while the fighting utah batterymen were still living in the nipa huts at san fernando and baliaug and repelling the attacks of the dusky tagalan braves at candaba and morong from general otis an order came to the cuartel. it had an unpretentious look—that slip of paper; but it carried a message of great importance to the belligerent utahn than any he had received since the thunders of war shook the earth on the night of february 4th. it told the artilleryman to gather all his portable utensils and board the united states transport "hancock," which lay idly in the bay waiting orders to weigh anchor and steam for america.

almost a week passed before the scattered batteries were assembled within the familiar walls of the cuartel. the main body at san fernando turned over its guns to the famous third artillery and arrived safely at the quarters over the manila and dagupan railroad; lieutenant seaman's detachment at baliaug dropped its war machinery and made all possible speed to manila; lieutenant webb's detail on the "cavadonga" for the first time turned its back on the enemy and fled for the protecting walls of the barracks. when these battle-begrimed veterans reached the quarters there was such a demonstration as the old walls had never seen before. the old scenes of order disappeared, the rigors of discipline were relaxed, and chaos reigned. everything was made subservient to the one all-absorbing topic, "home." the sturdy soldier doffed his war attire and donned his peaceful garb. the renowned utah band paraded the streets in holiday dress and, with the blare of brass, proclaimed the happy news to the nut-brown maid. the stalwart warriors danced and sang to the music of that soul-lifting song, "a hot time in the old town tonight." the jubilant battle hero collected his ordnance and other war trap[pg 91]pings and handed them over to the ordnance officer while he exchanged looks of mutual doubt and suspicion with that important personage. the weary and worn utahn bade adieu to the dreamy-eyed damsel of the east with many expressions of fond attachment and love; then mustered his heterogeneous troop of relics and curiosities and joined the nebraska regiment on the "hancock." two days later the officers steamed over from the gay apartments of the "baltimore" in a brightly decorated launch and walked aboard the big boat. finally a goodly supply of canned beef and antiquated swine were hoisted on the vessel and the captain gave orders for the sailing flag to be put to the breeze. this was on july 1st.

when the official contingent was safely housed in spacious staterooms it was learned that quite a change had taken place in the roster of that worthy body. the shoulders of captain grant were adorned with the gold leaf of a major; lieutenant critchlow had been elevated to a captaincy; lieutenant naylor wore the single bar of a first lieutenant, and first sergeant john a. anderson of battery b shone in the glowing uniform of a second lieutenant. major young sent a letter bidding farewell to the utahns and expressing his disappointment at not being able to accompany the batteries home.

the batteryman entertained no high opinion of the government transport. he had become acquainted with the luxuries which uncle sam provides the defenders of his broad acres. he had already learned how elaborately the american government furnishes apartments for its soldiers and food for its larder. so, after he had landed safely on the main deck and deposited his knapsack and monkeys, he was not surprised when the order came for him to take his goods and chattels and repair to the forward hold. he entered the gangway and descended four flights of stairs without any misgiving or hesitation. he threaded his way through the labyrinthian passage of his subaqueous home with a skill equal to that displayed by the blind fish of the mammoth cave. he beheld the wonderfully constructed bunks which glowed specter-like in the semi-darkness without evincing the least disappointment. later when one of these had been assigned as his[pg 92] sole property during the voyage he accepted it and its diminutive proportions without a murmur and philosophically concluded that the government either thought he had diminished in stature while on the islands or intended to reduce his dimensions on the way home. thus the utah warrior was quartered. the celerity with which he adapted himself to his environments clearly exhibited his excellent training. he quickly disposed of the problem of how to shorten his linear measurements to four feet eight inches by placing himself diagonally across his bed. the posture thus assumed was not unlike that of a "skeleton in armor." when his joints became cramped he straightened himself out by throwing his soles against the head of his neighbor, who instantly developed a remarkable vocabulary of explosives anent hades, paradise, satan, etc.

mess time on the "hancock" was not an occasion of the greatest felicity to the returning volunteers. their epicurean tastes could not totally harmonize with bogus coffee and cows that had a flavor strangely akin to that of horse flesh. when the bugle shrilly proclaimed the dinner hour the men formed in a long serpentine line and displayed their skill in keeping their equilibrium and at the same time holding their place in the procession. the rattle of government tinware, upon which the soldier had inscribed many strange hieroglyphics descriptive of his adventures, served as a musical entertainment in lieu of the melody furnished at all other times by the combined efforts of the utah and nebraska bands. they facetiously derided the commissary sergeant who had long since become calloused to all sneering remarks made by the ordinary defender of the flag; for in case of any exceedingly hostile demonstration he was armed with a long cleaver and several carefully concealed bolos. they made comments, too, not at all flattering to the bill of fare, about "gold fish" and "slum-gullion" and ancient swine, but they "wasted their venom on a file." the cooks, also, came in for a share of the complimentary criticisms, for they were not blessed with a superabundance of skill in the culinary art. occasionally the voice of a volunteer was raised in loud-mouthed protest over[pg 93] the meagerness of his own supply of food and the apparent excessiveness which adorned the plate of his associate. this always ended in a peculiar panegyric on the merits of a person who had a "stand in" or a "pull" with the officers. when the ravenous utahn was handed his cheer the bestower very kindly warned him not to taste or smell the victuals, as such an act would be attendant with serious injury to his appetite; so he merely devoured the contents of his plate with his eyes and passed them on to his gastronomical organs with no further ceremony.

