  at  once  to  show 
results,  so  that  when  Col.  Rogers  arrived  on  July  22nd  the  whole  regiment 
was  "rolling  wheels."  hiking  and  holding  mounted  drills  every  day. 

Col.  Rogers  was  in  Japan  when  the  call  came  and  immediately  started  on 
the  return  journey  to  join  his  regiment.  He  had  been  troubled  with  ill 
liealth  for  some  time,  and  when  he  arrived  in  McAllen,  he  plainly  showed 
the  efifects  of  his  ailment.  However,  ill  health  did  not  deter  him  from 
taking  very  active  command  and,  after  preliminary  inspection  of  all  bat- 
teries, assured  General  McNair,  in  response  to  the  General's  query,  that 
the  regiment  was  prepared  to  hold  a  mounted  review  at  once.  The  next  day 
our  first  mounted  review  was  held,  and  from  that  time  forward  the  prog- 
ress of  the  regiment  proceeded  with  great  rapidity.  Hikes  were  taken  in 
all   directions,   the   longest  being  to   Sterling   Ranch   on   September   14th, 


-,^N^?  ^ 


^"'^ 


k^ 


3V, 


pitching  camp  for  the  night  and  returning  to  McAlIen  the  next  day.  On 
August  31st,  the  first  brigade  review  was  held  in  Jennings'  Field.  Mean- 
while, the  climate  was  not  improving  Col.  Rogers'  health,  and  he  was 
granted  a  thirty-day  leave  of  absence.  He  left  McAllen  on  the  ist  of  Sep- 
tember, Lt.-Col.  Smith  resuming  command  of  the  regiment. 

Space  limitations  prohibit  recounting  all  the  incidents  which  would 
make  interesting  reading,  but  one  event  should  be  included,  chiefly 
because  it  was  the  nearest  thing  to  real  action  which  we  experienced. 
Shortly  after  midnight,  August  17th,  the  camp  was  startled  by  several 
shots  fired  from  the  direction  of  the  Mexican  settlements  in  back  of  the 
watering  troughs,  about  a  half  mile  away.  This  was  followed  rapidly  by 
several  more  coming  from  our  sentries  who  at  the  same  time  sent  out  a 
call  to  "Turn  out  the  Guard."  More  shooting  and  more  calls  repeated 
from  sentry  to  sentry  turned  everyone  out  in  a  general  alarm.  To  add  to 
the  excitement,  the  bugle  sounded  the  call  "To  arms."  It  is  not  too  much 
to  say  that  everyone  believed  that  we  were  actually  attacked.  Batteries 
were  hastily  formed,  marched  to  the  parks,  and  the  horses  were  harnessed 
and  hitched  in  record  time  with  a  remarkable  lack  of  confusion.  But 
before  the  harnessing  was  complete  the  shooting  was  stopped  and  every- 
one was  wondering  what  had  happened.  After  a  wait  of  a  few  minutes 
General  McNair  directed  that  the  horses  be  unhitched  and  unharnessed. 
The  excitement  was  over.  The  next  day  it  developed  that  a  few  members 
of  the  2nd  F.  A.  had  merely  taken  that  way  to  celebrate  the  first  pay  day. 
It  is  hardly  necessary  to  add  they  were  given  something  else  to  celebrate. 

One  feature  which  served  to  break  the  monotony  of  camp  life  was  the 
sporting  Saturday  nighter  held  nearly  every  week.  The  regiment  is  in- 
debted to  Captain  Herbert  Shipman,  Chaplain,  for  the  clean,  sportsman- 
like conduct  of  these  events,  which  proved  so  popular.  The  regiment  is 
proud  to  have  among  its  members  several  real  champion  amateur  pugilists 
who  demonstrated  their  superiority  on  many  occasions. 

Chaplain  Shipman  held  divine  service  regularly  every  Sunday  morn- 
ing, the  attendance  being  consistently  good  and  in  no  small  way  a  tribute 
to  his  talent  and  earnestness. 

The  month  of  September  was  devoted  to  an  elaboration  of  the  field 
training  of  the  earlier  weeks.  The  efficiency  of  the  men  improved  notice- 
ably; their  work  became  easier  in  consequence,  and  this  in  turn  improved 
their  spirit.  They  gathered  speed,  so  to  speak ;  they  felt  that  they  were 
really  soldiers.  Towards  the  end  of  the  month,  preparations  were  made 
for  target  practice  at  I.a  Gloria,  six  miles  above  Sterling  Ranch.  Captain 
Verbeck  was  directed  to  proceed  with  A  Battery  to  La  Gloria  to  lay  out 
the  ranges,  set  up  targets  and  prepare  problems.  Accordingly  on  Septem- 
ber 15th,  A  battery  left  McAllen.  The  country  around  La  Gloria  was 
quite  wild  and  broken  only  by  rough  trails.  This  added  to  the  difficulties 
of  the  task,  but  the  manner  in  which  Captain  Verbeck  executed  his  com- 
mission excited  much  favorable  comment.  On  September  28th,  the  ranges 
were  reported  ready  for  firing.     And  on  October  2nd,  B  and  C  Batteries 


^.  -L 


hiked  to  Sterling;  l^anch,  which  was  to  be  their  camp  during  target  practice.- 

Lt.-Col.  Smith  was  granted  a  leave  of  absence  of  thirty  days,  beginning 
on  the  1st  of  October.  Col.  Rogers  had  been  granted  an  extension  of  his 
iea\e.  so  the  command  of  the  regiment  during  target  practice  devolved 
upon  Major  Seymour.  This  placed  Captain  X'erbeck  battalion  commander 
of  the  First  Battalion,  which  position  he  retained  during  their  firing. 

On  October  3rd  B  and  C  batteries,  under  Captain  McClure  and  Captain: 
Blakcslie  respectively,  reported  to  Captain  Verbeck  at  La  Gloria  for  the 
first  problem.  General  McNair,  brigade  commander,  supervising  the  fire, 
directed  that  Captain  Verbeck  fire  one  problem  for  instruction  purposes. 
This  served  to  show  the  officers  the  general  character  of  all  ensuing  prob- 
lems. The  flat  character  of  the  terrain  made  it  necessary  to  erect  observa- 
tion ladders  on  nearly  all  problems,  using  a  modification  of  direct  laying. 
The  officer  firing  the  problem  from  his  position  on  the  ladder  would  give 
the  general  direction  to  one  gun  of  the  battery  by  directing  that  the  trail 
bo  shifted  to  right  or  left;  then  parallel  fire  would  be  established  for  the 
other  three.  After  each  problem.  General  McNair  would  hold  a  critique  in 
which  errors  in  observation  or  method  were  pointed  out  and  the  way  to- 
correct  them  indicated.  All  data  was  checked  up  with  the  observations  of 
the  range  party.  Each  day  two  batteries  would  fire ;  the  third  doing  range 
party  duty.  That  gave  each  battery  two  days  successive  fire,  followed  by 
one  day  on  the  range,  then  two  days  fire  again.  On  the  12th  of  October 
the  First  Battalion  exhausted  its  allowance  of  ammunition  and  prepared  to 
return  to  McAllen.  Each  ofiFcer  in  the  battalion  had  fired  at  least  two 
problems,  the  battery  commanders  firing  considerably  more. 

The  Second  Battalion  hiked  to  Sterling  Ranch  while  the  First  returned 
to  AIcAUen.  E  Battery  under  Captain  Delaney  took  the  place  of  A  Battery 
at  La  Gloria,  D  and  F  under  Captain  Simpson  and  Captain  Reid  respectively 
taking  the  place  of  B  and  C  at  Sterling.  A  Battery  did  not  return  to 
^[c.\llen,  but  moved  down  to  Alonte  Christo  where  it  remained  anticipating 
orders  to  return  to  New  "S'ork,  which  everyone  was  expecting  upon  the 
conclusion  of  firing  practice. 

Major  Austin  conducted  the  fire  of  the  Second  Battalion  with  General 
McXair  supervising  as  before.  The  schedule  followed  was  practically  the 
same  as  that  of  the  First  Battalion. 

The  firing  records,  of  course,  are  the  property  of  the  War  Department 
and  not  to  be  published,  but  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  they  were  in 
general  highly  satisfactory.  The  days  spent  at  target  practice  were  easily 
the  most  interesting  and  enjoyable  of  all  the  time  spent  on  the  border, 
and  there  are  manv  pleasant  recollections  which  both  officers  and  men 
will  cherish. 

Upon  returning  to  ]\IcAllen  all  preparations  were  made  to  return  home 
and  in  a  few  days  transportation  was  provided,  orders  came,  and  on  Octo- 
ber 19th  the  First  Battalion  entrained  for  home.  The  Second  Battalion 
followed  a   few-   davs  later. 


lu^^^ 


0^ 


THE  THIRD  INFANTRY 

By  Lt.   Kennard  Underwood 

This  regiment  went  on  duty  at  its  various  home  stations  on  June  19, 
1916,  under  command  of  Col.  Edgar  S.  Jennings,  of  Auburn.  It  was 
mustered  into  Federal  service  on  July  5,  1916,  at  Camp  Whitman,  New 
York,  did  border  duty  at  Pharr,  Texas,  as  part  of  the  Third  Brigade,  New 
York  Division,  and  was  mustered  out  of  Federal  service  on  October  5, 
191 6,  at  Camp  Whitman,  New  York.  The  regimental  headquarters  are  at 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  the  various  organizations  being  stationed  as  follows: 
■Companies  A,  G,  H,  Machine  Gun  Co.,  Headquarters  Co.,  and  Hospital 
■Corps  Detachment  at  Rochester,  N.  Y. ;  Co.  B,  Geneva ;  Co.  C,  Syracuse ; 
Co.  D,  Oswego;  Co.  F,  Niagara  Falls;  Co.  F,  Medina;  Co.  I,  Olean;  Co. 
K,  Hornell ;  Co.  L,  Elmira,  Co.  M  and  Supply  Co.,  Auburn.  The  writer 
was  detailed  from  the  Machine  Gun  Co.  to  duty  with  the  Supply  Co.  and 
this  narrative  is  therefore  apt  to  contain  overmuch  information  relating 
to  the  supply  service  and  transportation  features  of  our  experience.  If 
any  one  feels  he  has  been  slighted  he  may  hire  hall  or  wait  for  the  second 
edition  of  this  volume. 

Our  regiment  mobilized  nearly  up  to  peace  strength  within  twenty- 
four  hours.  Pursuant  to  orders  received,  we  remained  at  home  stations 
for  a  week,  recruiting  actively  and  setting  our  domestic  and  business 
aflfairs  in  order.  Plans  had  been  prepared  relating  to  the  movement  to 
July  camp  and  these  were  helpful  and  were  acted  on  by  our  quarter- 
master, at  that  time  Capt.  David  D.  Mohler  of  Syracuse.  He  also  con- 
tracted for  about  30  horses  which  were  provided  by  an  Auburn  firm. 
These  last  were  loaded  at  Auburn  during  the  afternoon  of  June  26th.  At 
10  o'clock  that  evening  Col.  Jennings  and  certain  of  his  stafif  left  Auburn 
and  joined  the  first  section  (The  Rochester  Companies)  at  the  Dewitt 
freight  yards,  outside  Syracuse.  The  other  companies  left  at  various 
times  during  that  afternoon  and  evening,  in  three  other  sections.  We 
arrived  at  Green  Haven,  N.  Y.,  at  approximately  the  same  time.  Our  sec- 
tion unraveled  itself  from  the  car  seats  and  marched  up  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  to  a  good  camp  site,  where  details  commenced  laying  out  the  camp. 
Meanwhile  other  details  were  engaged  in  unloading  animals  and  baggage, 
and  in  drawing  up  forage  and  a  moderate  amount  of  rations,  kindly  pro- 
vided even  at  that  late  hour  by  the  Quartermaster  Corps  officers  encamped 
near  the  railroad  station.  To  one  unacquainted  with  the  workings  of  a 
Division  camp  the  number  of  officers  in  that  Quartermaster  Corps  encamp- 
ment seemed  unending.  We  later  found  that  duty  was  provided  for  each 
one  of  them.  This  same  Quartermaster's  Corps  furnished  us  with  trans- 
portation, of  the  mule  and  motor  variety,  and  kept  their  drivers  on  the 
job  so  well  that  by  ten  o'clock  that  night  most  of  the  baggage  had  been 
moved  up  and  most  of  the  men  slept  in  camp  that  night.     The  days  fol- 


te. 


w 


lowing  were  spent  in  practice  marches,  close  and  extended  order  drills, 
inspections  and  all  the  endless  detail  of  camp  life.  Water  pipes  were  laid 
down  by  our  engineering  expert,  Capt.  Thurber  Brown,  the  former  Ord- 
nance officer,  who  was  given  command  of  K  Company  at  Camp  Whitman 
and  retained  same  until  our  return  home.  The  medical  corps  detachment 
performed  nobly,  scratching  and  scraping  the  regiment  into  shape  for  the 
muster  in,  which  took  place  on  July  5th.  We  mustered  in  54  officers  and 
1. 716  men.  Shortly  after  our  arrival  we  were  presented  with  two  dozen 
mules  and  the  wagoners  of  the  newly  organized  Supply  Company  pro- 
ceeded to  brush  up  on  the  art  of  mule  skinning.  Subsequently  three  of 
the  companies  acquired  motor  trucks,  donated  by  patriotic  citizens  at  the 
home  towns.  The  trucks  did  yeoman  service  with  the  Supply  Company  at 
various  times.  The  U.  S.  Q.  M.  Corps  supplied  us  with  free  gasoline  for 
a  short  time,  then  the  lid  shut  down  hard  and  our  company  funds  had  to 
pay  the  freight.  We  felt  abused  for  a  time — if  we  were  willing  to  wear 
out  the  truck  in  United  States  service,  shouldn't  the  government  supply 
the  gas?  We  finally  decided  that  the  government  desired  to  give  the 
wagoners  in  the  Supply  Company  a  thorough,  practical  experience  in  the 
care  and  handling  of  mule  teams. 

On  July  I2th  the  railroad  company  began  to  spot  our  cars  for  baggage 
and  animals,  and  by  2  a.m.  of  the  13th  a  great  part  of  the  loading  was 
accomplished.  A  final  physical  examination  was  required  early  that  morn- 
ing and  then  with  the  band  in  full  blast,  we  marched  down  to  entrain.  The 
movement  was  accomplished  in  three  sections,  long  loads  at  that.  The 
first  section  left  at  2.30  p.m.,  the  second  at  4  p.m.,  and  the  third  about 
4.30  p.m.  Having  been  assured  that  morning  by  certain  of  the  non- 
coms  of  the  O.  M.  Corps  that  we  could  not  possibly  leave  that  night  be- 
cause so  much  loading  remained  to  be  done,  there  was  a  universal  feeling 
of  satisfaction  in  the  regiment  over  our  prompt  getaway. 

The  first  section  drew  tourist  sleepers  at  Philadelphia,  the  second  pulled 
a  couple  of  drawheads  at  Warwick,  N.  Y.,  and  in  consequence  missed  out 
on  the  tourists  at  Philadelphia,  obtaining  theirs  at  Cincinnati,  while  the 
poor  third  section  eased  its  slumbers  on  car  seats  until  St.  Louis  was 
reached.  The  first  section  carried  all  of  the  animals,  which  the  members  of 
our  Supply  Company  and  Lt.-Col.  Ross  took  out  daily  for  their  exercise 
period  of  two  to  four  hours. 

Our  transportation  carried  us  from  Green  Haven  to  Maybrook  Junc- 
tion on  the  Central  New  England,  thence  to  Easton,  Pa.,  on  the  Lehigh 
and  Hudson,  to  Bethlehem.  Pa.,  on  the  C.  R.  R.  of  N.  J.,  to  Philadelphia 
on  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading;  to  .St.  Louis  on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio,  to 
Dallas,  Texas,  on  the  Frisco;  to  San  Antonio,  on  the  M.  K.  &  T. ;  thence 
to  Pharr,  via  the  Sunset  and  the  S.  L.  B.  &  M. 

Once  on  board  the  troop  trains,  feeding  the  regiment  was  the  biggest 
problem.  Each  section  was  provided  with  an  open  end  baggage  car, 
placed  in  the  center  of  the  train,  in  which  the  regulation  brick  and  dirt 
lined  wooden  boxes  were  set  up,  two  stoves  to  a  car.     With  well  over  500 


V4 


men  to  a  section  the  cooks  had  their  hands  full  and  the  train  mess  ser- 
geants, who  ruled  supreme,  were  kept  on  the  job  most  of  the  time  in  pro- 
viding their  cars  with  wood,  ice,  water  and  rations  for  twenty-four  hours 
ahead.    These  last  were  drawn  from  a  box  car,  one  to  each  section. 

