USA > Pennsylvania > History of the First regiment infantry, National guard of Pennsylvania (Grey Reserves) 1861-1911, pt 1 > Part 32
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302
1884
HISTORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT, N. G. P.
was not far away, he was doubtless a participant in this excur- sion. Though it is not at all likely that his presence was in any way recalled when a few years later he sought his appointment, yet there is scarce a doubt that the incident and occasion were well remembered.
General Blake, appointed by President Jackson, June 11, 1836, a first lieutenant in the Second Dragoons, served with dis- tinction through three wars, the Seminole War, the Mexican War, and the War of the Rebellion. He was made a captain December 3, 1839; brevet major Angust 17, 1847, for gallant and meri- torious conduct in the affair of San Augustine, Mexico; major First Dragoons, July 25, 1850; lieutenant-colonel May 31, 1861; colonel First Cavalry, February 15, 1862 ; brevet brigadier- general, March 13, 1865, for gallant and efficient service during the Gettysburg Campaign, and retired after forty years of service, December 15, 1870.
General Blake had always retained his connection with the Artillery Corps of Washington Grays, and at the time of his de- cease was an honorary member of the corps and of the Old Guard.
A fair and bazaar, eminently successful, but not so resultful as its predecessor, attractive in its every feature, interjected with its many novelties, was held at the new armory building for the two weeks following Saturday, November 15, 1884. Society lent it an energy, the best of society's best women were in active management, leading men and women gave it their presence, and there was everywhere universal encouragement and support.
Another jam of people [as one report read] attended the First Regiment Armory Fair last night. Hundreds of tickets were sold at the door and the crowd besieged the entrances during the evening until it scemed that the great hall could hold no more people. Already visions of colossal wealth fill the eyes of the militiamen, and the most satisfactory evidence is assured to them that the debt hanging over them on account of their handsome build- ing will be cleared off.
But with a later report these assurances vanished:
It was a success, but it is to be feared that it did not catch on to the expectations of its projectors. The great public were there in suffocating crowds, beauty blazed in the glow of electric lights, benches and corners were found for soft dalliance, and the music of the band gave step to the promen- ade. And that is just what they did. They dallied and they walked. They did not spend. The dude shivered when he was stuck with a pin-cushion, and the response of the solid man was, "Give me a chance on the gun."
303
ARMORY FAIR AND BAZAAR
The opening was without formal ceremony. The regiment was assembled at 4.30 o'clock on the afternoon of the fifteenth, marehed into the drill-room and the companies dismissed to their respective booths. All drills and military exercises were sus- pended for the two weeks and the officers and men were enjoined and urged to lend every effort and spare no exertions toward help- ing the enterprise to a successful outcome. There was a Woman's Supervisory Committee. They adopted a code of rules and regu- Iations, which was approved by the general committee for the government of the fair. This code officers and men were required to faithfully observe and strictly comply with.
Though otherwise a pronounced success, the venture did not yield the substantial results secured by its predecessor. It was by no means, however, a financial failure. With all its obliga- tions met, the quite respectable sum of $12,167.45 was the profit and loss balance in its favor.
With a view to such a critical observation that defects might be noted, delinquencies developed, and errors pointed out, the colonel commanding announced an inspection by himself for Jan- uary 28, 1885. On February 2, that his labor might prove effective, he published a circular in which with a determination to uncover everything that needed to be corrected, he specially noted and severely rebuked the delinquencies his inspection of 28th ult. had disclosed. While the manual showed improvement and the uniforms were in good condition, many of the trousers needed overhauling, chevrons required readjustment, and though figures, letters, and keystone of the men were mostly in good order, yet quite a number of the belts needed to be blackened and polished and brasses cleaned. With better attention given to the inside of the piece the arms would be much improved. "Spit- ting on the floor cannot be tolerated ; it must not occur again." The condition of the belts and shoulder-straps of officers needed to be bettered. The small number present was discouraging. An examination of the rolls showed that the same men who had been absent at the inspection had been previously absent at the battalion drills. "No use to the command. they should be dis- charged." Several of the companies had but half their total enlisted " present," while two had 40 and 42 " absent," re- spectively ; nor were all of their officers there. Radical faults
1853
304
HISTORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT, N. G. P.
evidently exist in these organizations. They must be discov- ered and removed or the organizations take the consequence.
