The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 24, 1898, Page 1

Call —————— VOLUME ILX SAN FRANCISCO, TUESDAY, MAY 24, 1898. ELLOW as a matin bell, vet | sweet as an Alpine horn, the | voice of a silver-throated bu- gle at dawn awoke the sleep- ing soldiers of the Presidio ye: terday morning. The clear and pene-| trating notes of the reveille announced that it was time to shake sleep from soldiers’ evelids and prepare for the | voyage to Manila. i And so the patriotic bugler, standing | erect and looking toward the purpling | east at break of day, wafted to the ears of the dreaming soldiers of the First Regiment of California volun- teers the message that called them to go forth and figat for the flag of their native land. the buple winds. The day Is ng. The soldiers stir and pre- pare to march from the tented field, to | go forth from the quiet, woody places of the picturesque Presidio to fight for the principles of honor and justice an- nounced by the American Government. So, too, the city stirs, for the cause of | her soldier boys is her cause, the bat- tles of the count-y are hers. There is a muffled sound feet. Flags that drooped listlessly the livelong night along their halyards, now undulate proudly in the morning breeze. A pur- t, giving promise of a perfect hangs o'er sea and land, bathing spires and domes in & flood of golden of embarkation day, the climax of v days of waliting. Inspiring ns of music echo through the | . while colors dip and rise as sol- s pass.: The city is a rose-wilder- | color, the benign sky with blue | s brooding over all. sco gave the departing pa- | riots from her ctvilian ranks a heart- t and eloquent farewell that can ver be forgotten. From the moment hat her sons in blue marched from the parade grounds to the glorious music | of old war tunes until they reached the | monster ship that is to carry them to | the support of the immortal Dewey they were greeted with re-echoing cheers from thousands of loyal men, women and children. And as they marched proudly al colors waved from the tops of | y domes and towers, and the scene mpled majesty and | gnificence. Mingled with the cheers | of the multitude were the triumphant notes of bands, while here and there, in rs of sorrow trick- the furrowed cheeks of age. ind grandmothers bade fare- ) their darlings, conscious that and support of many a fam- | probably make his bed with ! dead who have battled for n since first the light of wned. re the day began homes houses w deserted. stood for hours waving flags d cheering as the soldiers passed. There were flags in the hands of prat- tling babes who understood only the meaning of bright colors, and flags in hands of veterans of historic fields, while women the gates of cottages and at the windows of did man- sions cheered and cried as they remem- bered the gloomy da; when dear ones | fell where storms of leaden hail mowed down heroes of the long ago. The escort of signal corps preceded | the First Infantry. The columns pre- | sented a picturesque sight as they | formed in marching order. The good- bys had been saild to mothers, sisters, sweethearts and wives, comrades of the camp ground and ling Suddenly the ecivilian sol in quickstep to their places, heedless everything save the commands of offi- cers. The music of the bands “vas tenderly sweet, throbbing with patriotic im- pulses and memories of the battles of the heroic past. From the Presidio to the dock the scene was one never to be forgotten, either by the soldiers who | went forth to offer up their lives for the flag they loved, or by the countless throng that cheered them as they passed. The march down Van XNess avenue was like the historic procession of Ro- man legions going forth among strange | peoples, carrying the banners of Caesar | to lands of warring barbarians. From Lombard street down to the turn on| Golden Gate avenue the march was a continuous line of cheering and pa- thetic far ls. Jaded with their heavy burdens some of the soldiers falteregd on the way and all were weary | at the journey’s end. ! On Market street the crowd was such | as the city has seldom seen. Along the entire line of gleaming steel and pa- | triotic blue th re heartfelt cheers and sorrowful farewells. And when the Peking steamed into thestream with | her cargo of human freight there was a volume of cheers from thousands of | throats, while flags and handkerchiefs | waved good-bys until the last glimpse | of the faces of the soldiers was taken | by their lonely friends along the shore. | LEIGH H. IRVINE. | T FOLDED THEIR TENTS IN THE EARLY DAWN The Flirst California Volunteers Break Camp and Start to Dewey’s Aid. They have gone. W sounding through the camp awoke the ugh the city’s crowded streets the | men, from what may be for years their the regiment was announced by the blasts from many whistles, while the | crowd that lined the sides of the streets cheered and cheered, until ! last sleep upon the Presidio