A Gunner Aboard the "Yankee" Part 31

[Ill.u.s.tration: MARCHING THROUGH CITY HALL PARK, NEW YORK CITY]

The people of New York turned out to give us a rousing welcome.

It was a welcome we shall never forget--a welcome that made us forget all hards.h.i.+ps, all dangers. Whatever pride we may have had in our achievements was drowned in that thunderous greeting; we were humbled, for real heroes could hardly have deserved such a reception.

The Mayor stood in front of the City Hall and reviewed us, and later we were reviewed by the President himself, at Madison Square.

As the head of the column turned down Twenty-sixth Street, heading to our old receiving s.h.i.+p the "New Hamps.h.i.+re," the band struck up "Home, Sweet Home." The men still marched with heads erect and eyes to the front, but many of those eyes were dimmed with a moisture that almost prevented their owners from seeing the long, homeward-bound pennant that floated from the masthead of the old frigate.

As for the greeting given by mothers and sisters and relatives of every degree and by friends a.s.sembled on the "New Hamps.h.i.+re," that is one experience that cannot be described; it must be felt to be appreciated.

Suffice it that every member of the New York Naval Battalion felt amply repaid for the hards.h.i.+ps endured and the sacrifices made in the service of Old Glory. And if the occasion should again arise for the calling out of the Naval Reserves of the First New York Battalion, they, together with their comrades, the Naval Reserve Battalions of other cities, will cheerfully don their "clean whites" and respond to muster.

"Pipe down!"

APPENDIX.

THE NAVAL MILITIA OF THE UNITED STATES.

The Naval Militia is a volunteer organization made up of certain patriotic citizens of the United States, who conceived the idea that the country could be served by its sons as well in the naval branch of the National Defence as in the military. The subject of a naval volunteer force had been agitated for several years, but it was not until the latter part of June, 1891, that the first enlistments were made.

Since that time the success of the organization has been continuous and most gratifying, and it has required only the recent war with Spain to prove that its value to the country at large cannot be overestimated. At the outbreak of hostilities, the strength of the Naval Militia throughout the country was 4,445 officers and enlisted men, but the rush of recruits incidental to the opening of the war vastly increased that number.

The scope of the organization is naturally limited to those States bordering on the seacoast and the Great Lakes, but the interest taken in it to-day by the people is widespread and emphatic. The existence of this interest was amply proved by the enthusiastic welcome tendered the returning crews of the "Badger," "Dixie," "Prairie," "Yosemite," and "Yankee" by the citizens of the cities more closely concerned, and by the country at large.

In a report made to Secretary Long in 1897 by Theodore Roosevelt, then a.s.sistant Secretary of the Navy, these prophetic words were used:

"The rapidity with which modern wars are decided renders it imperative to have men who can be ready for immediate use, and outside of the regular navy these men are only to be found in the Naval Militia of the various States. If a body of naval militia is able to get at its head some first-cla.s.s man who is a graduate of Annapolis; if it puts under him as commissioned officers, warrant officers, and petty officers men who have worked their way up from grade to grade, year after year, and who have fitted themselves for the higher positions by the zeal and painstaking care with which they have performed their duties in the lower places; and if the landsmen, ordinary seamen, and seamen go in resolutely to do real work and learn their duties so that they can perform them as well as the regulars aboard our wars.h.i.+ps, taking pride in their performance accordingly as they are really difficult--such an organization will, in course of time, reach a point where it could be employed immediately in the event of war.

"Most of the Naval Militia are now in condition to render immediate service of a very valuable kind in what may be called the second line of defence. They could operate signal stations, help handle torpedoes and mines, officer and man auxiliary cruisers, and a.s.sist in the defence of points which are not covered by the army. There are numbers of advanced bases which do not come under the present scheme of army coast defence, and which would have to be defended, at any rate during the first weeks of war, by bodies of Naval Militia; while the knowledge they get by their incessant practice in boats on the local waters would be invaluable.

"Furthermore, the highest and best trained bodies could be used immediately on board the regular s.h.i.+ps of war; this applies to the militia of the lakes as well as to the militia of the seacoast--and certainly no greater tribute is necessary to pay to the lake militia.