Nor was this arraignment for delinquencies confined solely to occasions specially instituted to ferret them out. Later on in this same year, 1885, something of the same tenor followed. Neglect of proper observances to assure the best of sanitation in the eamp of that year found in a general order an incisive in- sistenee for the adoption of corrective measures for a more thor- ough and effective policing. And also in the same order there appeared this uncanny paragraph: " The inspection of this morning showed many of the pieces in a horrible condition and many others only fair, which would not pass the inspecting offi- cer. The men must keep at them until thoroughly cleaned."
It so happened that in the year 1885 the usual character of its observanee and the day itself were in full accord, and on Sun- day, February 22, 1885, the regiment in full-dress uniform, with- out arms, and the music withont instruments, was paraded for attendance on divine service on the afternoon of that day at the Church of St. Matthias, condueted by its rector, the regimental chaplain, Rev. Robert A. Edwards.
A cautionary circular from regimental headquarters of Jan- uary 3, 1885, sounded a note of preparation for participation in the ceremonies incident to the coming inauguration of the Hon. Grover Cleveland as President of the United States, as follows:
The adjutant-general having decided that the division of the National Gnard of Pennsylvania shall participate in the inangural ceremonies at Washington, D. C .. on the 4th of March next, it becomes necessary for this command to put itself in shape to make an appearance there that will sus- tain its well-earned reputation and meet the expectations of its many friends in that city and others who will be present on that occasion and who have a very high opinion of it and are anxiously awaiting our arrival. We will be placed in competition with the various well-disciplined and drilled or- ganizations of our own State and the crack commands of other States, notably the New York Seventh. which has promised to parade over 700 men, and we must therefore get to work at once to recruit, drill, and equip and make every effort to present ten companies of twenty-four files front.
The regiment in full winter uniform, band and drum corps. field and staff mounted. provided with three days' cooked rations, left the Broad and Washington Street depot at eight o'clock on the evening of Monday, March 2. for the inauguration. Head- quarters in Washington were established in the building known
305
TWENTY-FOURTH ANNIVERSARY
1.55
a- the Douglass Mansion on I Street between Second and Third, where the command was quartered. The regiment was formed for its direct participation in the ceremonies on the morning of the 4th at nine o'clock on I Street, right resting on Second Street. The day was well gone before the conclusion of the affair, and that night the regiment returned to Philadelphia. Glittering uniforms, vast crowds, discomfort, delays, much enthusiasin, were the incidents, as usual, attendant on the occasion.
The First Brigade paraded an aggregate of 2093. In his annual report for the year to Adjutant-General Guthrie, Major- General Hartranft briefly summarized the event and the success that came of Pennsylvania's participation in it as follows: " You also participated with the division at the inaugural ceremonies of President Cleveland and know how the Pennsylvania troops were received by that vast audience on account of their soldierly bearing and solidity in movement. Every Pennsylvanian present was proud to call them his fellow-citizens."
General Order No. 18, of April 16, 1885, made announce- ment as follows :
The Colonel commanding announces with mueh regret the death of Charles K. Ide, formerly Major of this Command, which occurred at noon on the 15th inst.
Major Ide was one of the founders of our organization, serving at dif- ferent times as First Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain of Company D, as well as Adjutant and Major of the Regiment. Ile filled every position with rare ability and was faithful in all the relations of life to his friends and to his companions in arms.
The funeral will take place on Saturday, ISth inst., and as a mark of respect to his memory the order for the anniversary parade of the Com- mand for that day is hereby countermanded: a subsequent date for the cele- bration will be hereafter announced. The national colors will be displayed on the armory at half staff on the day of the funeral.
As postponed, the twenty-fourth anniversary commemorative parade took place on the evening of Saturday, June 6, 1885, con- «luding with the ceremony of a dress parade in front of the Union League.
The spring inspection, so far at least as the First Regiment was concerned, had been disappointing; there was still an urgent call for "better turn-outs." In order that the men might make arrangements for their summer holidays and for a general im- 20)
306
1885
HISTORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT, N. G. P.
provement, the time for the annual eneampiment, July 25 to August 1, 1885, was announced as early as April 20. The en- campments were to be by brigades. That of the First Brigade to be known as Camp Muhlenberg, was to be located near Elwyn station, beyond Media, on and in the vicinity of the Delaware County Fair grounds.
