The War Department should not have been in ignorance of the existence of this regiment, or of its condition of comparative efficiency. Yearly, from 1892 to 1897, reports upon its progress had been compiled by Colonel Miller, of the Third United States Artillery, and by Colonel Kline, of the Twenty-first United States Infantry—both of whom, to the satisfaction of those in the Massachusetts service, since have become general officers—and these reports had shown uniform commendation of the conscientious work that was being done. In 1896 Colonel Kline reported: "With this year's work, Massachusetts has a corps (the First Regiment) for coast-defence. Should an emergency arise necessitating the immediate reënforcement of Fort Warren, the whole of this fine regiment could in twenty-four hours be sent to the post, and would _now_ be of _invaluable service_." And in his report for 1897, submitted at a time when war was almost in sight, he repeated with added emphasis his comment of the preceding year: "The Legislature of the State of Massachusetts, recognizing the advisability of a coast-defence reserve, promptly legislated the transfer of one of the infantry regiments (First) for this duty. The wisdom of this legislation cannot be questioned. Under adverse conditions the regiment has labored; without the means of receiving proper instruction, save such as could be given by officers when released from their duties, given freely and unstintedly, yet they have succeeded in fitting the organization as a reserve force that could _now_ be of invaluable service." In both these extracts the italics are those found in the original report, as printed by the Military Information Division at Washington. Apparently the emergency requiring the immediate reënforcement of Fort Warren had arrived; in less than _twenty_ hours from the time orders reached the men, the regiment had reported at the post, armed, uniformed, rationed, and equipped; officers and men stood ready to render the invaluable services for which an inspecting officer of the Government had declared them fit—and yet now, at a time when hastily raised and untrained infantry was to be thrown headlong into artillery posts, there came word from Washington that the First Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, as an organization, would receive no consideration as a part of the volunteer army of the United States.