Almost exactly at noontide, and while the cheers of the artillerymen in response to those of their brethren of the Naval Brigade still were echoing across the water, the _General Lincoln_ cast off her lines, and, amid ear-piercing salutes from every vessel provided with steam enough to start a whistle-valve, ran down the channel between Forts Winthrop and Independence, on her course for Fort Warren. In passing out of the upper harbor, the transport ran close to the great British cable-steamer _Minia_, whose crew swarmed at her rail and yelled their enthusiastic approval of the proceedings, while high on her bridge her officers lifted their caps in acknowledgment of the answering roar from the men in blue. And then, at a sharp order from the bridge, a petty officer ran aft on the _Minia_, and the red ensign of England was thrice dipped by way of wishing luck to the Yankee volunteers. It was a pleasant incident, as well as one not without significance, and the men of the regiment promptly appropriated it as a good omen. Once more the Old First Regiment of Massachusetts was off for service. Thirty-seven years earlier, on May 27th, 1861, it had completed its muster into the volunteer army of the United States, leaving Boston on June 15th, and proceeding at once to Washington, where it had the high honor of being the first of the three-years' regiments to report, armed and equipped, for duty. Since that time the changes had been many; officers and men had come and gone; batteries had been transferred, disbanded, or reorganized, until there remained but six out of the twelve ("B," "D," "E," "G," "H," and "K") whose records showed service in the previous war, while of these only three ("D," "G," and "H") had campaigned with the old War First from '61 to '64. But through all the vicissitudes of over a third of a century the traditions and spirit of the early days had been reverently cherished and kept sacred, until now, when the latest call had come, the young men whose pride it was that they bore the veteran name and number were again first in ready response to the summons. Sheltering themselves as best they could from the biting wind, for the cabins could accommodate but a portion of the regiment, the men prepared to make the best of their hour's trip down the harbor. They were in the highest of spirits, for the orders to move had come as a relief to the previous strain of waiting for the expected to happen. The singing men promptly got to work, while the rest either listened, or, true to the immemorial trait of the newly enrolled volunteer, started cheers for every passing craft. Meanwhile the colonel had assembled his battalion and battery commanders to receive their final instructions looking towards the comfort of the men when the fort should be reached.