USA > New York > The Minute men of '17 - a history of the service rendered during the recent world war by the Ninth Coast Artillery Corps, New York Guard and the Veteran Corps of Artillery, state of New York > Part 12
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN THE WORK OF THE REGIMENT
TT may surprise the reader to know of the varied and numerous activities in which the Ninth Coast engaged after its reorgan- ization. These activities were of so many kinds that few even in the regiment itself knew of them all. It must be remembered that the country was in the grip of a great emergency, and that great numbers of able-bodied men had been drawn out of civil life to serve in the Army. In addition to this shortage of active workers there were a number of important and unusual activities to be carried on at home, activities that would have taxed the ingenuity of the city at any time, and emergencies arose which required additional work to protect the civil population. In many ways and for many duties a regiment like the Ninth Coast filled the place which would otherwise have been empty, and helped the work of the city to run smoothly where otherwise there would have been a hitch. The Ninth Coast Artillery Corps held itself ready to give assistance wherever a trained body of men was needed to carry on any work which protected the civil population or helped in the prosecution of the war.
An example of this is the work of the fire fighting company. We all remember the intense cold of the winter of 1917-1918. There was a perfect epidemic of fires, until the officers and men of the Fire Department were at the point of exhaustion. A very serious danger confronted the authorities. If the Fire Department gave out, the possibility of a great conflagration became almost a certainty. The call came to the Ninth to furnish a reserve force of fire fighters, to be ready to help out in case of a great emer- gency.
The Fire Fighting Company of the Ninth was commanded by Lieutenant (later Captain) H. King Coolidge, with Private John F. Mooney of the Eleventh Company, an ex-fireman, as Chief of
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Staff. There was detailed a squad of eight men from each com- pany. This work was carried on, at Fire Headquarters in East 65th Street under the command of Captain Gurnee of General Dyer's Staff. These lectures at the Fire Headquarters instructed the officers from the various Regiments in all the details of fire fighting, including the use by means of demonstrations, of the dif- ferent kinds of apparatus pertaining to fire engines, fire boats, hand extinguishers, fire hose and connections, tools, holders, nets, ladders, wall scaling, and the innumerable details of the work.
This work was finally discontinued, the authorities feeling that the necessity had passed.
The officers of the Fire Fighting Company made a most careful and elaborate inspection of the entire Armory, and as a result pre- sented a most complete and valuable report of its condition in respect to danger from fire.
On November 15, General Dyer with two of his staff officers called at the Armory informally and met most of the officers of the Regiment. General Dyer gave a short, informal talk, which was very helpful, showing his interest in the Regiment and his appreciation of the work we were doing. It was the sort of talk which inspires men to renewed and greater effort.
For many weeks a detachment of men of the Quartermaster's Department of the U. S. A. were quartered in our Armory, using the gymnasium and some of the upper rooms. The regular army cooks pronounced our cooking arrangements to be perfect. While these men were stationed there a disastrous fire broke out in the early morning in the Salvation Army Barracks across the street.
The Troops distinguished themselves in helping rescue endan- gered inmates of the Barracks.
In the holiday season the use of our Armory was given to the War Camp Community Service, who, in connection with the New York Athletic Club, gave a fine boxing exhibition.
Meanwhile the process of organization and development went on continually and in a very satisfactory way. The Great War had taught military men many new things. Among others, the British
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Army had evolved a fine bayonet drill. In order to see to it that our men had proper instructions for this, an expert, Sergeant-Major Covington, of the British Army, was engaged to teach the officers of the Ninth. Practice under his directions went on every Satur- day afternoon until the officers were fully competent to instruct their men. Captain Henry Sillcocks, of the First Company, in the intensity of his efforts to carry out the instructions, so injured him- self that he was disabled for a long time. Suffering great pain and discomfort he finally was compelled to relinquish the command of his company and to go on the reserve list.
