PAGE I. INTRODUCTORY 3 II. THE COAST-DEFENCE PROBLEM IN MASSACHUSETTS 13 III. MARCHING-ORDERS 21 IV. OFF FOR ACTIVE SERVICE 31 V. THE REGIMENT AT FORT WARREN 47 VI. A PERIOD OF SUSPENSE 59 VII. FROM "M.V.M." TO "U.S.V." 71 VIII. PERSONNEL OF THE REGIMENT 87 IX. THE SEASON OF RUMORS 99 X. ASSIGNMENT TO STATIONS 115 XI. FORT PICKERING AND THE "NORTH-SHORE" DEFENSES 129 XII. FORT RODMAN AND ITS GARRISON 151 XIII. THE THIRD BATTALION AT FORT WARREN 161 XIV. FINAL DAYS IN THE SERVICE 171 XV. AN HONORABLE REGIMENTAL RECORD 187 ROSTER AND MUSTER-ROLLS 198 CHRONOLOGY OF THE WAR 253 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE COLONEL CHARLES PFAFF _Frontispiece_ RESPONDING TO THE CALL, 26 APRIL, 1898 33 BARBETTE BATTERY, 15-INCH RODMANS 49 FIELD AND MACHINE GUN BATTERY 63 LIEUTENANT-COLONEL CARLE A. WOODRUFF 79 THE FIELD, STAFF, AND LINE 91 CHANNEL BATTERY, 8-INCH RIFLES 103 GARRISON ENCAMPMENT, FORT PICKERING 119 MAJOR PERLIE A. DYAR 131 MAJOR-SURGEON HOWARD S. DEARING 135 MAJOR GEORGE F. QUINBY 141 LIEUTENANT-COLONEL CHARLES B. WOODMAN 153 MAJOR JAMES A. FRYE 163 LIEUTENANT-COLONEL ERASMUS M. WEAVER 177 THE LAST EVENING PARADE, 3 OCTOBER, 1898 189 PREFACE THIS book forms but a single chapter—the latest one—in the eventful and ever-honorable history of the First Massachusetts Regiment. It has been written in the hope that it may aid in maintaining the splendid _esprit de corps_ which always has been characteristic of the command.