CHAPTER IX. THE FIRST ARTILLERY. The First Regiment of Light Artillery was organized November 22, 1882, with five companies, and headquarters were established in Indianapolis. The artillery has been prominent in the State military service, and the fame of Indiana military organizations has been spread through the country more by organizations of this branch than of any other. When first organized the regiment was 194 strong, and the companies were equipped with five two-pound bronze cannon, four rifled cannon and two Gatling guns. By 1884 it had grown to eight batteries, a number that was maintained until 1886 when its strength was 422 officers and men. In 1888 the headquarters were moved to Elkhart, and the strength of the regiment was 233 officers and men. In 1889 it was reduced to a battalion, and the headquarters were moved to Michigan City, but its strength remained at 212 men. A number of the small squads were disbanded, and there was a concentration of effort towards the organization of complete batteries. At this time the batteries had five 3-inch Rodman guns and four 12-pound brass cannon. In 1891 the regiment reached a strength of 317 officers and men, and the headquarters were moved to Indianapolis the following year, when 206 officers and men constituted its strength. Captain J. B. Curtis, of Battery A, was in command from this time until Batteries A and B entered the United States service for the war with Spain. The battalion was reorganized July 6, 1900, and the presThe general officers. ent commanding officers appointed. since its organization and dates of commissions were: REGIMENTAL. Colonels-Eli Lilly, of Indianapolis, November 22, 1882; Joseph A. Closser, of Indianapolis, November 25, 1884; C. G. Conn, of Elkhart, April 18, 1888. Lieutenant-Colonels-Joseph A. Closser, of Indianapolis, November 22, 1882; George W. Johnston, of Indianapolis, November 25, 1884. Majors-H. H. Wood, of Michigan City, November 22, 1882; George W. Johnston, of Indianapolis, August 13, 1884; W. D. Stansifer, of Columbus, November 25, 1884. Surgeons-J. R. Bigelow, of Indianapolis, April 28, 1883; W. H. Lopp, of Columbus, June 16, 1886. Assistant Surgeons-W. H. Lopp, of Columbus, June 8, 1883; William Wands, of Indianapolis, November 25, 1884; D. A. Thompson, of Indianapolis, September 30, 1887. Adjutants-Irvin Robbins, of Indianapolis, December 15, 1882; J. S. Dodge, of Elkhart, April 18, 1888. 1882. Quartermaster-S. K. Fletcher, of Indianapolis, December 15, 1882. Judge Advocate-John R. Wilson, of Indianapolis, December 15, Paymaster-Harris P. Wetsell, of Indianapolis, December 19, 1882. BATTALION ORGANIZATION. Majors--H. H. Woods, of Michigan City, November 22, 1882; James B. Curtis, of Indianapolis, captain commanding; Alfred B. Schanz, of Attica, July 6, 1900. 1896. Assistant Surgeons--R. W. Garstang, of Indianapolis, December 9, Adjutants-Daniel A. Thompson, of Indianapolis, September 9, 1889; Thomas A. Winterrowd, of Indianapolis, July 1, 1896; Robert T. Oliver, of Indianapolis, July 13, 1900; Raymond P. Van Camp, March 26, 1901. Quartermasters-Joseph C. Willard, of Ft. Wayne, September 9, 1889; Bert B. Adams, of Indianapolis, July 7, 1892; Raymond P. Van Camp, of Indianapolis, July 13, 1900; Wm. Garrard Comly, of Indianapolis, April 19, 1901. Commissary-Ernest H. Burford, of Indianapolis, March 26, 1901. The batteries which have composed the membership are: 1882-A, Indianapolis; B, Michigan City; C, Terre Haute; D, Butler; E, Columbus. 1884-A, Indianapolis; B, Michigan City: C, Terre Haute; D, Butler; E, Columbus; F, Rockville; G, Attica; H, Elkhart. 1886-A, Indianapolis; B, Elkhart: C, Lafayette; D, Rockville; G, Attica; H, Peru; I, Ft. Wayne; K, Elkhart: L, Peru. 1888-A, Indianapolis; B, Elkhart; C, Rockville; D, Attica; G, Ft. Wayne; I, Peru; K, Peru. 1889--A, Indianapolis: B, Elkhart; C, Rockville; D, Attica; E, Ft. Wayne. 1890-A, Indianapolis; C, Rockville; E, Ft. Wayne. 1899-A, Indianapolis; C, Attica. 1900-A, Indianapolis; B, Ft. Wayne; C, Attica. The present major commanding the battalion, Alfred B. Schanz, of Attica, first entered military life in Battery B, Second Brigade, National Guard of Pennsylvania, as a trumpeter. He enlisted at Pittsburg, May 25, 1884, and was promoted until by October 1, 1987, he was first sergeant. On that date he was discharged at Mt. Gretna, Pa., on account of his removal to New York State. In 1890-91, Major Schanz was the leader of the Leslie Exploring Expedition through Alaska. He held special commissions with the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey and in the eleventh United States census as expert for the Nushagak district. The expedition traveled through the wilderness by every possible method of progress-packing, rafting, skin-canoeing, dog-sledging and snow-shoeing-over 6,000 miles in thirteen months. The entire route was mapped and many important geographical discoveries were made. In 1894 Major Schanz removed to Indiana and located at Indiana Mineral Springs, near Attica. In April, 1898, after the declaration of war with Spain, he organized the Attica Light Artillery and recruited over two hundred men for service, but the battery was unable to have an opportunity to serve. The entire battery was organized, uniformed and equipped without expense to the State, as the result of efforts made by Major Schanz. A practice march was made to Lafayette. where camp was established for drill and instruction. It was named "Camp Wilson" for Colonel Charles E. Wilson, of Lafayette, at that time military secretary to Governor Mount. The battery was mustered into State service June 20, 1899, and assigned as Battery C. On July 6, 1900, when the battalion was reorganized, Captain Schanz was promoted major. Dr. Reginald W. Garstang, assistant surgeon of the