The  men  met  with  considerable  hospitality  aleng  the  way.  On  one 
occasion  the  proprietor  of  a  canning  factory  opened  his  warehouse  to  a 
few  of  the  boys,  the  news  spread  too  rapidly  and  but  for  the  timely  inter- 
vention of  an  officer  this  merchant  would  have  been  out  of  stock  for  some 
days.  At  Washington,  Ind.,  the  local  order  of  Elks  invited  the  men  up  to 
their  club  and  made  many  poor  souls  happy  on  a  hot  Sunday  afternoon. 
The  inhabitants  of  Springfield,  Mo.,  with  their  Mayor,  greeted  us  with  a 
fine  supply  of  sandwiches,  fruit  and  buttermilk.  Springfield  has  a  number 
of  pretty  girls,  so  they  tell  me.  At  Bushyhead,  Oklahoma,  a  young  lady, 
deeply  interested  in  one  of  our  brave  boys  in  the  first  section  sleepers, 
failed  to  note  a  belated  north  bound  express  and  it  remained  for  "Joe" 
Heick,  a  product  of  M  Company's  training,  to  snatch  her  to  one  side  in 
safety  almost  from  under  the  pilot  of  the  oncoming  flier. 

On  the  morning  of  July  2ist  we  arrived  at  Pharr,  Texas,  and  with  feel- 
ings of  curiosity,  not  unmixed  with  pleasure,  gazed  at  the  little  town  of 
the  appropriate  cognomen,  where  we  were  to  make  our  station  for  the  next 
— well,  some  said  months,  others  were  positive  that  with  the  Third  New 
York  on  the  border  a  general  movement  into  Mexico  was  close  at  hand. 
The  second  and  third  sections  pulled  in  in  rapid  succession  and  by  noon 
our  patch  of  ground  was  swarming  with  men,  busy  in  rooting  out  the  cac- 
tus, mesquite,  tarantulas  and  land  turtles.  Thanks  to  the  civil  authorities 
of  Pharr,  a  large  part  of  the  clearing  had  been  accomplished  before  our 
arrival,  water  pipes  had  been  laid  and  shower  baths  set  up.  The  pipes 
were  later  buried  to  avoid  the  heat. 

Our  camp  lay  on  the  right  of  the  brigade,  the  23rd  N.  Y.  and  the  74th 
N.  Y.  occupying  the  center  and  left  respectively,  with  Brigade  Head- 
quarters to  the  right  of  the  74th  at  the  edge  of  the  main  road  south  from 
Pharr.  Between  the  23rd  and  the  road  lay  an  open  field,  occupied  in  part 
by  the  Depot  Quartermaster  and  a  company  of  the  28th  U.  S.  Infantry. 

The  labors  of  the  first  few  days  taxed  the  strength  of  the  men  heavily. 
To  dig  with  the  thermometer  mounting  towards  135  degrees,  when  one's 
energies  have  been  sapped  by  a  week  of  train  travel,  is  productive  of  head- 
ache, stomach  trouble  and  other  distress.  We  were  fortunate  in  having 
few  men  knocked  out.  Much  hard  work  with  pick  and  shovel  was  done 
in  laying  the  pipes  under  ground,  in  grading  and  ditching  the  streets  and 
clearing  the  camp.  A  post  exchange  was  constructed  near  the  guard 
tent  and  Lieutenants  Whitley  and  Hodder  were  placed  in  active  charge 
under  the  supervision  of  Lt.-Col.  Ross.  For  the  first  night  or  two  the 
regiment  suffered  from  expectation  of  nocturnal  visits  by  tarantulas  and 
scorpions.  Night  attacks  from  this  quarter  not  developing  to  any  extent, 
aporehension  soon  gave  way  to  indifTerence,  and  the  most  timid  rookie 
was  able  to  snatch  a  few  hours'  repose. 


3 


Across  from  the  regiment's  front  was  a  large  field  which  we  used  as  our 
-first  corral.  Shortly  after  our  arrival  the  Government  or  somebody  sent 
us  69  mules  and  more  horses,  which  with  those  brought  from  Whitman 
gave  the  Supply  Company  about  140  animals  to  care  for.  This  last  lot 
descended  on  us  without  warning  and  of  course  we  were  unprovided  with 
any  quantity  of  ordinary  veterinary  supplies.  However,  due  to  good  luck 
and  the  constant  attention  of  the  drivers,  under  the  supervision  of  Stable 
Sergeant  Miner,  our  picket  lines  remained  full  and  we  are  proud  that  at 
the  successful  conclusion  of  our  "hike"  the  inspector  of  transportation  for 
g  f  've  Ki  the  Department  Quartermaster  rendered  a  splendid  report  to  his  chief. 
— ^     ==        ^'1  A  rifle  range   (so-called)   lay  about  a  mile  southeast  of  our  camp  and 

the  companies  in  turn  spent  a  day  at  the  butts.  For  other  diversion  base- 
ball was  plas'ed  and  an  amuf.ement  platform  was  constructed  on  which 
members  of  the  Third  Brigade  gave  occasional  entertainments,  exhibiting 
skill  in  boxing,  wrestling  and  clog  dancing.  Monologue  and  dialogue 
artists  were  also  popular. 

The  twelve  day  hike  in  August  has  been  so  well  described  by  Capt. 
Rupert  Hughes  and  other  of  the  participants  that  perhaps  the  tale  is  of  no 
further  interest  to  an  outsider.  But  to  the  men  who  tramped  the  long,  hot, 
wcarv  march,  with  its  drag,  slip  and  recover  through  sticky  Texas  clays, 
who  endured  the  thirst,  sore  feet  and  bowel  trouble  which  seemed  inevit- 
able concomitants  of  our  peregrinations,  who  cheerfully  bore  a  weakening 
comrade's  rifle  or  pack,  encouraging  him  on  through  dizzy  heat  for  the  last 
mile,  inwardly  wondering  if  the  march  would  ever  end,  who  with  dust- 
caked  lips  and  parched  throats  sang  their  Vv^ay  into  camp,  the  memory  of 
the  hike  will  remain  clear  and  cherished  as  an  event  where  they  made 
good.  The  Third  went  out  first  from  our  Brigade.  General  Wilson,  the 
Brigade  Commander,  elected  to  make  the  march  with  us.  We  moved  out 
on  August  17th,  with  full  marching  equipment  on  the  men,  ambulances 
and  ammunition  wagons  witii  each  battalion  and  wagon  train  plodding  in 
the  rear. 

First  pav  day  for  a  portion  of  the  men  furnished  additional  excite- 
ment. The  next  morning  we  camped  at  Mission  in  a  drizzle  which  in- 
creased in  severity.  By  2  p.m.  our  pup  tents  were  afloat  in  spite  of  ditch 
or  drain.  A  change  of  camp  was  imperative  and  Col.  Jennings  obtained 
permission  for  us  to  occupy  the  tents  of  the  14th  N.  Y.  Infantry,  they 
being  on  the  first  leg  of  their  hike.  Certain  of  the  companies  quartered 
themselves  about  town  in  school  buildings  and  over  stores.  About  half 
the  regiment  reached  the  I4th's  camp,  where  wood  and  forage  was  given  us, 
out  little  attempt  at  cooking  supper  was  made.  The  change  of  camp  was 
made  in  the  midst  of  a  hurricane  which  swept  over  the  country.  Next  day 
we  rested  and  gathered  up  the  loose  ends,  assisted  by  the  provost  guard. 
We  reached  Alton  Sunday  morning  without  mishap,  reports  of  impassable 
roads  notwithstanding.  By  the  21st  the  roads  had  improved  and  we  made 
good  time,  arriving  at  Sterling's  Ranch  about  10  o'clock.  We  camped  there 
^lext  to  the  14th,  who  were  about  to  start  for  Laguna  Seca.     Being  behind 


57-' 


S 


5 


I'eI' 


^ 


ImM^ 


S^^T^X 


r-"* 


schedule  the  regiment  marched  over  to  La  Gloria  and  back  on  the  day  fol- 
lowing, taking  advantage  of  this  opportunity  to  try  out  the  emergency 
ration.  At  Sterling's  rations  for  three  days  were  drawn  and  distributed  to 
the  companies.  The  ten  mile  march  to  Laguna  Seca,  the  place  of  windmills, 
taxed  the  men  considerably.  Major  General  O'Ryan  visited  camp  at  re- 
treat and  we  learned  that  the  Third  was  doing  as  well  as,  if  not  better  than, 
the  other  regiments.  Next  morning  we  proceeded  six  miles  up  the  road  to 
Young's  ranch,  where  we  were  hospitably  entertained  in  the  big  ranch 
pool  or  tank.  Mr.  Young  offered  our  quartermaster  a  "small  pasture"  of  a 
thousand  acres  in  which  to  graze  our  animals,  which  the  latter  declined 
with  thanks.  However,  they  found  plenty  to  eat  in  the  enclosure  around 
the  ranch  house. 

Nothing  eventful  occurred  between  Young's  and  Sterling's  which  we 
reached  Saturday  noon,  after  spending  another  night  at  Laguna  Seca.  We 
pitched  camp  in  a  field  across  from  our  former  ground,  then  occupied  by 
the  7th  N.  Y..  with  the  2nd  N.  Y.  next  door.  The  Seventh  marched  ofif  to 
La  Gloria  that  afternoon  and  about  midnight  we  heard  the  band  playing  as 
the  Second  started  off  over  the  Laguna  Seca  road.  We  left  camp  Sunday 
morning  for  Edinburgh.  The  wagon  train  was  allowed  to  go  through  the 
regiment  on  the  march  and  reached  Edinburgh  in  time  to  get  the  wagons 
unloaded  and  the  cook  tents  up  before  the  column  came  in.  By  now  the 
camp  at  Pharr  was  lovingly  termed  "home,"  the  previous  ten  days  having 
made  us  aware  of  its  comforts  and  conveniences,  and  with  light  hearts 
we  swung  off  next  morning  on  the  eight  miles  that  lay  between.  Our  band, 
which  had  remained  at  camp,  was  out  to  greet  us  and  a  majority  of  the  town 
folk  were  around  to  watch  us  march  in. 

We  were  scarcely  settled  when  orders  came  to  prepare  for  movement 
north.  The  paymaster,  Co1.  Sternberger,  spent  a  happy  day  in  camp,  and 
on  September  8th  we  left  Pharr  for  Camp  Whitman,  the  last  to  come  and 
the  first  to  go  of  our  Brigade.  What  luck!  The  Supply  Co.,  less  its  cap- 
tain and  a  few  sergeants,  remained  behind  to  dispose  of  the  animals.  We 
went  north  via  New  Orleans  and  Cincinnati  and  reached  Green  Haven  dur- 
ing the  night  of  September  14th,  detraining  next  morning  in  a  pouring  rain. 
Tt  always  seemed  to  rain  when  we  changed  camps.  Some  fever  cases  devel- 
oped on  our  way  north  and  the  medical  authorities  kept  us  in  quarantine 
for  most  of  our  stay.  On  October  4th  final  payrolls  and  muster  rolls  were 
signed  as  of  October  5th  and  we  returned  to  our  home  stations. 

The  regiment  performed  the  duties  required  of  it  remarkably  well. 
Large  numbers  of  untrained  recruits  joined  it  in  June.  The  experience 
gained  by  these  men  and  by  those  with  prior  service  to  their  credit  will  be 
of  value  to  the  country  in  future  mobilizations.  It  is  a  strain  on  any  organ- 
ization thus  composed  to  be  shifted  from  pillar  to  post  without  opportunity 
to  relax,  and  the  writer  believes  that  Col.  Jennings  is  to  be  congratulated, 
as  well  as  commended,  on  having  taken  this  command  on  this  tour  of 
service  without  greater  loss  of  life,  and  on  the  success  attained  and  soldierly 
spirit  shown  by  this  regiment. 


'j:^^(y. 


-^/ 


h 


The  Famous   Garbage  Incinerator 


The  Start  of  tut  First  Hike 


First  VVacons  on  the  Camp  Ground 


THE  SEVENTH  INFANTRY 

By  Capt.  H.  H.  Burdick,  U.S.R. 

The  President's  call  of  June  19th  found  the  Seventh  Regiment  not 
unprepared.  A  short  and  busy  week  served  to  arrange  all  the  details  of 
the  mustering  in,  which  was  accomplished  on  June  26,  1916.  There  had 
been  some  question  as  to  whether  the  regiment  was  to  proceed  to  a  mobili- 
zation camp  or  direct  to  the  border.  It  was  with  much  satisfaction  that 
orders  were  finally  received  directing  the  regiment  to  entrain  immediately 
for  Brownsville,  Texas. 

The  departure  was  made  June  27  by  way  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad. 
In  heavy  marching  order  the  ranks  passed  through  cheering  crowds  to  the 
ferry  and  after  a  short  delay  while  final  details  were  arranged,  the  journey 
was  begun.  The  regiment  was  divided  into  two  sections;  the  second  of 
which  often  dropped  far  behind  the  other. 

The  route  lay  through  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  Columbus,  Ohio,  Indianapolis, 
Tnd.,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  thence  to  San  Antonio  and  McAUen,  Texas, 
reaching  there  July  2.  Everywhere  along  the  line  ovations  were  given  to 
the  troops,  and  at  several  places  special  receptions  and  drills  were  held. 
While  en  route  a  certain  discipline  was  maintained,  and  instruction  given. 
During  the  trip  the  second  section  ran  just  ahead  of  the  Seventy-first 
Regiment,  being  the  first  of  the  New  York  Division  to  make  camp  on  the 
Border. 

The  camp  site  was  a  barren  flat  adjoining  the  town,  and  our  first  duty 
was  to  pitch  tents  along  the  company  streets,  which  had  already  been 
partially  staked  out.  The  sun  was  extremely  hot  and  a  number  of  the  men 
unthinkingly  stripped  to  the  waist,  only  to  suffer  severely  later  from  sun- 
burn. 

Before  our  arrival  there  had  been  no  rain  for  a  number  of  months,  six- 
teen according  to  local  weather  sharks,  but  no  sooner  had  we  pitched  our 
tents  than  a  storm  suddenly  swept  down  on  us.  These  sudden  storms, 
which  were  severe,  were  frequent  occurrences  during  our  stay,  and  a  dis- 
agreeable feature  of  camp  life  and  marching  alike.  We  had  immediate  and 
practical  instruction  in  drainage  around  the  tents,  and  quickly  learned  to 
dig  ditches  large  enough  to  carry  oft'  the  deluge  of  water  which  came 
down. 

The  real  bright  spot  of  our  arrival  was  the  first  hot  meal  we  had  had 
for  six  days.  After  policing  our  camp  we  learned  much  about  scorpions 
and  tarantulas.  Although  there  was  a  natural  fear  of  these  at  first  we  soon 
grew  accustomed  to  them,  but  always  looked  before  we  sat. 

We  soon  got  down  to  a  regular  schedule.  At  5  a.m.  we  were  turned 
out;  5.15  Assembly  and  setting-up  exercises;  6  o'clock  breakfast;  Assem- 
bly at  7  o'clock  for  drill  until  8.30.  Owing  to  the  heat  of  the  day  we 
were  given  a  rest  until  dinner  at  12  o'clock,  and  a  further  rest  until  4, 


3 

5 


e 


when  we  again  assembled  for  an  hour's  drill.  Supper  was  at  6  p.m.  and 
taps  at  lo. 

Jt  was  not  long  before  boxes  began  to  arrive  from  home,  and  tea  parties 
were  promptly  held  in  each  tent  occupied  by  the  recipients.  It  was  singu- 
lar how  many  friends  a  man  seemed  to  have  who  had  just  signed  for 
delivery  of  a  box  of  "eats."  However,  the  men  were  generous  and  many 
learned  to  respect  the  excellent  cooking  of  some  unknown  mother  and 
have  a  warm  spot  for  home  folks  whom  they  have  never  seen. 

No  cots  were  provided  at  first,  but  some  men  purchased  their  own. 
With  these  and  the  shipment  which  finally  came  from  the  Government  we 
began  to  set  up  housekeeping  in  a  most  orderly  way.  A  rigid  inspection 
of  equipment  made  order  our  watchword. 

It  was  a  curious  fact  that  we  on  the  border  actually  knew  less  about 
the  immediate  situation  in  Mexico  than  those  in  New  York.  In  fact  the 
greater  part  of  our  information  came  from  the  New  York  newspapers. 

\Ve  had  various  practice  marches  and  an  increasing  amount  of  work 
which  broke  us  into  shape  for  the  long  hike  which  came  later.  The  first 
real  test  of  our  endurance  came  on  July  21,  when  some  of  the  companies 
left  camp  for  a  four-day  hike  of  about  ij  miles,  through  Mission,  IVIadero 
md   Hidalgo. 

As  this  hike  was  typical  of  the  experiences  we  had  I  shall  describe  the 
trip  of  Company'  I  in  some  detail.  At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we 
formed  in  the  company  street  with  our  rolls,  consisting  of  shelter  tent  half, 
tent  poles  and  pins,  blanket  and  poncho.  We  also  carried  an  extra  suit  of 
underclothes,  socks,  a  towel  and  an  extra  "O.  D."  shirt.  At  five  o'clock, 
headed  by  the  field  music,  we  marched  out  of  camp  to  the  accompaniment 
of  rousing  cheers  and  cries  of  "good  bye"  and  "good  luck"  from  the  other 
companies  which  made  the  blood  course  faster  through  the  veins.  Colonel 
Fisk  and  Major  Falls  accompanied  us  a  short  distance  on  their  horses. 
After  about  a  mile  the  musicians  left  us  and  we  settled  down  to  the  march 
toward  Mission. 

