USA > Indiana > History of the One hundred and sixty-first regiment, Indiana volunteer infantry > Part 10
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HISTORY OF THE
MIDWAY.
cular No. 5 was issued from corps headquarters authoriz- ing regimental commanders to replace the drill on Tues- days and Thursdays with athletic exercises.
Instead of fours right and column left there was to be dashes and hurdles, pole vaults, hammer throwing, shot putting, wrestling, base ball and foot ball. The athletic fiends were in high delight-great things would be done to other regiments-but while all the men were glad for a change they were not looking for a change of this kind; it was a change of country and this announcement savored of a longer stay than the most satisfied had hoped for, but the time of departure was too near at hand and the author- ization of such a programme, which, had it come earlier, would have produced a most excellent and acceptable
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ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIRST INDIANA.
OFF FOR THE MAIL.
change, was too untimely, for in less than two weeks prep- arations for " goin' home " were in progress.
The next day, Saturday, March II, brought Major Kenner, the paymaster, and also a new order of company inspection. Every tent was emptied and then taken down; it was the inspection order only, but it looked like some- thing else, and the yells sent up by the boys made the neighbor regiments believe we were; then the floors were raised, the soil underneath them scratched and everything left to ventilate, after which "as you were " was executed and inspection was over.
Sunday was the 12th. The colonel and Major Smith had gone to Mantanzas; Chaplain Watts, of the First Texas, preached in the assembly tent; the officers at a meeting de- cided to give a reception, and on Wednesday the following
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invitation was sent to all the officers of the Seventh Army Corps:
" The officers of the One Hundred and Sixty-first Reg- iment Indiana Volunteer Infantry request your presence on Monday evening, March the twentieth, at the headquarters of the Corps of Engineers.
"At eight o'clock.
"Dancing."
The rooms of the building were handsomely decorated with branches of the royal palm, and the affair, by all who were there, was pronounced the best kind of a success. Light refreshments were served, and in the court arbor a pe- culiar but excellent quality of lemonade was at the disposal of all throughout the evening; the officers did not stay late and showed fine consideration for their sleeping comrades by the quiet way in which they came into camp.
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ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIRST INDIANA.
On Monday, the 13th, Lieutenant John R. Ward, with a detail of six men, accompanied Paymaster Major Benja- min F. Havens on his pay trip among the regiments out- side Havana province. They visited regiments at Mantan- zas, Cardenas, La Union, Batabano and minor points, re- turning to the regiment the 26th. In January Lieutenant Durbin and in February Lieutenant Pitman, each with a detail of men, made similar trips with the major. It was an excellent opportunity to see the country and a privilege that every one coveted. The detail was selected from the One Hundred and Sixty-first Indiana each time, and caused a little concern on the outside, but our friend, Major Ha- vens, is a Hoosier and no other explanation is needed.
Tuesday, 14th, Major Blow, of the Fourth Virginia, an officer of the regular army, came into camp for investi- gation and instruction concerning the condition of company books; the officers gathered in the band stand and with mustering out in view were carefully reminded of the exact- ness and completeness of all record necessary for accept- ance by the authority on that day. Nothing of serious consequence occurred during the next few days save Kim- mel's white collar at dress parade and the report that sev- eral men strained their optic nerves looking out to sea for transports.
For Friday, 17th, a brigade review was on. It was a farewell review for Colonel Joseph F. Armfield, commander of the brigade and colonel of the First North Carolina. Colonel Moulton, of the Second Illinois passed the brigade in review, and Lieutenant-Colonel Backus was in com- mand of the One Hundred and Sixty-first. Colonel Arm- field and his regiment left the following day, a week, for Savannah, Georgia. On Monday, 20th, instead of the usual regimental parade the battalions were reviewed by their respective commanders.
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On the evening of this day there was organized "The Society of the Seventh Army Corps-Spanish-American War," of which Major-General Fitzhugh Lee was chosen president; Colonel Durbin was chosen as a member of the executive council. By article V of the constitution " all officers and soldiers who have served in the Seventh Army Corps in the war between the United States and Spain, possessing a good moral character and an honorable mili- tary record, shall be eligible to membership in the society."