reservaA‘ tion, and, indeed, many were awakened from their last slumber on American soil, for in the decrees of fate it cannot be that of the brave band that marched away yesterday all will return. Hard- ly had the notes of the trumpet died upon the early morning air before the camp took on an aspect of life and an- | imation. Around headquarters the of- | ficers were busy getting their personal | packed, while in the company | streets the soldiers were engaged in getting their haversacks packed, their blankets rolled up and their canteens filled with water. This was the work of but a few moments and then the| loading of the camp equipage on large | drays was begun and completed in a twinkling. At 5:30 the call for breakfast was sounded and the men and officers alike fell to with a hearty zest. Despite the attempted gayety of all, there was a | general depression that made itself felt from the colonel down, and the meal was not a jolly one. There was no disguising the fact that all seemed to realize the great and impending grav- ity of the task that they had under- taken, but there was no lagging, no desire to turn back; only the men man- | ifested, as all brave men do, who un- | dertake to defend their flag, the ap-| preciation of the uncertainty of fate. 3y 6 o'clock a large crowd had gath- ered to e the regiment start, and when 6 o’clock the general call fr)rl striking camp sounded and the white | tents fell, the crowd cheered, while from the camps of the Seventh ana Sixth regiments came back a counter wave of honest lung power that at- tested the good will and wishes of the less fortunate soldiers, who live in the daily hope that their summons to the front may come without delay. Com- pany E won the $5 prize for being the first company to fold up their tents. It was exactly 10 minutes after 7 when Colonel Smith gave the order to his majors to form their battalions, and a few minutes later he emerged from his tent and handed to the color sergeant of Company B the stand A)I‘ colors that were presented to the regi- ment by the Chamber of Commerce. This was the signal for the regiment[ to begin its march, and the First, un-| der M r Boxton, filed from the camp for regimental formation. Then fol- lowed the Second, under Major Sime, | while Major Tilden closed in upon the jeft with the Third. As soon as the | formation had been completed, Colonel Smith gave the order to march, and the scldiers, with measured tread and steady swing, passed out of the gate of the Presidio, at exactly 20 minutes to 8. The crowd cheered, hats were thrown in the air and the women | waved their handkerchiefs and small | flags, while as a last word of parting | and a token of comradeship, there effec | same from the soldiers that were left | benind three rousing cheers that made | the welkin ring. ! Along Lombard street the coming of the vast Amid the tears, cheers and prayers|wave of human voices, like a sea of of their mothers, fathers, wives and sweethearts, the soldiers of | of the tramping column. sisters, | mighty sound, rolled along in advance | for a parting word, while more than Several halts | San Francisco have marched away to| were made to rest the men, who were meet the enemy upon the field of honor. It was 4 o'clock yesterday .morning when the first notes of the Revellle in heavy marching order. stop some one would rush from the | crowd to clasp the hand of a soldier At every street and Van Ness avenue were one Spillane and Lieutenant Anderson and | Sergeants Donovan, Shay, Coogan, Harper and Baldwin. It was nearly 8 o'clock when the Cali- fornia volunteers, 1300 strong, turned from Lombard street into Van Ness avenue, with Colonel Smith and his column. Occasionally Colonel Smith turned in his saddle to view the regi- ment and it was evident to every ob- server that he felt proud of his com- was lined with people, who were astir to witness a military event long | staff riding at the head of the long | to be remembered in the annals of San Francisco and California. The side- walks, the porches, the windows and | the house tops were crowded with spec- 1 tators and there was continuous cheer- Stationed at the cornmer of Lombard | which upon entering Van Ness avenue | Ensign T. S. Harlow, under orders.from struck up the favorite tune hundred picked policemen to act as| North, “Yankee Doodle,” and l’ollowedithe First Regiment to escort to the vanguard. The policemen | it with “Dixie,” the pet of the South, | of embarkation. were divided into eight platoons, whose | thus indicating a union of hearts and | Corps, consisting of twenty-flve mount-~ movements were directed by Captain | hands in one common cause. i of the| Chief of Police Lees now swung his | By this time the broad thoroughfare | early 1‘ ‘Lmnnd. and well he might, composed as one mother, with tears streaming from | it is of the best youth and young man- her eyes, seized the opportunity to |hood of the Golden State. Theivolun- kiss her