The  temperature  was  about  120  degrees  and  the  dust  kicked  up  by  the 
men  filled  eves,  nose  and  mouth.  We  passed  thriving  ranches  and  now 
and  again  a  Mexican  "jacal"  or  hut.  About  three  miles  out  we  came  to  a 
bungalow  settlement  called  "Sharyland."  This  settlement  consisted  of 
modern  small  bungalows,  surrounded  by  intensively  cultivated  small 
farms.  \\"e  reached  Mission  about  7.30  p.m.  just  as  a  terrific  dust  storm 
blew  up,  preceded  by  a  heavy  wind  and  followed  by  a  tremendous  down- 
pour of  rain.  Fortunately,  the  3d  U.  S.  Cavalry,  stationed  nearby,  took  us 
into  their  shacks  for  the  night.  The  rain  turned  the  whole  country  into  a 
sea  of  nmd. 

•Saturday  morning  early  we  started  on  the  hardest  part  of  our  hike  to 
Granjeno.  The  road  was  ankle  deep  in  mud — not  just  ordinary,  every- 
day mud,  but  mud  that  clung  to  the  shoes  until  each  weighed  about  eight 
pounds. 

We  sloshed  along  in  this   muck,  in  some  places  no  road  was  visible, 

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being  covered  entirely  by  water.  At  11.45  a-"''-  we  had  traversed  the  six 
miles  of  our  march,  and  a  weary  lot  of  men  pitched  their  "dog"  tents  be 
side  the  ruins  of  the  old  mission  building  of  St.  Peter's  Novitiate  Mission. 

Sunday  morning  we  made  the  five  miles  to  Hidalgo  in  short  time. 
From  here  we  had  a  good  view  over  into  Mexico  but  we  were  not  espe- 
cially tempted  by  the  sight.  Here  we  saw  for  the  first  time  the  picturesque 
Texas  rangers  and  the  first  real  "movie"  cowboys.  Monday  we  made 
the  last  stage  of  the  hike  back  to  camp,  some  seven  miles  through  the 
sticky  mud.  Although  tired  out.  we  marched  into  our  company  street  in 
good  condition. 

For  some  time  after  this  we  put  in  our  time  making  permanent  im- 
provement to  the  camp — digging  sewers,  laying  water  pipes,  grading  the 
streets  and  the  like.  All  this  gave  us  the  impression  that  we  were  due 
for  a  long  stay,  although  there  were  constant  rumors  of  our  being  ordered 
home.  These  rumors  were  usually  without  foundation.  One  instance  was 
c|uite  amusing:  The  quartermaster  called  out  to  the  mess  sergeant  of  the 
1st  Company,  "Come  and  get  your  meat."  A  great  cheer  went  up  from  the 
men,  who  understood  him  to  say,  "We"re  going  home  next  week." 

A\e  had  to  do  most  of  our  own  washing  because  the  laundry  facilities 
were  poor.  Each  squad,  as  a  rule,  provided  itself  with  a  metal  wash  tub 
and  a  sprinkling  pot.  The  pot  served  as  a  shower  bath  and  it  was  not  an 
uncommon  sight  to  see  a  man  standing  in  a  tub  with  another  man  holding 
the  water  pot  on  high  for  the  daily  shower. 

Some  squads  built  wooden  floors  for  their  tents  at  their  own  expense, 
and  one  even  went  so  far  as  to  put  down  linoleum  rugs.  By  the  first  of 
.August  the  rations  had  so  improved  and  things  were  running  so  smoothly 
that  there  was  little  complaint  among  the  men.  Amusements  of  various 
sorts  began  to  spring  up,  and  a  "movie"  show  in  a  large  circus  tent  was 
installed  near  the  camp. 

We  built  permanent  mess  shacks  of  wood  which  were  a  great  improve- 
ment over  our  previous  arrangement.  Before  this  we  had  eaten  on  impro- 
vised tables  and  often  on  our  cots. 

We  did  not  receive  our  first  pay  until  the  middle  of  August  and  it  was 
certainly  welcome  when  it  did  come. 

Somewhere  about  this  time  we  experienced  a  terrific  hurricane  that 
held  us  storm  bound  for  twenty-four  hours.  Forced  to  stay  in  our  tents, 
as  it  was  dangerous  to  move  outside,  we  prepared  our  own  meals  and 
slept  in  our  clothes,  ready  for  a  quick  move  should  the  tents  blow  away. 

On  August  23  we  started  on  the  "big  hike"  of  one  hundred  miles.  This 
march  was  the  great  test  of  our  endurance  and  it  will  always  be  remem- 
bered. At  7  a.m.  we  started  out  with  full  equipment  weighing  sixty 
pounds.  This  hike,  although  severe  on  the  men,  was  of  real  usefulness  in 
giving  the  stafif  an  opportunity  of  commanding  a  whole  division  in  the 
field,  and  in  giving  the  quartermaster's  department  training  in  provisioning 
so  many  troops  on  the  march.  All  the  infantry  of  the  division  started  from 
their  respective  camps  at  different  times,  but   over  the   same   course,   in 


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the  fiillowing  order:  Seventy-iirst  Regiment  from  McAllen,  the  Third 
Regiment  from  Pharr,  the  Seventh  Regiment  from  McAllen,  the  Four- 
teenth Regiment  from  Mission,  the  Sixty-ninth  Regiment  from  Mission, 
the  Sevcnt_v-fourth  from  Pharr  and  the  Twelfth  Regiment  from  McAllen. 

The  first  leg  of  the  hike  was  to  Mission,  six  miles.  We  made  this  in 
one  hour  and  fifty  minutes  with  only  one  rest,  a  considerable  excess  of 
speed  over  the  army  regulation  requirements.  Seven  men  dropped  out, 
and  four  of  these  had  to  be  taken  back  in  the  ambulance.  The  next 
morning  we  turned  out  early  and  when  we  set  out  on  our  march  our  tents 
were  several  pounds  heavier,  being  saturated  with  the  dew  which  fell 
almost  like  a  light  rain  It  was  a  rule  that  every  camp  site  must  be  left 
immaculate,  and  this  was  our  regular  morning  task  before  setting  out  on 
the  march. 

The  second  day  we  made  seven  miles  to  Alton,  marching  in  stretches 
of  thirty-five  to  fifty  minutes  with  ten-minute  rests.  But  few  men  dropped 
out  on  this  day.  The  third  day  we  proceeded  north  on  a  fairly  good  road 
for  seven  and  a  half  miles  to  Sterling  Ranch.  This  was  a  central  base 
from  which  we  were  to  take  two  and  four-day  marches.  Here  the  water 
supply  was  good,  and  we  found  an  ingenious  shower  bath.  A  big  pipe, 
about  eight  inches  in  diameter,  was  run  from  a  pumping  station  over  a 
dried  pool  at  an  elevation  of  twelve  feet  for  about  twenty-five  feet.  From  a 
series  of  holes  punched  in  the  under  side  of  the  pipe  water  came  down  with 
considerable  force.  We  bathed  in  companies,  being  allowed  twenty  minutes 
per  company.  Returning  to  camp,  we  found  the  Fourteenth  Regiment, 
and  later  the  Second  Regiment  arrived,  each  at  a  different  stage  of  the 
hike. 

The  next  day's  march  to  La  Gloria  was  one  of  the  most  difficult.  We 
marched  in  the  afternoon,  carrying  full  canteens,  as  there  was  no  water 
at  our  destination.  At  four  o'clock,  when  we  started,  the  thermometer 
registered  132  degrees,  and  by  the  time  we  sighted  our  destination  we 
were  a  bedraggled  lot  of  men.  Monday  our  return  to  Sterling  Ranch  was 
without  event.  Here  we  found  the  Seventy-fourth  Regiment  and  the 
lliird  Regiment.  Another  shower  bath  and  a  washing  of  clothes  prepared 
us  for  the  twelve-mile  march  through  the  desert  to  Laguna  Seca.  .\  few 
more  men  were  sent  back  to  McAllen,  and  a  number  of  others  were  ill 
from  exhaustion  and  over-indulgence  in  "belly-wash,"  as  grape  juice  and 
lemonade  were  called. 

This  day's  march  was  monotonous  and  tedious.  Occasionally  we  had 
tu  make  detours  where  we  found  the  road  inundated.  The  sand  at  times 
was  three  or  four  inches  deep,  which  made  marching  difficult.  Thus  far 
we  had  been  favored  with  excellent  weather,  but  this  day  a  rain  storm 
forced  us  into  our  tents. 

On  Tuesday  we  started  out  at  the  usual  hour  for  Brown's  Ranch,  only 
seven  miles.  This  was  through  flat  country,  but  the  roads  were  fair.  We 
arrived  in  good  season  with  the  exception  of  our  wagon  train,  which 
did  not  arrive  until  five  hours  later,  having  been  stuck  in  the  mud,  hence 


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we  had  nothing  to  eat  until  mid-afternoon.  On  Thursday  we  broke  camp 
at  4.30  a.m.  and  doubled  back  on  our  trail  to  Laguna  Seca.  The  heat  this 
day  was  intense.  Although  the  continuous  marching  took  its  daily  toll  of 
men  who  were  forced  to  drop  out,  nevertheless  we  made  the  best  showing 
in  this  respect,  of  any  of  the  regiments  who  completed  the  hike.  It  was 
on  this  march  that  we  passed  our  old  friends,  the  "Fighting"  Sixty-ninth 
Regiment.  Upon  our  arrival  at  Sterling  Ranch  we  learned  that  the  Third, 
Fourteenth  and  Seventy-first  Regiments  had  been  ordered  back  to  New 
York,  and  while  we  envied  them  it  gave  us  hope  that  our  turn  would  soon 
come. 

The  next  leg  of  the  hike,  from  Sterling  Ranch  to  Edinburg,  nearly  fin- 
ished us.  We  passed  over  fourteen  miles  of  dusty  roads  that  coated  us  with 
dust  until  we  resembled  black  men.  Owing  to  the  peculiar  rarification  of 
the  air,  our  destination  seemed  close  long  before  we  ever  reached  it,  and 
we  nearly  gave  up  hope  of  getting  there  before  we  finally  made  camp. 
The  mirage  of  the  Edinburg  Court  House  is  now  history.  When  tents 
were  pitched  the  men  fell  into  them  without  even  removing  their  sweat- 
soaked  clothing.  Hardly  half  the  men  responded  to  mess-call;  resting 
being  preferred  to  eating. 

This  was  the  last  night,  and  an  early  march  being  planned,  more  than 
half  the  regiment  struck  their  tents,  made  up  their  rolls  and  slept  on  their 
ponchos.  At  12.30  a.m.  a  heavy  thunder  storm  broke  without  warning 
over  the  camp,  soaking  every  man  not  under  cover.  What  followed  was 
a  fine  example  of  the  value  of  discipline.  First,  an  officers'  call  was 
sounded,  soon  after  the  Assembly  went,  and  we  were  ordered  to  strike 
tents  and  make  up  our  rolls  for  the  march  back  to  McAllen.  This  brought 
order  out  of  chaos  and  was  the  best  possible  move  in  the  circumstances. 
The  first  grumbling  was  quickly  replaced  by  good  humor  and  all  possi- 
bility of  panic  averted.  After  a  hasty  breakfast  we  took  up  the  march  at 
2.30  a.m.  Although  rain  had  ceased,  the  road  was  a  mire.  We  splashed 
and  stumbled  along  in  the  dark  for  three  hours  with  occasional  rests. 
After  about  four  miles  we  found  dry  roads  the  rest  of  the  way  to  camp. 
The  men  in  camp,  headed  by  the  field  music,  turned  out  to  give  us  a  rous- 
ing welcome. 

Many  a  man  stooped  with  fatigue  and  the  weight  of  the  burden  he 
had  carried  for  twelve  miles  that  morning,  stood  erect,  threw  back  his 
head,  and,  strengthened  by  that  emotion  that  comes  to  one  upon  such  an 
occasion,  strode  manfully  into  the  regimental  street  with  a  full  heart, 
proud  of  his  accomplishment  but  glad  that  the  task  was  done. 

Company  I  of  the  Seventh  was  the  first  detailed  to  real  serious  work, 
that  of  guarding  a  pumping  plant  at  Madero,  Texas,  on  the  bank  of  the 
Rio  Grande.  The  men  performed  their  duties  there  excellently,  and  put 
in  much  hard  work  improving  the  fortifications.  Later  they  were  relieved 
by  other  companies  of  the  7th  Regiment.  This  was  about  September  20 
and  the  weather  had  moderated  so  that  90  degrees  was  about  the  daily 
average,  and  at  niglit  extra  blankets  were  needed. 


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During  this  period  occurred  another  maneuver  which  is  adequately 
described  in  other  chapters.  The  solution  of  these  tactical  problems  gave 
us  good  training.  Following  this  came  several  reviews  and  other  field 
exercises.  On  each  occasion  we  showed  greater  efficiency,  for  by  this 
time  we  had  become  as  hard  as  nails.  We  had  special  drills  in  open  for- 
mation and  field  firing  problems.  Both  officers  and  men  profited  much 
from  them. 

When  the  news  that  we  were  ordered  home  finally  did  arrive  we  could 
hardly  believe  it  at  first,  but  when  we  were  officially  notified  such  cheering 
broke  loose  as  surpassed  by  far  any  efforts  in  this  line  which  had  been 
made  before.  As  glad  as  we  were  to  return  to  New  York,  each  one  of  us 
felt  in  his  heart  a  bit  of  regret  at  leaving  the  "Magic  Valley." 

The  Sixty-ninth  Regiment  gave  us  a  farewell  dinner  on  the  day  of  our 
departure,  relieving  us  of  preparing  a  last  meal.  We  were  dined,  company 
for  company,  squad  for  squad,  and  man  for  man,  by  the  Sixty-ninth,  who, 
although  green  with  envy  at  our  happy  lot,  gave  us  a  most  unselfi^i 
send-off.  The  departure  with  the  rousing  cheer  of  our  brother  regiment 
brought  an  extra  throb  to  our  hearts  and  choke  to  our  throats. 

The  journey  home  seemed  interminable,  and  the  miles  dragged;  but 
each  click  of  the  wheels  sang  its  song  of  joy  as  we  neared  our  destina- 
tion. 

Our  welcome  in  New  York,  where  we  were  met  by  a  huge  turnout  of 
the  veterans,  and  our  triumphal  march  on  the  good  old  pavements  of  New 
York,  through  frenzied  crowds,  amply  repaid  us  for  our  labor. 

We  reached  our  Armory  about  i  p.m.,  November  28,  where  we  were 
given  an  ovation.  In  four  days  we  had  completed  checking  up  the  prop- 
erty and  were  mustered  out  December  2,  1916,  closing  an  important 
chapter   in   the   history   of  the   Regiment. 


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THE  TWENTY-THIRD  INFANTRY 

By  Capt.  H.  W.  Congdon 

The  President's  call  was  received  on  the  usual  Headquarters  Night, 
Monday,  the  19th  of  June,  and  many  of  the  members  of  the  Regiment  were 
therefore  in  the  building.  The  rest  were  quickly  gathered  in,  so  the  full 
strength  was  reported  present  within  a  few  hours. 

Recruiting  was  to  begin  at  once,  and  the  officers  were  kept  busy  sifting 
out  those  obviously  unfit  physically  from  among  the  throngs  that  sought 
to  enlist.  This  rush  continued  until  the  rumor  became  current  that  our 
Regiment  would  not  be  one  of  those  to  go,  when  it  almost  entirely  ceased, 
and  did  not  greatly  revive  when  our  departure  became  almost  a  certainty. 

Intensive  drills  were  begun  the  following  day,  using  not  only  the  drill 
sheds,  but  the  adjacent  streets  and  even  the  Park,  where  signalling, 
patrolling,  and  extended  order  work  was  taught  amidst  admiring  crowds 
of  nursemaids  and  children.  In  this  way  even  the  recruits  were  given  a 
smattering  of  the  work  that  was  later  drilled  into  them  on -Texas  plains. 

Orders  were  finally  received  to  entrain,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  July 
Fourth  the  column  moved  from  the  Armory,  over  1,100  strong,  and  started 
the  march  to  the  Chambers  Street  Ferry  through  streets  that  were  crowded 
enough  around  our  own  Armory  but  strangely  deserted  -down-town.  The 
people  on  the  curb  displayed  little  enthusiasm,  but  plenty  of  good-will; 
they  seemed  stunned  by  our  sudden  departure. 

Arriving  at  Jersey  City  the  regiment  was  packed  into  two  sections,  long 
trains  with  flat-cars  at  the  head  for  our  wagons,  freight  cars  for  our  heavy 
tentage  and  supplies,  and  then  the  Erie  day-coaches  of  ancient  build,  which 
we  firmly  believe  had  carried  our  fathers  to  the  Civil  War.  They  were  not 
luxurious,  but  the  men  were  looking  for  service  and  not  a  holiday,  and 
there  was  surprisingly  little  grumbling  except  from  some  of  the  lengthy 
ones  of  the  First  Squads,  who  found  sleep  impossible  on  any  combination 
of  seats  and  backs  that  they  could  evolve,  and  who  finally  took  refuge  on 
tfte  bare  wooden  floors. 

