Twelve Months with the Eighth Massachusetts Infantry in the Service of the United States

Long wash stands were constructed with an overflow trough into the kitchen sinks. A pipe ran the length of these stands, with frequent faucets and iron wash basins. Each company was supplied with a bathing tent in which a shower bath was constructed, where the men could bathe every day if they so desired, and were required to bathe twice a week. Tent floors were provided, and lumber for bunks and clothing racks. A system of drainage was installed, and each company street ditched and crowned to the center.

Battalion water plants were constructed, where all the water supplied to the regiment for drinking purposes was boiled, filtered and iced.

The means for caring for the sick were excellent. In addition to a regimental hospital, used as a dispensary, but supplied with quarters sufficient to care for a number of men, there was a brigade hospital located in a dwelling house, and adjacent to this were erected a number of hospital tents with double boarded floors, and with sides also boarded, so that patients were as comfortable in the mild climate of Georgia as if they had been in the best managed institution of the kind in Boston. The Brigade Hospital was in charge of Major William Cogswell.

A building was erected for a post exchange, which was successfully operated by a council of officers consisting of Captains Alexander G. Perkins of Company A, William C. Dow of Company F, and Edward J. Horton of Company G. All necessaries that were needed by the men were offered for sale here at reasonable rates, and its restaurant became famous for egg sandwiches and oyster stews. All these paraphernalia of comfort and health were daily inspected by company commanders, battalion commanders, regimental commander, and the brigade commander.

Just before Thanksgiving, Colonel Arnold A. Rand of Boston, visited the camp and reported its condition to Governor Wolcott. He said:—

"I think you would be glad to know that the regiment is in most excellent condition; the officers cheery, trim, and a credit to the State. I did not see the regiment on parade, but which was very much better, I saw quite thoroughly the quarters, and examined everything as to the sanitary condition, from the sinks to the corral. I also saw the men at mess, and the quality of the rations. The whole regiment seemed in excellent condition, and is such a credit to the state that it is a very great pleasure to make such a report to you."

The men were allowed much liberty between drills, and passes were issued to visit the city during the day. Many side trips were made to Andersonville to visit the site of the celebrated prison where many Federal soldiers were confined during the Civil War. Order was preserved in Americus by a provost guard, under command of Lieutenant George H. Dow of Company A. This guard arrested all soldiers found in the city without proper passes, and returned them to the guard houses of their respective regiments for trial for absence without leave.

The camp at Americus was at first named in honor of Major Forse. The name was subsequently changed to Camp Gilman, as another camp had earlier received the name of Camp Forse.

During the first few days at Americus, the Eighth was greeted with many showers. The weather, however, was so mild that the men did not wear overcoats except as a protection against the rain. During the entire stay of the Eighth, wildflowers and roses were in full bloom.

On one side of the camp an extensive cotton field waved acres of bolls, breaking into white flowering balls, which at a distance looked like a sea of white roses. It is said that the low prices of cotton did not warrant picking this field, and it was left intact and beautified the approach to camp.

At no great distance were fields of sugar cane fit for harvesting, where the men were often welcomed and treated to a supply of chewing cane for the company. A solitary peanut farm was discovered by some of the soldiers in their peregrinations, and its product brought to camp.

The Georgia pines attracted much attention. Many of these trees were transplanted and grouped about the camp for landscape effect. Every line officer had one at his front door.

All the officers constructed wooden porches in front of their tents. The porch had two faces, in one of which was a door, and in the other a glass window. The interior space between the two faces was utilized for a Sibley stove, and the pipe was carried through the wooden roof of the porch. All these porches were whitewashed. A line of officers' tents looked like a row of diminutive cottages, and in the morning when every funnel was smoking, suggested the busy preparation of breakfast in many little homes.

The officers of the regiment, however, messed together in a commodious building, which was divided into a dining hall and kitchen. The dining hall was also used as a regimental school room, and as a place for social meeting in the evening.

On one occasion a birthday dinner was given in this hall at which a historic cake figured. A lady sent this cake with an appropriate number of candles to one of the officers, and by way of a joke, wrote a letter to the Secretary of War, pretending to be the officer's sister, and asked to have the regiment held at Americus until her brother got his cake. This letter was preserved by Secretary Alger as a bonafide communication, and was later commented upon in his history of the War with Spain as follows:—

"Of all the requests however received, perhaps the most unique was that which came from a young lady in Boston. Her note paper, hand writing, and rhetoric vouched at least for the culture of the writer. Her request was simple and plainly worded. With much unfeigned earnestness she stated her case. The press despatches had announced that the volunteer regiment of which her brother was a member, was to leave for Cuba at a fixed date, but the brother's birthday came two days before the date assigned for his embarkation. A birthday box of cake, jellies, pies, etc., she said, had been forwarded to him, and would not be received if the regiment left on the date announced. She naively asked that the regiment be detained until the sweetmeats arrived, as she was sure it would make no difference to the Government, whereas, it would be such a disappointment to her brother."