On January 29 a dinner was given to Major Stoddard and Cap- tain Wilder by the officers of the Ninth. Lieutenant-Colonel Bur- leigh acted as toastmaster. Speeches were made by Major Stod- dard, Captain Wilder and Colonel Delafield. Among the guests present were Colonel Arthur Schermerhorn, Major Edwin Gould, Colonel Falls of the Seventh, Colonel Wells of the Seventy-First, Major Teets of the Eighth, Major Strong of the First Field Ar- tillery, and Captain Kellogg of the U. S. Navy.
After his return to this country, and especially after the com- pletion of the report to the War Department, Major Stoddard was very active in making speeches and delivering lectures on the subject of his experiences abroad, seeking in every way to arouse the people to a realization of the tremendous task before this country.
On January 19, 1918, the Ninth was ordered to furnish a bat- talion to a Provisional Regiment of the Guard detailed to act as Guard of Honor and escort to the Serbian War Commission. To all who love deeds of daring and heroic endurance it was a wel- come task to honor this ally of our Country. The First Battalion was detailed to this duty.
This was also the first public appearance of our band. The Ninth had organized an enlisted band. Mr. Kenneth Woodward, with great industry, had carried on this work and his men, joining with the musicians of the other commands, formed an unusually large, if improvised, band; much of the credit going to the Ninth because our lusty and skillful bass drummer was chosen for that
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important position and his big bass drum was marked "Ninth Coast Artillery Corps."
On February 28, the Second Battalion gave a very interesting and picturesque drill which included street riot tactics, setting-up exercises, bayonet work, dog-tent pitching and guard work. The dog-tent pitching and guard work were especially well staged. A company appeared in heavy marching order, halted, proceeded to pitch the dog-tents while the usual guard was posted. The lights were lowered until it was quite dark, the men rolled in their blankets, crept into the tents, taps sounded, then attempts to run the guard were shown. The lights were then brighened, reveille was sounded, and there followed a competition in rolling up the blankets and tents which excited great interest. The review was taken by the Hon. Edward R. Finch, Justice of the New York Supreme Court.
The question of riot drill, proper tactical formation for street fighting, dispersing mobs, etc., had received attention. Captain Barrett Putnam Smith, descendant of General Israel Putnam of the Revolutionary Army, has written an account of the develop- ment of this.
"Shortly after the 'muster in' of the Ninth, in the fall of 1917, a regimental board of officers was appointed to investigate the question of riot tactics, with a view to preparing the organization for the duty it was most likely to be called upon to per- form. It will be recalled that there was at that time considerable apprehension in many quarters as to what the future might develop in the way of an outbreak of disorder and violence in the city, organized or otherwise, from any one of several causes; the possibility of trouble from the very large element of German sympathizers in the population, the known disloyalty of certain political factions, and there were even dire predictions that the draft calls would result in rioting by the lawless as in 1863. Fortunately such fears were proven groundless, though recent disclosures per- haps might justify the belief that had there been no State troops in readiness for an emergency of this sort at all times something unpleasant might have been attempted.
The formations found most suitable for the regiment were Street Column and the Hollow Square. These movements being simple, training progressed with rapidity. As they were necessarily restricted in area of evolution by the width of the average street, a two platoon company formation was adopted in order to secure maximum flexibility, permitting free interchange in either company or battalion units from one to the other.
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Various movements inv. ... . g the use of flanker. for covering intersecting streets while on the march, etc., wr devised and prac:" ~ as well as the utilization of in- dependent squads. The ~ Company armed with the Lewis guns was
drilled with the regiment lı a way found to bring these guns
into action rapidly from any . w Square, and without appreciably diminishing the fire power of the ... ies, by echeioning them outside.
The formations adopted by the Ninth, particularly the Square, have been subject to criticism on the score that at no time should any but offensive measures be used in riot work, and that the Hollow Square being fundamentally defensive is therefore un- suitable. This contention while perhaps theoretically correct, loses much weight if it be kept in mind that in the suppression of violence in a city such as New York the holding by the military of many vitally important points against greatly superior numbers would assume the same value in moral effect as a tactical offensive measure, so that the use of the Hollow Square for this purpose would tend to vest it with offensive qualities. Used in combination with a purely offensive formation, the Street Column, there can be no doubt of its value for city use.
