Colonel Pfaff was awaiting developments at the State House when the decision was reached to call out the regiment, and the order was given to him direct. Hastening at once back to the South Armory, he handed the order to Adjutant Lake, who lost no time in putting in motion the mobilization machinery which for years had been in readiness to meet just such an emergency as this. Quietly and systematically the orders for assembly went out over the telegraph and telephone wires, until, in less than an hour, every officer of the command knew that the end of the long waiting had come. And then the non-commissioned officers passed the word to the men of their squads, while staff officers hurried by rail to the stations of each of the out-lying batteries, to make sure that nothing was omitted in the carrying out of the final orders. Long before midnight, through their reports, the commanding officer knew that his regiment would be ready to march out with full ranks on the following morning. There was little sleep for officers or men; many passed the night in their armories, while those who returned to their homes spent the hours before daylight in making hurried arrangements for an indefinite absence. It would be idle to say that there was no excitement, for each armory was a seething whirlpool of enthusiasm; but in spite of it all, matters moved on methodically, and morning found the twelve batteries ready in every respect for the mobilization. With the early dawn, the batteries of the Third (Bristol-Plymouth) Battalion—years ago christened the "Cape" Battalion—formed at their armories for the march to the trains which were to transport them to Boston. Their departure was the signal for the wildest enthusiasm in their respective cities. In Fall River, Brockton, Taunton, and New Bedford the same scenes were enacted: cheering crowds lined the streets, and the Grand Army veterans, cadet corps of the schools, and civic organizations turned out to escort the departing troops. Very much the same sort of feeling prevailed in Cambridge and Chelsea; but in Boston—though excited crowds gathered about the great South Armory—there was no organized demonstration. By nine o'clock, the batteries of the First and Second Battalions were assembled in the South Armory, where they were joined, a quarter of an hour later, by those of the Third Battalion, just off their troop-trains. Arms were stacked in the great drill-hall, knapsacks were unslung, and ranks were broken for a brief rest, while a travel ration, with hot coffee, was issued to the men, many of whom, in all probability, had been too excited to do full justice to breakfast at their homes.