During the first few weeks at Americus, the camp was overrun with colored people. They came from far and near to see the soldiers. Many of them carried covered baskets, and it was not long before a well-founded suspicion grew, that many of these baskets came into camp empty, and went out filled with plunder. The Eighth soon had a little race problem of its own to solve. In each company a squad of strong men assumed the duty of elevating the colored race.

The process of elevation consisted in capturing every colored man with a covered basket, and tossing him on a blanket into the air, until the arms of the soldiers got tired, and they could keep it up no longer. The sight of a negro with a basket was the signal for a rush in his direction with a blanket, and he was soon traveling skyward, in spite of every objection on his part to such treatment. For a few days, every such colored visitor was received in the open arms of a regulation blanket.

As objectionable visitors became scarce, and covered baskets disappeared, this moral propaganda ceased, and as far as the Eighth was concerned, the race problem was solved.

Major Edward H. Eldredge was detailed by General Waites to select a rifle range for the entire brigade. He selected one about half a mile from the camp, where targets were installed under his direction at 200 and 500 yards. It was reported that the regiment was to be armed with the Krag-Jorgensen rifles before the command was sent to Cuba, and it was the intention to have the soldiers spend a portion of each day at the range.

On November 20th, General Sanger arrived to relieve General Waites of the command of the Second Brigade. Under General Sanger, active preparations were at once begun for Cuba. Medical inspections were instituted to weed out officers and men unfit for foreign service. The regiment received a consignment of Krag-Jorgensen rifles, and its supplies generally were overhauled and replenished. General Sanger made a thorough inspection of the regiment by battalions. This inspection lasted three days. Permission was obtained from the Adjutant-General of the Army to recruit the regiment to full strength, by transferring men from regiments in Massachusetts not yet mustered out. A number of men who served in Porto Rico with the Sixth Massachusetts, and were at home waiting muster out, were transferred to the Eighth under this permission, and joined the regiment in December and January.

On December 9th, General Wilson, the Corps Commander, and General Ludlow, the Division Commander, visited Americus to inspect the brigade. Owing to a severe storm, the review of the troops was omitted; but the camp was thoroughly inspected by the Generals.

At the hospital of the Eighth, General Wilson said to the officer in charge:—"Surgeon, this is a model hospital, because it has no patients." The health of the regiment had steadily improved since the end of the first month at Lexington, and on the morning of this inspection there were just 1000 men present for duty with the colors. On December 27th, for the first time in seven months, there was not a single soldier of the Eighth in either the Regimental, Brigade, or Division Hospital.

On December 12th the mess-house of Company L burned. A kettle of fat boiled into the fire, and the flames quickly caught the roof of the kitchen and spread, exploding a can of kerosene. The building was soon wrapped in a sheet of flames. The regiment turned out and saved the adjoining buildings, but the mess house, with all the company supplies, was a total loss. The men of L were assigned to other companies for rations, until a new dining hall and kitchen were constructed.

About this time, Company L met with another loss, in the death of its mascot. The company had appropriated a young razor-back at Chickamauga, which, becoming attached to the company, followed it from camp to camp. He lived in the company street and was as familiar with the men as a well-trained dog. By Thanksgiving, the pig had grown to such proportions that he was ordered by higher authority, turned over to a butcher and served to the company as rations.

Company F had a lady goat as a mascot. She went through the service with the company, and was finally mustered out in Haverhill, where her descendents are numerous. The goat would follow the drum corps anywhere as long as it was marching away from camp, but immediately the direction was taken towards camp, the goat became obdurate and had to be pulled home.

Just before Thanksgiving, the Colonel received the following telegram from Captain Augustus P. Gardner:—

"Should be glad to pay cost of best Thanksgiving dinner for your regiment. If you approve, wire answer."

The proper answer was promptly wired, and the regimental commissary was sent into market to purchase turkeys and all that goes to make up a best Thanksgiving dinner. A similar dinner was furnished to the regiment at Christmas time by Hon. George von L. Meyer. These feasts were much appreciated by the men and were enjoyed amidst much merry making.

