CHAPTER I.

CALL TO ARMS.

Early in the month of April, 1861, several of the Southern States having withdrawn from the Union, forts, arsenals and navy yards within the limits of those States were taken possession of by the Confederate forces. On the 12th of April, Fort Sumter, at Charleston, S. C., was fired upon, and after two days' bombardment by the rebels, commanded by General Beauregard, the garrison, comprising seventy United States Regulars, commanded by Major Robert Anderson, surrendered the fort. Meanwhile the National Capital at Washington was in danger, and on the 15th of April Abraham Lincoln issued his proclamation, calling for seventy-five thousand troops for the defence of the city of Washington.

Governor Sprague, of Rhode Island, tendered the services of one regiment of Infantry, and one battery of Light Artillery, which being accepted by the Secretary of War, the Governor at once sent a telegram to Colonel George W. Tew, commanding the Newport Artillery company, asking how many men of his command would go to Washington for the defence of the Capital. Colonel Tew replied that he would go, with fifty men. April 16th, Colonel Tew received another telegram from the Governor, directing him to recruit his company to one hundred, and to report at Providence, armed and equipped, upon receipt of orders. At that time the Newport Artillery were as well equipped as any company in the State. They were armed with the latest improved Springfield rifles. They had just purchased, at their own expense, fifty artillery sabres of the latest French pattern. They had likewise, the year preceding, had made to their order new military overcoats, which no other company in the State was at that time provided with. These overcoats and sabres were afterwards purchased of them by the State of Rhode Island, and were used for equipping the 1st Battery.

On April 16th Colonel Tew called a meeting of the company, and after reading the telegrams received from the Governor that day, made a patriotic speech, and was followed by Mayor Cranston, who was present. Colonel Tew then requested those of the company that would volunteer to go to Washington, to step to the front, when thirty-three of the thirty-nine active members of the company responded. A call was then made for volunteers to fill up the company to the required number of one hundred men, and in a very short time there were more men applied than could be taken.

That evening the company paraded through the streets of the city, to the inspiriting music of a fife and drum, and were dismissed at 10 P. M., to meet again on the receipt of orders from Providence, to be announced by the discharge of three guns on the Mall, and by the ringing of the church bells.

At 7 A. M., Wednesday, April 17th, a mounted courier arrived from Providence with orders for Colonel Tew to report that day in Providence with his company. Colonel Tew, upon the receipt of the order, sent word by return courier that he would be in Providence with his company at 2 P. M.

At 8 A. M., one of the company's brass guns was dragged by hand to the Mall and fired three times by the gun squad that had remained in the armory all night so as to be on hand when orders came.

Never before in the known history of the city was there so much excitement as was caused by the firing of those guns. Business of all kinds was suspended for the time being, and the people began to realize that the time had come for action.

When the orders came that morning, Colonel George W. Tew was at work at his trade, a mason, on Wellington Avenue. On receiving the order he laid down his trowel and other tools, adopted the trade of a soldier, and for four long years he served his country with credit to himself and to the State of Rhode Island.

First Sergeant A. P. Sherman was driving on his market wagon attending to his morning trade when he heard the signal guns. Leaving his team on the street, he started at once for the armory on Clarke street, and commenced to form the company.

In less than one hour the company were in line and ready to start. Like the minute men of Revolutionary times, they left their bench, their desks, and farm, at the call to arms. Thames street, Washington square and Clarke street were thronged with people. The artillery was at that time as at present the pride of Newport and it is not strange that so much interest was manifested, and, besides, they were about to leave home and friends, not knowing whether they would ever return. They went from pure patriotism and love of the Old Flag; and it is an undisputed fact to-day that had it not been for the promptitude with which the first troops responded to the call of the President, the city of Washington would have been taken by the rebel forces. At the armory there were there assembled many prominent citizens, Mayor W. H. Cranston and several of the clergy. Speech making and hand shaking were indulged in for some time, and at 11.30 A. M. the company marched to Sayer's Wharf by way of Clarke, Touro and Thames streets, escorted by about fifty past members of the company. On the wharf, Rev. Samuel Adlam, of the First Baptist Church, offered prayer, and was followed by Mayor Cranston and Hon. Charles C. Van Zandt, in brief addresses. Rev. Thatcher Thayer, who had for many years been chaplain of the Artillery company, and still holds that position, (1891) offered a touching prayer in behalf of the company and the cause for the support and defence of which they were now about to leave home, kindred and friends, after which the benediction was pronounced by Rev. Henry Jackson, D. D. A brief season was then allowed for individual leave-takings, and at 1 P. M. the company marched on board steamer Perry for Providence to form a part of Rhode Island's first regiment in the war of the rebellion.

