USA > Pennsylvania > History of the First regiment infantry, National guard of Pennsylvania (Grey Reserves) 1861-1911, pt 2 > Part 16
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Its officers are, as a rule, earnest, energetic men, who show great industry when in camp and work for the improvement of their commands along military lines as they see them. So far as I was able to judge, they accepted my criticisms (which were freely made) in a kindly spirit, and were always ready to discuss any matter on which we differed in the same spirit. The industrial disturbances in the State have brought new features into the military problems in that State of a very serious nature, and these problems they are trying to meet in a manly, straight-forward way. They are worthy of commendation for their self-sacrificing and energetie spirit, and. in my opinion, the Guard would form a very valuable adjunct to the Regular Army in time of war.
Their defects are mainly those of detail. such as permitting men to go about with coats unbuttoned, in some cases a failure to salute superior officers, and in some cases a laxness in drill-not in the amount of drill. but in the exactness with which the manual of arms, wheeling by fours, changing direction in column. and the turnings were executed.
When one reflects that these men are engaged in civil pursuits and have their livings to make, these defects seem trivial as a whole, and one is compelled to wonder at the amount of time they are willing to give to their military duties, with very little compensation. . . .
There was a brigade review by the Governor and Commander- in-Chief on the afternoon of inspection day. No other function or ceremony interrupting, with routine rigidly followed, with the work it exacted well and cheerfully done, with the improvement expected appreciably in evidence. the camp was broken and the commands returned to their respective home rendezvous on the day fixed for its termination.
The inspector-general in his report of October 20, 1903, is induced, in view of misleading comparisons instituted between the various commands in the several brigades, made upon the basis of the ratings of the spring inspection, all these ratings in the hands of the brigade inspector only, and hence the impossibility of securing a single division standard, to again call attention to the division system where an inspector is detailed to perform the same service for every brigade. The consolidated report of the " Annual Field Inspection for 1903," like those that have preceded it, is submitted with the ratings on each particular subdivision fixed by the judgment of a single individual throughout the entire division.
The consolidated report for the annual field inspection of 1903 shows the First Regiment to have secured at the Perkasie
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1903
CONSOLIDATED REPORT
529
encampment a general average of 91.55 with a discipline rating of 96, and a rating for ceremonies of 97.30. Two companies. besides their maximum of 100 in two branches, cach attained a " special mention," C for " Books and Papers." K for " Cere- monies." But creditable as was this record, in the general ex- cellence that everywhere prevailed, first place went to the Eighth and second only came to the First. There were eleven 90's and upwards out of the fourteen, and the three in the 80's were: Eighteenth Regiment, 89.85; Sixth, 89.43; Third, SS. 14. The Eighth Regiment took the lead with a general average of 95.14. discipline 93, ceremonies 95.30: the First Regiment following with its average and ratings as above. The others of the 90's follow in their proper order: Ninth, general average 93.82, discipline 96, ceremonies 97; Tenth, general average 92.88, dis- cipline 94, ceremonies 98.50; Thirteenth, general average 92.85, discipline 95, ceremonies 96.50; Twelfth, general average 92.St. discipline 95, ceremonies 93; Sixteenth, general average 92.05, discipline 93. ceremonies 96.50; Fourteenth, general average 91.77, discipline 93. ceremonies 96.50; Second, general average 91.70, discipline 95, ceremonies 98 ; Fifth, general average 90.45, discipline 95, ceremonies 95.50; Fourth, general average 90.24, discipline 95, ceremonies 94.50.
On July 25, 1903, the regiment proceeded to Willow Grove to participate in a reunion of the Grand Army of the Republic, that once a year, in the summer, is held in the vicinity of the city under the auspices of the Philadelphia Grand Army Asso- ciation.
The consequent adoption for qualifications of new rules, schedules, firing regulations, etc., incident to the issue of the new magazine rifle, required changes in the condition and location of many of the ritle ranges, some having to be rebuilt and not a few renovated. The chief difficulty was found in seenring sufficient ground to locate the ranges for long distances. This and other incidentals delayed the practice season, and work that should have had six months to complete had to be done in about three, and in some instances in less time. The season for the Phila- delphia troops, however, was not materially shortened, not only because there were fewer alterations needed at the First Regiment range, which was used by most of them, but from the fact that 34
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HISTORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT. N. G. P.