son good-by. Many citizens | teers marched with a soldlerly tread. kept on foot with the troops along the | The men kept step to the soul-stirring | line of march. music of the fife and drum corps, ing, waving of flags and banners and handkerchiefs and the throwing and PRICE FIVE CENTS. to escort ‘he place Next was the Signal Major General Dickinson, ed men, with Lieutenant Hughes in command; and then came a troop of men into line at the head of the column, | twenty-five National Guard cavalry- | which proceeded slowly along the ave- | men under Captain Burnett. These two | nue. mounted bodies formed a squadron, in command of Captain Perkins of the National Guard. The naval militia- men and the cavalry opened ranks and allowed the regiment to pass through, the signal corps afterward going to the front. Between Clay and Washington streets the regiment was reviewed by the Governor’s staff, consisting of Gen- eral Barrett, Major General Dickinson and staff, Brigadier General Warfield and staff, Captain Turner, Lieutenant ‘W. F. Burke and Lieutenant Comman- der Nerny and Surgeon F. W. Harris of the naval militia. All these reviewing officers, occupying carriages, brought up the rear of the column, taking a front position later on. As the volunteers swung into Golden Gate avenue the crowd became denser and more demonstrative. Market street was reached at about 9:30, and that thoroughfare was found packed with a mass of eager and patri- otic humanity. It was with considera- ble difficulty that the procession forced a passage way. Vehicles of all descrip- tions, loaded with men, women and children, here and there almost entirely blocked the street. Even the tops |of the street cars, which had been stopped, were crowded with men and boys. Telegraph and tele- phone poles were alive with boys, and not a place where it was possible to ob- tain a view was vacant. Never has there been in the history of San Fran- cisco such an outpouring of people, nor has there ever been more enthusiasm and patriotism shown. There was an immense jam in the vi- cinity of The Call building, where the regiments turned down Third street, and on toward the steamer. Although the column had been narrowed to fours it was obliged to push and squeeze | through the surging mass. | Amid all the demonstrations of en- | thusiasm and apparent rejoicings— more characteristic of a gah day than of the initial steps of an earnest snd| dangerous mission—there were many touching and pathetic scenes, indica- | tive of a strong undercurrent of tender | feeling from depressed hearts. There | was no lack of woman’s tears—the tears of mother, wife, daughter, sister and | sweetheart. Before the dock was | reached there was a host in that vast | jostling crowd who realized that per- haps the last fond embrace, the last sweet kiss, the final parting had come. Here and there a devoted woman had pressed herself into the ranks to walk along with the man she loved, holding him by his hand and saying the fare- well words, every now and then wiping away the tears from her bedimmed eyes. There were scenes of family sep- arations that brought the heart of every man into his throat. Denser and more congested even than the gathering at Third and Market streets was the crowd at the foot of Bryant street, the point_of embarka- | tion. In reaching the gate of the Pa- cific Mail Steamship Company’s dock the soldiers had to force their way through a very narrow path, first form- ing two abreast and finally going in single file. As each company marched | by it was greeted with rousing cheers | and inspiriting music. Finally, at about | 11 o’clock, they had all passed into the | dock and were soon on board the steamer City of Peking, thus closing the first act in the realistic drama of war, in which they are now engaged. osct g ON THE TRANSPORT READY FOR SEA Last Farewells Spoken as the Men Marched Up the Gang Plank. | He was a handsome little fellow of perhaps four years, perched high on a | pile of baggage on the gloomy old Mail - dock, and eagerly he scanned the faces | lined up along the rail of the big troop ship, quite oblivious of his mamma and sister who stood by his side, or the clat- ter and hubbub on the dock behind him. “Papa, papa, oh, papa,” piped his shrill little treble, as the one he sought | presentation of bouquets. Between Pacific and Jackson streets was stationed the naval militla, com- of seventy-five men. in charge of appeared in an officer’s uniform. The soldier did not hear, and again the | childish voice was raised. This time it reached the ears it was intended for and the man scanned the throngs ums til hig eye fell on the little group. “Papa, come down here. I jus’ wam! to say good-by again.” “Papa can't come,” answered the bearded officer, followed by a sharp command to one of his men standing close by, sharper than the occasion called for, or the officer usually speaks to his subordinates. There was a set, stern expression on his