THE THIRD BATTALION AT FORTWARREN
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Thelast of the three regimental subdivisions—the Third Battalion, under Major Frye—meanwhile quietly had been going on with its artillery work at Fort Warren. Other than the ordering of Major Morris, Seventh Artillery, from Winthrop to Fort Schuyler, N.Y., on May 27th, leaving Captain Richmond the ranking officer at the mortar battery, there had been no changes in the garrisons of the sub-posts about the harbor. The departure of Colonel Pfaff and Lieutenant-Colonel Woodman, with their commands, had rendered necessary a reassignment of battery duties at Fort Warren, and Colonel Woodruff issued orders accordingly on June 13th. Of the regular batteries, "C" (Schenck's), Second Artillery, took charge of the 10-inch rifle and 4-inch rapid-fire guns—at that time in process of being mounted—in Bastion B, while "G" (Brown's), Seventh Artillery, had its station at the 10-inch riflesof the ravelin battery. Surplus men from these two batteries, as the daily recruiting swelled their ranks, were told off for manning various groups of the older type guns in the fort. Of the volunteer batteries, "M" (Braley's) was assigned to the field and machine gun sections for the protection of the channel mine-lines, Nantasket Roads mine-field, and the cable chute through which the entire system was controlled; "I" (Williamson's) went to the 15-inch Rodman guns in Bastion A; "F" (Danforth's) drew the battery of 10-inch Rodmans on the channel face of the fort; while to "E" (Gibbs') fell the barbette and casemate batteries of 8-inch rifles at the southeastern angle. These assignments were made for a very definite purpose, and they remained in effect until after the destruction of the Spanish fleet at Santiago, when, to break the monotony of gun-drill on one type of gun, the volunteer batteries interchanged at their stations.
MAJOR JAMES A. FRYE, U.S.V.Commanding Third Battalion.
MAJOR JAMES A. FRYE, U.S.V.Commanding Third Battalion.
MAJOR JAMES A. FRYE, U.S.V.Commanding Third Battalion.
Since this battalion was a complete tactical unit, under command of its own field officer, it did not lose its identity on becoming a part of the garrison at the fort. Both its officers and men, sharing tours with the regulars, were carried on the rosters of the post for guard and fatigue duty; but for purposes of discipline and administration the battalion organization remained intact. The acting battalion staff was composed of Lieutenant D. Fuller, adjutant; Lieutenant Phillips, quartermaster; Lieutenant Horton, signal officer; Lieutenant Wing, commissary; and, until relieved on June 23rd, Lieutenant Rolfe, assistant surgeon. The officers of the volunteers also were called upon for the performance of many duties under post details: Major Frye served as president of the post council of administration, as presiding officer at garrison courts martial, and later as trial officer of the summary court; Lieutenant D. Fuller was appointed post treasurer and librarian; Lieutenant Totten was detailed as post adjutant and recruiting officer, as well as mustering officer for the regiment at large, the latter detail requiring many visits to the scattered stations of the command; for much of the time the signal system of the works was under the supervision of Lieutenant Horton, owing to the absence on detached service of LieutenantCatlin, the regular signal officer; Captains Braley and Williamson, with Lieutenants D. Fuller, Phillips, Wing, Harrison, Nilsson, and Totten also served as members of general courts martial.
As at the other posts of the regiment, the earlier days of the detached tour at this station found much work requiring immediate attention: range charts for each gun-group were plotted; guns, carriages, and equipments were overhauled and made ready for action; ammunition was prepared and stored at hand in the service magazines. Department orders called for three hours' gun-drill daily, and in addition to this—in order that the command might be ready for any kind of service required by later developments—an hour more was devoted to battalion drill as infantry. Evening parade was held daily by the volunteers, though the regular batteries at the post omitted this ceremony. Aside from its record of steady and faithful work there were but few events during the summer which concerned this portion of the regiment. On August 16th it was presented a battalion color by its friends in Boston, which it carried solong as on its detached service. Beginning on August 20th, there was test firing of all the recently mounted guns—12-inch mortars, 10-inch rifles, and 4.7- and 4-inch rapid-fire guns—under the supervision of Major Crozier, A.I.G., who visited all the posts in the harbor on this duty. It may here be noted, as a curious matter of record, that poverty in ammunition had forbidden the expenditure of even a single round from these modern guns until after the suspension of hostilities. On September 2nd, the men of the garrison lined the parapets and cheered lustily when the squadron of nine warships, led by the grimMassachusetts, steamed into the harbor for the naval parade. On the following day the Third Battalion paraded in Boston as escort to Captain Higginson, and the officers, seamen, and marines of the vessels under his command—theMassachusetts,Machias,Detroit,Castine,Wilmington,Helena,Marietta,Topeka, andBancroft. Orders for change of station now arrived. On the 17th of September the battalion tendered a final review to Colonel Woodruff, and on the 19th marched out from the fort, taking transport on theCityof Philadelphiafor Boston, and thence proceeding by rail to rejoin the regiment in camp at Framingham. Officers and men alike left the post with feelings of sincere regret, since their relations with the regulars of the garrison had been most pleasant. On relieving the battalion from duty under his orders, Colonel Woodruff took occasion officially to compliment it on its uniform state of efficiency and discipline.