1903
the First Brigade was granted permission to qualify and practise on the range at Sea Girt. Practice was forbidden on all the ranges throughout the State until they had been closely inspected and pronounced absolutely safe by the Regimental Inspectors of Rifle Practice. The rifle range located at Philadelphia, known as the First Regiment Rifle Range, used by the First, Second, Third and a portion of the Sixth Regiment, was directed to be inspected by the ordnance officer of the First Brigade.
Definitions, targets, classifications, ammunition, and other head-line subdivisions essential for instruction in and use of the new magazine rifle by the National Guard, were compre- hended under what seemed to be officially known as "Special Course C, Small Arms Firing Regulations." As it there appears " Expert " now stands for a first-honor man with the rifle, as it had heretofore with the revolver, and is accorded only to those who, having made the necessary total to qualify as a sharpshooter. have fired two or more full scores at 800 and 1000 yards, and from the best two have made a total of 40 at 800 and 35 at 1000 yards. "Figures of Merit," heretofore of service in the computa- tions of merit value in a general inspection, were adopted in the rifle practice to determine a standing from individual figures " to be calculated by the methods laid down in the new firing regulations of the Regular Army, for calculating the individual figure of merit, and published by the War Department January 1 of each year." "The State figure of merit "-so reads General Order No. 4. Headquarters National Guard of Pennsylvania. of May 25, 1903. publishing a circular of the General Inspector of Riffe Practice-" similar to the department figure of merit. will be the combined figure of merit of its troops; all figures of merit will be computed by multiplying the number of expert riflemen by 200, of sharpshooters by 150. of marksmen by 100. of first-class men by 75, of second-class men by 50, of third-class men by 10, of fourth-class men by zero, and by dividing the sum of the products thus obtained by the total number of officers and enlisted men in the above seven classes."
Under this system of calculation in the " Report of Small Arms Firing of the Troops in the State of Pennsylvania for the Year 1903." " Classification and Figure of Merit." the First Regiment's standing was as follows: " Average strength, present
1903
531
ACHIEVEMENTS ON RIFLE RANGE
and absent commissioned and enlisted for the entire period of firing, 750: total number classified, 750; per cent. of average strength classified. 90: expert riflemen, 11; sharpshooters. 5; marksmen, 201; first-class men, 126; second-class men, 170; third-class men. 165: fourth-class men, 72; figure of merit, 56.8; total firing riffe, 678: total firing pistol, 5-4.
At the State Rifle Practice Camp at Mount Gretna, the Sixth Regiment won the Regimental Match shot August 25, 1903, with the score of 345; the First Regiment was second. tied by the Thirteenth, with a score of 342. The First Regiment won the Skirmish Match in 1897: it has not since, nor had it before. This year, 1903, it was fifth with a score of 320, against the Thirteenth's winning score of 404, which won the trophy finally. " No trophy ever offered by the State (it had been shot for since 1993) had ever passed through so many hands before being won finally." The match for the Brigade Trophy was won by the First Brigade with a total score of 1049. There were three First Regiment men on this team, Private Robert Gamble of Company C. who scored 92 ; Private Theo. F. Shonert of Company C, whose score was $9, and Captain Harry J. Mehard, who made 87. Private Robert Gamble, Company C, the one man out of the First Regiment selected for the team of twelve to represent Pennsylvania at the Dryden and National Match at Sea Girt, was fifth man (twelve shooting) on the National Match. with a score of 230, the highest being 246, and seventh (eight shooting) in the Dryden Match. with a score of 121, the highest being 130. Pennsylvania lost in both matches, scoring 2718 and standing ninth against New York's winning score of 2958 on the National. and scoring 971 and standing fourth against the United States Army Infantry Team's winning score of 995. The Inspector of Rifle Practice Match, shot August 27, 1903, was won by Captain Mchard with a grand total of 151.
Captain Frederick P. Koons, regimental quartermaster, was at his own request relieved from active service and placed on the retired list to date from December 21, 1903. Captain Koons's military career had been so faithful, meritorious, honorable, of such unusual length, that in the Regimental General Order pub- lishing his withdrawal it was said " to entitle him in the largest sense to this official announcement in commemoration of his retire-
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HISTORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT, N. G. P.