On Tuesday, 21st, at regimental parade, the regiment heard the following notification was read to them by the colonel:
Commanding General, Havana, March 20, 1899. Buena Vista:
Secretary of war directs the Second Illinois and the One Hundred and Sixty-first Indiana be prepared to go to States after regiments already ordered get away; you will be notified later when transport will be ready. Regiments should get their records complete.
By command of Major-General Brooke.
Signed RICHARDS, Asst. Adjutant-General.
The men heard these words in silence and marched back to quarters; they wanted to go home, of course, but neither at this time nor later when the information was definite as to time did there occur the joyful and noisy demonstration which characterized other regiments of men under the same circumstances. The esprit de corps, the pride of reputation, the excellent health and fine feeling of the men and the entire environment made them satisfied and the certainty of a recall before the extreme heat set in made them willing to await what the department thought the proper time; nevertheless twelve hundred glad hearts
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIRST INDIANA. 175
beat under army blankets that night and twelve hundred imaginations were busy living through the scenes that were soon to occur in the homeland far away.
COMPANY G STREET BY MOONLIGHT.
Thursday was a day of picture taking; the chaplain was busy preparing a regimental history and Waterman's photographer was busy with his camera; it was turned upon the sergeants and corporals and other such groups as could be called together, and then from an elevated con- struction hauled about in a wagon photographs of the regi- ment and views of camp were taken. In the afternoon Lieutenant-Colonel Backus passed the regiment in review before Colonel Durbin, adjutant in command of the First Battalion.
The next day morning drill was replaced by camp
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Podes
NEXT !
cleaning, and at parade the men were told they might be in expectation of an order to move any day, and they were also given the pleasing information that small boxes con- taining their additional effects in the way of Cuban relics, etc., would be transported for them.
In the evening the First North Carolina men, who were to leave the following day, paid us their parting respects by way of a noisy tin can serenade; the whole howling regiment, frantic because of home-going, came down upon us and made night hideous as they marched through the headquarters and battalion streets. It was indicative of the kindly feeling existing between the regi- ments of the brigade and made our boys glad to see the North Carolinians shout because they were going back to
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ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIRST INDIANA.
the cotton and the pine trees of their native state. The next day, Saturday, 25th, Major Blow again met with the officers; in the afternoon Major-General Brooke sent to the commanding general at Buena Vista the following infor- mation which was forwarded to this regiment, in substance that on the 29th and 30th inst. the Second Illinois was to leave and that efforts were then being made to secure the Ward line to land the One Hundred and Sixty-first Indi- ana in Tampa, Florida, by 12 o'clock, March 31. On the same day all ammunition and extra ordnance stores were turned in and Quartermaster Brunt took them to the government ordnance store at Fort Principe.
On this Saturday an execution occurred under the "hangman's tree," without an account of which and a pict- ure of the tree the history of the regiment would be incom- plete. The tree in question grew especially to hang people on; it has only one limb for the reason that so continuous has been the weight of bodies hanging from it that all the strength of the tree must be concentrated in this one limb to be able to bear the strain. The first use of this marvel- ous tree was when a band of bandits robbed a Spanish trading party and hung them all from the limb, tying the ropes about the trunk, and then not long thereafter the civil authorities having captured the bandits hung them all in turn, seventeen of them, from the self same limb; the Cubans hung many a Spaniard there and in the recent war the number of Cubans strung up to this noted limb varies ac- cording to report, some declaring fifty; others seventy-three and still others one hundred and fifty, and no doubt Weyler, the assassin and butcher, hung a whole town of reconcen- trados to the limb in question. The grass grows greener under the tree because the blood has fertilized the soil. At night a wise man always avoids passing it. Spooks and ghosts laugh at you with a fiendish laugh and apparitions 12
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HISTORY OF THE
of hanging bodies dangling there knock against each other as they are blown about by wind that comes up from Playa beach.