Our  first  greetings  came  from  a  little  town  in  Jersey  through  which 
our  train  rolled  slowly :  the  station  platform  was  packed  with  cheering, 
singing  people  grouped  around  a  band,  while  fireworks  and  Chinese  lan- 
terns added  their  touch  of  gayety  to  the  reception.  As  we  progressed  we 
found  constantly  increasing  enthusiasm,  and  all  felt  its  inspiration.  Reach- 
ing Chicago,  the  first  section  had  half  a  day  liberty  while  waiting  for  the 
second  to  catch  up,  and  for  the  equipment  of  trains  with  water,  ice,  and 
supplies.  The  men  certainly  enjoyed  Chicago's  hospitality,  and  not  once 
was  it  abused :  no  one  forgot  that  he  was  under  constant  scrutiny  as  an 
exemplar  of  his  regiment  and  state. 

Continuing  our  journey  after  this  pleasant  pause,  and  running  on 
fast-freight  schedule,  the  next  stopping  place  was  Oelwein.  Iowa,  where 


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the  Chicago  Cjicat  W  csterii  has  its  junction  and  shops.  Here,  the  whole 
town  was  out  to  greet  us,  including  bevies  of  pretty  girls  who  led  us  to 
a  counter  where  ice-cream  cones  in  unlimited  quantities  were  passed  out 
to  us:  an  especially  pretty  but  husky  young  woman  being  stationed  at 
the  head  of  the  line  to  keep  it  moving,  while  automobilists  picked  up  the 
dazed  young  fellows  for  a  spin  around  the  city ;  spins  that  nearly  cost  two 
men  dear,  as  they  were  brought  back  to  the  station  after  the  train  had 
begun  to  move  so  they  just  "made'"  the  rear  platform  of  the  last  car! 

Oelwein  certainly  was  a  hospitable  town :  for  besides  the  cordial  greet- 
ings and  the  ice-cream,  the  men  found  it  very  hard  to  spend  any  money, 
the  shop-keepers  either  charging  absurdly  low  prices  or  else  good- 
naturedly  waving  away  the  proffered  change  with  a  smile  and  "Oh,  that's 
all  right,  boy''! 

Towns  seemed  to  vie  with  one  another  to  show  the  troops  hospitality 
of  a  much-appreciated  kind :  Olathe,  Kansas,  had  the  bright  idea  to  halt 
the  train  alongside  the  lake  belonging  to  the  Country  Club,  and  there  the 
boys  shed  their  clothes  and  swam  for  a  glorious  half  hour.  To  be  sure, 
thev  were  mighty  shy  of  the  muddy  water,  and  it  required  the  leadership 
of  some  of  the  native  small  boys  before  they  dove  in.  As  one  man 
expressed  it,  "I'm  so  dirty  now  that  I  hate  to  think  of  getting  into  that 
muddy  water  and  getting  dirty  all  over"  ;  but  they  discovered  that  it  was 
wet,  and  cool,  and  not  so  dirty  as  it  looked. 

On  two  other  occasions  there  was  an  opportunity  for  a  cooling  swim: 
so  with  these,  the  cordial  receptions  from  even  the  tiniest  prairie  towns, 
and  the  regular  and  ample  meals,  the  trip  was  not  as  bad  as  the  news- 
papers made  out. 

The  last  two  hundred  miles  of  the  journey  was  especially  interesting, 
for  every  bridge  and  culvert  had  its  guard  of  a  squad  or  so,  and  the  spice 
of  danger  that  they  suggested  was  a  welcome  break  to  the  monotony 
while  the  assurance  that  Uncle  sam  was  "prepared"  and  taking  no  chances 
was  good  news  to  write  home.  Letters  home :  that  was  another  act  of 
kindness  that  we  appreciated.  Town  after  town  greeted  us  with  free 
postal  cards  or  stamped  souvenir  post-cards,  and  everywhere  the  small 
boys  were  ready  to  catch  letters  from  the  flying  train  to  take  to  the  post- 
office.  Sometimes  a  billet-doux  would  be  thrown  in,  and  more  than  one 
correspondence  was  started  between  sentimental  school-girl  and  soldier- 
boy  who  never  saw  one  another. 

July  eleventh  brought  the  first  section  of  our  train  to  the  destination, 
Pharr.  The  bugle  sounded  and  the  men  started  to  alight,  when  the  train 
began  to  move  again.  Supposing  it  would  pull  on  a  siding,  half  the  regi- 
ment stayed  aboard,  while  the  rest  of  us  had  the  alarming  experience  of 
seeing  our  "home''  dwindle  to  a  dot  and  finally  disappear  over  the  hori- 
zon !  Some  excited  telephoning  resulted  in  the  train  being  flagged  at 
McAUen  and  the  conductor  brought  to  the  phone,  where  he  declared  he 
had  orders  to  deliver  his  train  at  Mission,  and  if  we  were  deserters  he 
didn't  care :    that  "orders  was  orders."     But  a  few  pointed  remarks  from 

92 


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our  Adjutant  brought  him  to  see  that  while  his  premises  were  correct 
his  deductions  were  at  fault,  and  we  were  reassured  by  seeing  a  tiny  jet 
of  smoke  in  the  distance  take  shape  as  our  returning  train. 

Detrainment  was  then  effected  promptly  and  smoothly, and  many  willing 
hands  intelligently  directed  soon  emptied  the  freight  cars,  while  others 
played  mule  and  hauled  the  wagon?  over  to  our  camp-site  by  hand-power: 
mules  being  a  minus  quantity  for  several  weeks.  Camp  was  made  with  the 
accustomed  rapidity  and  neatness,  greatly  aided  by  the  preparations  that 
had  been  made  by  the  Army  officials,  who  had  driven  a  stake  to  mark  each 
tent,  laid  water  to  each  company  street  and  elsewhere  where  needed,  and 
had  all  the  comforts  of  a  semi-permanent  camp,  even  to  shower-baths, 
practically  ready  for  us. 

Our  arrival  marked  an  epoch  for  that  locality,  for  it  rained.  We  broke 
a  drought  that  had  lasted  from  eighteen  to  twenty-nine  months,  accord- 
ing to  the  story-teller.  And  we  broke  it  beyond  repair,  for  the  rain  kept  on 
until  we  had  to  grow  web-footed.  Texas  mud  is  something  that  should  be 
experienced ;  it  cannot  be  described.  But  it  is  certainly  the  highest  devel- 
opment of  mud  that  has  yet  been  found,  being  both  exceedingly  sticky  and 
alarmingly  slippery,  very  dense  and  at  the  same  time  most  liquid  and 
penetrating.  Our  first  work  was  to  make  our  camp  secure  against  the 
enemy,  therefore,  and  the  Panama  Canal  was  no  busier  place  than  the 
Twenty-third's  camp  as  we  dug  drains  and  ditches  and  formed  dikes  and 
sidewalks.  Enthusiasm  having  once  been  engendered,  companies  vied 
with  one  another  in  making  their  homes  decorative  if  not  luxurious:  palm 
trees  were  bought  and  set  out,  cannas  and  other  plants  decorated  some 
streets,  while  flowering  cacti  were  thoughtfully  planted  around  the  officers' 
tents  to  keep  those  gentlemen  from  straying  from  the  strait  and  narrow 
sidewalk. 

The  men's  behavior  was  not  only  good :  it  was  splendid.  An  order,  the 
famous  "G.  O.  7,"  had  been  issued  prohibiting  drinking  of  even  the  inno- 
cent "near  beer."  The  men  played  the  game  and  lived  up  to  the  spirit  of 
the  order.  Of  course  it  would  be  foolish  to  state  that  there  was  no  drink- 
ing at  all,  for  liquor  was  easily  obtainable  in  the  near-by  towns :  but  there 
was  practically  no  drunkenness,  and  the  Military  Police  had  an  easy  time 
for  many  weeks  to  come.  The  snakes,  centipedes,  tarantulas  and  scor- 
pions that  we  saw  in  abundance  were  all  the  real  thing  and  not  figments 
of  disordered   brains. 

Saturday  afternoons  and  all  day  Sundays  the  men  were  free  to  enjoy 
themselves,  the  duties  of  the  day  being  very  light  and  limited  to  a  few. 
Visits  were  made  to  all  the  adjoining  camps  of  our  New  York  troops, and  all 
felt  on  returning  to  our  camp  that  we  not  only  had  the  best  station, but  alto- 
gether the  best  camp  on  the  Border.  Maybe  this  was  not  so,  but  it  was  a 
very  good  thing  that  we  believed  it :  it  was  easier  to  maintain  its  neatness 
and  to  develop  improvements  when  backed  by  real  pride.  Pharr  is  a  little 
town,  and  the  incursion  of  about  4,000  troops,  a  Brigade  with  an  ambulance 
company  added,  made  it  ours  by  sheer  weight  of  numbers.    The  people  had 


'2 


to  put  up  with  much  that  must  have  been  disturbing  to  their  quiet  life : 
the  leisurely  work  of  the  storekeeper  changed  to  a  mad  hustle  to  keep  up 
to  his  orders,  the  hotel  work  took  on  an  olive-drab  complexion,  the  towns- 
folk were  practically  crowded  out  of  their  own  movie-house  of  evenings, 
and  of  their  church  on  Sundays :  yet  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  thej' 
lost  no  opportunities  that  Fate  had  thus  tossed  to  them,  and  it  was  aston- 
ishing to  see  the  numbers  of  new  automobiles  that  appeared  in  the  village 
after  a  month  or  two  1 

Drills  were  begun  at  once,  of  course,  but  nothing  was  done  in  a  hurry. 
The  men  were  developed  slowly  and  given  plenty  of  time  to  become  accli- 
mated. Drills  were  made  short  at  first,  with  plenty  of  rests,  and  the  work 
made  harder  progressively.  With  a  large  proportion  of  new  and  untrained 
men  every  angle  of  military  life  had  to  be  developed  and  polished :  men  who 
had  never  known  the  meaning  of  the  word  "police"  save  as  applied  to  an 
individual  in  blue  cloth  and  brass  buttons,  now  learned  its  more  intimate 
application,  and  the  sanitary  report  of  the  camp  showed  how  well  they  had 
taken  to  heart  their  instruction  in  personal  and  camp  hygiene.  And  this 
tine  health  record  was  general  among  the  New  York  troops.  They  learned 
many  things  that  had  been  far  from  their  thoughts  a  few  weeks  earlier: 
more  than  one  man  has  gone  home  to  wife  or  mother  able  to  teach  her  how 
flannels  ought  to  washed,  and  the  bachelors  will  certainly  be  in  danger 
next  Leap-year,  so  well  "house-broken"  are  they.  Many  experts  were 
discovered  or  developed  in  lines  as  varied  as  opera-singer  and  mule- 
skinner,  wireless  expert  and  carpenter;  no  matter  what  the  Colonel  called 
for,  some  Company  could  produce  the  very  man  wanted :  and  that  man 
could  deliver  the  goods ! 

After  six  weeks  of  preparation  the  regiment  started  on  The  Big  Hike. 
This  was  over  the  same  ground  taken  by  all  the  other  regiments,  and 
probably  all  had  about  the  same  experience.  The  chief  novelty  was  the 
lack  of  water,  something  we  have  never  experienced  in  our  Northern 
duties.  Dirty  canal  water  that  tasted  of  garden  mould,  alkali  water  that 
tasted  as  nothing  else  under  the  heavens,  "sterilized"  water  that  had 
been  prepared  with  the  little  ampule  of  calcium  hypochlorite,  all  of  these 
kinds  of  water  in  quantities  so  small  that  they  had  to  be  cherished :  how 
we  longed  for  the  good  old  Croton.  Many  a  man  regretted  the  pure,  clean 
water  wasted  in  the  bath-tubs  at  home. 

The  heat  was  pretty  severe,  and  the  men  felt  it  keenly  on  some  of  the 
marches,  notably  that  from  Ta  Gloria  to  Laguna  Seca.  A  thermometer 
on  one  of  the  wagons  registered  130  in  the  more-or-less  shade.  Coupled 
with  the  heat  on  this  march  was  the  deep  and  slimy  mud  which  made  the 
name  of  our  destination,  Laguna  Seca — Dry  Pond — a  ghastly  mockery, 
and  the  smells  from  the  rotting  vegetation  in  the  mud  and  the  drug-like 
fumes  from  the  bruised  plants  by  the  road-side.  The  men  suffered,  but 
they  were  plucky,  and  more  than  one  man  got  into  camp  practically  uncon- 
scious, his  burden  shared  among  his  comrades.  We  like  to  think  of  the 
bandit-like  appearance  of  Chaplain  Cadman  with  a  rifle  taken  from  one  of 


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these  men  over  his  shoulders  as  he  sat  his  placid  horse.  The  regiment's 
record  for  the  march  was  very  good,  but  the  most  welcome  sight  for 
many  days  was  the  grain  elevator  at  Pharr  when  we  spied  it  on  the  south- 
ern horizon. 

Adventures  there  were,  of  course :  the  bold  pigs  at  Young's  Ranch  who 
upset  the  pail  of  precious  water  in  a  certain  officer's  tent  and  then  scratched 
their  backs  on  the  under  side  of  his  cot  while  he  hurled  maledictions  at 
them ;  the  affectionate  snake  which  tried  to  go  to  bed  with  one  of  the  men ; 
the  coyotes  which  caused  loud  challenges  from  an  alarmed  sentinel  as 
they  rummaged  in  the  garbage  pit ;  all  these  and  many  others  are  history. 
Less  historical  but  equally  believed  is  the  story  of  the  mad  dash  made  by 
the  advance  guard  as  the  regiment  approached  Edinburg,  to  keep  its 
cupola-ed  County  Court-house  from  sliding  over  the  horizon  after  it  had 
eluded  our  pursuit  for  many  weary  hours:  Edinburg,  the  smallest  town 
with  the  best  lemonade  and  layer-cake  in  Texas. 

Other  minor  experiences  helped  the  weeks  to  speed  by  in  routine  work: 
the  two-day  Hidalgo  hike  that  laid  out  so  many,  the  field-firing  exercise 
at  La  Gloria  that  almost  repaid  us  for  the  hard  marches  there  and  back 
but  which  was  rather  an  aggravation  when  we  found  how  f^w  cartridges 
we  were  permitted  to  fire ;  finally  the  Great  Adventure  of  Election  Day, 
when  each  qualified  voter  was  permitted  to  exercise  the  right  of  suffrage 
and  a  lengthy  wind-twisted  ballot  in  a  snake-charming  act. 

The  best  part  of  the  whole  tour  of  duty  was  the  outpost  work  on  the 
Rio  Grande.  It  was  hard  work,  but  interesting,  so  despite  discomforts 
that  we  were  spared  in  our  comfortable  home-camp,  it  seemed  rather  like 
a  vacation.  There  were  trees  and  shade  and  swimming  in  the  resaca, 
bailies,  whereat  we  might  dance  with  exceedingly  unattractive  sefioritas 
to  the  music  of  a  drum  and  accordion  "executing"  Tipperary.  The  natives 
liked  that  tune;  but  it  was  a  long,  long  way  from  Tipperary!  Capote 
Ranche  has  the  pleasantest  sound  of  any  of  the  names  in  our  recollections. 
This  was  the  land  of  real  adventure,  the  place  where  we  met  coyotes 
and  wild-cats  face  to  face  in  our  reconnaissances,  where  we  got  lost  in 
much-tracked  wilderness  for  hours  at  a  time,  where  the  sentinels  heard 
strange  noises  by  night  and  by  day  and  were  always  on  the  alert  in  a 
manner  that  could  not  be  attained  in  sleepy,  peaceful  Pharr.  It  was  at 
our  Number  Three  outguard  that  the  corporal  reported  a  tragedy  on  the 
other  bank:  a  screaming  woman,  a  rifle  shot,  and  then  deep  silence!  It 
was  near  our  Reserve  camp  that  we  found  the  old  live-oak  tree  with  the 
two  deeply-graven  crosses  in  the  trunk,  just  under  a  convenient  horizontal 
limb ;  near  it,  too,  was  a  ruined  house  beneath  two  lofty  palm  trees. 
There  was  a  strange  brown  stain  on  the  floor,  and  patrols  usually  closed 
up  and  quickened  their  pace  as  they  passed  it  in  the  dim  moonlight. 

The  outguards  did  their  own  cooking,  and  many  a  savory  dish  was 
concocted :  stews  of  toothsome  turtle  and  frisky  kids,  strange  composi- 
tions evolved  from  canned  goods,  still  stranger  interpretations  of  the 
bill-of-fare   laid   down   in   the   Manual !     And   despite   our  very   excellent 


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official  cooks,  many  a  squad  declares  it  fared  better  on  the  River  than  at 
Pharr.  Yet  at  Pharr  there  was  one  great  Feast,  the  real  Thanksgiving 
Dinner,  which  outshone  the  Christmas  Dinner  because  it  was  the  first 
real  feast.  It  was  as  good  a  dinner  as  we  had  ever  had  at  home;  com- 
mencing with  the  savory  bisque  of  tomatoes  and  going  through  the 
accepted  program  to  mince-pies  and  ice-cream  of  our  own  making.  Some 
fortunate  ones  were  able  to  add  quail  or  duck  to  the  official  roast  turkey, 
for  there  was  excellent  shooting  to  be  had  for  the  trouble  of  taking  a  walk 
with  a  gun,  and  the  game-wardens  considered  us  all  as  residents,  not  to  be 
bothered  for  licenses. 