By the simple expedient of using front and rear ranks as independent platoons, whereby the rear rank of the first platoon became the right, and the front rank of the second the left face of the formations, the Column and Square were found to be entirely satisfactory for use by single companies, thereby greatly increasing the effec- tiveness of the regiment and expanding the zone of its operations.
A Riot Drill in Madison Square Garden during the Military Exhibition in Jan- uary, 1918, by a battalion commanded by Major Stoddard and the M. G. Co. of the Ninth C. A. C. was most favorably commented on by competent judges.
It may also be of interest to know that after leaving the Ninth, Captain Smith tried out the Street Column, etc., with his company of the Seventy-First Regular Infantry, 11th Division. This company was about the size of the largest battalion of the Ninth C. A. C., two hundred and fifty men in four platoons of seven squads cach and armed with rifles, hand granades, automatic rifles, Browning and rifle gren- ades. It was of course necessary to simulate the streets, houses etc., of a city, but it was gratifying to find that the formations were sound in principle and flexible enough to permit the use of all weapons and secure full fire power, which was difficult unless the company was deployed or in a formation of combat groups.
It so happend that fate decreed that the Riot Drill practiced so often on the floor of the 14th Street Armory should not be tested in the crucible of action, but had it been otherwise, no one familiar with the personnel of the regiment can doubt but that it would have stood that test, and stood it well."
During the winter a number of ladies met in the Colonel's recep- tion room at the Armory and organized as the Woman's Auxiliary of the Ninth Coast Artillery Corps. Colonel John Ross Delafield
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979 .
10.16
THE ARMORY, 125 WEST 14TH STREET.
2ND BATTALION AT RIOT DRILL.
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welcomed the ladies to the Armory, and congratulated them on their proposed patriotic service. The Adjutant, Captain Frank E. Davidson, addressed the meeting, outlined the objects to be attained, and assisted in the organization. The officers were:
Mrs. Howard Duffield, Chairman, Mrs. Ernest P. Hoes, Treas- urer, Mrs. Ethelbert Ide Low, Secretary.
The wives of all the officers and the enlisted men were invited to join, and where the member of the regiment was not married, he was invited to designate his mother or a sister for membership. The dues were fixed at one dollar per year.
The Woman's Auxiliary was of great assistance to the Regiment, donating many things that it needed and could not get from the State. Among many other things should be mentioned a first-aid kit for each of the Companies and the Sanitary Detachment.
When the First Battalion held some drills in Van Cortlandt Park, the Canteen Committee, wearing their attractive uniforms with appropriate brassards, and under the very capable and enthusiastic direction of Mrs. Frederick W. Longfellow, provided a delightful luncheon, which was much appreciated.
The Auxiliary held its last meeting in May, 1918. At this meeting it was decided to postpone further action until the Winter. When the Winter arrived, the Armistice had been signed, and no further immediate work seemed necessary; so it waited patiently until opportunity offered for further service, which came to it through the organization in November, 1920, of a new Ladies' Auxiliary of the Ninth Coast Defense Command. The retiring organization turned over to their successors the small balance in their treasury, which was sincerely appreciated.
On April 9 one of the most important and interesting reviews of the Ninth Coast Artillery Corps took place at the Armory on Fourteenth Street. Mrs. John Ross Delafield presented the Regi- ment with a new stand of colors. This was a very beautiful and impressive ceremony. One of the older men, now retired, looks back wistfully upon his service with the Corps and was especially impressed with the presentation of the colors, as well he might
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have been. His description of the presentation is here given:
"An Armory on the night of a review is a busy place and an interesting one. The extra guards, the man a little late who rushes in frantic haste with the dread of a caustic Top Sergeant on his face, the pretty girls with a kindly eye for the spruce young officers, the wife, mother, sister or sweetheart anxiously looking for Harry; the Staff severely conscious of their own importance-much more so than anyone else-and the Adjutants, those marvels of precision and military alertness. Yes, we write humorously of it, but when the fateful sixty-fourth birthday has come, and the honorable but unwelcome words "Retired List" have been written after your name, there will come times when you wish most sincerely that they were yet in the future.
