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 3
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But it was not all plain sailing. There were many obstacles to be overcome, not the least of which arose from the inartistic, in- eptly drawn special statutes which affected not only the Detach- ment but also the Society and Corps. Just as everything was going smoothly, recruiting active, new batteries being organized, new offi- cers selected, examined and commissioned, efficient non-coms. chosen and warranted, like a streak of lightning from a clear sky came the inquiry from higher authority; "By what right do you do this?" Section 13, Chapter 350, Laws of 1907, provides: "and the officers or grades in said organization shall continue to be those recognized or provided by law when said Corps was instituted and no others." Our attention was pertinently called to the fact that the militia laws of 1786 limited the Artillery forces of the State to one regiment consisting of four companies, commanded by a Lieu- tenant-Colonel, with four Captains, four Captain-Lieutenants and four Lieutenants, and that this clause in the law of 1907 had been held by an eminent Judge-Advocate-General to limit us to just such an organization. If this ruling was sustained our entire scheme was blocked. From his home in the country our learned Comman- dant wrote a long, brilliant and exceedingly caustic brief. The Vice-Commandant and Major Stoddard drew up and transmitted a remarkably fine, learned and convincing argument. A private
produced a printed list of the officers of the Corps of Artillery of the Regular Army formed in 1794, so annotated by an ancestor of his who was an officer in that Corps as to show clearly that in 1794 an American Corps of Artillery consisted of four battalions of four companies each, and was officered by a Lieutenant-Colonel, four Majors, sixteen Captains and thirty-two Lieutenants. The Corps was thus justified in its stand and the work proceeded.
Early in 1917 the legislature gave the Governor power to accept enlistments from the reserve militia. The Adjutant-General ruled
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DETACHMENT OF V. C. A. IN FULL DRESS UNIFORM ACTING AS GUARD OF HONOR IN THE CITY HALL, N. Y., AT THE RECEPTION OF THE FRENCH WAR COMMISSION.
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COLOR GUARD, V. C. A., ON DUTY IN THE CITY HALL, N. Y., AT THE RECEP- TION OF THE FRENCH WAR COMMISSION.
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that this applied to the enlistments in the Detachment, and for- mally approved the same. The claim had frequently been made that the Veteran Corps of Artillery was part of the Active Militia ([N] v. World Almanac 1916, p. 544-"the Corps with the Na- tional Guard form part of the Active Militia of the State.")
This question came before the courts during the summer of 1917 in a civil action. Both at Special Term and in the Appellate Di- vision, the rule was laid down that it was not part of the Active Militia. These decisions and the opinions sustaining them are found in 100 Misc. Reports 622. 185 App. Div. Reports 477.
The Corps had not more than started on its career as an anti- aircraft unit and had no more than succeeded in recruiting its personnel to sufficient strength, than it was called upon for its first public duty under Colonel Delafield's command. The British and French War Commissions who, as every one will remember, arrived in this country in May, 1917, were to be received with suitable cere- monies by the City of New York. There was a great deal of curios- ity and enthusiasm everywhere, and it was exceedingly important that an impressive military unit be stationed at the City Hall and elsewhere to show these visiting statesmen, not only that we wel- comed them cordially, but that we did so with due pomp. What could be more appropriate than that the Veteran Corps, part of it arrayed in the full dress uniform of the period of 1812, should be one of the units selected for this honor. At the suggestion of Lieutenant Burleigh, who was secretary of the Committee of Citi- zens appointed by Mayor Mitchel to welcome the French and Brit- ish War Commissions, the Detachment was asked to participate in the welcome and was formally invited to act as a guard of honor for the ceremonies at the City Hall in honor of the French Com- mission, at the head of which was Monsieur Viviani, a former Premier of France, and which had for one of its members the war hero, Marshal Joffre; and also in honor of the British Commission with Mr. Arthur J. Balfour at its head.
As all know who were present or who read of the event in the daily press, the occasion was one of great brilliance and fine feeling.
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The City greeted these distinguished guests with the greatest en- thusiasm. And to all appearances, every man in the great crowd gathered there was cheering the heroes of our brave Allies with his whole heart. After the ceremony the Detachment was marched back to the Armory and dismissed.