battalion, was appointed to his present position with the rank of captain, December 8, 1896. He served in that capacity until the outbreak of the war with Spain, when he was mustered into the United States service with the One-hundred-and fifty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry as assistant surgeon. He accompanied the regiment to Chickamauga Park, Georgia, and thence to Port Tampa City, Florida, at which place he was detached and assigned to duty at the hospital of the Third Division, Fifth Army Corps. When orders were issued to move all troops from Tampa and Port Tampa City to Fernandina, Florida, Dr. Garstang was placed in charge of the Ambulance Corps of the Second and Third divisions, and preceded the troops to Fernandina in order to establish hospital arrangements. He remained with these organizations until August 31, 1898, when he was returned to his regiment and accompanied it home. He was reappointed to his former position when the Artillery Battalion organized. was re Raymond P. Van Camp, of Indianapolis, adjutant of the battalion, first entered the service as a private in Battery A, April 11, 1898. He entered United States service with the battery, and was appointed wagoner on July 1, 1898. He served with the battery through the war and was on the firing line on San Juan road, Porto Rico, when the news of the peace protocol having been signed was received. He was mustered out with the battery November 25. He was appointed first lieutenant and quartermaster of the battalion July 17, 1900, and adjutant March 26, 1901. William Gerrard Comly of Indianapolis was appointed quartermaster, with the rank of first lieutenant, on April 19, 1901. He was born in San Antonio, Texas, and graduated from Yale University in 1893. He located in Indianapolis in 1895, and is secretary and treasurer of the Varney Electrical Supply Company. Ernest H. Burford, of Indianapolis, was appointed commissary, with the rank of first lieutenant, on March 26, 1901. The battalion today consists of three batteries—A, the Indianapolis Light Artillery; B, of Ft. Wayne, and C, of Attica. THE INDIANAPOLIS LIGHT ARTILLERY. BY CAPT. J. B. CURTIS. In August, 1882, a half dozen young men held a meeting at the Denison House, where they discussed the feasibility of organizing a single section of artillery. This meeting was attended by Harry Allen, afterwards first sergeant; Lewis Cooper, afterward gun corporal of the prize section; Edward Miller, afterwards sergeant and member of the famous drill team; Frederick Dietrichs, afterwards known as "the best No. 1 in the United States"; Leslie Richardson, Charles H. New and James B. Curtis, afterwards captain and for seventeen years drill master of the famous championship team. Their interest in battery work had been aroused by a competitive drill held in Indianapolis in July. At that drill many of the famous companies of the country were pitted against one another and the contest was a most interesting one. Immediately thereafter several military companies were organized in Indianapolis, but the Light Artillery is the only one which has survived. The first meeting was soon followed by others, and within less than two months, as a result thereof, an entire battery was sworn into the Indiana Legion, under command of George W. Johnston. With the exception of Captain Johnston, the members averaged about twenty-one years of age. As a result, their work was begun with youthful enthusiasm, which was fortunately retained as the years advanced. While sworn into the service as Battery A, the organization was also incorporated and became popularly known as the "Indianapolis Light Artillery." Another contest was announced shortly after the organization of the battery, to occur during the following summer, and the services of Lieutenant Hamilton, U. S. A., were secured as an instructor. He proved to be a most painstaking and efficient officer, as a result of which the primary work of the battery was begun upon a proper basis. It had made such progress in drill by the spring of 1883 that it entered in four classes of the contests for prizes at the encampment of that year, in each of which it won, which was a powerful incentive to the members, giving the organization an unusual strength for a new one. In the spring of 1884 the battery was challenged by the Cincinnati Light Artillery for a contest. The meeting took place at Richmond, where a clean victory was scored, the Cincinnati artillerymen falling behind twenty per cent. Just after that drill Captain Johnston resigned and was succeeded by Lieutenant Curtis, who had begun his career with the battery as a private, and who had commanded "the team" in all the victorious drills. After this victory effort was made to procure an armory as the private property of the organization, and one was completed in March, 1885. Work was at once begun for the great Southern drills announced for May. After six weeks of preparation, the battery went to Mobile to compete with all the famous artillery organizations of the country. There it met its first reverse, which was due to an unfortunate accident. After the drill was more than two-thirds completed in a faultless manner, it was found that the cartridges were too large and the cannon could not be loaded, which made it impossible for it to complete the work in this contest. Notwithstanding this unfortunate result, the battery went to New Orleans the following week, where it met all its Mobile competitors, in addition to others, in a contest for the Cotton Centennial Medal and cash prizes offered by the Cotton Exposition directors. The other competitors seemed to feel that the battery was outclassed on account of its misfortune at Mobile, but they were doomed to disappointment, as the Mobile prize would un |