Harry Endicott Webber - Twelve Months with the Eighth Massachusetts Infantry in the Service of the United States

It is a habit with the citizens of old Essex, one of the pioneer counties of the grand old Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to point with pride to the fact that since the earliest days of the settlement, she was ever ready to take up arms at the country's call, and her sons were always found ready and willing to go forth to do battle for what they believed to be the right.

The record of her soldiers and sailors is a splendid one, and her sons have nobly represented her on land and on sea. It is perhaps a far cry from the early days of the settlement to the opening of hostilities in the last conflict at arms in which the men of the county figured.

In the earlier events the hazards of warfare were perhaps more, but on the other hand, in those days it was necessary for all men able to handle a gun to fight, while in the recent clash at arms the men who answered their country's call volunteered their services, seeking the privilege of bearing arms rather than having the duty forced upon them. Honor to them all, not only for "what they did, but all they dared."

Massachusetts has furnished her full quota of men at every call of the country. Old Essex has given her share, and as one of the Essex Regiments, the Eighth has figured on several occasions.

Of those previous to 1898 this volume has no detailed account to present, but it is a matter of pride to the citizens of this county that it is said of the Eighth Massachusetts that it was the first National Guard regiment ready, after a canvass of its officers and men, to volunteer, and was one of the first to leave the state in the service of the nation in the conflict with Spain.

The call to arms on this occasion did not come unexpectedly. For some months events had been so shaping themselves that it was evident to all close observers of national affairs that a conflict was almost inevitable, and the government had been placing itself in a position to enable the country to acquit itself creditably when the clash came.

War has been declared between nations for many causes, some of them trivial. Some have been wars of oppression, some of conquest, and so on, but the conflict of 1898 was in its way unique. It was a war waged in the interests of humanity. For years upon years, one of our next door neighbors, so to speak, the island of Cuba, lying just off our southern coast, had felt the iron heel of the despots of the Kingdom of Spain. As act after act of oppression galled upon the natives of the island they were stirred to revolt, only to be subdued and then subjected to even more crushing indignities.

The last great revolt was perhaps the best organized of any, and spreading from one end of the island to the other, became of such magnitude as to almost reach the dignity of a war between nations instead of the rebellion of a colony against its dominating power.

With the same spirit that made heroes out of our forefathers in the days of '76, the Cubans fought for their rights and for independence, and their gallant struggles not only enlisted the almost universal sympathy of this country, but many soldiers of fortune from the United States fought under the Cuban colors.

While the attitude of the government was diplomatically neutral, the press and a large majority of citizens were out and out sympathizers with the Cuban cause, and it was but a question of a short time before arms, ammunition, supplies and men found themselves surreptitiously on the way to Cuba, in aid of the cause of the islanders.

Naturally this state of affairs was resented by the Spaniards, and the feelings of the two nations gradually became more and more strained, even though diplomatically there was no breach.

No doubt the sensational press, especially the so-called "yellow journals", had a great deal to do with inflaming the public passion, but carefully planned investigations of the conditions on the island revealed a state of affairs so gross that the worst stories of cruelty and inhumanity seemed plausible, and the feeling against Spain eventually became so bitter that it needed only the spark to kindle the flame of war.

This was eventually furnished, and is one of the blackest chapters of the Cuban war, by the destruction of an American warship while lying peacefully at anchor in Havana harbor, under the guns of the Spanish forts, and in a time of peace.

The "Maine" had been ordered to Cuban waters to look out for American interests. She was received in due form by the Spanish authorities, and her berth was picked out by them. While lying at anchor on the night of February 15, 1898, she was blown up from the outside, presumably by a mine, and many lives lost, while many more men were horribly injured.

This was undoubtedly the specific act that led to the opening of war between the United States and Spain, the details of which will be found in other volumes.

It is the purpose of this book to treat simply of the part played in the conflict by the Eighth Regiment, Massachusetts Infantry, U. S. V., which was the official designation of the boys of the Eighth Regiment Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, when called into the service of the United States.

Although one of the first volunteer regiments to get away, it so happened that it was so assigned for duty that it missed getting into an engagement with the enemy, although being sent to Cuba and performing several months of its service there. It was the first foreign service of the regiment, and was a performance that will take a prominent part in the history of the Eighth Massachusetts, which embraces so long and honorable a record.

To the officers and men of the Eighth Massachusetts Infantry, U. S. V. :—

I have been requested by the author, Mr. Harry E. Webber, to write some account of the Eighth Massachusetts Regiment, while under my command during the Spanish-American war.

I reported for duty in Chickamauga Park, June 20th, 1898, and was assigned to the Second Brigade, First Division of the First Corps, consisting of the Third Illinois, Fourth Pennsylvania, and Fourth Ohio Regiments. These were all good regiments, especially the Fourth Pennsylvania, under Colonel David B. Case. As I expected to remain with this brigade throughout the war, I began an inspection by company, battalion, and regiment, so that I might learn something more about their actual condition, and the capacity of the officers than could be learned on parade. I mention this circumstance, not because it concerns the Eighth Massachusetts, but because the information I gathered was of the greatest use to me later on in dealing with other volunteer regiments.

I did not complete this inspection, however, as on the 28th of June, I was assigned to the command of the Third Division of the First Corps, composed of the Twelfth Minnesota, Fifth Pennsylvania, First South Carolina, Eighth Massachusetts, Twelfth New York, Twenty-First Kansas, Ninth Pennsylvania, Second Missouri, and First New Hampshire. Subsequently, during the changes and vicissitudes which occurred, there were assigned or attached to this Division, the Third United States Volunteers, Engineers, the Fifth Missouri, the One Hundred and Sixtieth Indiana, the Second, Third and Fourth Kentucky, Third Mississippi, First Territorial, and the Third and Fourth Immune Regiments of Infantry, and one squadron of the First Kentucky Cavalry,—so that I had ample opportunity to observe and compare different volunteer regiments.

The Eighth Massachusetts arrived in the Park May 19th, and came under my observation about one month later, and before I joined the Third Division. It was the only volunteer regiment I saw fully uniformed in khaki. As this dress was new to me, it attracted my attention at once, and I rode over twice to the Second Brigade of the Third Division for a better look at the regiment, which, needless to say, made a very favorable impression.