A few days later they participated in the reception of the British Commission. A large number of the officers of the Detach- ment attended the banquet given to the visiting statesmen and soldiers and were much encouraged by the favorable comment and friendly and appreciative criticism made by numerous members of the National Guard and Regular Army officers.
Shortly after these first public appearances, the Grand Marshal of the Memorial Day ceremonies extended a cordial invitation to participate in the Memorial Day Parade. The Corps was re- quested to furnish for the reviewing stand a guard of honor in full dress uniform, while the Detachment, in service uniform, was re- quested to act as immediate escort to the Posts of the Grand Army of the Republic. The Army and Navy Journal of June 2, 1917 said, "The Veteran Corps of Artillery on this occasion also deserves special mention for a new departure. It not only paraded a platoon as a guard of honor at the reviewing stand but it paraded twelve companies in olive drab uniform under Lieut. Col. J. R. Delafield, and it was equipped with a Lewis machine gun. This command is being officially trained for anti-aircraft work, and has been receiving large additions to its ranks, among whom are many well-known citizens."
Later on that day a detail was sent to Mount Victory, in the cemetery where lie buried many of the members who served dur- ing the Revolution and the War of 1812, where brief and appro- priate ceremonies showed the respect of this generation for the old soldiers who had founded the Society and Corps.
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CHAPTER THREE ARMS AND EQUIPMENT
A S soon as recruiting had begun and it had been determined that the Detachment should be trained in anti-aircraft de- fense, two matters of great consequence came up for consid- eration-arms, and the money with which to buy them. The War Department at this time was in the process of organization for the great task of prosecuting the war on a scale for which it was not at that time equipped. Other matters of more immediate impor- tance had to be attended to before the needs of the Veteran Corps could be met. It therefore devolved upon the officers to find means of securing arms and ammunition without obtaining them from either Washington or Albany.
It had been decided that before drilling as anti-aircraft troops it was necessary to drill as infantry. At that time it may be remem- bered anti-aircraft defense was entirely new in this country, but it was decided that infantry drill would train the men in the necessary team work and the rudiments of military life. It would then be easier to complete the training with special work in anti-aircraft drill and riot duty when the time came. For this work rifles were essential and for anti-aircraft drill at least one three-inch gun properly mounted; and also there must be an adequate supply of machine guns.
The War Department had an abundant supply of Krags, an ex- cellent weapon for this use. The Government determined not to use them for the national armies but, unfortunately, laws had been passed by the Congress controlling the disposition of these, which made it unlawful to issue them to a militia command like ours. To be sure they could be sold to a Turnverein or Liederkranz formed into a rifle Club, but not to a unit in the Reserve Militia anxious to serve. That problem was quickly solved, and the 1790 Rifle Club was duly and legally organized, and all proper and legitimate steps were taken to procure for this Rifle Club an abun- dant supply of Krags and ball cartridges. In all, over six hundred
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rifles were obtained. Meanwhile, by patient watching on the part of some of our officers, whose relations with manufacturers were intimate, there came a time when twenty-four Lewis machine guns were available. They were chambered for British ammunition, but our officers reasoned with entire correctness that the pro- anything, anti-American insurrectionist and incipient rioter, dreaded death with that sort of ammunition just as much as if it had been of the United States regulation.
These guns were immediately purchased together with 50,000 rounds of ammunition. Their presence in the City of New York during the war, in the hands of well-drilled, well-trained, loyal Americans, was a great deterrent against lawlessness.
The heavier artillery must be furnished by the Government when the actual defense was turned over to the Corps, but for the purpose of training, permission was given by the War Department for the manufacture of a dummy mount for a regulation 3-inch anti-aircraft gun, and a contract was made with the Bethlehem Steel Company for the construction of this.
Now, all this required money. As the necessity for funds in respectable amounts arose, measures were immediately taken to raise whatever was needed. A committee composed of Major James C. McGuire and Captain (later Colonel) Thatcher T. P. Luquer was appointed, who made careful investigation into the probable cost of material. It was estimated that it would require one hun- dred thousand dollars. See Appendix, p. 395.