So it was an important evening for the Ninth. We were to receive a set of colors. They had been exhibited in the window of a fashionable uptown shop and greatly admired, and they were worth admiring. The bugles sounded, and there was a great running to and fro, a snapping of the rifle locks, the crisp voice of the Top Sergeant, that magnate and autocrat, and the counting off-One, two, three, four. They form in Battalions. The Color Guard in place with empty slings and no colors. then maneuver until they take their final place, the First Battalion facing east, the Second south, and the Third west. Our attention is then focussed on the Adjutant, so trim, so alert, so debonnaire. Then on our great, big Colonel, picture of a soldier, and his Staff. The writer confesses that the Staff in his day was not always perfect in drill and there were times when some of the Staff were or should have been thankful that the Colonel could not see out of the back of his head, although half the men of the Regiment thought he could, while every one of them knew the Lieutenant-Colonel could see out of the back, front and both sides of his head at the same time.
We then had that very simple, very beautiful ceremony of Evening Parade, including Retreat. It was a wonderful sight to see those earnest, determined men at present, and soul stirring when the flag came slowly down.
The Colonel faces about. The Staff takes its proper place; the Color Guard marches out and takes position on the Colonel's right, facing east. Mark that Color Guard- it's old New York in New York's oldest regiment-Shrady, Rhinelander, Beekman, Pierrepont. The Lieutenant-Colonel here leaves his place and marches to the Colonel's box. From the box steps a sweet, dainty little lady-simply gowned-and with her two sons, manly boys, carrying the flags. I wish, reader, I could make you see that scene as I saw it then, and as I sometimes see it when at home, I sit in front of the fire and think of the days when I wore the uniform.
When they come in front of the Colonel, in a clear, gentle voice, Mrs. Delafield presents the colors to the Regiment, and in a few choice sentences, the Colonel accepts. Then the Colonel commands the Chaplain, and the Chaplain steps forward, and asks
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the blessing of Almighty God upon our colors, upon our regiment, and upon our country.
The band strikes up "to the color," and the Color Guard marches in front of the regiment, each battalion coming to present as the colors pass, and then the Color guard takes its proper place. The Colonel escorts Mrs. Delafield and the boys to the reviewing stand. Lieutenant-Colonel Burleigh takes command; we pass in review, and the ceremonies are over.
In March a Military Tournament was given in Madison Square Garden for the benefit of the Women's Overseas Hospital. The Second Battalion of the Ninth, then commanded by Major Francis R. Stoddard, Jr., was invited to take part, giving an exhibition of riot drill, and it was allowed ten minutes. The invitation was a great compliment, for there were many participants from the Navy, the Marines and the Regulars. The bands of several of the organ- izations which participated were massed, that of the Ninth included, under the direction of Lieutenant John Philip Sousa. In the afternoon the guest of honor was the Secretary of the Navy, Hon. Josephus Daniels, and in the evening the Governor of the State of New York, Hon. Charles S. Whitman. When the time came the men of the Ninth marched in under the command of Major Stoddard; proceeding column of Squads they went around the arena, then forming in column of companies advanced to in front of the Governor's box, presented arms. Then forming in hollow square they proceeded with their riot drill, freely using the machine-guns. There was plenty of rifle firing. Altogether it was a very impressive piece of work. Everything went smoothly. Every command was obeyed with snap, and in exactly eight min- utes it was over. This demonstration made a deep impression on those who saw it and was received with tremendous applause. There was an air of reality about the work of our men, an appear- ance of earnestness and determination. As our Battalion man- oeuvred Governor Whitman turned to General Sherrill, who was with him, and said, "These are the Regulars from Fort Slocum?" "No," said General Sherrill, "that is a Battalion from the Ninth Coast Artillery, Delafield's regiment." The Governor would not
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believe it until he recognized some of the officers and men who were personally known to him.
To settle any doubts as to the truth of this anecdote, the Historian wrote to Governor Whitman and received the following reply:
Alexander R. Thompson, Esq., Room 1803,
"April 21, 1920.