face, far dif< ferent from his ordinarily kindly gaze while his eyes were turned resolutely from the child who begged for one more good-by. “Please, papa, come down here jus’ a little minute; only long enough for me to kiss you once. Won't you comse, papa?” “Hush, darling; papa is busy and can’t come to us now.” The mother's hand nervously patted the little form, while papa gave one wistful glance at the trio on the dock, then turned sharp< ly on his heel and vanished. “Less go home, mamma; papa ain'{ going to say good-by to us again.” Tha great blue eyes were blinking furious= ly, but the tears would not be held en= tirely in check, and the tiny frame quivered as the leaden-hearted mothen helped him down from his perch, bug the sobs were choked down. “Oh, dear, it does seem hard not to kiss papa again, doesn't it, mamma?" This time the girl spoke and as she did her eyes wandered lovingly to the spot where last the soldier stood. There was no answer—none was nes cessary—and those of the little family who were left behind pushed through the crowd and disappeared. The bands had hushed their martial strains, the cheering muititudes wera left far behind and instead of the blare and the bustle and the roar, there was naught but the immense cavernous shed and the seemingly endless line of blue- bloused men marching over the side of the ship and vanishing into her greaw hold. Buoyed by the acclaims of the patriots who were left behind, the troops bore themselves proudly, as do all men who march beneath the stars and stripes, but now that it was alt over, the tension was relaxed, fatigue weighted their footsteps and they longed for the seclusion of their cramp« ed and comfortless quarters on the. ship. And while they waited on the deck— it was hours before the last of them dragged himself up the gangplank— their greatest trial was undergone, tha final words of parting to those they held most dear, were spoken. Along the streets they had received the cheers of acquaintances and friends. Now mothers, wives, sisters and even dearer ones crowded upon them, not with flushed and excited faces, but with heavy eyes and trembling voices that broke to the faintest whisper at the last. It was 9:30 o'clock when the regi< ment marched onto the dock; it was nearly four hours later when the guards at the entrance were withdrawn and joined their comrades. It was the intention to keep the wharf absolutely clear of people, but long before the sol- diers arrived relatives and friends stormed the entrance so persistently that the guard, the police and the gatekeepers had not the heart to hold them longer at bay and so the whole length of the dock was quickly filled. The band was still playing when the regiment marched down, but as famil- iar voices called the mus false notes marred the melody a ally the drums alene tapped the cae dence. When the men halted with the first company almost at the foot of the gangplank onlookers and soldiers cast aside all care for discipline and aligne ment and all that, thinking only of those about to invade a hostile coun= try and those who remained at home. Partly hidden behind a pile of flour, & sweet-faced girl clung to a strapping corporal, with one breath begging him not to go, and with the next whispering to him how proud she was of her sol- dler husband. Down the line a short distance & stately, snowy-haired woman folded her dust-covered and begrimed boy to her breast and crooned the mother talle just as she did when first she held him in her arms. Close beside her stood another moth- er, whose son marched with the other. Her dress was in violent contrast to that of her neighbor, and her form vas bent with age and sorrow, but her wrinkled face glowed with the holy mother-love. She essayed to speak words of endearment, but her voice ailed, and burying her face in the army blue she gave way to her grief. But not for long. With a great effors he regained her composure, and noting the distress on the young giant’s face, sought to cheer him. The men began to march on board, dear ones clinging to them as they passed down the narrow lane, only loosing their grasp when the sentry at the gang plank forcibly prevented them from continuing onto the deck of the ship. If the last farewell that greeted the women was harshly spoken they did not mind, for the loved ones were soldiers and could not be expected ta show any emotion before so many. Now and then a knot of soldiers— young dare-devils with a fine contempt for all things bordering on the senti- mental, burst into song, but somehow even their voices failed to have the ring they did the day before in camp. Company K neared the gang plank and halted. A -fashionably dressed young fellow called out to a squad of the soldiers: ‘“Good-by, fellows; don’t forget the gang at Palo Alto.” The “fellows” replied with the short, sharp bark that has rung out so often on the gridiron when the crimson of Stanford scored @& touchdown, and everybody