A few members got together and subscribed a thousand dollars each, and then a committee to raise further funds was appointed. Mr. (later Captain United States Army) Guy Van Amringe and Mr. William E. Harmon were in charge of this work. One nota- ble contribution was made through Mrs. William C. Beecher of Brooklyn of $750 for a machine-gun to be used in that Borough. This gun was subsequently given, at Mrs. Beecher's request, to the Machine-Gun Company of the 23rd Infantry, N. Y. G. Mrs. John Markle and Miss Julia Pierrepont each contributed funds for one machine gun. After many general efforts had been made, at Mr.
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Harmon's suggestion, a systematic canvass of the officers and men of the various batteries was commenced. Each man was called upon to furnish ten names of possible contributors. The returns were all made to McLain-Hadden-Simpers Co., who had general charge of the work. A large bulletin was erected in the Armory, and the returns of squads, batteries and battalions were constantly posted. In all $23,635.00 was raised. This fund was expended partly in the purchase of arms and ammunition, partly for the expenses of training, partly to furnish necessary supplies to our men while on active service guarding the water supply, and partly for the neces- sary expenses of raising the fund. There were no payments from it of compensation or pay to officers or men.
All this expenditure for so necessary and useful a purpose would have been impossible had not a group of patriotic citizens come forward and contributed generously to the purchase of supplies. In spite of all the calls made by patriotic and philanthropic so- cieties upon the resources of those who had the welfare of their country at heart, they added another burden to their many re- sponsibilities and contributed toward the purchase of the equipment.
On October 8, 1917, the Provisional Batteries with Field and Staff were transferred by order of the Commander-in-Chief to the Ninth Coast Artillery Corps, New York Guard. By order of the General in command of the First Brigade, Colonel Delafield was directed to assemble his men and to transfer them and all their equipment and property as soon as possible to the armory of the former Ninth Coast Defense Command at 125 West 14th Street, New York City, and there to hold such property subject to the order of the Commanding General of the First Brigade .*
Subsequently the council of Administration and the Board of Officers of the Veteran Corps of Artillery constituting the Society of the War of 1812, released all their right, title and interest, if any, in and to the special fund we have described in this chapter and in and to the property and equipment purchased thereby, by executing the release set forth in full in the appendix.
*See letter of General Dyer to Colonel Burleigh, quoted in full in the appendix ..
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CHAPTER FOUR THE COMMISSION FOR STUDY ABROAD
W E have seen in a previous chapter that the Detachment had decided to undertake anti-aircraft defense of the City. Immediately after the decision was made, the officers, es- pecially the Vice-Commandant, began to study the problem. They were met at once by the initial and apparently insurmountable obstacle of an almost total lack of information. Beyond the very general, always indefinite and frequently erroneous matter con- tained in the newspaper and magazine articles, and some prelimi- nary study by the Navy and War Departments, there was no knowl- edge of the subject in this country. What could be done to find out the best methods of anti-aircraft defense?
It was finally decided that the only way to get this information and to lay out an adequate plan was to send a commission abroad to study the plan of the air defenses of London and of Paris where such defense had been developed, and where enemy aircraft were being turned back. It was hoped that there where warfare was in progress, necessary plans and information could be gathered which when changed to suit the geographical situation in New York would serve as a guide to the Veteran Corps.
The sending of these officers abroad was the result of long, pa- tient and skillful work on the part of our officers, especially of Lieutenant-Colonel John Ross Delafield and Lieutenant George W. Burleigh. Lieutenant James C. McGuire, Sergeant Wm. L. Sayers, and others, who with the industry and thoroughness charac- teristic of the real New Yorker, tackled the problem. Upon a com- parison and analysis of their various efforts and investigations, the conclusion was inevitable, that the only practical solution was the sending of a board of competent officers abroad to investigate the anti-aircraft defense in London and Paris, and at the front. From its inception this idea had the hearty approval and the
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very active cooperation of the commander of the Department of the East.