After  many  disappointments  that  were  harder  to  bear  than  home-folks 
can  realize,  the  orders  home  were  received  at  last,  and  never  was  a  camp 
broken  by  more  willing  or  efficient  hands.  Not  an  order  was  given; 
everything  moved  automatically,  as  in  a  dream,  and  in  a  surprisingly  short 
time  the  train  was  loaded,  and  the  regiment  found  itself  marching  out  of 
camp  for  the  last  time,  escorted  by  the  band  of  our  old  friends,  the  Third 
Tennessee.  The  journey  home  was  uneventful,  but  the  reception  that  we 
met  with  when  Brooklyn  was  reached  will  never  be  forgotten  by  any  of 
us.  The  streets  were  filled  with  throngs  of  people,  the  s..hool-children 
lined  the  curbs  waving  flags,  the  Governor  and  Mayor  reviewed  us,  and  as 
an  escort  we  had  our  Veterans  in  a  regiment  about  as  big  as  our  own  and 
marching,  so  it  is  said,  quite  as  well.  Arrived  at  the  Armory  we  met  a  real 
ovation,  and  before  long  the  men  were  turned  over  to  their  families  for 
admiration.  So  ended,  on  January  ninth,  our  first  long  tour  of  service 
since  the  Civil  \\  ar  that  saw  our  beginnings. 


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THE  SEVENTY-FOURTH  INFANTRY 


By  Capt.  Karl  G.  Kaffenberger 

The  Call  of  the  President,  June  19,  1916,  found  the  74th  Infantry,  N.  G. 
N.  Y.,  ready  for  service  as  it  had  been  many  times  before  in  its  early  his- 
tory. However,  for  a  time  shortage  in  numbers  led  to  strong  misgivings 
that  the  Regiment  would  not  be  selected  for  Border  Service  on  the  Mexican 
Frontier.  As  a  result  everyone  bent  their  energies  to  a  brief  campaign  of 
intensive  recruiting  and  outfitting  between  the  call  of  the  President  and 
July  5th,  the  date  the  Regiment  started  for  the  Border. 

Just  before  the  muster  of  the  Regiment  July  i,  1916,  the  74th  received 
as  its  new  commander,  Colonel  Nathaniel  B.  Thurston,  an  officer  well 
known  in  the  New  York  Division  and  throughout  the  army  for  his  faithful 
and  varied  services. 

The  departure  for  the  Border  will  be  long  remembered  by  the  men  of 
the  Regiment.  Throngs  of  people  lined  the  streets  to  see  their  Buffalo 
boys  depart  at  the  Nation's  urgent  call.  Just  what  was  coming  no  one 
knew,  but  the  men  were  ready  and  willing  for  what  might  come. 

The  trip  to  the  Border  was  one  of  great  inconvenience  on  account  of  the 
lamentable  lack  of  tourist  sleepers  for  transporting  the  men.  However, 
like  good  soldiers,  the  men  accepted  this  and  the  rather  meagre  train  ration 
with  cheerful  grumbling  as  part  of  the  game.  The  trip  to  the  Border  was 
uneventful,  but  grew  in  interest  as  we  neared  the  southern  part  of  Texas. 
To  most  of  the  .soldiers  the  cacfus  and  mesquite,  which  were  to  become 
such  familiar  sights,  presented  a  peculiar  interest  which  grew,  colored  by 
the  uncertainty  of  the  exact  destination  and  the  picturesque  appearance  of 
the  dark-skinned  Mexicans  whose  tantalizing  "Manana"  and  friendly 
"Adins"  were  soon  to  be  passwords  among  the  northern  soldiers. 

Upon  arriving  at  Pharr  on  July  loth  it  was  the  good  fortune  of  the 
Regiment  to  find  the  camp  all  staked  out,  the  latrines  built  and  the  water 
system  installed.  With  this  as  a  start,  and  by  hard  toil  with  pick  and  en- 
trenching shovel,  good  roads  were  built  in  the  camp,  and  soon  the  74th 
enjoyed  the  reputation  of  having  one  of  the  finest  camps  on  the  Border. 
After  the  arrival  at  the  Border,  Capt.  George  H.  White,  28th  U.  S.  Infan- 
try, was  assigned  to  the  Regiment  on  detached  service  as  Lieut.  Colonel, 
known  to  many  as  an  Inspector  Instructor  of  exceptional  ability  with  the 
New  York  Division.  Colonel  White  was  a  great  help  to  the  Regiment, 
adding  much  to  its  efficiency  in  administration,  in  drill,  and  in  the  field. 

On  the  23rd  day  of  August,  after  over  a  month  of  preliminary  training, 
the  Regiment  started  on  its  ten-day  practice  march  to  measure  its  strength 
with  other  units  in  the  New  York  Division. 


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On  the  second  day  while  at  McAIlen,  Colonel  Thurston's  illness  required 
his  removal  to  a  northern  climate.  While  en  route  the  newspapers  pub- 
lished a  report  that  the  Colonel  had  died,  but  fortunately  he  lived  to  read 
the  account  of  his  death,  and  to  receive  many  eulogies  which  so  many 
times  are  not  voiced  until  a  man  has  passed  away. 

Probably  nothing  at  the  Border  did  more  to  harden  the  men  and  put 
them  into  fit  shape  than  the  practice  march  of  85  miles  or. better.  The 
first  day's  march  was  but  three  miles  between  Pharr  and  McAllen,  but 
many  a  stalwart  man  fell  by  the  wayside,  being  unaccustomed  to  the  exer- 
tion of  carrying  his  heavy  pack  in  this  torrid  climate.  The  second  day  the 
command  started  at  Mc.'^llen,  making  a  short  four-mile  hike  for  practice. 

On  the  third  day  a  march  of  five  miles  was  made  to  Mission  and  on 
a  fourth  one  of  five  and  one-half  miles  from  Mission  to  Alton.  These  two 
marches  were  probably  the  most  disastrous,  in  numbers  of  men  falling  out. 
At  Alton  there  was  a  scarcity  of  drinking  water  and  that  which  was  fur- 
nished had  to  be  hauled  five  miles  by  mule  team.  Many  a  novice  who 
failed  to  accept  the  warning  requiring  the  careful  use  of  the  water  in  his 
canteen  learned  a  bitter  lesson  that  day. 

On  the  next  day,  a  march  of  six  and  three-quarter  miles  was  made  to 
Sterling's  Ranch,  which  was  a  veritable  oasis  in  this  desert  mesquite  coun- 
try. Here  was  found  abundance  of  good  drinking  water,  canteen  and  a 
refreshing  shower  bath  which  had  been  cleverly  improvised  by  the  enter- 
prising ranch  owner.  Perhaps  nothing  showed  the  cheerful  grit  of  the 
74th  more  than  the  march  to  the  one-time  bandit  stronghold  of  La  Gloria, 
five  and  three-quarters  miles  distant.  The  road,  which  was  no  more  nor 
less  than  a  wagon  trail,  led  through  dense  mesquite  and  cactus  so  thick 
that  it  was  impos.sible  to  detour  around  mud  holes  and  puddles.  The  rain 
fairly  deluged  the  road  and  in  many  places  the  water  was  above  the  knees 
of  even  the  tallest  men.  However,  the  ranks  were  unbroken,  and  the  men 
drenched  to  the  skin  marched  smiling  and  singing  through  the  water. 
That  night  at  La  Gloria,  bonfires  were  built  and  the  men  gathered  around 
until  the  wee  small  hours  drying  their  clothes  and  equipment. 

The  seventh  day  brought  the  Command  back  to  Sterling's  Ranch.  On 
the  eighth  day  the  Regiment  marched  to  Laguna  Seca,  a  distance  of  ten 
and  one-half  miles.  It  had  rained  during  the  night  and  marching  was 
made  difficult  because  of  knee-deep  puddles  and  heavy  mud  which  gath- 
ered on  the  shoes  during  the  first  few  miles.  The  road  was  later  very  hot 
and  sandy.  But  this  time,  however,  the  men  were  becoming  hardened  to 
the  hiking,  and  very  few  fell  out.  Next  day  the  74th  continued  its  march 
to  Young's  Ranch,  the  northernmost  point  of  the  entire  march.  Here  were 
located  two  excellent  swimming  tanks  which  afforded  great  pleasure  to 
the  weary  soldiers. 

The  tenth  day  brought  the  Regiment  again  to  the  quaint  little  Mexican 
town  of  Laguna  Seca,  and  the  eleventh  day  to  the  familiar  Sterling's 
Ranch.  l"he  twelfth  day  was  the  supreme  test  of  the  hike,  a  distance  of 
fifteen    miles   being   covered   between   Sterling's    Ranch   and    Edinburgh. 


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Leaving  camp  at  3.30  a.m.  after  a  drenching  rain,  the  Command  marched 
in  the  regulation  50  minute  hitches  and  10  minute  rests  to  Edinburgh. 
During  the  march  the  weather  was  excellent,  but  upon  arriving  at  Edin- 
burgh the  rain  again  deluged  the  troops,  and  dog  tents  were  pitched  in  a 
veritable  quagmire.  During  this  march  only  eight  men  fell  out,  which  was 
a  very  excellent  record,  comparing  favorably  with  performance  to  be 
expected  frora  highly  trained  troops. 

From  this  time  until  September  26th  various  Battalion,  Regimental 
and  Brigade  maneuvers  were  held.  These  culminated  in  the  maneuver  of 
a  reinforced  brigade  along  the  Rio  Grande  River.  On  .September  25th  and 
26th  the  Regiment  started  out  from  Pharr  and  joined  the  balance  of  the 
troops  at  East  McAllen  road.  From  here  the  Brigade  proceeded  to  the 
Taylor  road  at  the  Border,  along  which  the  maneuver  was  carried  out. 
After  a  night  in  shelter  tents,  the  Command  marched  north  along  the 
Pharr  road  as  a  withdrawing  movement.  The  entire  distance  marched  in 
this  problem  was  28  miles. 

October  i8th.  Companies  A  and  C  marched  to  San  Juan  Hacienda  for 
detached  duty  on  outposts  along  the  Rio  Grande  River. 

This  was  the  first  detachment  of  the  Regiment  used  on  this  service, 
which  was  continued  in  short  periods  from  four  days  to  a  week  by  other 
detachments  and  battalions  of  the  Regiment.  Perhaps  nothing  that  was 
done  approximated  more  nearly  war  conditions  than  the  work  at  these  out- 
posts, particularly  in  the  case  of  early  detachments,  where  reconnais- 
sance was  original  in  unknov.m  terrain.  Many  lessons  of  self-reliance 
were  learned  by  both  officers  and  men  during  these  periods  of  detached 
service. 

After  October  i8th,  outpost  duty  at  the  Border,  maneuvers  near  Pharr, 
and  rifle  practice  at  La  Gloria  followed  in  rapid  succession,  for  the  various 
units  in  the  Command.  The  practice  at  La  Gloria  in  combat  firing  was 
most  interesting  and  instructive,  due  to  the  careful  and  up-to-date  method 
of  conducting  this  practice  as  carried  on  by  Major  Chandler  of  the  loth 
Infantry. 

Upon  the  return  of  the  First  Battalion  from  La  Gloria  a  forced  march 
was  made  of  26  miles  in  12  hours  from  Sterling's  Ranch  to  Pharr,  includ- 
ing a  four-hour  halt  at  Edinburgh  for  dinner. 

From  October  until  January  great  progress  was  made  in  the  set  up  and 
precision  of  the  troops  at  Pharr. 

The  Regiment  participated  in  three  great  reviews  of  the  New  York 
Division.  The  first,  to  Governor  Whitman,  October  16,  1916;  the  second 
to  Senator  Wadsworth,  November  29,  1916,  and  the  third  to  Major  Gen- 
eral O'Ryan,  December  5,  1916.  Besides  these,  numerous  small  reviews 
were  held.  On  October  22nd  the  Regiment  participated  in  night  maneu- 
vers in  the  direction  of  San  Juan.  From  this  time  until  the  74th  was 
ordered  to  McAllen,  regular  drills,  ceremonies  and  garrison  duties  were 
in  order. 

100 


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On  January  12  and  13,  1917,  the  74th  Regiment  moved  to  McAllen, 
where  they  occupied  the  old  camp  of  the  7th  Regiment. 

Suddenly,  on  January  15,  1917,  the  Regiment  sustained  a  very  serious 
loss  in  the  death  of  its  Colonel  Nathaniel  B.  Thurston,  who  had  returned 
to  his  command  during  the  month  of  November.  Colonel  Thurston  was 
respected  and  admired  by  all  members  of  his  Command,  and  his  death  was 
mourned  by  all.  It  is  hard  to  measure  the  devotion  of  the  Regiment  to 
Colonel  Thurston.  His  character  was  broad  and  confidence-inspiring.  The 
officers  found  in  him  a  friend  and  advisor,  the  men  an  honest  and  square 
leader.  On  January  i6th  a  Brigade  funeral  was  held  for  Colonel  Thurston. 
Among  the  many  rumors  that  were  rife  in  the  latter  days  of  the  Regi- 
ment's stay  at  the  Border  was  one  that  it  was  to  return  to  Buffalo  early  in 
February.  In  fact  an  order  had  been  seen,  but  hopes  were  dashed  to  the 
ground  when  the  order  came  suspending  further  troop  movements.  At 
this  time  the  Regiment  was  ordered  to  Penitas  by  Battalions  for  rifle  prac- 
tice. Only  the  first  Battalion,  however,  went,  as  orders  were  received  on 
February  9th,  ordering  the  return  of  the  Regiment  at  once.  Camp  was 
broken  at  Penitas  in  45  minutes  and  as  the  Battalion  neared  McAllen,  Ser- 
geant Bolton  and  his  band  greeted  them  with  "Hail !  Hail !  the  Gang's  all 
here,"  "It  will  be  a  hot  time  in  the  old  town  to-night,"  and  "Home,  Sweet 
Home."  The  effect  was  magical,  and  enthusiastic  shouts  greeted  the 
Battalion  as  it  reached  camp. 

The  Regiment  left  McAllen  for  Buffalo,  February  14,  1917.  Just  before 
leaving  Lieutenant  White  was  relieved  of  the  command  of  the  Regiment 
and  the  Regiment  was  brought  home  under  command  of  Major  Arthur 
Kemp,  now  its  well-known  and  popular  Colonel.  It  arrived  at  its  home 
station  February  20,  1917.  Many  amusing  scenes  were  witnessed  as  sol- 
diers slipped  on  the  icy  pavements  after  their  experiences  in  Texas  gumbo 
and  alkaline  sands. 

It  was  with  eager  expectancy  that  the  Regiment  hit  Buffalo.  The  great 
blasts  of  whistles,  which  greeted  the  troop  trains  as  they  entered  the 
City,  made  the  men  feel  that  they  were  not  entirely  forgotten  during  their 
eight  months'  .stay  at  the  Border.  It  was  a  veteran  organization  that  the 
people  viewed  as  the  74th  marched  up  Main  Street,  not  veterans  of  a 
war,  but  veterans  of  an  expedition,  which  had  hardened  and  seasoned  the 
men  to  an  astonishing  extent. 


3 
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PART  II 

WAR  WITH  GERMANY 

THE  NEW  YORK  DIVISION 
MOBILIZED  AGAIN 


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j^^.—    _'^  .       Editor's  Note:    Obviously  this  record  is  incomplete,  but  rather  than  omit  '%\ 


11      a 


this  important  service  such  facts  as  are  available  at  the 
time  of  going  to  press  are  included. 


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REVIEW  OF  EVENTS  LEADING  UP  TO  THE 

DECLARATION  OF  A  STATE  OF  WAR  ^VITH 

GERMANY 

By  R.  L.  Burdick. 

Not  in  ten,  nor  perhaps  even  fifty,  years  will  the  question  of  the  respon- 
sibility for  the  greatest  war  be  definitely  placed  by  historians.  Although 
most  of  us  have  our  own  and  a  rather  unanimous  opinion  on  the  subject, 
yet  it  would  be  futile  at  this  short  range  to  lay  the  blame  on  any  one  or 
group  of  agencies.  It  may  well  be  that  later  historians  of  broad  view  may 
show  the  war  to  have  been  an  economic  necessity,  a  racial  upheaval,  or  a 
readjustment  of  social  forces.  These  problems  we  can  but  speculate  upon, 
the  while  we  sufTer. 

But  even  after  the  brief  period  of  our  own  entry  into  the  conflict  we 
can  definitely  point  out  the  causes  and  events  which  led  the  greatest 
democracy  of  the  modern  world  to  take  up  arms.  When  the  wrack  of  war 
is  done,  when  the  aching  hearts  find  respite,  and  when  the  battlefields  of 
France  are  once  more  green,  our  great  cause  shall  stand  unchallenged — 
that  cause  summed  up  in  the  imperishable  words  of  President  Wilson — "to 
make  the  world  safe  for  democracy."  Those  few  words  rank  with  Patrick 
Henry's  enunciation  of  our  national  ideals  and  with  Lincoln's  memorable 
address  at  Gettysburg. 

