In justice to the officers of the command, this point cannot be unduly emphasized: the general condemnation of volunteer officers, so common since the close of the war, admits of certain sharply defined qualifications. While no estimate yet can be made of the dimensions of the pension bill for 1898, which finally will confront the country, it may be stated as an assured fact that the taxpayers need worry little over the item in the account chargeable to the First Massachusetts. A PERIOD OF SUSPENSE VI. WHILE the work of settling the regiment at its new station was in progress, its officers found themselves confronted by a new and serious cause for apprehension. Up to the time of arriving at the fort, there had been a marked lack of definite information as to the future service of the command. Only two facts seemed assured: that the President had called for one hundred and twenty-five thousand volunteers, and that the hurried ordering out of the First had been in partial answer to that call. Before the enthusiasm attending the prompt assembly of the regiment had died away, there came to Fort Warren a bit of news which literally dumbfounded its officers and men. Word was received from the State House that General Corbin, in assigning the quota of Massachusetts, had made requisition for four regiments of infantry, and but three batteries of heavy artillery! The effect of this announcement may be better imagined than described. Here was a regiment which since 1882 had received desultory instruction in artillery work, and since 1892 had devoted itself seriously to the study of the duties of this arm; year by year it had improved in discipline and gained in efficiency until its officers and men, beyond any doubt or question, were fully capable of serving intelligently and well the secondary armament—even if not the most modern ordnance—in any works on the coast; it had annually, in its encampments, been brought into contact with regulars, and had become thoroughly familiar with the surroundings of permanent fortifications; moreover, it was the only regiment of militia heavy artillery in the entire country—and yet a single telegram from Washington threatened to overthrow the work of long years, and to destroy by a stroke of the pen an organization to whose up-building patriotic men unselfishly had given their time, their money, and their most earnest effort.