The annual encampment, July 23 to August 1, 1885, followed a lengthy season of unprecedented drought. No rain had fallen in the vicinity of the Camp Muhlenberg location for upward of sixty days. The proximity of the camp to Philadelphia had on the opening, Sunday, the 26th, brought thousands to the grounds, and the threatening clouds of the early afternoon, the precursors of a deluging rain, had kept thousands more away. The religious ex- ercises of the morning in all the regiments, and in which in those of the First Chaplain Edwards had preached a sermon inveigh- ing against profanity, urging a sounder morality, as typified in the life and now forcefully suggested in the death of General Ulysses S. Grant, had been concluded without interruption from the approaching disturbance. With the military features for the later afternoon, notably the Brigade Dress Parade, the brigade commander was not so fortunate. They had searce been con- eluded ere the storm broke, and the troops reached their quarters a wet, bedraggled, sorry-looking set of soldiers. There was not a soldier in the camp, however, who did not welcome with an appre- ciative greeting the rain that broke the drought and the storm that tempered the heat.
There were no weather interruptions during the rest of the week, and all specific details and requirements, the better per- formanee of which had been so urgently pressed in circulars, orders, and instructions, were vigorously prosecuted. Aside from the close pursuit of all the immediate calls of company and regi- ment, there was the usual review of the brigade by the governor and commander-in-chief on the afternoon of Friday, the 31st, and the annual muster and inspection of the regiment by Adju- tant-General Guthrie at the very early hour of five and a half o'clock on the morning of the same day. As the result of this inspection, out of an aggregate of 586. the regiment with 322 present and 64 absent seeured a percentage of $9.9 and a regi- mental rating of " superior."
FIRST REGIMENT INFANTRY. A. L.P PRESENT UNIFORM! 1.5-1911
307
ANNUAL ENCAMPMENT
1545
The rifle practice for the year increased the number of quali- fied marksmen 23-from 71 in 1884 to 94 in 1885. Among those who lod were George W. Coulston, F, with a score of 49; C. R. Walton, F, 48; Lieutenant C. Hathaway, F, 47; C. W. Root and L. Ryan, 45 each; W. W. Abbott, D, 45; and Captain J. Campbell Gilmore, K, 42.
A significant feature of the 1885 annual encampment, which was broken with the usual formalities at the time prescribed, Saturday, August 1, was the famous endorsement of the inspect- ing officer, Col. William J. Volkmar, an assistant adjutant- general of the United States Army, of the general efficiency of the Pennsylvania National Guard and its worthiness of emulation by other States seeking to advance their military proficiency. The following are extracts from his very exhaustive report of the re- sult of his official observations on that occasion :
The National Guard of Pennsylvania so justly enjoys a reputation for solid worth that its system of organization and supply may be profitably studied by every Commonwealth desiring to provide itself with a proper military safeguard against domestic danger. . ..
In marksmanship and in drill. in the administrative departments and in those of supply, the National Guard of Pennsylvania exeels as a unit, but in details of prescribed courtesies to superiors when on duty, and in individual personal appearance. there is too much laxity. ...
What most forcibly impressed me was the desire of everybody to learn and improve. The aim of all seemed to be to approach as nearly as possible to the methods of the regular army and with this aspiration the National Guard of Pennsylvania cannot fail to become constantly more and more a credit to itself and to its earnest officers, whose untiring efforts show how mueh they held the interests of their commands at heart.
The death of General Grant was announced to the regiment on July 23, 1855, in the following regimental General Order No. 80:
I. General Ulysses S. Grant, U. S. A., retired, and ex-President of the United States, died at Mt. MeGregor, New York, at 8:08 this morning. It is unnecessary to refer to the services of the distinguished dead-his life, patriotism, unswerving fidelity to his country in the time of need, his won- derful ability as a military leader, his integrity as a statesman, are but part of the country's history.
II. The colors of the regiment will be draped and the officers wear the usual emblem of mourning for thirty days and the national colors at the regimental armory be placed at half staff until after the day of the funeral as a mark of respeet to his memory.
1885
305
HISTORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT, N. G. P.
The funeral obsequies were announced to take place in the city of New York on Saturday, August 8, the remains to rest in the Riverside Park mausoleum, and General Order No. 38, of August 4, 1885, from regimental headquarters, directed that to participate in the funeral ceremony of General Ulysses S. Grant the regiment wouldl assemble at the armory on Friday, August 7, at 11 o'clock P. M., equipped in State uniform, white garrote collars, canteens, white trousers in knapsaeks, with blankets rolled, to proceed thence by rail to the city of New York, and, while there to be quartered in the armory of the Twenty-second Regi- ment National Guard State of New York.