About this time several changes occurred among the commissioned officers, Captain Frank B. Denning and Lieutenant Linville H. Wardwell of Company C leaving the service by resignation. Second Lieutenants F. A. DeSousa of Company E and David F. Jewell of Company F were promoted to first lieutenants. The former was assigned to Company I and the latter to Company K.

At the same time First Sergeant Loran J. Harvey of Company I, and Sergeant Alexander Robertson of Company E were commissioned as second lieutenants, after a competitive examination. The former was attached to Company E and the latter to Company F.

On December 22nd the weather bureau, predicting a great storm, sent a telegram of warning to all the military camps. The telegram to the Eighth stated that the thermometer would drop 30 degrees. Not knowing just what to do with this information, the Colonel directed it to be published at evening parade. At evening parade, the orders of the day were read by the Adjutant, and on this occasion the telegram was read as the last part of the daily order; then followed the usual phraseology,—"By order of Colonel Pew." The reading of this telegram at the end of an order, caused considerable amusement in camp, at the idea that Colonel Pew would order the thermometer to drop 30 degrees.

A flag pole was furnished the regiment and erected near the center of the camp. On December 28th a garrison flag was received and broken out from this pole with appropriate ceremonies. Thereafter, at reveille and retreat it was hoisted and lowered. The flag and pole were carried to and used in Cuba. On being mustered out, the flag was presented to the regiment, and is now preserved at regimental headquarters.

During this stay at Americus, Major Frank A. Graves and Captain Charles T. Hilliker of Company D were absent from the regiment most of the time on court martial duty at Columbus.

A common diversion in southern Georgia is cock fighting. Many mains were attended by members of the regiment. A number of officers were presented with railroad passes, and invited to go to Savannah to see a review of part of the Seventh Corps, previous to its embarkation for Havana. Permission was obtained for about 20 officers to make this trip. The train left Americus at midnight, but through some misunderstanding, the officers assembled at the hotel about 7 o'clock, and had an evening upon their hands.

One of the officers, thinking cock fighting was not tabooed by law, and having been told by a prominent citizen that a main could be arranged on short notice at any time, called up the citizen by telephone in the hotel lobby, and invited him to bring the cocks to the hotel and begin at once. He was promptly suppressed by the hotel proprietor, and the law explained to him. A quiet, gentlemanly main was tolerated, but not a public and bold defiance of the law.

A quiet, gentlemanly main was accordingly arranged for in a large upper room, occupied by the grand jury as sleeping apartments, while they were supposed to be engaged in an all-night session at the Court House. Various mysterious bundles were smuggled into these quarters by darkies, the windows were darkened, cocks were heeled, and fighting was soon in progress. After several fights had been pulled off, word came that the grand jury was about to leave the Court House, and retire for the night. There was a wild scramble to put the place in order, and a hurried exit of cocks and darkies. The officers brought up the rear of this retreat, and wished the grand jury a pleasant night's rest as they passed them in the hotel corridors.

About the middle of December, General Ludlow, who commanded the Division, was ordered to Havana as a military governor. His place was taken by General Sanger, and the command at Americus devolved upon Colonel Pew.

Conical tents were issued in sufficient quantity to equip half the command. This was the regiment's first experience with khaki canvas. Company commanders were loath to substitute them for the wall tents which they had been using. Accordingly each company was required to erect these tents on one side of the company street. After the first night, almost every company commander informed headquarters that he had no objections to having his whole command in conical tents. It did not take the men long to discover the advantages of khaki canvas, and that they could burn a light behind it after taps, with no fear of detection. Conical tents at once became popular in all the companies.

On December 23rd, the Twelfth New York received orders to proceed to Charleston and embark with General Sanger for Matanzas. Major Eldredge was detached from the regiment to accompany General Sanger as a member of his staff. The command of the Third Battalion was assumed by Captain William C. Dow, of Company F. The New York regiment left Americus the day after Christmas. Fifty-four men and one officer remained behind as unfit for foreign service, and were temporarily attached to the Eighth until they could be mustered out.

On December 30th, the Eighth received orders to prepare for Cuba. They reported 40 officers, 1112 men, 29 wagons, 119 mules, 26 horses, and 26 civilian employees, with all necessary supplies ready to move at once.

At this time, when the regiment was anxious to move, and congratulating itself on the absence of all sickness, measles broke out. The matter was kept quiet, and every company was inspected by the surgeons twice daily, to detect and isolate suspected cases. The surgeons thought the spread of the disease could be stopped if everything in camp was boiled.

