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 2
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This history has been published by the Memorial and Property Committee of the Ninth Coast Artillery Corps composed of Colonel George W. Burleigh, Chairman, Lieutenant-Colonel Edward C. Delafield, Lieutenant-Colonel Howard Thayer Kingsbury and Captain Louis Hays Dos Passos.
The material for this history was gathered and compiled by Lieutenant Alexander R. Thompson, who wrote a large part of the manuscript and who compiled the lists of donors to the Special Fund; of the officers and men of the Provisional Batteries, V. C. A., and of the Ninth Coast Artillery Corps. Parts of the manuscript were contributed by Lieutenant Colonels Edward C. Delafield,
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Francis Russell Stoddard, Jr .; Major Robert H. Wilder; Captains Frank E. Davidson, Barrett Putnam Smith, Louis Watjen and J. G. Phelps Stokes; Sergeant James H. Pinckney and Private George H. Ford. Our thanks are due to them and to the many officers and men who helped the historian.
To this Committee certain moneys and property were transferred by unanimous resolution of the Officers' Association of the Ninth Coast Defense Command in the presence and with the approval of Colonel John J. Byrne, now commanding that Regiment, who succeeded the writer and who had commanded the old Ninth for many years previous to its going forth into the World War and was its War Commander in the United States service. The property referred to was part of that transferred to the Officers' Association of the Ninth Coast Artillery Corps by Colonel John Ross Delafield, referred to herein, and the money was part of that received from the State through its purchase of some of the property, the balance of the money having been left in the Treasury of the Officers' Association of the Ninth for its use. A copy of the resolution of transfer is published in the appendix of the history, so that the records of the organization may be complete.
I must again express what I have so often said before, that we appreciated deeply the kindly interest, the willing help and the friendly advice of so many of the old National Guardsmen of the State who evinced a real interest in the regiment and in our pro- gress.
I am afraid I have taken more space for this foreword than was allotted or expected by the editor or the historian, but I hope the sincerity of my purpose and the merits of the subject will at least condone it. In closing, I wish on behalf of every member of the Ninth to thank every other member for his loyalty to one another and to the organization. This formed the real basis of the team work, without which the Ninth Coast Artillery Corps of the New York Guard could not have been the great and efficient regiment it was.
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FIRST BATTALION, 9TH C. A. C., IN HOLLOW SQUARE.
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INTRODUCTION BY THE HISTORIAN
W' E have been asked by comrades and associates to write and compile this book of the Minute Men of '17, and have un- dertaken the task with enthusiasm, for we are convinced that the work done in defense of the State and the Nation by the offi- cers and men of the Ninth Coast Artillery, N. Y. G., and the Field, Staff and Provisional Batteries of the Veteran Corps of Artillery should be known. This will be a story of practical patriotism. We will show how earnest men, exempt from military duty, moved by love of country, developed a small ancient company "of four sections of eight or ten men each" into a large well-drilled corps of three full battalions, armed and equipped without expense to the govern- ment; how in an emergency, they showed themselves to be capable and efficient; how they were transferred to our grand historic regiment the Ninth New York; how they worked and made play of work. If we do our work right the story will prove to those who come after us that a duty well done is a joy forever. But before we begin our history we want to impress some things on the minds of the readers.
One of these is the robust patriotism of the people of New York; they did their duty splendidly, enthusiastically, all sorts and conditions of men and women, yet those in authority knew of hidden and sinister powers of darkness and treason ready and anxious to strike a blow against our country. The presence, not only in the City, but all over the State, of the armed and uniformed units of the New York Guard was a strong force for the preservation of law and order and a strong deterrent to the lawless and the enemies in our midst. Give due credit then to the officers and men who made sacrifices of time and money, who submitted cheerfully to privations and inconvenience in their service in the military forces of the State, for to them you owe your freedom from riots and manifestations of disloyalty in the critical days of 1917-1918.