On Friday evening the armory of the regiment at Broad and Callowhill Streets presented an animated appearance. Leaving the armory at the hour prescribed, the regiment, followed by a large crowd of spectators, marched down Broad Street to the Pennsylvania depot, where a train in waiting, consisting of six- teen cars, was promptly boarded and started on its journey to its Jersey City destination, which it reached at 4.30 on Saturday morning.
The citizens of Philadelphia showed their appreciation of the character and standing of the First Regiment as an exponent of the city's military by making generous contributions to the fund to defray the expenses of their attendance on the funeral obsequies of the nation's distinguished soldier, and the members of the regiment responded by turning out in full strength, nearly 600 men. the strength of the companies being as follows: Company A. 58 men: Company B. 64 men; Company C, 50 men: Company D, 46 men ; Company E, 60 men ; Company F, 50 men ; Company G. 50 men ; Company I. 52 men; Company 1, 51 men; Company K, 55 men ; the band and drum corps numbered about 40.
ROSTER OF OFFICERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN PARADE OF FIRST REGIMENT, GRANT'S FUNERAL, AUGUST 8, ISS5.
Field-Colonel Theodore E. Wieder heim and Major Wendell P. Bowman. Staff-Aeting Adjutant C. T. Kensil; Quartermaster Harry C. Robert -: Pay- master William H. Taber; Surgeon J. Wilks O'Neill, M.D .; Assistant Surgeon Francis Muhlenberg, M.D .; Assistant Surgeon Alexis Dupont Smith. M.D .. Chaplain Rev. Robert A. Edwards and Special Aids .J. Houston Merrill and Walter F. Sykes.
Non-Commissioned Staff-Sergeant-Major G. M. Post: Quartermaster-Ser- geant T. II. Gallagher ; Commissary Sergeant George L. Walker. Jr., and Hospital Steward Charles Ouram.
Drum-Major W. T. Baker; Bandmaster Albert Andress.
309
ROSTER OF OFFICERS
Company A-Captain, H. deC. Brolasky; First Lieutenant, George E. Dea- con; Second Lieutenant, Kirk W. Magill.
Company B -- Captain, J. Lewis Good; First Lieutenant. William Ewing; Second Lieutenant, Geo. L. Ploutz.
Company C-Captain, Milton W. Orme; First Lieutenant, R. G. Stinson. Company D-Captain, Harry O. Ha-tings; First Lieutenant, Il. J. Crump; Second Lieutenant. T. A. Edwards.
Company E-Captain, Jame, Muldoon; First Lieutenant, James A. Filley; Second Lieutenant, Ilenry Schroeder.
Company F-Captain, Thomas E. Huffington; First Lieutenant, George Eiler, Jr .; Second Lieutenant, Charles Hathaway, Jr.
Company G-Captain. A. L. Williams; First Lieutenant, G. K. Morehead; Second Lieutenant, Josiah Torr.
Company H-Captain, Samuel B. Collins; First Lieutenant, Clarence T. Kensil, acting adjutant; Second Lieutenant, F. B. Thompson.
Company I-Captain, Frederick P. Koons; First Lieutenant, L. E. French; Second Lieutenant, J. Dallett Roberts.
Company K-Captain, J. Campbell Gilmore; First Lieutenant, R. R. Bring- hurst; Second Lieutenant, A. J. Diamond.
The following story, told contemporaneously through the news- papers, better preserves the recollection of the regiment's partici- pation in this conspicnous event in the nation's history than if it were now presented in another form :
The First Regiment during their New York trip wore the regular State uniform and carried knapsacks, blankets, and canteens. The field and staff officers were mounted, horses being in readiness for them at the armory of the Twenty-second New York Regiment. No military organization in the Grant funeral parade marched with more soldierly precision or met with more general commendation than the First Pennsylvania Regiment.
When the First Regiment left the armory of the New York Twenty- second Regiment to take their assigned position in the line of the grand parade, they attracted considerable public attention. It was not caused by the gaudiness or otherwise attractive appearance of their uniform, for they wore only the regular United States army garb, and the only difference be- tween them and the "regulars" was their white pants, which were put on. as stated, at the armory of the Twenty-second New York Regiment. What attracted so much attention and was the cause of so much favorable com- mendation was the almost perfect marching of the First Regiment and the particularly neat and clean appearance of the men.