It was an unique and hitherto unparalleled incident in the military history of the United States. These officers were sent by a unit in the reserve militia, with the approval not only of the Mayor of the City, the. Governor and Adjutant-General of the State, but also with the warm commendation of such officers of the Regular Army as General J. Franklin Bell, commanding the De- partment of the East, General Kuhn, president of the War College, General Scott, Chief of the General Staff, with full credentials from the War and State Departments and from the Governor and Mayor and with strong recommendations to the American Gen- erals in command in France and England. We cannot lay too much emphasis on General Bell's participation in this matter. The British and French ambassadors sent special messages to their respective countries regarding the sailing of the Mission and its objects and our own State Department cooperated in every way.
They were sent to study one of the new problems in the science of warfare-the correct solution of which was essential to the well- being of the coast cities of the United States.
The Corps was a unit in the Reserve Militia, ([N] v. Andrews vs. Gardiner. 185 App. Div. 477) recognized, if at all, in only a permissive way by the United States ([N] Section 63, National Defense Act). To obtain proper facilities for our officers abroad required powerful recommendations and full credentials from the War and State Departments. Every official in Washington was swamped with work. An innumerable number of commis- sioners were seeking credentials, all the way from those of great usefulness to those of great foolishness, and Lieutenant George W. Burleigh, then Adjutant, Ist Battalion of the Detachment, began a long series of consultations and negotiations which were ultimately successful. The officers in command at Governors Island, General Leonard Wood and General J. Franklin Bell and their staffs were helpful. Without the aid of General Bell, the plan might have failed. His great experience and wisdom were always at the serv-
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ice of the Corps. Greatly interested in the plan, he rendered most valuable assistance, so that in a certain fair sense of the words the sending of these officers abroad was under his direction. On July 12th, 1917, Colonel Delafield was in General Bell's office when the General's telephone rang. The Colonel said, "Shall I leave the room, General?"
The General turned and said to him, "Colonel Delafield, I wish you to understand that many people come here over trifling matters and I will not see them; that I have given my aides special instruc- tions to send you in when you come; that when my own officers are in the room with me, I go ahead with my business without regard to them; that I am treating you as I would one of my own officers. Please remember, if any thing should happen, the papers relating to your matter are in my private file." General Bell had full knowledge of the aspirations and plans of the Corps. His opinion of the personnel of the Detachment is worth preserving.
"General Wood left behind him for me, strong commendation of Colonel Delafield, of his patriotism, enthusiasm, zeal and ability, In his conversations with me, it has become plainly manifest that he is not only a man of rather exceptional zeal and ability, but that he has made a close study of the requirements of anti-aircraft defense.
"Few, if any of the men composing the Veteran Corps of Artillery of the State of New York are of draft age. Many of them are even beyond the maximum age for military service, but are physically perfectly competent to do their share of this serv- ice. They are all of a high type of citizenship. Most of them are college graduates, and many have had ample previous military training and experience. All are highly patriotic, and their reliability in carrying to a successful conclusion any patriotic serv- ice they undertake is beyond question. They are not after 'loaves' or 'fishes' or com- pensation of any kind. Most of them are men of ample means. There would be a sufficient number of them to perform the service without any great or undue amount of hardship. Their pride and zeal is very exceptional." (From letter to General Kuhn of June 23rd, 1917.)
"I am acquainted with the character of the personnel belonging to this Corps. It is of the highest order of citizenship and patriotism. Nearly all its members are highly respected men of affairs, and standing in the community. A very great ma- jority of them are above the maximum draft age, and some, though well preserved, are above 45 years of age.
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"Their high order of education and intelligence renders them especially well quali- fied to perform the service they seek solely through patriotism." (From endorse- ment on letter to General Kuhn, President War College, July 12th, 1917.)
The War Department and the Navy Department furnished their confidential information; but by far the most useful documents were obtained by Major General Bell from the Army War College, furnished for the private inspection and study of the officers es- pecially assigned to this work. After being studied by the Lieu- tenant Colonel these documents were thoroughly gone over by Cap- tain Wilder, who made a close examination of all the mathematical and mechanical details shown, and so far familiarized himself with the problems before him that his subsequent work abroad was ap- proached with a good background of information.
Slowly, but always surely, the matter progressed. Many officers in high command had to be convinced. They were convinced. Many obstacles had to be overcome. They were overcome. From bureau to bureau, from General to General, always going higher, until Major General Hugh L. Scott, Chief of the General Staff, and the Secretary of War gave their consent.