1903
ment from active service." He had seen service in two wars. enlisting as a private in Company IF, 119th Regiment, Pen- sylvania Volunteers, Angust 30, 1862, remaining with it eon- tinuously in active service in the field, participating with it in all the battles fought by the Army of the Potomac until June 27. 1865, when, the war over and his services no longer required. he was honorably discharged. having meanwhile been made first & corporal and then a sergeant. In the Spanish-American War he was appointed first lieutenant and regimental quartermaster, First Pennsylvania Volunteers, May 5, 1898, and honorably discharged June 23, 180S. February 7, 1870, a private in Company F. in our own First Regiment, he promptly advanced to a sergeanter: his lieutenaney, captainey, in the line followed and then supple- menting his line elections were his appointments first to his first lieutenaney and then to his captaincy in the Quartermaster's Department on the Regimental Staff, all without interruption, until his connection with the service was finally severed by his retirement, December 21, 1903. In war and peace his military service to his country and his State, saving the interval between his leaving the war establishment and returning to the peace. had aggregated more than the full measure of forty-one years. As Colonel Bowman eloses his General Order he adds this concluding tribute: " Always reserved and unassuming. but always trust- worthy and faithful, his record entitles him to the highest com- mendation. In thus severing his relations with the active com- mand this regiment loses a veteran soldier and officer of experience. and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is deprived of one of her worthiest and bravest defenders."
Captain Koons did not long survive his retirement. He died at his residence. 533 North Tenth Street, Philadelphia, August 19, 1905. He was buried with military honors. Captain Cornelius Moore commanding the escort, Company I, First Regiment In- fantry. National Guard, Pennsylvania. The commissioned and non-commissioned officers attended the funeral in a body.
On December 24, 1903, Captain Henry Nuss. Jr., com- manding Company C. was appointed captain and regimental quartermaster, viro Captain Koons, retired. First Lieutenant John H. Maurer, private Company C. January 12, 1594; after- wards corporal and sergeant; second lieutenant February 23.
INSPECTION AND RESULTS
1899: first lieutenant October 19. 1599, sergeant through the Spanish-American War, was on January 28, 1904, elected as Captain Nuss's successor.
Captain William S. Sloan resigned his captainey of Com- pany D May 31, 1901, and Captain Artemas W. Deane, who had resigned his former captainey December 27, 1898, was again elected June 1, 1904.
Through the month of January and again in March. 1904, the several companies of the regiment were exhaustively inspected by the colonel commanding. in general appearance. school of the soldier, setting up exercises, school of the company, guard duty. and notably non-commissioned officers were " required to demon- strate their qualifications and capacity to instruct recruits, com- mand squads and post sentinels." The result of the spring in- speetions demonstrated the efficacy of industrious oversight and frequent inspection.
Beginning April 6, 1904, and ending May 3, 1904, the several companies were inspected at the armory on their respective drill nights by Maj. Charles II. Worman. brigade inspector, accompanied by Brig .- Gen. Chambers MeKibbin, United States Army, of whose presence Major Worman in his official report speaks as follows: " I desire to say it was a sincere pleasure to me in having as a fellow-worker the able, courteous, and genial repre- sentative of the War Department, Brig .- Gen. Chambers MeKibbin. United States Army, who was present at each company inspection."
The result in detail was as follows: The percentage of at- tendance was 100, and general average 100 each for Field and Staff, Band, and Hospital Corps. Company AA's percentage of attendance was 100, general average 94.12; Company B. 100, 94.25; Company C, 100, 96.87; Company D, 50. 91.62 ; Company E, 100, 97.50: Company F. 92.72. 95.37: Company G, 100. 97; Company II. 91.87. 91.37: Company I, 71.93. 93.50; Com- pany K, 100, 98.50; Company L. 100. 95.12 : Company M. 100. 92.50. Col. Wendell P. Bowman was in command of the regi- ment; Captain Charles F. Ellwanger, of Company 1, Captain Charles F. Wood. of B, Captain John H. Maurer, of C. First Lieu- tenant Ralph Kent, of D, Captain Charles P. Hunt, of E. Captain William H. Hey. of F, Captain George B. Zane, Jr .. of G. Cap- tain Sylvester G. Watson, of H, Captain Cornelius Moore, of I,
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HISTORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT, N. G. P.
1904
Captain Charles F. Hess, of K, Captain George A. Scattergood, of L, Captain Elmer E. Keiser, of M.
Of the general comment in the official reports what follows more particularly affects the First Regiment. In a paragraph concerning the entire brigade, Major Worman makes significant reference to a First Regiment company.
" Nearly all the companies presented themselves scrupulously neat and tidy in appearance, and especially was this marked in the case of Company K, First Regiment, with a front of twenty- four files solid, every man fit for a model, a total strength of 3 officers and 62 enlisted men (61 enlisted men present, 1 on fur- lough ). A splendid company with efficient officers."