Many of these naval battalions are composed of men who would not enlist in time of peace, but who, under the spur of war, would serve in any position for the first few important months."

The last sentence of the above extract is of peculiar interest, inasmuch as it proved true in every particular. The crews of the auxiliary s.h.i.+ps manned by the Naval Militia during the Spanish-American war of 1898 were composed of men who, in civil life, were brokers, lawyers, physicians, clerks, bookkeepers, or men of independent means. They sacrificed their personal interests for the moment, and, in their patriotic zeal, accepted positions of the most menial capacity on board s.h.i.+p.

Prior to the outbreak of war they had entered into training with the utmost enthusiasm. The Navy Department had a.s.signed some of the older vessels to the various naval brigades, to be used as training s.h.i.+ps, and with these as headquarters the brigades began drilling. In addition to the regular routine, summer cruising was taken up.

The First Battalion, New York State Militia, for instance, went in a body to Fisher's Island, off the eastern end of Connecticut, and there engaged in landing parties, camping, and sham battles. On another occasion the battalion embarked on board the battles.h.i.+ps "Ma.s.sachusetts"

and "Texas," each militiaman having a regular bluejacket for a running mate, and doing just as he did. The two s.h.i.+ps cruised in the vicinity of Fisher's Island, and a programme was carried out which included instruction in the different parts of the s.h.i.+p in great guns and ordnance, such drills as abandon s.h.i.+p, arm and away boats, clear s.h.i.+p for action, general quarters, signalling, and in the use of torpedoes.

During one of the cruises of the Ma.s.sachusetts Naval Brigade a detachment was engaged in locating signal stations on the coast from the New Hamps.h.i.+re State line to Cape Ann, and it was due to the efforts of this detachment that the signal stations established during the late war proved so efficient.

The Naval Militia of Maryland, Louisiana, Illinois, and other States were given opportunities for instruction in the handling of guns, the care of wounded, in infantry drill, limited artillery practice with rapid-fire batteries, and all the details of naval life, and so well did they benefit by it that the authorities at Was.h.i.+ngton announced a willingness to trust any of the wars.h.i.+ps in their sole charge.

It was to reach this pinnacle, as it may be termed, that the Naval Militia organizations of the United States had striven, and when they were finally called upon by the Government they proved their worth by boarding modern wars.h.i.+ps, doing the work of regular sailors, and fighting for their country with a degree of skill and zeal that has earned for them the commendation of their fellow-citizens.

UNITED STATES NAVAL CODE FOR VISUAL SIGNALLING.

To signal with flag or torch "wigwag":

There are but _one_ position and _three_ motions.

The _position_ is with the flag held vertically in front of the body; the signalman facing squarely the point to which the message is to be sent.

APPENDIX

The _first_ or 1 is a motion to the right of the sender.

The _second_ or 2 is a motion to the left of the sender.

The _third_ or 3: the flag is dropped in front of the sender and instantly returned to _position_.

The entire code is made up of these three motions--1, 2, and 3. Every letter begins and ends with _position_.

"WIGWAG" CODE. UNITED STATES NAVAL CODE FOR VISUAL AND TELEGRAPHIC SIGNALLING.

ALPHABET.

A 22 B 2112 C 121 D 222 E 12 F 2221 G 2211 H 122 I 1 J 1122 K 2121 L 221 M 1221 N 11 O 21 P 1212 Q 1211 R 211 S 212 T 2 U 112 V 1222 W 1121 X 2122 Y 111 Z 2222

NUMERALS.

1 1111 2 2222 3 1112 4 2221 5 1122 6 2211 7 1222 8 2111 9 1221 0 2112

ABBREVIATIONS.

a after.

b before.

c can.

h have.

n not.

r are.

t the.

u you.

ur your.

w word.

wi with.

y why.

x x 3 = "numerals follow" or "numerals end."

sig. 3 = signature.

3 = End of word.

33 = End of sentence.

333 = End of message.

22, 22, 3 = I understand.

The complete number opposite each letter or numeral stands for that letter or numeral.