The regiment was the eynosure of all eyes, and the frequent clapping of hands by the multitude that thronged the sidewalks as they passed by was the spontaneous testimonial awarded them for their military pro- ticiency, and it must be borne in mind that as far as dress was concerned they would have been passed by unnoticed. It was the true soldierly de- portment of the men themselves that created such enthusiasm as the regiment marched over the route, and it may be truthfully said that the thousands of Philadelphians who viewed the procession felt a sensation of pride and satisfaction that the Quaker City was so well represented in the military line.
1885
HISTORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT, N. G. P.
310
But what most of all enures to the preservation of a military reputation is official recognition, which General Shaler certainly supplies in his highly complimentary letter to Colonel Wieder- sheim :
HEADQUARTERS IST DIVISION, N. G. S., N. Y. New York, Ang. 10, 1885.
COLONEL THEODORE E. WIEDERSHEIM
First Regiment National Guard of Pennsylvania.
Colonel: I regret exceedingly that in the multiplicity of duties on Sat- urday last I had not the opportunity to meet you and express my gratifica- tion at your visit to New York with your fine regiment. Everywhere the praises of your command, for excellent appearance made and almost perfect marching, were to be heard.
I would thank you to say to your officers and men that all New York was pleased to have them visit this city and join in doing honor to the memory of the great patriot soldier and ex-President. Pennsylvania has reason to be proud of her First Regiment for its soldierly bearing and ex- cellent discipline, and I feel personally honored in having so fine a regiment under my command for even a short time. Very sincerely yours,
ALEXANDER SHALER, Major-General.
Colonel Wiedersheim's congratulatory cireular of August 11, 1885, well adapts itself to supply a fitting conclusion to what has already been said:
CIRCULAR
The colonel commanding takes occasion to congratulate the command upon its satisfactory and handsome appearance in the parade of the escort column in the obsequies of the illustrious General U. S. Grant in New York City on the Sth inst.
Your soldierly bearing, discipline, and marching have received the most flattering commendations while the daily press of our own city gives us all possible credit; the papers of New York City also accord us the honors with the New York Seventh and Twenty-second Regiments, which of itself is most complimentary.
Our thanks are due and extended to those generous and patriotic friends -citizens of Philadelphia-by whose liberal contributions we were enabled to represent this city as well as the National Guard of the State.
The outdoor military demonstrations for the year 1885 con- cluded with a parade of the First Brigade on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, of which General Snowden in his annual report speaks as follows: " Thanksgiving Day, November 26, the bri- gade was paraded, weather unpleasant, pavements in slippery
311
CHANGES IN REGIMENTAL ROSTER
1855
condition, but on the whole the parade may be regarded as suc- cessful."
Through resignations, expirations of term, promotions, the regimental roster in captaincies and field officers had been sub- jected to numerous changes.
Lieut .- Col. Washington H. Gilpin, after a long and faithful service in the ranks, in the line, and in the field, had resigned, July 20, 1885, and on October 19, 1885, Major Wendell P. Bowman was elected to succeed him. Captain Thomas E. Huffington's election to the majority followed, November 14, 1885, and the vacancy thereby created in his company, F, was filled by the election of First Lieutenant George Eiler, Jr., to the captaincy, November 30, 1585. The commission of Captain Charles A. Rose, of Company A, expired by limitation February 27, 1887, and on the same day Captain Howell DeC. Brolasky was elected his successor. Captain Pearson S. Conrad, Company C, resigned May 11, 1885, and on June 4, 1885, the vacant cap- tainey was filled by the election of First Lieutenant Milton W. Orme. On November 18, 1885, First Lieutenant Clarence T. Kensil was elected captain of Company HI, vice Captain Samnel B. Collins resigned. The commission of Captain J. Campbell Gilmore, Company K, expired by lapse of time February 2S, 1886-he is to reappear in the National Guard service in a higher rank, with a wider influence and enlarged responsibilities -and First Lieutenant Robert R. Bringhurst was, on July 6, 1886, elected to succeed him. On April 7, 1887, Dr. Edward Martin was appointed assistant surgeon, vice Dr. Francis Muh- lenberg resigned March 4, 1887.
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