On the day in question a man was stood against the tree; ten rifles were leveled at him twenty feet away. The man could not be recognized from camp, one-quarter mile
HANGMAN'S TREE.
away for his bandaged eyes disguised him, but it could be no other than the poor Louisiana soldier who in a drunken row had killed a comrade and was waiting death sentence in Marianao jail. Would they shoot before the men and offi- cers who saw them could get there? "After all do I want to see a poor fellow shot down?" "My! its awful." "Why
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ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIRST INDIANA.
couldn't they give him a life sentence?" "I tell you its sad, boys." "I don't know whether I want to go any farther or not, but if it's got to be done I guess I'll go on just to say I saw it." But before the men got more than half way the fatal moment came. There came a sharp metallic click and the awful deed was done, the rifles were lowered and the poor boy in blue threw up his hands and- took the bandage from his eyes-the photograph was taken. Under the circumstances it is not policy to mention every name, but if Captain Osborne and Captain Gwinn and Major Olds had caught Lieutenant Dority just then another man might have been hung from that famous tree.
Monday forenoon, the 27th, an order came calling for a corps review, by the secretary of war, that day at 4:30 P. M. The arrival of the secretary of war in Havana and his conference with the heads of departments was an occa- sion of great moment for the military administration of affairs in the island. The corps review was held in his honor; it was the last review of the corps, and it was frag- mentary, there being only seven regiments, besides the artillery and cavalry, to participate. Seventeen guns, the proper salute for a member of the cabinet, was fired by the batteries as the secretary, with his escort, arrived upon the field. The Fourth Illinois, Ninth Illinois, Third Nebraska, One Hundred and Sixty-first Indiana, Second Illinois, Forty- ninth Iowa and Sixth Missouri passed in review in the order named. The cavalry and artillery passed the review- ing stand twice, as usual; but this time, as if it were their last opportunity, showed the secretary and everybody else how fast they could go. It was a fine exhibition of mili- tary horsemanship, and a whole circus and hippodrome to see them dash by with just danger enough to make it real exciting. In view of who the reviewing officer was, the One Hundred and Sixty-first Indiana had a record to sus-
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tain. How eyes did open at the sight of those big compa- nies and straight lines! The secretary only said to the colonel, as he retired, "It beat Jacksonville "-three words big with meaning.
In the evening General Brooke tendered the secretary a reception. Prominent officers of the army and navy and their wives and many leading citizens.were present. The Seventh Cavalry band furnished music, and the occasion was one of the most pleasant social events held in the city since the evacuation. While Colonel Durbin was in attendance at this reception, Major Megrew being in com- mand of camp, a telegram was received stating that the command would leave camp at daybreak on Wednesday morning and embark on the steamship Logan for the United States. All next day the camp was a busy scene of men hurrying to and fro, packing boxes and getting things in readiness for the long looked for and hoped for event.
The evening was one of preparation for the morning's departure. The chaplain was holding nightly services in the assembly tent, and that night was an unexpected fare- well service. Fires were consuming all combustible leav- ings, and the whole camp was lighted by the flames. There was not much sleep that night. The men's brains were busy, and they were restless for the coming of the morn- ing. One man mistook 2 o'clock for 5 and began to wander about beating upon a washpan in an attempt to raise the camp, until either the sight of the Third Bat- talion commander in his night shirt or his mighty voice commanding silence scared the fellow back to his cot. At 4 A. M. reveille sounded, a hasty but good breakfast taken, the wagons loaded, assembly call given at 5:45, and at 6 A. M., promptly, the colonel commanded: "Forward, march! " The wagon train had gone before, and the regi-
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ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIRST INDIANA.
ment marched past Buena Vista Station and formed in line of masses before General Lee's headquarters, where the general was standing to see the One Hundred and Sixty- first Indiana march away. Colonel Durbin dismounted and, saluting, said: "I have the honor to report the departure of the One Hundred and Sixty-first Indiana Volunteer Infantry." The colonel had in mind to say other things, but the occasion was one of deep emotion and he could only grasp the old general's hand and say: " Good bye, and God bless you! " and he turned away. The tear in General Lee's eye spoke for him as he watched the colonel mount and the regiment move away.
The regiment then proceeded out on the road to the city, marching by way of Vedado, where they came to " port arms " in passing General Brooke and other officers before headquarters, arriving at San Jose wharf at 9:30, after a three and one-half hours' march, where the men piled themselves up in the shade to rest and wait for the order to move on board the transport.
CHAPTER X.
THE DEPARTURE, VOYAGE AND ARRIVAL.