This,  then  is  our  cause.  Let  us  refresh  our  memories  with  the  facts 
which  led  up  to  the  National  crisis.  Surely  we  cannot  forget  the  sinking 
of  the  Lusitania  and  the  immediate  sentiment  of  our  nation  for  entering 
the  war.  As  we  look  back,  however,  we  see  that  the  opinion  of  the  people 
had  not  sufficiently  crystallized  to  enable  us  to  enter  upon  such  a  policy. 
It  is  a  characteristic  of  our  form  of  government  that  we  must  ponder  long 
before  acting,  but  that  when  we  do  strike  our  unanimity  of  opinion  lends 
the  greater  force  to  the  blow. 

The  later  sinking  of  various  of  our  ships  and  the  consequent  loss  of 
American  lives  did  not  of  themselves  constitute  a  sufficient  cause  for 
precipitating  us  into  the  struggle.  Their  effect  was,  nevertheless,  cumula- 
tive, and  stored  up  a  growing  reservoir  of  wrath  which  needed  but  a  drop 
more  to  burst  its  containing  walls. 

A  year  ago.  in  August,  1916,  there  seemed  little  likelihood  that  we 
would  become  immediately  involved  in  the  European  struggle.  We  had 
been  in  a  measure  reassured  of  the  safety  of  our  foreign  commerce  and  the 
observance  of  international  law  on  the  seas,  by  Germany's  promise  of  May 
4  to  conduct  her  submarine  warfare  with  proper  regard  to  the  rights  of 
neutrals. 

The  state  of  strict  neutrality  which  we  were  trying  to  maintain,  at  the 
urgent  behest  of  our  governmental  leaders,  seemed  easier  of  achievement. 
Yet  the  respite  was  brief;  before  long  there  appeared  evidence  of  Teutonic 

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plots  in  our  own  country.  The  actual  details  of  these  have  never  been 
fully  made  public,  but  undenied  newspaper  reports  of  the  origin  of  the 
Welland  Canal  plot,  of  the  blowing  up  of  the  Canadian-American  bridge, 
left  no  room  for  doubt  as  to  these  later  activities.  Many  of  them  were 
traced  to  the  doors  of  the  Central  Powers'  embassies. 

These  negotiations  fell  through,  as  might  have  been  expected,  because 
of  the  diversity  of  peace  terms  which  could  not  be  reconciled.  Then,  as  a 
bolt  from  the  blue,  came  the  announcement,  on  January  31,  1917,  of  Ger- 
many's new  submarine  policy.  Disregarding  her  previous  promise  of  May 
4,  1916,  she  declared  a  ruthless  policy  of  unrestricted  naval  warfare  to  com- 
mence February  ist  in  all  waters  surrounding  her  enemy  countries.  As  a 
sop  to  the  United  States  one  ship  per  week  flying  our  flag  was  to  be 
"allowed"  to  sail  through  a  prescribed  course  to  Falmouth.  This  made  the 
break  practically  certain.  Our  stand  for  the  freedom  of  the  seas  was 
directly  flouted. 

The  President  acted  promptly.  On  February  3d  passports  were  handed 
to  the  German  Ambassador,  Count  von  Bernstorff  (who,  by  the  way,  did 
much  to  prevent  a  crisis  arising),  and  our  Ambassador  in  Berlin,  Mr. 
Gerard,  was  recalled.  In  quick  succession  followed  Mr.  Wilson's  appeal 
to  other  neutrals  to  take  the  same  action,  and  his  refusal  to  open  nego- 
tiations with  Germany  until  she  should  withdraw  her  new  policy. 

The  one  last  straw  which  broke  the  back  of  our  endurance  was  the 
authorized  publication  on  February  28th  by  the  Associated  Press  of  the 
contents  of  a  note  signed  by  the  German  Foreign  Secretary,  Zimmerman, 
addressed  to  the  German  Ambassador  to  Mexico  proposing  an  alliance 
with  Mexico  in  the  event  of  war  between  the  United  States  and  Germany, 
and  even  proposing  that  Japan  be  invited  to  join.  Financial  aid  and 
territorial  annexation  was  promised  to  our  southern  neighbors.  Let  it  be 
said  right  here  that  Japan  immediately  repudiated  any  knowledge  of  the 
proposal  and  refused  absolutely  to  take  it  into  consideration. 

Two  points  in  this  scheme  stood  out  prominently.  The  first  was  that 
Germany  expected,  despite  her  ofifer  of  negotiations  of  February  12th,  that 
the  United  States  would  consider  her  pronouncement  of  January  31st  a 
cause  of  war.  This  necessitated  a  definite  decision  as  to  whether  we  were 
to  face  the  issue  squarely  and  take  its  consequences  or  back  down  from  our 
position.  We  all  know  the  answer — its  wording  is  set  forth  on  another 
page  in  President  Woodrow  Wilson's  address  to  the  joint  session  of  Con- 
gress,  April   2nd. 

The  other  point  which  fanned  the  flame  of  our  anger  was  the  under- 
handed attempt  to  re-embroil  us  with  our  then  peaceful  neighbor,  Mexico. 
Was  Germany  to  be  let  go  unpunished  for  attempting  to  set  at  naught  our 
successful  eflforts  to  quiet  the  disturbance  on  our  southwestern  border ; 
was  all  the  work  of  our  army  in  Mexico,  the  service  and  sacrifice  of  our 
National  Guard  to  be  flouted ;  or  did  the  Monroe  Doctrine  still  hold  good  ? 
Those  were  the  burning  rmestions — and  their  answer  was  worthy  of  a  land 
known  for  its  love  of  liberty  and  justice. 


Even  previous  to  this,  far-seeing  eyes  beheld  another  development 
which  made  a  growing  demand  for  our  entry  into  the  war — the  weakening 
of  Russia.  Should  disaster  fall  in  that  direction  a  greater  burden  would  be 
thrown  on  France  and  England  and  the  chances  of  defeating  the  blood  and 
iron  rule  of  Germany  became  less,  unless  supported  by  the  United  States. 

The  Russian  Duma  brought  about,  on  November  24,  1916.  the  replacing 
of  Boris  V.  Stiirmer,  a  pro-German,  by  Alexander  TrepoiT  as  Premier. 
Later,  Prince  Golitzin  succeeded  Trepofif.  The  crisis  in  that  nation  rose  on 
March  12th  when  the  Duma  refused -to  dissolve  upon  order  of  the  Czar. 
That  body  in  answer  demanded  internal  reforms,  a  more  energetic  prose- 
cution of  the  war,  and  even  charged  the  Administration  with  being  pro- 
German. 

Three  days  later  Czar  Nicholas  11  abdicated  the  throne,  both  for  himself 
and  his  son,  designating  his  brother,  Grand  Duke  Michael  Alexahdrovitch, 
as  his  successor.  A  new  cabinet  was  hastily  formed ;  on  March  i6th  the 
Duma  declared  for  universal  suffrage,  liberty  of  speech,  press  and  religion, 
general  amnesty  and  the  abolition  of  political  police.  The  Grand  Duke 
provisionally  renounced  the  throne  in  favor  of  the  democratic  form  of 
'government  they  wished,  and  an  election  was  called.  Pending  this,  the 
Provisional  Government  repeated  its  allegiance  to  the   Allied  Powers. 

In  spite  of  the  long  forbearance  of  this  country  in  the  face  of  growing 
difficulties,  we  did  not  lie  idle.  During  the  last  year  the  Army  and  Navy 
have  been  active  in  preparing  against  eventualities.  A  Council  of  National 
Defense  was  created  by  Congress.  The  Army  awarded  contracts  for  175 
airplanes  and  contracted  for  200  more  building.  Late  in  December  the 
General  Staff  completed  and  laid  before  the  Senate  and  House  Committees 
on  military  affairs  the  plans  for  the  raising  and  mobilizing  of  1,500,000 
trained  troops  on  a  basis  of  universal  military  training.  When  this  plan 
was  made  public  it  created  widespread  discussion.  There  were  many  who 
favored  it  as  a  necessity  of  preparedness,  while  others  looked  upon  it 
unfavorably  as  a  phase  of  military  domination  inconsistent  with  our  con- 
stitutional ideals.  The  Sixty-fourth  Congress  had  passed  the  Army  Appro- 
priation Bill  in  its  first  session  but  this  feature  was  not  included. 

L^pon  reconvening  in  191 7,  Congress  in  January  and  February  passed 
.several  large  bills  appropriating  money  for  the  use  of  the  Army  and  Navy. 
On  February  27,  it  authorized  the  President  to  supply  defensive  weapons 
to  merchant  ships,  which  was  announced  on  March  12.  When  the  first  of 
these  ships  sailed  the  country  held  its  breath,  expecting  an  actual  com- 
mencement of  hostilities.  The  Navy  Department  let  contracts  for  four 
liattle  cruisers  and  six  scout  cruisers  on  March  15. 

Aleanwhile  President  Wilson  called  a  special  session  of  the  new  (Sixty- 
fifth)  Congress  which  met  in  joint  session  on  April  2,  1917,  when  the 
President  addressed  them.  Debate  waxed  heavy  on  the  war  resolution  but 
finally,  on  April  4th,  the  Senate  passed  it  by  82  to  6,  the  House  passed  it 
April  6th  by  373  to  ^o:  it  was  signed  by  the  President  and  was  transmitted 
to  the  world. 

106 


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President  Woodrow  Wilsons  Address  to  Congress 
in  Joint  Session,  April  2nd,  1917 

Gentlemen  of  the  Congress: 

I  have  called  the  Congress  into  extraordinary  session  because  there  are  serious, 
ver>'  serious,  choices  of  poHcy  to  be  made  and  made  immediately,  which  it  was  neither 
right  nor  constitutionally  permissible  that  I  should  assume  the  responsibihty  of  making. 

On  the  third  of  February  last  I  officially  laid  before  you  the  extraordinary  announce- 
ment of  the  Imperial  German  Government  that  on  and  after  the  first  day  of  Februarj- 
it  was  its  purpose  to  put  aside  all  restraints  of  law  or  of  humanity  and  use  its  sub- 
marines to  sink  every  vessel  that  sought  to  approach  either  the  ports  of  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland,  or  the  western  coasts  of  Europe,  or  any  of  the  ports  controlled  by  the 
enemies  of  Germany  within  the  Mediterranean.  That  had  seemed  to  be  the  object  of 
the  German  submarine  warfare  earlier  in  the  war,  but  since  April  of  last  year  the 
Imperial  Government  had  somewhat  restrained  the  commanders  of  its  undersea  craft  in 
conformity  with  its  promise  then  given  to  us  that  passenger  boats  should  not  be  sunk 
and  that  due  warning  would  be  given  to  all  other  vessels  which  its  submarines  might 
seek  to  destroy  when  no  resistance  was  offered  or  escape  attempted,  and  care  taken  that 
their  crews  were  given  at  least  a  fair  chance  to  save  their  lives  in  their  open  boats. 
The  precautions  taken  were  meagre  and  haphazard  enough,  as  was  proved  in  distressing 
instance  after  instance  in  the  progress  of  the  cruel  and  unmanly  business,  but  a  certain 
degree  of  restraint  was  observed.  The  new  policy  has  swept  every  restriction  aside. 
Vessels  of  every  kind,  whatever  their  flag,  their  diaracter,  their  cargo,  their  distination, 
their  errand,  have  been  ruthlessly  sent  to  the  bottom  without  warning  and  without  thought 
of  help  or  mercy  for  those  on  board,  the  vessels  of  friendly  neutrals  along  with  those  of 
belligerents.  Even  hospital  ships  and  ships  carrj-ing  relief  to  the  sorely  bereaved  and 
stricken  people  of  Belgium,  though  the  latter  were  provided  with  safe  conduct  through 
the  prescribed  areas  by  the  German  Government  itself  and  were  distinguished  by  unmis- 
takable marks  of  identity,  have  been  sunk  with  the  same  reckless  lack  of  compassion  or 
of  principle. 

I  was  for  a  little  while  unable  to  believe  that  such  things  would  in  fact  be  done 
by  any  government  that  had  hitherto  subscribed  to  the  humane  practices  of  civilized 
nations.  International  law  had  its  origin  in  the  attempt  to  set  up  some  law  which  would 
be  respected  and  observed  xipon  the  seas  where  no  nation  had  right  of  dominion  and 
where  lay  the  free  highways  of  the  world.  By  painful  stage  after  stage  has  that  law- 
been  built  up,  with  meagre  enough  results  indeed,  after  all  was  accomplished  that  could 
be  accomplished,  but  always  with  a  clear  view,  at  least,  of  what  the  heart  and  con- 
science of  mankind  demanded.  This  minimum  of  right  the  German  Government  has 
swept  aside  under  the  plea  of  retaliation  and  necessity  and  because  it  had  no  weapons 
which  it  could  use  at  sea  except  those  which  it  is  impossible  to  employ  as  it  is  employing 
them  without  throwing  to  the  winds  all  scruples  of  humanity  or  of  respect  for  the 
understandings  that  were  supposed  to  underlie  the  intercourse  of  the  world.  I  am  not 
now  thinking  of  the  loss  of  property  involved,  immense  and  serious  as  that  is,  but  only 
of  the  wanton  and  wholesale  destruction  of  the  lives  of  non-combatants,  men,  women, 
and  children,  engaged  in  pursuits  which  have  always,  even  in  the  darkest  periods  of 
modern  history,  been  deemed  innocent  and  legitimate.  Property  can  be  paid  for;  the 
lives  of  peaceful  and  innocent  people  cannot  be.  The  present  German  submarine  warfare 
against   commerce   is   a   warfare   against   mankind. 

It  is  a  war  against  all  nations.  American  ships  have  been  sunk,  American  lives 
taken,  in  w^ays  which  it  has  stirred  us  very  deeply  to  learn  of,  but  ships  and  people 
of  other  neutral  and  friendly  nations  have  been  sunk  and  overwhehned  in  the  waters 
in  the  same  way.  There  has  been  no  discrimination.  The  challenge  is  to  all  mankind. 
Each  nation  must  decide  for  itself  how  it  will  meet  it.  The  choice  we  make  for  our- 
selves must  be  made  wnth  a  moderation  of  counsel  and  a  temperateness  of  judgment 
befitting   our   character   and   our   motives   as   a  nation.     We  must  put   excited   feeling 


3  -^ 


'i'\\ 


away.  Our  motive  will  not  be  revenge  or  the  victorious  assertion  of  the  pliysical  might 
of  the  nation,  but  only  the  vindication  of  right,  of  human  right,  of  which  we  are  only  a 
single  cliampion. 

When  I  addressed  the  Congress  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  February  last  I  thought 
that  it  would  suffice  to  assert  our  neutral  rights  with  arms,  our  right  to  use  the  seas 
against  unlawful  interference,  our  right  to  keep  our  people  safe  against  unlawful 
violence.  But  armed  neutrality,  it  now  appears  is  impracticable.  Because  submarines 
are  in  effect  outlaws  when  used  as  the  German  submarines  have  been  used  against 
merchant  shipping,  it  is  impossible  to  defend  ships  against  their  attacks  as  the  law  of 
nations  has  assumed  that  merchantmen  vw)uld  defend  themselves  against  privateers  or 
cruisers,  visible  craft  giving  chase  upon  the  open  sea. 

It  is  common  prudence,  in  such  circumstances,  grim  necessity  indeed,  to  endeavor 
to  destroy  them  before  they  have  shown  their  own  intention.  They  must  be  dealt  with 
upon  sight,  if  dealt  with  at  all.  The  German  Government  denies  the  right  of  neutrals 
to  use  arms  at  all  within  the  areas  of  the  sea  which  it  has  proscribed,  even  in  the 
defence  of  rights  which  no  modern  publicist  has  ever  before  questioned  their  right  to 
defend. 

The  intimation  is  conveyed  that  the  armed  guards  which  we  have  placed  on  our 
merchant  ships  will  be  treated  as  beyond  the  pale  of  law  and  subject  to  be  dealt  with  as 
pirates  would  be. 

Armed  neutrality  is  ineffectual  enough  at  best;  in  such  circumstances  and  in  the 
face  of  such  pretensions  it  is  worse  than  ineflfectual ;  it  is  likely  only  to  produce  what 
it  was  meant  to  prevent ;  it  is  practically  certain  to  draw  us  into  the  war  without  either 
the  rights  or  the  effectiveness  of  belligerents.  There  is  one  choice  we  cannot  make, 
we  are  incapable  of  making.  We  will  not  choose  the  path  of  submission  and  suffer 
the  most  sacred  rights  of  our  nation  and  our  people  to  be  ignored  or  violated.  The 
wrongs  against  which  we  now  array  ourselves  are  no  common  wrongs ;  they  cut  to 
the  ver>'  roots  of  human  life. 

With  a  profound  sense  of  the  solemn  and  even  tragical  character  of  the  step  I  am 
taking  and  of  the  grave  responsibilities  which  it  involves,  but  in  unhesitating  obedience 
to  what  I  deem  my  constitutional  duty,  I  advise  that  the  Congress  declare  the  recent 
course  of  the  Imperial  German  Government  to  be  in  fact  nothing  less  than  war  against 
the  government  and  people  of  the  United  States ;  that  it  formally  accept  the  status  of 
belligerent  whidi  has  thus  been  thrust  upon  it;  and  that  it  take  immediate  steps  not 
only  to  put  the  country  in  a  more  thorough  state  of  defence,  but  also  to  exert  all  its 
power  and  employ  all  its  resources  to  bring  the  government  of  the  German  empire  to 
terms  and  end  the  war. 