Following is a correct roll of the company, as copied from the muster-out roll of the regiment:

COMPANY ROSTER.

Captain,--George W. Tew.

1st Lieutenant,--William A. Steadman.

2d " Benjamin L. Slocum.

Ensign,--James H. Chappell.

1st Sergeant,--Augustus P. Sherman.

2d " Thomas S. Burdick.

3d " John S. Coggeshall.

4th " Edward S. Hammond.

1st Corporal,--John D. Washburne.

2d " Benedict F. Smith.

3d " Ray B. Tayer.

4th " Henry L. Nicolai.

PRIVATES.

John A. Abbott. Charles B. Barlow. Albert N. Burdick. George C. Almy. John H. Bacheller. Christopher E. Barker. Charles Barker, Jr. Andrew P. Bashford. William Booth. Daniel Boss. Jeremiah Brown. Adelbert P. Bryant. Thomas Brownell. Henry Bull, Jr. Benjamin D. Carlisle. Robert Carlisle. Allen Caswell. Charles H. Clarke. Edward F. Clarke. Frederic A. Clarke. Gustavus A. Clarke. Joshua P. Clarke. David M. Coggeshall, Jr. Lawton Coggeshall. Robert D. Coggeshall. Robert Crane. Perry B. Dawley. Benjamin F. Davis. William P. Denman. Lance DeJongh. Silas D. DeBlois. Stephen DeBlois. William H. Durfee. Henry T. Easton. Benjamin Easton, Jr. John F. Easton. William J. Eldridge. Edmund W. Fales. John Fludder. Augustus French. Thomas J. Harrington. Joseph J. Gould. Rowland R. Hazard. William Hamilton. Samuel Hilton. Benjamin C. Hubbard. George A. Hudson. Harris Keables. William Keating. Edwin A. Kelley. Theodore W. King. William H. King. Israel F. Lake, Jr. Thomas O. Lake. Henry B. Landers. John B. Landers. Overton G. Langley. Charles E. Lawton. George P. Lawton. Thomas H. Lawton. David Little. Charles L. Littlefield. John B. Mason. James Markham. Daniel A. McCann. William M. Minkler. Walden H. Mason. Michael A. Nolan. George H. Palmer. Frederic J. Peabody. Edwin H. Peabody. John P. Peckham. Peyton H. Randolph. John Rogers. Benjamin H. Rogers. John H. Robinson. John F. Scott. Thomas Scott. Thomas Sharpe. Bartlett L. Simmons. John B. F. Smith. George B. Smith. Charles Southwick. John Stark. George W. Taber. Edward Terrell. William H. Thayer. William Towle. Arthur R. Tuell. James P. Vose. William H. Waldron. George S. Ward. Charles S. Weaver. George R. White. Edward Wilson. William H. Young.

To be added to this roll, should be the names of James H. Taylor, John S. Engs, and James W. Lyon, members of the regimental non-commissioned staff, who were members of the company from Newport, but their names do not appear on the muster-out roll of the company.

On arriving at Providence, the company marched to Railroad Hall, on Exchange Place, where they were to be quartered until such time as the regiment could be uniformed and equipped. The organization of the regiment commenced at once. Ambrose E. Burnside was appointed colonel; Joseph S. Pitman, lieutenant colonel; John S. Slocum, 1st major; Joseph P. Balch, 2d major; Charles H. Merriman, adjutant; Rev. Augustus Woodbury, chaplain. All company officers were elected by the company, approved and commissioned by the Governor. The position in line of the companies and the letter by which they were to be known, was drawn by lot by the captains. The Newport company was designated by the letter F, and drew third position in line, which constituted them the color company of the regiment. In the making up of the non-commissioned staff, there were appointed James H. Taylor as hospital steward, James W. Lyon as ordnance sergeant, and John S. Engs as sergeant major; Edward S. Hammond was appointed as left general guide of the regiment.

As fast as the uniforms could be made, they were issued to the companies. These consisted of a light blue blouse, of the Garibaldi pattern, dark grey pants, and Kossuth hat, with the brim turned up on the right side, and fastened to the crown with a brass plate, eagle shaped. Instead of overcoats, we were provided with red woollen blankets, with a slit in the centre, to wear over our shoulders in bad weather; also one grey blanket, knapsack, to contain our extra clothing, haversack, canteen, tin plate, knife and fork, spoon, and tin cup.