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CHAPTER ONE THE CALL TO ARMS
T r HE Veteran Corps of Artillery is an ancient unit in the military forces of the State of New York. It is one of the most inter- esting groups of its kind in the country, and has a long record of service. It was first organized by officers and soldiers who had served in the War of the Revolution, who joined together after the war to serve in the defense of New York City, and during the War of 1812 it saw service in the forts in New York harbor.
Many years afterwards the Corps was consolidated with the Society of the War of 1812, which had been founded in 1826 by offi- cers who had served in that war. In 1892 the Society was incorpor- ated under Chapter 267 of the laws of 1875 of the State of New York with the corporate name of "The Society of the War of 1812." At this time its rules were again changed, admitting descendants of original members and men who served in 1812. Various acts of the legislature in relation to it were passed after this incorporation. At the beginning of the World War, it was generally known as the Vet- eran Corps of Artillery constituting the Military Society of the War of 1812.
There were over two hundred hereditary members of the Society and Corps descended from members of the Corps or from men who had served in the War of 1812. There were also a number of limited members, termed "Associates." These were descended from Revolutionary officers or soldiers, and were members of the Artil- lery Service Detachment only. The hereditary members could join the Detachment without further enlistment. The active military part of the Corps and Society was the Artillery Service Detach- ment, which was uniformed and drilled. We cannot give a more graphic and accurate account of the development of the Detach- ment and its condition in December, 1916, than that contained in
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the following letter of Major Bryce Metcalf, at this writing Vice- Commandant of the Corps:
"New York, October 3, 1917.
Mr. George W. Burleigh, 52 Wall Street, New York, N. Y.
My dear Burleigh :
Replying to your inquiry in regard to my service in the Veteran Corps of Artillery, would say that I became active in the organization in the fall of 1899. At that time, we had drills twice a month and the attendance was quite slim, generally around from twelve to fourteen. From then until the fall of 1916, there was a gradual growth, slow but sure; and at the latter time mentioned, we had gotten up to the point where we had drills every week and I was Senior Line Lieutenant, in fact, next in command to Charlie Warren, who was our instructor, and we were then drilling as a Gatling Gun Battery with four sections of from eight to ten men in each section.
At that time, owing to my health, I asked for a leave of absence which was granted, returning to active duty in May of this year, when I found the Corps greatly en- larged, and was assigned to the First Battery, retaining my old rank.
Sincerely yours,
(Signed) Bryce Metcalf."
There were in all, ten commissioned officers, seventeen non-coms and twenty-four privates, designated as Cannoneers. They had four old Gatling guns, .50 calibre. Both the Society and Detachment were fine bodies of men; the latter furnished an unusually large number of officers to the Nation and the State during the war.
The Adjutant-General of the State was the Inspector-General. The Colonel-Commandant was the late Brevet Major-General Asa Bird Gardiner, who had been an officer in the Civil War, a distin- guished Judge-Advocate in the Regular Army and a learned pro- fessor in the United States Military Academy, but who at this time was precluded from performing active duty by reason of his ad- vanced age, he then being in his seventy-eighth year.
The immediate command of the Detachment, by action of the Council of Administration, was vested in the Vice-Commandant, Lieutenant-Colonel John Ross Delafield, who had the sole power of issuing Detachment orders, and who was responsible for the training
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THE CALL TO ARMS
of the officers and men. The general charge and management of the affairs of the corporation were in the Council of Administration, a body of sixteen members of the Society, four of whom were elected each year. The Commandant was ex-officio the presiding officer of the Council. The Adjutant was its Secretary. The officers of the Detachment were elected by the Council, and after passing an exam- ination before the Board of Officers, were commissioned by the Governor.
With the outbreak of the World War the men of the Veteran Corps were faced with the problem which troubled many Ameri- cans unable, through age or other reasons, to fling themselves at once into active service. The men of the Corps felt that not only their personal inclinations but the traditions of the organization demanded of them that they serve their country in some definite military capacity. As one of them has put it, "We in whose veins ran the blood of the soldiers who served under Washington and Scott could not sit comfortably at home with the portraits of those grim old warriors watching us from the walls." Having decided that the Corps must take part in the War as a unit and in some effective way, what could be more appropriate than to follow the traditions of the past and to organize in some specific manner for the defense of New York City?