Through Asst. Adjt .- Gen. Jno. H. Guilfoyle, United States Army, in a communication dated War Department, the Military Secretary's Office, Washington. D. C .. June 1, 1904, addressed to the Adjutant-General of Pennsylvania, " the following remarks of Brig .- Gen. Chambers MeKibbin, United States Army. of his recent inspection of the First Brigade, National Guard of Penn- sylvania," were communicated :
EXTRACT.
FIRST REGIMENT INFANTRY: General appearance. condition of uniforms and arms excellent; of the whole equipment exceptionally good. "Of this regiment I can safely say that it is the best I have ever seen in the National Guard of this or any other State. Colonel Bowman devotes more time by far than is usual, and certainly has his reward in the remarkably fine con- dition of the organization as a whole. The zeal and efficiency both of officers and men is marked. The discipline is exceptional."
On Saturday afternoon, May 14, 1901, the regiment par- ticipated with the First Brigade in a street parade, concluding with a review by Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker. General Schall was in command of the brigade and Colonel Bowman of the regiment.
" Never did the First Infantry." so reads a newspaper com- ment on the occasion, " appear to better advantage than when yesterday in celebration of the forty-third anniversary of its organization it marched before the critical eve of Lieut .- Gen. Adna R. Chaffee. Chief of Staff of the United States Army."
The regiment in commemoration of its forty-third anniversary made its usual street parade on the afternoon of Tuesday, April
535
1001
VETERAN CORPS DINNER
19, 1904, in full dress uniform, with helinets, white belts, and white gloves, Col. Wendell P. Bowman in command of the regi- ment and Majors Albert Williams, Win. S. Allen, and Eugene J. Kensil of the three battalions. The Veteran Corps, out in full strength under command of Col. Theodore E. Wiedersheim, led the column. The significant feature of the occasion was the review at the Union League by Lieutenant-General Chaffee, an - officer of most pronounced distinction, who had risen from the ranks of the Sixth United States Cavalry to be the Lieutenant- General of the Army. General Chaffee was accompanied by his personal aide-de-camp, Captain Grote Hutchinson, of the Sixth Cavalry. A number of prominent officers of the Pennsylvania National Guard supplied the balance of his staff. Brigadier- Generals John W. Sehall and Thomas J. Stewart, Col. C. Bow Dougherty, Ninth Regiment, National Guard of Pennsylvania, Col. William G. Price, Jr., and Captain Charles J. Hendler, Third Regiment, National Guard of Pennsylvania, Lieut .- Col. John P. Penny and Maj. Lewis E. Beitler of the Division Staff. The review was followed by the ceremony of evening parade. The march over the usual route was quite an ovation and the regi- ment returned to its quarters inspirited by its enthusiastic re- ception.
Men of prominence, military and civil reputation, graced the board at the Veteran Corps' annual dinner at the Union League in the evening. but the chief guest was Lieut .- Gen. Adna R. Chaffee, who had, weeks before so selected, promised to be in attendance. In his remarks a phrase that specially caught the ear of the observing listener is readily recalled when again re- ferred to. " In 1898," he said, " we had the finest army in the world, small as it was. To-day we are trying to make our en- larged army just as good as was that small army of those days." In concluding, he complimented the officers and men of the regi- ment on the showing made in the parade and ceremony of the afternoon.
Onee more, at the request of the Joint Committee of Select and Common Councils. the regiment participated with the military and municipal authorities on the afternoon of Friday, June 3. 1904, in the escort of the Liberty Bell from Independence Hall to the West Philadelphia station of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
536
HISTORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT, N. G. P.
1904
on its way to the St. Louis Exposition, likewise the regiment also participated as the escort furnished for the reception of the Bell upon its return from this Exposition on Saturday, Novem- ber 19, 1904.
General Headquarters on March 30 announced the annual encampment for 1901, by division, at Gettysburg, from July 23 to July 30, inclusive. Subsequently in the General Order of the division commander, prescribing details, instructions, and routine for its government and regulation, it was directed that the encamp- ment should be known as " Camp Colonel M. S. Quay."
The encampment of the same size, close to 700 acres, was located on the same ground as that used in 1902 with additions secured for parade and drill purposes. Water was furnished from the mains which supplied the town of Gettysburg, received from a reservoir, it in turn being fed from springs. The general health of the troops was better than ever before. The disposal of refuse and garbage by incineration proved successful. The only Regular troops in camp were Troop F. of the Fifteenth Cavalry.