27 Cedar Street, New York.
My dear Sir :
Answering yours of April 20, I recall the incident to which you refer, and the story is substantially true.
I am very glad indeed to hear from you, and appreciate your kind expressions of regard.
With cordial good wishes, I am always, Sincerely yours,
Charles Whitman. (signed)"
These men, late of the V. C.A., were men of standing in the community, men who had made their mark, men of high charac- ter and ability; they were doing this work because they wanted to serve the State and the Nation. It was of these men and men like them that General Bell and Colonel Rose had spoken so highly. No better illustration of what manner of men they were can be given than the following extract from an account of the early his- tory of the Second Battery, written by Captain (later Lieutenant- Colonel) Stoddard, its first C. O.
"Several things stand out in my memory which are connected with the Second Battery of the V. C. A. When I first took com- mand, it was composed of about forty men. First and Second Lieutenants had been assigned to me but I had no non-coms and nearly all of the men were strangers to me. In order to select act- ing corporals I formed the battery and requested each man who had seen previous military service to step to the front. About six- teen men stepped forward and I questioned each one. The an- swers that I received typifies the V. C. A. Two men had been Colonels in the National Guard; another man had been a member of Roosevelt's Rough Riders; another had been a Lieutenant in a
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revolutionary force raised in Argentine Republic to invade Para- guay, where he had been wounded; another had served fifteen years in the Seventh Regiment; another had been a Lieutenant in the U. S. Army during the Philippine Insurrection and had been wounded; another had been machine gun expert in President Sam's Army in Haiti. I selected a former Lieutenant-Colonel of the Florida National Guard as my First Sergeant, while Corporals were selected from the best of the remaining experienced men. For some time thereafter, I kept learning that some private had formerly been a high officer with a long record of military service. One day a very vigorous, gray-haired man, whom I had known as a member of the Society of the War of 1812, reported for drill and announced that he had served in the Civil War. The personnel of the company was wonderful. Someone once said that the only time that many of the members of the V. C. A. ever took orders from anyone was when they came to drill. Among my men I found presidents and managing officers of many of the largest business concerns in the city. There were several prominent lawyers, among them two judges. One man was a prominent doctor. A former acting Governor of Porto Rico and U. S. Minister to Peru was drilling as a private. One day I received by mail a book on a leaf of which was a dedication from its author, a rear rank private. Some one seeing the book on my desk, remarked that it had been one of the best sellers during that season. The best clubs and societies of the city were represented by the men in the ranks.
"One day an incident occurred which showed what sort of men composed the company. One of the former privates, ex-Senator Howard R. Bayne, of Staten Island, was scheduled to speak that evening at a meeting of the Sons of the Revolution. Before dis- missing the men at the end of their drill, I stated that I thought it would be a nice tribute to Senator Bayne, if those members of the company who belonged to the Sons of the Revolution attended his lecture in uniform and in a body. About thirty of the men stated that they were members of the Sons and that they could attend the lecture.
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"The Battery at first had one compulsory and two voluntary drills a week. By unanimous vote of the Battery it was agreed that there would be three compulsory drills and that no further men would be enlisted who did not obligate themselves to drill three times a week.
"The Battery was soon filled. The maximum number in the bat- tery had been set at 118 and as I was allowed two extra men be- cause of details, my total number was 120. My ordinary atten- dance, three times a week, averaged about 110 men. There were only 100 rifles assigned to the battery and there never was a drill at which I was not obliged to borrow rifles from some other battery. I do not believe that any military organization had a better personnel than did the V. C. A. at the time of which I write, which tends to explain the wonderful record which it made, then and later in the 'Ninth.'
"The famous old Fifth Squad of the Second Battery still retains two members who were connected with it when it was chiefly com- posed of rare old New Yorkers whose eight respective ages totaled nearly 500 years. The Nestor of the Squad was Thomas R. Mur- ray, who insisted that he was seventy-six and J. Edward Weld, Charles Bellows, William K. Wardner and John Winters Brannan, all admitted being over twenty-one.
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