After careful study of the problem it became evident that there were but two ways in which New York, thousands of miles from the scene of the conflict, could be threatened, from within by riots and violence on the part of disloyal residents or from without by enemy aircraft. Any other possible contingency had already been cared for by the Army and Navy. One or both of these dangers were obviously the field for the activities of the Veteran Corps.
The chance that serious damage could be inflicted by the enemy was not great. But on the other hand it was quite possible that Ger- many might send one or more bombing planes across the Atlantic, a by no means impossible feat. And even though the damage were slight, the effect on the morale of the American people would have
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been very serious indeed. It must not be forgotten that those who sympathized with Germany were busy night and day in fostering a sentiment to keep our men on this side of the water to defend our shores. Indeed it was known in the War Department that Ger- many actually had elaborate plans for the bombing of our coast cities. While it would have been impossible to have flown across the Atlantic, bombed the city and returned, they had a plan which would have been vastly more effective. A huge submarine designed to carry a number of bombing planes was actually under construction in Germany. It was planned that this vessel would lie off the coast, and send the aeroplanes to bomb the city. The planes would then return to the submarine at a predetermined point. Even one attack would have hindered the Army enormously in its attempt to get as many men as possible to the scene of action in record time. The men of the Corps felt that here was a duty and a service which was needed and which they might be able to perform.
Edward C. Delafield, James C. McGuire, Herman F. Stone, George W. Burleigh, William L. Sayers, Thatcher T. P. Luquer and John Ross Delafield were actively engaged in investigating the possi- bility of the Detachment's being turned into anti-aircraft artillery. Edward C. Delafield and Herman F. Stone visited the forts at Sandy Hook, and, having proper credentials, were given every facility to investigate the work done there in anti-aircraft defense. John Ross Delafield, Thatcher T. P. Luquer and William L. Sayers with Mr. Burleigh visited the Navy Yard. They saw Admiral Usher and were turned over to officers of the battleship Arizona, who gave them much valuable information as to the new Navy anti-aircraft defense, showing them the guns and their operation.
As plans were formulated, they were submitted to the military authorities at Albany, at Governors Island and at Washington. For instance, on December 29, 1916, the plans for the reorganiza- tion of the Corps were submitted by Colonel Delafield to General Leonard Wood, then stationed on Governors Island in command of the Department of the East. General Wood gave valuable ad- vice and counsel, and was especially appreciative of the plan to
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THE CALL TO ARMS
furnish equipment. But for his encouragement and approval the creation and organization of this Corps would never have been undertaken, and the accomplishments this book is written to record would never have taken place. The following letter serves to in- dicate only in a formal way the support received from him and his successor commanding the Eastern Department.
HEADQUARTERS, EASTERN DEPARTMENT, Governors Island, N. Y.
February 8, 1917.
My dear Colonel:
Referring to our recent correspondence, I have considered the matter of your organiz- ing the Veteran Corps of Artillery for anti-aircraft gun service, and indorse the same as a means for increasing greatly the present usefulness of the Corps.
Wishing you success in your patriotic efforts, I am,
Yours very sincerely, LEONARD WOOD.
Colonel John Ross Delafield, Veteran Corps of Artillery,
New York City.
Mr. Burleigh laid these plans before General Hugh L. Scott, Chief of the General Staff of the Army, and before Admiral Benson, Chief of Operations of the Navy. After consultation with the authorities, the Council of Administration decided that the Detachment should be recruited and trained for anti-aircraft defense. This was strictly in accordance with the traditions of the Corps, for in 1812 the Veteran Corps of Artillery had been in active service in the forts in the harbor.
The Corps had a fine body of men, deeply imbued with patriot- ism, men of high character, and of good position in the social, busi- ness and professional world, very largely men beyond the military age, or who, by reason of slight physical defects, or on account of dependent families or business responsibilities, were unable to serve in the more active forces.