The camping party of the First Regiment, in charge of Cap- tain John H. Maurer, Company C, left the Reading Terminal at 8.45 P.M. on Thursday, July 21, and arrived at Gettysburg at 8.45 on the morning of the 22d. The regiment, Colonel Bowman in command, followed from Broad and Callowhill Streets over the Reading at 10 o'clock on the evening of Friday, July 22. reached its Gettysburg destination at 10 o'clock on the morning of Saturday, July 23, and detrained with a recorded " unloading time," as scheduled by the division quartermaster, of two and a quarter minutes. No other regiment, although all were speedy about it, is reported to have detrained in a time quite so short. The departure of the regiment at the breaking of the camp was equally prompt and its entraining time almost as brief. Scheduled to leave at 11 r.sr. on the 30th, its train left on time, the " loading time " of the command being set down as " three minutes."
Of the entraining Colonel Reagan, of the Ninth United States Infantry, the Regular Army inspecting officer, in his official re- port makes this favorable comment :
I did not reach camp in time to witness the detraining of the organiza- tions arriving during the night of the 22nd or early on the morning of the 23rd of July. The entraining of all the regiments was done in an excellent
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CAMP RATINGS
537
manner, orderly and very rapidly, several of them being under four minutes and none over five minutes.
The ears were allotted to companies in advance, and one or two regiment - reached theirs by " On right into line" or "Right front into line"-of com- panies in column of fours. The whole affair was quite a surprise to me and I have never seen troops entrained better.
Wednesday, July 27. was set apart for the annual inspection, conducted in all respects as heretofore, the muster, the inspection, the drills, evolutions, and a review. The result of the inspection restored the regiment once more to its place in the lead, back again to number one with the decidedly ereditable general aver- age of 95.80. The regimental general average for personal ap- pearance, 97.15, associated fittingly with the ratings attained under the head of knowledge of duties as follows: Evolutions of the regiment, 96: extended order, 96; guard duty, 90; cere- monies, 99; advance and rear guard, outpost, etc., 93; discipline, 97; condition of clothing. 96; books and papers, 98.07. Com- pany K has a " special mention " in the tabulated schedule, and as there were but four companies throughout the entire Guard that secured such recognition, the faet has a paragraph of its own in the annual report of the inspector-general. as follows:
The inspector-general feels called upon to make special mention of the very superior rating, in personal apearance, of the following companies:
Company MI, Second Regiment, First Brigade.
Company C, Fourth Regiment, Third Brigade.
Company K, Fourth Regiment, Third Brigade.
Company K. First Regiment, First Brigade.
The Eighth Regiment was second on the list with a general average of 95.31. the Tenth third with 94.73, and the Ninth fourth with 93.76. Of the fourteen regiments twelve were above 90, and of the two in the SO's their general averages were re- spectively 89.36 and 85.55.
There were no distinctive features that took this encamp- ment out of the usual descriptive line heretofore pursued. The general trend of the official reports clearly indicates that it was one of character, important and resultful. What is there said of all the regiments in common cannot help not only to have its reflective bearing on the First, but be also of decided interest to every Pennsylvania guardsman, past and present.
Speaking of the division encampment, General Stewart in his
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HISTORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT, N. G. P.
1901
adjutant-general's report of 1904 said: " The encampment was the most successful in every respect ever held by the National Guard of Pennsylvania. The conduet of the troops was excellent and the improvement in discipline over previous years very marked."
And then, referring to the report of Col. James Reagan, com- manding, Ninth Infantry, United States Army, detailed by the War Department for duty at the encampment, as " calling atten- tion to some shortcomings and not agrecing that some of the methods in vogue were the best, yet found much to commend," he quotes in full Colonel Reagan's closing paragraph, as follows :
The National Guard of Pennsylvania is a fine, earnest body of citizen soldiers and one of which not only the State, but the nation. should be proud. The major-general commanding, the Governor, the adjutant-general and the inspector-general of the State evinced the greatest interest in everything pertaining to the Guard. If the nation could call out this division just as it is to-day, it would give an excellent account of itself, as it has in several serious affairs in recent years. Every time I saw the division formed or form- ing, it was a marvel to me how so many citizens could be brought together from multitudinous callings and from every town and eity in the State and manœuvred with such precision and order. Every credit is due the citizens of the Guard for the sacrifices they make and the good work they have done and are doing.
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