What  this  will  involve  is  clear.  It  will  involve  the  utmost  practicable  cooperation 
in  counsel  and  action  with  the  governments  now  at  war  with  Germany,  and,  as  incident 
to  that,  the  extension  to  those  governments  of  the  most  liberal  financial  credits  in 
order  that  our  resources  may,  so  far  as  possible,  be  added  to  theirs.  It  will  involve  the 
organization  and  mobilization  of  all  the  material  resources  of  the  country  to  supply  the 
materials  of  war  and  serve  the  incidental  needs  of  the  nation  in  the  most  abundant, 
and  yet  the  most  economical  and  efficient  way  possible. 

It  will  involve  the  immediate  full  equipment  of  the  navy  in  all  respects,  but  par- 
ticularly in  supplying  it  with  the  best  means  of  dealing  with  the  enemy's  submarines. 
It  will  involve  the  immediate  addition  to  the  armed  forces  of  the  United  States  already 
provided  for  by  law  in  case  of  war,  at  least  500,000  men,  who  should,  in  my  opinion, 
be  chosen  upon  the  principle  of  universal  liability  to  service,  and  also  the  authorization 
of  subsequent  additional  increments  of  equal  force  so  soon  as  they  may  he  needed  and 
can  be  handled  in  training. 

It  will  involve,  also,  of  course,  the  granting  of  adequate  credits  to  the  Government, 
sustained,  I  hope,  so  far  as  they  can  equitably  be  sustained  by  the  present  generation, 
by  well  conceived  taxation.  I  say  sustained  so  far  as  may  be  equitable  by  taxation 
because  it  seems   to  me  that  it  would  be   most  unwise  to  base   the   credits   which   will 


W.. 


G-. 


?L 


now  be  necessary  entirely  on  money  borrowed.  It  is  our  duty,  I  most  respectfully  urge, 
to  protect  our  people  so  far  as  we  may  against  the  very  serious  hardships  and  evils 
which  would  be  likely  to  arise  out  of  the  infliction  which  would  be  produced  by  vast 
loans. 

In  carrying  out  the  measures  by  which  these  things  are  to  be  accomplished,  we 
should  keep  constantly  in  mind  the  wisdom  of  interfering  as  little  as  possible  in  our 
own  preparation  and  in  the  equipment  of  our  own  military  forces  with  the  duty— for  it 
will  be  a  very  practical  duty— of  supplying  the  nations  already  at  war  with  Germany 
with  the  materials  which  they  can  obtain  only  from  us  or  by  our  assistance.  They  are 
in  the  field  and  we  should  help  them  in  every  way  to  be  effective  there. 

I  shall  take  the  liberty  of  suggesting,  through  the  several  executive  departments 
of  the  Government  for  the  consideration  of  your  committees,  measures  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  the  several  objects  I  have  mentioned.  I  hope  that  it  will  be  your  pleasure 
to  deal  with  them  as  having  been  framed  after  very  careful  thought  by  the  branch  of 
the  government  upon  which  the  responsibility  of  conducting  the  war  and  safeguarding 
the  nation  will  most  directly   fall. 

While  we  do  these  things,  these  deeply  momentous  things,  let  us  be  very  clear  and 
make  very  clear  to  all  the  world  what  our  motives  and  our  objects  are.  My  own 
thought  has  not  been  driven  from  its  habitual  and  normal  course  by  the  unhappy  events 
of  the  last  two  months,  and  I  do  not  believe  that  the  thought  of  the  nation  has  been 
altered  or  clouded  by  them. 

I  have  exactly  the  same  things  in  mind  now  that  I  had  in  mind  when  I  addressed 
the  Senate  on  the  22d  of  January  last;  the  same  that  I  had  in  mind  when  I  addressed 
the  Congress  on  the  3d  of  February  and  on  the  26th  of  February.  Our  object  now,  as 
then,  is  to  vindicate  the  principles  of  peace  and  justice  in  the  life  of  the  world  as 
against  selfish  and  autocratic  power,  and  to  set  up  amongst  the  really  free  and  self- 
governed  peoples  of  the  world  such  a  concert  of  purpose  and  of  action  as  will  hence- 
forth insure  the  observance  of  those  principles. 

Neutrality  is  no  longer  feasible  or  desirable  where  the  peace  of  the  world  is 
involved  and  the  freedom  of  its  peoples,  and  the  menace  to  that  peace  and  freedom  lies 
in  the  existence  of  autocratic  governments  backed  by  organized  force  wTiich  is  controlled 
wholly  by  their  will,  not  by  the  will  of  their  people.  We  have  seen  the  last  of  neutrality 
in  such  circumstances. 

We  are  at  the  beginning  of  an  age  in  which  it  will  be  insisted  that  the  same 
standards  of  conduct  and  of  responsibility  for  wrong  done  shall  be  observed  among 
nations  and  their  governments  that  are  observed  among  the  individual  citizens  of 
civilized  states. 

We  have  no  quarrel  with  the  German  people.  We  have  no  feeling  towards  them 
but  one  of  sympathy  and  friendship.  It  was  not  upon  their  impulse  that  their  Gov- 
ernment acted   in   entering   this   war.     It   was   not   with   their   previous   knowledge   or 

approval.  .  •       .        ij 

It  was  a  war  determined  upon  as  wars  used  to  be  determmed  upon  m  the  old, 
imhappy  days  when  peoples  were  nowhere  consulted  by  their  rulers  and  wars  were 
provoked  and  waged  in  the  interests  of  dynasties  or  of  little  groups  of  ambitious  men 
who  were  accustomed  to  use  their  fellow  men  as  pawns  and  tools. 

Self-governed  nations  do  not  fill  their  neighbor  states  with  spies  or  set  the  course 
of  intrigue  to  bring  about  some  critical  posture  of  affairs  which  will  give  them  an 
opportunity  to  strike  and  make  conquest.  Such  designs  can  be  successfully  worked  out 
only  under  cover  and  where  no  one  has  the  right  to  ask  questions. 

Cunningly  contrived  plans  of  deception  or  aggression,  carried,  it  may  be,  from 
generation  to  generation,  can  be  worked  out  and  kept  from  the  light  only  within  the 
privacy  of  courts  or  behind  the  carefully  guarded  confidences  of  a  narrow  and  privi- 
leged class.  They  are  happily  impossible  where  public  opinion  commands  and  msists 
upon   full  information  concerning  all  the  nation's  affairs. 

A  steadfast  concert  for  peace  can  never  be  maintained  except  by  a  partnership  of 


{  i^ 


^ 


-I 


democratic  nations.     No   autocratic  government   could  be  trusted   to  keep   faith   within 
it  or  observe  its  covenants. 

It  must  be  a  league  of  honor,  a  partnership  of  opinion.  Intrigue  would  eat  its 
vitals  away;  the  plottings  of  inner  circles  who  could  plan  what  they  would  and  render 
account  to  no  one  would  be  a  corruption  seated  at  its  very  heart.  Only  free  peoples 
can  hold  their  purpose  and  their  honor  steady  to  a  common  end  and  prefer  the  interests 
of  mankind  to  any  narrow  interest  of  their  own. 

Does  not  every  American  feel  that  assurance  has  been  added  to  our  hope  for  the 
future  peace  of  the  world  by  the  wonderful  and  heartening  things  that  have  been  hap- 
pening within  the  last  few  weeks  in  Russia? 

Russia  was  known  by  those  who  knew  it  best  to  have  been  always  in  fact  democratic 
at  heart,  in  all  the  vital  habits  of  her  thought,  in  all  the  intimate  relationships  of  her 
people  that  spoke  their  natural  instinct,  their  habitual  attitude  towards  life. 

The  autocracy  that  crowned  the  summit  of  her  political  structure,  long  as  it  had 
stood  and  terrible  as  was  the  reality  of  its  power,  was  not  in  fact  Russian  in  origin, 
character,  or  purpose,  and  now  it  has  been  shaken  off  and  the  great  generous  Russian 
people  have  been  added  in  all  their  native  majesty  and  might  to  the  forces  that  are 
fighting  for  freedom  in  the  world,  for  justice  and  for  peace.  Here  is  a  fit  partner  for 
a  League  of  Honor. 

One  of  the  things  that  has  served  to  convince  us  that  the  Prussian  autocracy  was 
not  a.nd  could  never  be  our  friend  is  that  from  the  very  outset  of  the  present  war  it 
has  filled  our  unsuspecting  communities,  and  even  our  offices  of  government,  with  spies 
and  set  criminal  intrigues  everywhere  afoot  against  our  national  unity  of  counsel,  our 
peace   within   and   without,   our   industries   and   our  commerce. 

Indeed,  it  is  now  evident  that  its  spies  were  here  even  before  the  war  began;  and 
it  is  unhappily  not  a  matter  of  conjecture  but  a  fact  proved  in  our  courts  of  justice 
that  the  intrigues  which  have  more  than  once  come  perilously  near  to  disturbing  the 
peace  and  dislocating  the  industries  of  the  country  have  been  carried  on  at  the  instiga- 
tion, with  the  support,  and  even  under  the  personal  direction  of  official  agents  of  the 
Imperial   Government  accredited   to   the   Government   of   the   United   States. 

Even  in  checking  these  things  and  trying  to  extirpate  them  we  have  sought  to  put 
the  most  generous  interpretation  possible  upon  them,  because  we  knew  that  their 
source  lay,  not  in  any  hostile  feeling  or  purpose  of  the  German  people  towards  us  (who 
were,  no  doubt,  as  ignorant  of  them  as  we  ourselves  were),  but  only  in  the  selfish 
designs  of  a  Government  that  did  what  it  pleased  and  told  its  people  nothing.  But 
they  have  played  their  part  in  serving  to  convince  us  at  last  that  that  Government 
entertains  no  real  friendship  for  us  and  means  to  act  against  our  peace  and  security 
at  its  convenience.  That  it  means  to  stir  up  enemies  against  us  at  our  very  doors  the 
intercepted  note  to  the  German  Minister  at  Mexico  City  is  eloquent  evidence. 

We  are  accepting  this  challenge  of  hostile  purpose  because  we  know  that  in  such 
a  government,  following  such  methods,  we  can  never  have  a  friend ;  and  that  in  the 
presence  of  its  organized  power,  always  lying  in  wait  to  accomplish  we  know  not 
what  purpose,  there  can  be  no  assured  security  for  the  democratic  governments  of  the 
world. 

We  are  now  about  to  accept  gage  of  battle  with  this  natural  foe  to  liberty  and 
shall,  if  necessary,  spend  the  whole  force  of  the  nation  to  check  and  nullify  its  pre- 
tensions and  its  power.  We  are  glad,  now  that  we  see  the  facts  with  no  veil  of  false 
pretence  about  them,  to  fight  thus  for  the  ultimate  peace  of  the  world  and  for  the  libera- 
tion of  its  peoples,  the  German  peoples  included;  for  the  rights  of  nations,  great  and 
small,  and  the  privilege  of  men  everywhere  to  choose  their  way  of  life  and  of  obedience. 
The  world  must  be  made  safe  for  democracy;  its  pace  must  be  planted  upon  tested 
foundations  of  political  liberty. 

We  have  no  selfish  ends  to  serve.  We  desire  no  conquest,  no  dominion.  We  seek 
no  indemnities  for  ourselves,  no  material  compensation  for  the  sacrifices  we  shall  freely 
make.    We  are  but  one  of  the  champions  of  the  rights  of  mankind.    We  shall  be  satisfied 


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when   those   rights   have   been   made   as    secure   as   the    faith   and   the   freedom   of   the 
nations  can  make  them. 

Just  because  we  fight  without  rancor  and  without  selfish  object,  seeking  nothing  for 
ourselves  but  what  we  shall  wish  to  share  with  all  free  peoples,  we  shall,  I  feel  con- 
fident, conduct  our  operations  as  belligerents  without  passion  and  ourselves  observe 
with  proud  punctilio  the  principles  of  right  and  of  fair  play  we  profess  to  be  fighting  for. 
I  have  said  nothing  of  the  governments  allied  with  the  Imperial  Government  of 
Germany  because  they  have  not  made  war  upon  us  or  challenged  us  to  defend  our  right 
and  our  honor.  The  Austro-Hungarian  Government  has,  indeed,  avowed  its  unqualified 
indorsement  and  acceptance  of  the  reckless,  lawless  submarine  warfare  adopted  now 
without  disguise  by  the  Imperial  German  Government,  and  it  has,  herefore,  not  been 
possible  for  this  Government  to  receive  Count  Tarnowski,  the  Ambassador  recently 
accredited  to  this  Government  by  the  Imperial  and  Royal  Government  of  Austria- 
Hungary;  but  that  Government  has  not  actually  engaged  in  warfare  against  citizens  of 
the  United  States  on  the  seas,  and  I  take  the  liberty,  for  the  present  at  least,  of  post- 
poning a  discussion  of  our  relations  with  the  authorities  at  Vienna.  We  enter  this  war 
only  where  we  are  clearly  forced  into  it  because  there  are  not  other  means  of  defend- 
ing our   rights. 

rt  will  be  all  the  easier  for  us  to  conduct  ourselves  as  belligerents  in  a  high  spirit 
of  right  and  fairness  because  we  act  without  animus,  not  in  enmity  towards  a  people 
or  with  the  desire  to  bring  any  injury  or  disadvantage  upon  them,  but  only  in  armed 
opposition  to  an  irresponsible  Government  which  has  thrown  aside  all  considerations 
of  humanity  and  of  right  and  is  running  amuck. 

We  are,  let  me  say  again,  the  sincere  friends  of  the  German  people,  and  shall  desire 
nothing  so  much  as  the  early  reestablishment  of  intimate  relations  of  mutual  advantage 
between  us,  however  hard  it  may  be  for  them,  for  the  time  being,  to  believe  that  this  is 
spoken  from  our  hearts.  We  have  borne  with  their  present  government  through  all  these 
bitter  months  because  of  that  friendship— exercising  a  patience  and  forbearance  which 
would  otherwise  have  been  impossible.  We  shall,  happily,  still  have  no  opportunity  to 
prove  that  friendship  in  our  daily  attitude  and  actions  toward  the  millions  of  men  and 
women  of  German  birth  and  native  sympathy  who  live  amongst  us  and  share  our  life, 
and  we  shall  be  proud  to  prove  it  towards  all  who  are  in  fact  loyal  to  their  neighbors 
and  to  the  Government  in  the  hour  of  test.  They  are,  most  of  them,  as  true  and  loyal 
Americans  as  if  they  had  never  known  any  other  fealty  or  allegiance.  They  will  be 
prompt  to  stand  with  us  in  rebuking  and  restraining  the  few  who  may  be  of  a  different 
mind  and  purpose. 

If  there  should  be  disloyalty,  it  will  be  dealt  with  with  a  firm  hand  of  stern  repres- 
sion; but,  if  it  lifts  its  head  at  all,  it  will  lift  it  only  here  and  there  and  without  counten- 
ance except  from  a  lawless  and  malignant  few. 

It  is  a  distressing  and  oppressive  duty,  gentlemen  of  the  Congress,  which  I  have 
performed  in  thus  addressing  you.  There  are,  it  may  be,  many  months  of  fiery  trial  and 
sacrifice  ahead  of  us.  It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  lead  this  great  peaceful  people  into  war, 
into  the  most  terrible  and  disastrous  of  all  wars,  civilization  itself  seeming  to  be  in  the 
balance.  But  the  right  is  more  precious  than  peace,  and  we  shall  fight  for  the  things 
whicli  we  have  always  carried  nearest  our  hearts — for  democracy,  for  the  right  of  those 
gf<--;__^  *.  who  submit  to  authority  to  have  a  voice  in  their  own  governments,  for  the  rights  and 
'■i^^r~v  liberties  of  small  nations,  for  a  universal  dominion  of  right  by  such  a  concert  of  free 
peoples  as  shall  bring  peace  and  safety  to  all  nations  and  make  the  world  itself  at 
last   free. 

To  such  a  task  we  can  dedicate  our  lives  and  our  fortunes,  everything  that  we  are 
and  ever>-thing  that  we  have,  with  the  pride  of  those  who  know  that  the  day  has  come 
when  America  is  privileged  to  spend  her  blood  and  her  might  for  the  principles  that 
gave  her  birth  and  happiness  and  the  peace  which  she  has  treasured.  God  helping  her. 
she  can  do  not  other. 


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69TH  Regiment  Going  to  Mass  at  St.  P.\trick's  Cathedral,  July  29,  1917 


iilj.viiulit   1017.   Inderwood   &  Tndorwood 

t_'0.MF.\.\Y    U,    22XD    ENGINEERS,    LEAVING    FoR    Sp.\RTANBURG,   JULY    I,    Igl7 


ADVERTISEMENTS 


FRENCH     MILITARY     TERMS 

BRENTAIVO'S 
Vade  -  Mecvm 

FOR  THE  USE  OF  OFFICERS  AND 

INTERPRETERS 

The    most    complete    Handbook    of    Military 

Expressions    in    English,    with    their    French 

equivalent. 


MILITARY  AND  NAVAL  TEXT 
BOOKS 

Officers'  Reserve  Corps — Army  and  Navy. 
Infantry.  Cavalry  and  Artillery  Drill  Regula- 
tions. Tactics.  Strategy.  Topography.  Aero- 
nautics.     Submarines.     Flags. 