Training for anti-aircraft work was to begin with infantry drill as a foundation for discipline. It was felt that this training would also prove useful when the Corps extended its activities to other
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fields, especially the defense of the city against violence, insurrec- tion and mob rule. . -
The following orders had been issued, placing John Ross Dela- field in command, and under his direction the work proceeded.
HEADQUARTERS, VETERAN CORPS OF ARTILLERY
of the STATE OF NEW YORK 1790-1916
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Armory
Park Avenue and 34th Street
Orders
New York, December 9, 1916,
No. 4
I. Announcement is made of the due appointment, pursuant to law, of John Ross Delafield of the Veteran Corps of Artillery, S. N. Y. to be Vice-Commandant of the same with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Military forces of the State, to fill a statutory vacancy.
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* III. Lieutenant-Colonel John Ross Delafield, Veteran Corps of Ar- tillery, S. N. Y., in addition to his other duties, will assume charge of the Artillery Service Detachment of this Corps, with special reference to its efficiency and pre- paredness for such military duty as it may by law, in an emergency, be required to perform. * . *
V. All orders for local purposes of the Artillery Service Detachment, as a mili- tary unit, will be numerically designated "Detachment Orders" and issued by the ranking officer in charge of the Detachment.
Official :
Asa Bird Gardiner,
Commandant.
Chandler Smith,
First Lieutenant, Paymaster.
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CHAPTER TWO FILLING THE RANKS
H AVING determined to develop the Detachment into anti-aircraft artillery, the first problem to solve was that of recruiting. Could enough men be found qualified for such work without in any way interfering with the recruiting for the National Guard and the Army and Navy? The traditional duty of defense of the City appealed to the members. They knew that the original Corps was composed of men who from age or their services in the War of the Revolution were exempt from military duty, so they proposed to follow in the footsteps of their ancestors, and from men fit for this duty, but disqualified for service in the Army and Navy, to build up a force of earnest, trained, well-equipped, loyal Americans to be used in the defense of their home city.
The first efforts in recruiting were among members of patriotic hereditary societies. Mr. Robert Olyphant, president of the Sons of the Revolution, and Mr. Louis Annin Ames, president of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Miss Julia Chester Wells of the Daughters of the Cincinnati, and others gave valuable help, but it was soon found that there must be a more extended field. A care- ful examination of the statutes affecting the Society and Corps revealed the following in Chapter 328, Laws of 1904:
"The said Council may also, from time to time, as it may deem desirable, engage and employ such persons as may be authorized or required for the business or effi- ciency of said organization who shall, while thus attached thereto, be subject to the regulations and laws governing the same.
At the customary meeting of the Society and Corps held on Feb- ruary 22, 1917, the Council of Administration was duly authorized by resolution to make enlistments under this law of men of good moral character, not qualified for hereditary membership, who
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were in sound health, but who were not liable, from age, physical condition or other reason, for more active duty in the Army or Navy.
On March 27, by authority of the Council of Administration, the Detachment was divided into batteries. Before that time it had consisted of two platoons of two sections each; now for the first time in its history it was "a Corps of Artillery of Artillery Compa- nies." ([N] v. Letter from Robert Harpur, Secretary, pp. 1-2, Roster & Objects, Artillery Service Detachment, etc., 1917.) The first company or battery units organized on this date were known as A and B, later as First and Second Batteries, and were officered as follows: A-Captain: Edward C. Delafield; First Lieutenant: Clarence H. Eagle; Second Lieutenant: Louis Hays Dos Passos. B-Captain : Francis Russell Stoddard, Jr .; First Lieutenant: That- cher T. P. Luquer; Second Lieutenant: William. L. Hodges.
