enefit Street. The meeting
was largely attended, and comprised among its numbers a great many of our
most intelligent and influential citizens. A large number of names were
enrolled that night as members of the new company, and arrangements were
made to have the armory open daily, for the purpose of obtaining
additional signatures to the roll of membership. In a few days some three
hundred names were obtained, and every man whose name was enrolled seemed
to take the greatest interest in having the work proceed.

By general consent, rather than by appointment or election, I assumed the
duty of conducting the drills and of reducing matters to a system. It was
supposed at the time that the force already called into the field,
consisting of seventy-five thousand men, would be amply sufficient to
effectually quell the disturbance that had arisen at the South, but there
appeared to be in the minds of all the men who gathered at the Marines'
Armory, a quiet determination to go to the assistance of those who had
already gone, should they appear to need aid. The call for men to serve
for the period of three years put a new phase upon matters. Those whose
private business was of such importance that absence from home that length
of time would injure the interests of others as well as their own,
withdrew, leaving more than a sufficient number to man a full battery.
From that time drilling of the men proceeded uninterruptedly both day and
night. A greater number than the capacity of the armory would admit of
drilling at one time, presented themselves daily. Many of the evenings
were spent in taking the men out on the streets and to vacant lots near
by, exercising them in marching drill. Through the influence of Governor
Sprague the company was furnished with a complete battery of twelve
pounder James guns, which arrived here some time in May, I think, and then
the drills became spirited in exercise in the manual of the piece,
mechanical maneuvres, as well as in marching.

About the first of June Lieutenant William H. Reynolds and First Sergeant
Thomas F. Vaughn of the three months battery, were appointed Captain and
First Lieutenant respectively, and J. Albert Monroe, John A. Tompkins and
William B. Weeden were appointed Second, Third and Fourth Lieutenants, and
they were so commissioned. The commissions should have been one captain,
two first lieutenants and two second lieutenants, but there was so little
knowledge of just the rig