BRENTAIVO'S 

5th  Ave.  &  27th   St.,    N.    Y. 


ESTABLISHEO   1818 


fe^ 


nxial|ing  ©00  da, 

MADISON  AVENUE  COR.  FORTV-FOURTH  STREET 
NEW  YORK 

Telephone  Murray  Hill  SSoo 

Uniforms  for  Officers  of  the  United  States 

Army  and  Reserve  Forces 

Ready  Made  and  to  Measure 

Service  Uniforms  of  Olive  Drab  Wool  and 

Gabardine 

Regulation  Overcoats 

Leather  Leggings  and  Fox's  Spiral  Puttees, 

Campaign  "Hats 

Olive  Drab  Wool  Shirts, 

Special   Marching   Shoes 

Military  Trunks,  Travelling  Kits  and 

Personal  Equipment 

of  every  kind  for  Officers  in  Camp 

or  in  the  Field 
Civilian  Clothing  for  Men  and  Boys 

Send  for  Illustrated  Catalogue 

or  for  Check  List  of 

Useful  Articles  for  Officers  in  the 

Service  of  the  United  States 


Ordnance  Engineering  Corporation 

New  York  Office  London  Office 

I20  Broadway,  Equitable  Building       ig  Queen  Anne  Chambers,  West- 
minster, S.W. 


JLi^ 


GOVERNMENT  CONTRACTORS        CONSULTING  ENGINEERS 

MANUFACTURERS  OF  ILLUMINATING  SHELLS, 
TRENCH  HOWITZERS,  HAND  GRENADES,  ETC.,  ETC. 

NAVAL  AND   MILITARY   APPLIANCES   AND   PARTS   DESIGNED, 
DEVELOPED  AND  PERFECTED 


DESIGNERS  AND  BUILDERS  OF  MILITARY  AND  NAVAL 
AIRCRAFT 


Ever-Ready 

SafetyRazor  « 1 

TX  al!  brandies  of  service  you'll  find  the  "Evcr- 
Ready"    in    use.      It    is   the   natural   choice    i>f 
ever}-  enlisted  man. 

For  quick,  efficient  service  you  can't  beat  the 
Ever-Ready.  The  stiffer  the  stubble,  or  the  more 
tender  the  skin,  the  more  keenly  the  "Ever- 
Ready"  is  appreci- 
ated The  whole  out- 
fit is  so  compact  that 
It  takes  up  but  little 
pate. 

Extra  "Radio"  blades 
6  tor  30c. 

Sold  everywhere. 

American  Safety 
Razor   Co.,  Inc. 


okl.vn.    N.    Y. 


Anchor   Blasting  Mat  tmd 
Rope  Company 


.ven    Blasting    Mats — all    sizes 
Sidewalk    Mats   and    Bampers 
lings    and    Rope    Ladders 
>unib\raiter    Ropes 


tor 


Repaired    and    Spliced 

Rope  Work  of  Every  Description 
245  East  32d  Street,  New  York 

Telpplu.ne:     Murra.v     Hill     204:1 


Compliments  of  the 

FULTON  COUNTY  GAS 
AND  ELECTRIC  COMPANY 


''Ony 


—  SILK 


Hi 


osiery 


For  every  Call  of  Fun  or  Fashion,  or  just 
plain  WEAR— "ONYX"  is  the  hose  that 
can  be  depended  upon  to  give  a  full  meas- 
ure of  satisfaction. 

It  easily  holds  first  place  in  public  favor 
as  the  brand  of  satisfying  quality. 

All  colors,  weights  and  weaves,  at  prices 
to  suit  your  purse  and  purpose. 

Sold  by  all  Quality  Shops 


Emery -Beers  Company,  inc. 

Wholesale  distributors 
Broadway  at  24th  Street,  New  York  City 


A  Rope  For 
Every  Purpose 


As  the  only  manufacturer  making  every 
kind  of  wire  and  fibre  rope,  the  Water- 
bury  Company  is  in  a  position  to  supply  ropes 
for  practically  every  requirement, 

Waterbury  Products  include  Standard  Wire 
Rope  in  all  grades,  "Green  Strand"  Wire  Rope 
and  Armored  Wire  Rope,  [Gore  Patent]  Fib- 
reclad  Wire  Rope  for  Marine  and  Hoisting 
purposes  and  Manila  and  Sisal  Cordage  in  all 
grades. 

We  shall   be  glad  to    quote   prices  and  send 
you  special  catalogues  on  any  of  our  products. 

WATERBURY     COMPANY 

63  PARK  ROW.  NEW  YORK 

CHICAGO     1315-21    West  Congress   St. 

D.ALLAS,  TEXAS,  Powell  &  Ellet  Co 911    Southwestern  Life   Bldg. 

SAN    FRANCISCO 151-161    Main    St. 

NEW    ORLE.\NS 1018   Maison  Blanche  Bldg.,  Canal  and  Dauphine  Sts. 


he  use  of 

KERITE 

insulated  wires  and 
cables  is -the  logical 
result  of  experience 


'ir^S'  NBW  TORK  CHICAGO  ^«>' 


^|i^iBaiBiggaaa8KBaaa,asaraa!saBaaaa;^piia8a^^ 


Every  man  in  active  military  service  receives  in- 
struction in  personal  hygiene  and  First  Aid  treatment- 
it's  a  part  of  his  training  and  important  because  sick- 
ness must  be  guarded  against  as  well  as  the  other 
evils  of  war. 

This  is  an  example  that  might  well  be  followed 
by  the  folks  at  home,  good  health  is  important  to 
everyone. 

Dioxo^en 


is  of  decided  value  both  in  First  Aid  treatment  and 
personal  hygiene;  an  antiseptic  and  germicide  of 
unquestioned   value,    it  is   as   harmless    as   ^vater 

and  may  be  used  almost  as  freely. 

Applied  to  wounds  and  cuts,  DIOXOGEN 
guards  against  infection;  as  a  mouth  wash  it  is  per- 
haps the  best  cleanser  that  can  be  used. 

DIOXOGEN  has  many  other  uses,  it  should  be 
in  everv  home. 


THE  OAKLAND  CHEMICAL  CO. 

10  ASTOR  PLACE  NEW  YORK. 


Liquid  Petrolatum  Squibb 

Heavy  (Californian) 

THE     Ql  ALITV    MINERAL    OIL 

SPECIALLY  REFINED  FOR  INTERNAL  USE 


Pure.  Palatable,  Efficient,  Safe 

A  Perfect  Mechanical  Lubricant 

Does  Not  Interfere  with  Digestion 

Is  Not  Absorbed  by  the  Human  System 

Restores  Normal  Bowel  Activity 

Will  Not  Form  a  Habit 

Differs  Essentially  from  all  Other  American 

Oils   and   is   Superior  to   the   Russian    Oils 

THE    BEST    BOAVEL    REGULATOR 

INVALUABLE  DURING  PREGNANCY, 
LACTATION,     INFANCY      AND      CHILDHOOD 

Liquid  Petrolatum  Squibb,  Heavy  (Californian)  is 
refined  under  the  control  of  E.  R.  Squibb  &  Sons, 
and  exclusively  for  them,  only  by  the  Stmulard  Oil 
Company  of  California,  which  has  no  connection 
with  any  other  Standard  Oil  Co. 


Sold  at  all  Drug  Stores  only  in  Original 
One-Pint  Packages  Under  the  Squibb  Isabel 
and  Guaranty. 


D'UXBAK  Leather  Belting  has  won  an  immense 
trade  in  all  countries  of  the  world  because  it  gives  the 
maximum  return  for  its  cost.  Compared  with  ordinary 
leather  belting  or  with  canvas  or  rubber  beltings  it  is 
far  more  economical  and  gives  much  more  efficient 
service. 

pUXBAK  was  designed  primarily  for  use  in  damp 
climates  or  where  water,  steam,  oil  or  acid  fumes  de- 
stroyed ordinary  belting.  But  the  waterproofing  treat- 
ment, through  which  DUXBAK  leather  is  put,  so  in- 
creased its  flexibility  and  pulley  gripping  qualities  that 
we  soon  found  .power  users  applying  it  to  all  their 
drives. 

This  double  quality  makes  DUXBAK  the  most 
widely  used  belting  in  "the  world,  as  it  supplies,  in  itself, 
every  belting  requirement  of  any  belt  user,  whatever 
his  industry  may  be. 

We  have  many  interesting  features  to  tell  you  about 
the  uses  of  DUXBAK  Belting.     Write  us  for  full  par- 
ticulars, sample  and  prices  on  any  size  and  any  quan- 
tity you  require. 

Prompt  deliveries  made  from  our 
various  depots  in  the  world's  princi- 
pal trade  centers. 


r/  tgmn'/Ut/n/ia/ii/ 

T.4NNERS,     BELT     M.\Nl  FACTVRERS 

New    York:     :iO-3S    Ferry    Street 

Oak    Leather    Tanllerie^:      Bristol,    Tenn. 

Offiees    and    Branches    in    ->lany    Important    ( 


HAM><)M'H  SLUXER 


GEORGE  DRYDEN 


Cable     Address:     "OCRBYBM" 
A.     B.     r.     Code     Sth     Edition 
•ILW    YORK    OFFICE  Vt.    IJreeze,    Pa. 

IToduce    Exchange    Annex  Telephone   Brond   4210  Pt.    Arthur,    Texas 

San    Francisco.    Cal. 
Tampico,    Mex, 


CHAS.  MARTIN  &  CO. 

INSPECTORS  OF  PETROLEUM 

Authorized  and  Approved  by  the  New  York  Produce  Exchange 

TANK   MEASURING   A   SPECIALTY 


Compliments  of 

FRANCE  AND  CANADA 
STEAMSHIP    COMPANY 


i?o  Broadway 


New  York  City 


Rosenwasser  Bros.  Inc. 

Executive  Offices  and  Factories 

LONG  ISLAND  CITY 

New  York 

N.   Y.  Salesroom,  452  Fifth  Avenue 

MANUFACTURERS    OF 

FINE  WELT  SHOES 

U.  S.  Army,  Navy  and  Marine  Corps 

Standards 

Leggings,    Knapsacks,    Haversacks 

and  Army  Supplies 
U.  S.  A.,  N.,  and  M.  C.  Standards 


SAVAGE    ARIVIS 

CORPORATION 

^^^ 

^^ 

Manufacturer  of 

LIGHT  ORDNANCE 

LEWIS    AUTOMATIC    MACHINE   GUNS 

MILITARY  HIGH-POWER  &  SMALL  CALIBER  SPORTING  RIFLES 

AUTOMATIC  PISTOLS  and  AMMUNITION 

Factories:  Sharon,  Penn.;  Utica,  N.  Y.,  U.  S.  A. 

Executive  Offices:     50  Church  Street,  New  York  City 

IMPROVED  RELIEF 
BANDAGE  ROLLER, 

with  Double  Table  Clamps. 

Polished   and   Full   Nickel-plated 

So  Simple  a  Child  can  use  it 

Surgical  Instrument  Makers 

GEORGE  TIEMANN  &  CO. 

Surgical    Instrument    >Iakers 

107  Park  Row 
New  York 


Compliments  of 

THE   STANDARD   COMMERCIAL 
TOBACCO  CO.,  INC. 

New  York — Russia — Greece 


The  Army  &  Xa\v  Co-operative 
Company,  backed  b\'  7,000  Arm\-. 
N'avy,  Marine  Corps  and  National 
(iiiard  Officers,  has  made  arrangements 
to  fill  your  requirements,  no  matter 
where  you  are  serving,  whether  abroad 
or  in  the  I'nited  States,  and  with 
promptness. 

Our  experience  in  the  past,  making 
shipments  abroad  and  together  witli 
the  large  stock  of  uniforms  and  equip- 
ment on  hand  at  all  times,  give  assur- 
ances of  service.  Why  not  take  advan- 
tage of  this? 

Write  for  price  list  and  mail  order 
blank. 

Arm}'  &  Navy  Co-operative  Company 

t6  East  42nd  Street,  near  Fifth  Avenue 

Ninth      I  lixir 

New  York  City 
Washington,  D.C. :  721-7  i7thSt..  N.W. 
Philadelphia,  Pa.:  1121-3  So.  Broad  St. 


Telephone  Chelsea  3978 
Night  Telephone  Bergen  1937 

William  J.   Kennedy  Co. 

FUSIBLE  PLUGS 
Engineers 
Machinists 
Boilermakers 
Blacksmiths 
Coppersmiths 
Plumbers 

518-520  West  Twenty-second  Street 
New  York 


PURSCH  &  LEVIN 

ManufiKturiTs    ..f 

OVERCOATS 

and 

FUR  TRIMMED  GARMENTS 


H  TII    WKM  E 


XK«-    VOliK 


MIETZ  OIL  ENGINES 

>I.\KIXE   AM)    ST.VTION.MJV      SIZES    ■.'- l()0    II. I'. 

Over  300,000  H.P.  in  operation 
Used  by  U.   S.  and  Foreign  Govern- 
ments 

AUGUST  MIETZ   CORPORATION 
i;s-i:is    MOTT    sTKEET  m:w    vokk    <  itv 


HAPPY  HOURS 

'Mid  Summer  Flowers 


with  the  kiddies,  are  easily  possi- 
ble where  ELECTRIC  SERV- 
ICE in  the  Home  economizes 
labor,  and  gives  you  leisure  for 
out-of-doors   enjoyment. 

The  use  of  Electricity — Electric 
Lighting — the  Electric  Washer — 
Vacuum  Cleaner — Iron,  etc.,  will 
make  each  day  go  twice  as  far  as 
otherwise. 

Make  the  most  of  the  summer 
days.  Win  health  and  happiness 
by  using  Electricity.  Ask  Us 
How. 

BINGHAMTON   LIGHT    HEAT 
AND  POWER  CO. 

172  Washington  St. 
BINGHAMTON,   N.   Y. 


Our   soldiers   are  protecting 
tlie   country. 

Have    you    PROTECTED 

your  family  ? 

Our  policies  are  THE  PER- 
FECTION   OF    PRO 
TECTION  Inquire  of 

Security    Mutual   Life 
Insurance  Company, 

Binghamton,  N.   Y. 


Compliments   of 

COAL  COMPANY  OF  FULTON 
COUNTY 

Gloversville,  N.  Y. 


Compliments   of 

CHENANGO   VALLEY 
SAVINGS  BANK 

Binghamton,  N.  Y. 


Oil  Cups 
Grease  Cups 
Lubricators 
Try  Cocks 
Water   Gauges 
Steam  Gauges 
Steam    Cocks 


"WEW" 


RAILROAD  AND  MARINE 
SUPPLIES 

Full  line  of  Bronze  and  Iron 
Body  Valves  carried  in  stock. 


Cross   Valves 
Shifting  Valves 
Relief  Valves 
Throttle   Valves 
Gate  Valves 
Check  Valves 


WILLIAM  E.  WILLIAMS 


62  FRONT  STREET,  NEW  YORK 


LA  SULTANA 

EMPRESS  OF  CIGARS 


On  sale  at 
all  good 
stores 


5c. 


TOBACCO  CORPORATION  OF  AMERICA 

6  East  39th  St.,  New  York  City,  N.  Y. 


Compliments  of 

OTTO  GOETZ 

43  Murray  Street 

New  York 


"Binghamton's  Most   Popular 
Men's  Store" 

FOWLER,     DICK     &     WALKER 

The   Department  Store  Which 
SPECIALIZES  IN  Men's  Clothing 


C.   Kenyon  Company 


Makers 
NEW  YORK 


UNCLE  SAM'S  FIGHTING  MEN  WEAR  THEM ! 

OUR    SOLDIERS  WITH    PERSHING  -  ON    THE    BORDER  -  IN    TRAINING 

ARE    FITTED    WITH 

The  Endicott-Johnson  U.  S.  Army  Shoe 

(BACKED  BY  25  YEARS  OF  THE  "SQUARE  DEAL") 


The    ENDICOTT-JOHNSON 

U.  S.  ARMY  SHOE 

Made  over  the  regulation 
Munson  last  designed  by  Gov- 
ernment experts,  is  the  ideal 
shoe  for  drill,  hiking  or  every- 
day wear. 

No  "sore  feet"  in  this  shoe — 
it's  the  most  comfortable  ever 
made,  supporting  the  foot 
where  it  needs  support. 

DRIES    SOFT    after  wetting. 

^NOicorr 

JOHINSOIN'S 


Undicott-Johnson 

U.  S.  ARMY  SHOE 


USAbmyShoe 


MUINSON 

(LOOK  FOR  THIS  STA:\lr  OX  SOLES) 

SOLDIER  or  CIVILIAN-CAMP  or  STREET 

Endicott-Johnson  U.  S.  Army  Shoes  "Fill  the  Bill" 

ENDICOTT,  JOHNSON  &  CO. 

MAKERS   OF  ARMY   AND   NAVY   SHOES    FOR   THE    I'NITED    STATES    GOVERNMENT 

ENDICOTT,  NEW   YORK 


THE 
BULLDOG 


7!£Tbns  Capa^cfty 

write  For      * ' 
Cateilog  N?4- 


INTERNATIONAL  MOTOR  CO.  West  end.  Ave.&  S^^^t.  f^EW  YORK  CITY. 


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