The wagon train had come in before them and the dock men were busy loading the effects upon small flat cars, pushing them out on the pier and preparing them for the hoist that carried them up and down into the two hatch- ways of the vessel; if the regiment and its effects could be on board by 4 o'clock or thereabouts, the transport was to make for Savannah, which port it could reach by noon of the 3Ist in time to avoid quarantine; otherwise we were to reach the states by way of Tampa, and be necessarily inconvenienced by a ten days quarantine.
To be ready by any ways near 4 o'clock seemed impos- sible, according to the progress usually made in moving a regiment on board a vessel, but it is doubtful if ever a trans- port was loaded with greater rapidity than this, and the won- der is that more boxes and a few heads were not smashed. Boxes, trunks and barrels were piled together in the net or looped within a single rope, the cog wheel began to play and away they went with a swing and a bang and a chorus of Cuban ejaculations; they made new bundles while the one just sent up swung in the air above them. Now and then a bundle came back with a smash, but always missed a Cuban, or if it reached the hatchway hole beat the rope to the bottom with a bang and scat- tered their contents on the floor. The boys lounged under the wharf shed till 3 o'clock and then began to board the vessel. Lieutenant-Colonel Backus, executive officer of the vessel, superintended their embarkment.
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ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIRST INDIANA.
SAN JOSE ESPIGON (WHARF. )
They came with guns and knapsacks and canteens, but they came with more. The beasts and the birds were there; this fellow had a dog and another one a rabbit and company F's snake charmer had his mammoth serpents; there were yellow breasted canaries and game roosters, green parrots in wire cages; one fellow had a cat with kittens; he had taken puss with him from Savannah and while on that productive soil she gave birth to nine kittens; each one was worth its weight in gold, for it was born in "Cuby," and mother and all should go back to Freedom's holy land; and there were canes and small portable boxes of this, that and the other thing, and what the men didn't have heaven knows they did have in their boxes among the heavy baggage. Company officers stood at the foot of the gang stairway and noted the men as they passed and quite a few failed to pass, not One Hundred and Sixty-first men, but discharged soldiers, fired teamsters and cooks and an
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A FEW OF THEM.
occasional speculator who had gone broke, all seeking passage back to a better land. They were a persevering lot of fellows and when turned down once would try again until some officer was charitable enough to disobey orders and allow an occasional one to slip along. A rope lad- der lowered for a couple of late passengers brought up the rest and all on board, at 5.05 P. M., the well loaded vessel, assisted by the tug Gladisfen, slowly turned its prow to the north and started for the harbor exit close by Morro's massive walls.
The band played "The Stars and Stripes " and "A Hot Time; " the vessels that lay at anchor in the harbor filled the air with the shrill noise of steam whistles; the Paris' decks were filled with tourists who cheered us loudly as we passed; a steam launch ran out to cheer us on our
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ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIRST INDIANA.
GOING ON BOARD THE LOGAN.
way, and the band of the Resolute played "Home, Sweet Home; " there was a moment's quiet and a piercing Indian yell came from behind that caused every man on board to turn toward the wharf; it was " Broncho John," the man with the record of the plains, a familiar figure in the Sev- enth Army Corps, who added a little romance to its his- tory; he was astride his horse at the end of the pier bidding us good-bye with his characteristic yell and a wave of his coat, and the boys returned it with fine imitation and a rousing spirit. Past the Maine, past Cabana, past Morro at 5:23 and out into the ocean the steamship went and we were "goin' home." Things were different than when we entered; Cabana's walls were not lined with Spanish sol- diers and Old Glory waved from Morro. Scenes that
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three and a half months before were strange were then fa- miliar, and a mission, the idea and purpose of which when we first came into such environments played upon the emo- tions of the American soldiers, no longer moved him as before, but left him alone with his musings of where he was going.