For many years the Detachment, by the kindness of the Com- manding Officers of the Seventy-First Infantry, N. G. N. Y. and of the First Signal Corps, was permitted the use of a room in the tower of the Armory at 33rd and 34th Streets and Park Avenue, and was allowed a limited use of the armory floor for drill pur- poses. The formation of the two provisional batteries on March 27 had a marked effect not only on the men themselves, their drill and spirit, but in the general feeling. They realized that they were entering on a period of active usefulness. Regular drills were held on Wednesday afternoons, and soon voluntary ones on Monday and Friday. The attendance at drills was most excellent, very fre- quently reaching the 100% mark. All this time the systematic work of stimulating recruiting was going on under the direction of the Vice-Commandant. The opening of the door to general re- cruiting, by the action of the Society and its Council of Adminis- tration, had solved the problem. It now only required hard, sys- tematic work. Clubs, societies, associations were circularized; members of these various organizations who were interested in the Detachment arranged meetings which were addressed by the offi- cers; a certain amount of publicity was given by the press, but the
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FILLING THE RANKS
great work was done by the men themselves in and among their friends and associates. The armory was open to the public and desirable men were urged to come in and watch the drill. They came, they watched and many enlisted.
It was to the keen observer, the thoughful citizen, a very inspir- ing sight-these companies of middle-aged, substantial, professional and business men being drilled by trained officers and non-coms. The bank president may have been a captain or he may have been a private in the awkward squad; that depended entirely on his military ability, skill and knowledge. All applications for enlist- ment required the endorsement of two officers or men in the detach- ment, and were then passed on by a membership committee, and fi- nally, on its recommendation, acted upon by the Council of Ad- ministration.
In the application for enrollment in the Detachment, there was a promise to uniform, to perform the duties required by law, to obey the orders of the officers and to be subject to the regulations and laws, etc., statements of date, place of birth, business, with busi- ness and home address, and the endorsement of proposer and seconder. Every drill afternoon desirable men appeared, were greeted by a recruiting squad, and when one of them wanted to join he almost always found men there who were glad to endorse him and whose endorsements he was glad to have.
Great care was taken to select men of ability, good character and sound health. The painstaking and careful investigations of the officers and men on these recruiting and membership committees were shown by the high business and social standing, the per- sonal ability and military morale of the rank and file of the Detach- ment, and when the test came, the acid test of duty and service, our officers and men made good.
In the work of the Detachment through the summer of 1917 one of the most impressive features was the work of men beyond mili- tary age. Mr. Francis G. Lloyd, Mr. Thomas R. Murray, Dr. John W. Brannan, Mr. Charles Bellows, Senator Howard R. Bayne and some others were over sixty. Mr. Murray had served
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during the Civil War. These elderly men, with all the vim and fire of youth, did their duty and were an example and stimulus to the younger men. In all there were thirty-two men over sixty years of age in the Detachment.
The historian recalls with great pleasure that boiling hot sum- mer's day when four elderly gentlemen in uniform stood before the Board of Officers, V. C. A., to take their examination for Ser- geant-Corwine, Dater, Spencer, Thompson-their combined ages verging on two centuries and a half-yet they were as active and as earnest, as intense in loyalty and devotion to duty, as any other men, officers or privates.
The general scheme of anti-aircraft and other defense of New York City justified, and in certain aspects required, the organiza- tion of units in various parts of the City and its environs. Very early in the movement, hereditary members of the Society and Corps living on Staten Island urged the organization of a battery in that locality. Men living there became actively interested, and early in April the Third Battery was organized, and at the same time a movement was commenced for the enlistment of a battery in Brooklyn. This battery became the Fifth, and was very fortu- nate in having Louis J. Praeger, later Colonel commanding the Twenty-Third Regiment of Infantry New York Guard, a very able and experienced officer, as its Captain. The surplus of men in Brooklyn desiring enlistment, above the required strength, was formed into an additional battery known as the Eleventh. Mean- while the Fourth and Sixth Batteries were organized in the Borough of Manhattan.
As there was no formal muster-in required by the special statutes affecting the Artillery Service Detachment or its regula- tions, it is impossible to give exact dates of the organization of each battery. The First and Second were organized March 27; the Third and Fourth in April; the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh in May; the Eighth and Ninth early in July; the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth late in July.
Thus the small, select, rather ornamental unit of four sections,
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in its antiquated full-dress uniform, had been developed into a large body of well-armed, well-trained citizen soldiery, who in the sombre, olive drab regulation service uniforms gave evidence of their readiness for action.
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