Detachment Order) No. 19 5 New York, August 25, 1917
III. Major Francis Russell Stoddard, Jr., Captain Robert H. Wilder, and First Lieutenant Cabot Ward are appointed a board to study and report upon the anti- aircraft defenses of London, Paris and elsewhere, and are directed to go abroad for that purpose.
By Order
JOHN ROSS DELAFIELD, Lieutenant-Colonel commanding Artillery Service Detachment.
Official : Chandler Smith, Captain-Adjutant.
With full and elaborate credentials, with letters from the Adju- tant-General and Governor of New York, from Monsieur Jusse- rand, the French Ambassador, from Sir Arthur Spring-Rice, the
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British Ambassador, from the Mayor of New York to the Chief Magistrates of London and Paris, our officers sailed on their im- portant mission. Major Stoddard, in his book "War Time France," tells a very interesting story of their experiences. The story of the commission will be told in later chapters. Very few people realize that the Artillery Service Detachment and the Ninth Coast Artil- lery N. Y. G. had the only officers of a State militia regiment who went abroad and were at the front. Major Stoddard and Captain Wilder were officers of the Artillery Service Detachment, V. C. A., until transferred while abroad to the Ninth, in which they con- tinued their service.
THE ROYAL ITALIAN WAR COMMISSION. THE PRINCE OF UDINE.
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CHAPTER FIVE THE CAMP AT CITY ISLAND
E ARLY in the spring, as recruiting showed that a large num- ber of batteries would soon be equipped, the question of a summer training camp was discussed. Both officers and men felt that life in a military camp would be invaluable in creating morale and efficiency. If arrangements could be made for a camp within commuting distance, many men would take advantage of the training who could not spare time for a prolonged absence from their business or professional work. Much thought was given to the task of investigating sites. We had many men in the Detach- ment who by training and experience were competent to pass on questions of availability, sanitation, accessibility, and the like, so that the labor was not arduous. The site selected was on City Island, where a most eligible plot was offered to us through the efforts of Lieutenant William L. Sayers and Mr. H. Schieffelin Sayers.
The camp site proper, that is, the ground actually occupied by the headquarters building, mess hall, tents and parade, covered several acres, sloping gradually from the main street of City Island down to the waters of Eastchester Bay, an arm of Long Island Sound. The ground was well adapted to the purposes of a camp, both as to accessibility and natural drainage. An old and somewhat pretentious mansion was on the place and afforded excellent quarters for the Adjutant's office, hospital, Surgeon's room, reception room, etc., and also for the Quartermaster's stores. This house stood near the waterside of the property and was reached by a public road leading down from the main street. The entrance to the camp was through the gateway and yard of the premises, and a convenient window enabled the men to report their goings and comings .to the Sergeant in charge, and to receive and mail their letters, etc., without crowding into the office. Pipes had been laid through the camp and water was abundant.
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LAYING OUT THE CAMP.
THE CAMP FROM PELHAM BAY.
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Directly across the road, opposite this mansion, was another piece of property also abutting on the water, on which stood a building which had formerly been used as a club-house. This building was assigned to the Supply Company and became the mess house of the camp, and one of the Supply Sergeants was placed in general charge. This club-house lent itself admirably to the purposes of a mess house. There was a kitchen and a range, though the latter was found to be too small, and was replaced by a larger one, a storeroom and two dining-rooms on the first floor; while the second floor provided an office for the Sergeant, a bath- room and several sleeping rooms. There was room in the camp for two full batteries and headquarters. The responsibility for the mess arrangements, furnishing cots, blankets and the like, was of course on the Supply Company, under the command of the Com- missary, Captain Benjamin Rush Lummis. In addition to Cap- tain Lummis, the Supply Company had Captain Norman Bentley Gardiner, Quartermaster, Quartermaster-Sergeant Mortimer De- lano, Sergeants H. Schieffelin Sayers, William ,R. Corwine, Alex- ander H. Spencer (generally known affectionately as the "Grizzled Old Sergeant"), Corporal Duncan Candler and Private Thomas J. McCahill. Captain Gardiner, a few days after the Camp opened, had to take sick leave.
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