The last day of the year was as mild and pleasant as a summer day in the North. Early in the morning, active preparations began for boiling. Everything that could hold and boil water, was called into service. Caldrons, pots, pans, and kettles, were soon steaming all over the camp. Visitors were excluded for the day, and by noon time the whole regiment had committed its belongings to boiling water.

A naked drum corps furnished music for a couple of hours, and the men danced about like a mob of naked savages. At a distance, passing natives gathered on the highway and wondered what it was all about. The colored people were willing to believe that the evil one was at the bottom of it all. After the regiment had boiled itself free from germs, the guard was relieved, and went through the same process.

Everything in the regiment which could stand boiling, was boiled, and everything which could not stand a soaking was otherwise disinfected. Measles were thoroughly stamped out, and at the end of a week when the regiment left for Cuba, but five men remained behind for this reason.

On January 4th a large delegation of citizens visited camp to say good-bye. After evening parade Colonel Lane, in behalf of the City of Americus, addressed the regiment. He spoke in laudatory terms concerning the conduct of the soldiers, and how the presence of Massachusetts troops in Georgia had created new bonds of sympathy between North and South.

Colonel Lane had requisitioned a wagon as a convenient platform from which to address the soldiers. Many citizens had come in carriages, and these carriages were wedged in about the orator, facing the regiment. At the conclusion of Colonel Lane's remarks, Drum Major Thomas, catching the enthusiasm of the moment, caused the drum corps to break into "Dixie" under the very noses of several hundred horses. Horses turned short in their shafts, and stampeded to the rear, the orator's platform slid from under him, and it was some time before the ceremonies of leave taking could be resumed with proper decorum.

The next evening the regiment returned the courtesy of this call by marching into town and holding an evening parade in the public square. On the return to camp, it found that Harry E. Stiles, its bandmaster in the Militia service, had reported for duty, to organize a band and accompany the regiment to Cuba.

More changes among the commissioned officers occurred during this month. Lieutenant Eugene Larrivee of Company L resigned. Chaplain George D. Sanders, who had resigned, was re-commissioned and rejoined the regiment. Lieutenant John M. Pettengill of Company B was promoted to captain and assigned to Company C. Second Lieutenants Frank Stinson of Company B and Frederic P. Smith of Company C were each made first lieutenants in their companies.

First Sergeant Edgar J. Whelpley of Company H, First Sergeant James W. Jackman of Company K, Sergeant Charles R. Warner of Company I and Sergeant William H. Clendennin of Company M were commissioned second lieutenants. Lieutenant Whelpley went to Company C, Lieutenant Jackman to Company B, Lieutenant Warner to Company G and Lieutenant Clendennin to Company L.

On January 6th the First Battalion under command of Lieutenant Colonel Stopford, entrained for Savannah, where it embarked on board the transport Obdam. It broke camp during a rain storm on the coldest day the regiment had experienced in Georgia.

As soon as the Twelfth New York left, Colonel Pew began to collect a supply of lumber for use in Cuba. The buildings which this regiment had occupied were pulled down, and every board washed with a solution of corrosive sublimate. Two cars were obtained and loaded to accompany the regiment.

On the evening of January 8th the Second and Third Battalions and Headquarters entrained for Savannah. The most of January 9th was spent in being shifted about in the freight yards at Savannah. A casual visitor to one of the sections told the officers that the ground in the yard where they were was so saturated with pine pitch, that a lighted match dropped would start a conflagration. One of the officers, thinking to call this bluff, made an experiment. The visitor had told the truth, and the regiment had a conflagration on its hands. The flames licked up the ground as if it had been saturated with kerosene. The soldiers were powerless to stop the fire with the means at their disposal. The railroad fire department appeared with chemical tanks, and soon had it under control, before any damage had been done, except blistering a few cars.

In Savannah the Colonel received a letter from Major Eldredge, telling him the character of the camp site the regiment was to occupy at Matanzas. The Major suggested the men would have to use iron tent pins and do some blasting to make their Cuban home comfortable. The Depot Quartermaster at Savannah was called upon and furnished a supply of drills, sledge hammers, powder and iron rods. The soldiers spent most of the night in the cars, while details were loading supplies onto the transport. At 3 o'clock on the morning of January 10th, the men began to embark, and at daylight the transport Michigan had cast off, and was slowly steaming down the river. At last the regiment was off for Cuba.