The vessel was a government transport, formerly the Manitoba, but re-named the Logan. It was four hundred and fifty-seven feet long, several feet shorter than the Mo-
LOGAN.
bile, and, although a comfortable and substantial vessel, it could hardly be called the Mobile's equal. It had, how- ever, more deck room for the men than had the Mobile, while the officer's quarters were smaller. In place of cots for the men, hammocks were provided, which arrangement
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ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIRST INDIANA.
allowed better ventilation. The vessel made sixteen knots an hour over the bottom, and thirteen and a half feet through the water, dropping anchor at the quarantine station in the Savannah harbor at 9:15 A. M., Friday, the 31st-forty hours since 5:05 P. M., Wednesday, the 29th, when the line was cast off at San José pier. From Savannah to Havana and return, allowing eight hours for loading, it was the fastest record yet made by a government transport. The sea was just a trifle rough the first morning out, and officers and men, who had voluntarily thrown up home
NOT FEELING SO WELL !
and friends and position for suffering Cuba's sake, began to throw up again simply because they couldn't help it for their feelings' sake. The sea grew calmer and the vessel grew steadier and the politicians, so long out of practice, realizing the early return to their profession, called a mock convention to determine by their knavery the political des- tiny of some of their comrades.
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Vick M. Backus imposed himself upon the convention as self-constituted chairman. Oratory was on tap and flowed like greased liquid. Much opposition was encoun- tered to "old man " Gwinn's nomination for sheriff of Rush county, but the gallant old veteran's record of daring bravery in the Mexican war was too deserving of recogni- tion, and at the end of a hot debate, was given the unani- mous nomination for said position. Percy Welsh, of Hoop- pole township, Posey county, was made a nominee for coroner of his township, but so far forgot himself as to in- sult the chairman, whereupon Ward, of White, arose and startled the convention by masterly eloquence, in which he repudiated the man Welsh, who quailed into speechless- ness under the scathing denunciation. The new discovered Demosthenes closed his phillipic by placing Congressman Brunt's protege, Sam Cahn, in nomination, who was thereupon chosen by the convention amidst wild acclama- tion. Messages of condolence were to invalid Hudgins and the convention adjourned to meet in the saloon at 7:30 P. M. Wickliff Smith was unanimously chosen chairman, but Backus intimidated the convention at the point of weapon and when Smith started for the chair he found himself star- into the depths of a pistol in the hand of the determined and now desperate Backus; Smith was afraid to take his seat, whereupon he was vehemently denounced as a traitor to his convictions a proceedings began with Backus in the chair. Harold Megrew and Albert D. Ogborn, by appointment of the previous sitting, reported a draft of resolutions denounc- ing all intoxicating liquor but whiskey, advocating all kinds of money as long as there was plenty of it, and granting the toiling millions leave to toil. The scene that followed was a stormy one. Waterlilly Kimmel led the race for con- gressman of the Sixth district, and Ivy, of police fame, was made the convention's choice for justice of the peace of
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ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIRST INDIANA.
Clark county. Welsh was there with blood in his eye- the time for vengeance came when Ward, of White county, was made a nominee; he defamed his charac- ter and his well-known reputation for honesty and truthfulness carried the opinion of the representatives present, but when the man from White arose to acknowl- edge his defeat, he did'nt do a thing to the man from Posey, and the convention adjourned after firing Welsh from the salon.
The next morning at 8 o'clock, the Logan was near- ing the muddy mouth of the Savannah river. As she drew near her mooring place the indispensable tugs were there to help the big boat to her place. There was the "H. C. M. Smith," whoever that referred to, that brought the inspecting surgeon on board, and there was the " Daunt- less " of filibustering fame, that ran her twenty miles an hour and cost the governments of Spain and United States. so much in vain endeavor to catch her; huge lighters were pushed alongside and the work of unloading began. At 12:10 the Santee, a strange bulk of a boat came and took the First Battalion over to the dread fumigation plant; what. they would do to us was the supreme query all the way from Cuba. Strange stories of that mysterious place had been circulated; the men were to be stripped and steamed until all the Cuban brown would leave their skin and they were to go home as fair faced as a new-born child. Some of the men had come into possession of little pieces of hardened shapeless rubber purported to be fumigated but- tons-relics were to melt and run together and every par- rot, cat, canary, rooster and dog would be cleansed beyond recognition if he came out alive. The First Battalion returned at 3:15 and all the satisfaction they gave the rest was "what they'll do to you 'll be a plenty," and they were towed to the city along with the commissary goods.
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that were not subject to fumigation. At 4 P. M. another load went over and passed us on their way to Savannah, with the message " they wont do a thing to you when they get you."
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