a small portion of the forward deck was allotted to the batteries to be used as a messhall, lounging apartment, etc. it was here the battle-scarred veterans collected at meal times and dispatched their slender store. as the pacific is not always so peaceful as its name, this pleasing task was not at all times accomplished with ease. when on a boat tipped to an angle of 60 degrees, a japanese juggler would find some difficulty in conjuring his body to remain in an upright position and simultaneously inducing a seething plate of soup to abide in a placid state; yet the uninitiated volunteers contrived to perform this daring feat three times a day. the many strange figures which they described in their endeavors to execute these occult tricks would have done justice to the most skillful acrobat. frequently, as the vessel gave an extra lurch, the insecure warrior proceeded with all possible speed to the side of the boat and deposited his food and eating utensils on the surface of the sad sea waves amid the execrations of those whom he had the good fortune to come in contact with on his hasty trip and the jibes of his appreciative audience. at this same place the mendacious batterymen gathered in the warm afternoons to tell sea serpent legends and fairy stories about some great event which had never happened in the trenches. when this supply had been exhausted they began forthwith to dilate upon the virtues of the most famous officers until those worthies would have been unable to recognize their own characters had they been confronted with them in their garnished garb. once in a very great while an officer strolled down from the aristocratic atmosphere of the saloon dining hall and watched[pg 94] the feeding of the enlisted drove with a superior grace. to convince the famished soldiers that they were getting a redundant quantity of food, he sometimes called for a [text missing in original.] there was always a good heap of hash left to show the astonished men that they were merely chronic kickers. then the well-fed comedian adjourned to his spacious saloon and offered an apology to his offended stomach by supplying it with an abundance of all that the steamer carried.

the one great comfort to the fagging spirits of the utahn was the battery fund. through the darkest days of war his dying hopes were revived by visions of what the future held in store for him by the aid of this phantom. it was to the despairing volunteer what mirage is to the thirsty traveler of the desert. the fund represented the combined contributions of the soldiers, benevolent persons and charitable institutions. besides this a fabulous sum was added by the artillery canteen which exchanged beer for the utes' money and, in addition to what it contributed towards the battery fund, provided turkeys and succotash for the thanksgiving and christmas banquets. when it was announced that this enormous sum was to be expended for dainties on the way home the joy of the batteryman knew no limits. spectre dinners of mutton, cakes and pies arose in his mind with a suddenness that would have startled the most ardent disbeliever in ghosts. without the aid of pluto he called up all the spirits of meals long dead and fed on them till the marvelous distribution should take place. and it was not long in coming. one morning, accompanied by the stentorian voice of the bugle judge williams, heavily laden with a huge cargo of jam, hove in sight. then were many whispered comments made about the quantity which each man was to receive. the judge soon stopped this and shortly after there was a hum of satisfaction all along the deck as the men made way with this delicacy. now the gastronomy of the warrior lived and flourished under the rigors of army hardtack and navy beans, but it collapsed at once when introduced to jamesson's jam. there was a sudden epidemic of cramps throughout the entire organization, but the ever victorious commissary[pg 95] sergeant soon stamped this out by the judicious application of some french mustard, which had been purchased by the battery fund. and thus the men of utah were fed.

meanwhile the swift "hancock" steamed out of manila bay and speeded toward japan. two days out she passed the beautiful island of formosa, and in three days more the vessel came in sight of nagasaki, the leading coaling station of the flowery kingdom. just at dusk the pilot boarded the vessel and directed her safely through the narrow channel into the land-locked harbor. next morning all the soldiers were given shore leave for the day and san-pans—the native craft—were provided to take the men ashore. here the utahn explored the country in the jin-rickisha—a two-wheeled vehicle which is drawn by the cabby himself, who as soon as he has settled to his satisfaction the price to be paid, ambles off at a gentle speed. if the island of kiusiu appeared beautiful as the boat approached it in the waning twilight it seemed doubly so in the glory of the morning sun. it is a land where poetry breathes as freely as the gentle zephyrs blow from the summit of mount olympus; it is a land where women are as fair as the daughters of niobe. the pretty terraced hills adorned with pagan temples are rich in the odor of the spice and pine; the pellucid lakes and bays gather a silver purity from the very crest of the mountain; and as one gazes upon this beauty and simple grandeur he imagines that it was just such influences as these that stirred the soul of hellas when she pictured aphrodite springing out of the sea or neptune riding in his chariot of shells with a gay company of tritons and nymphs. three days, owing to a raging typhoon, the vessel was delayed in coaling, but after the storm had spent its force the coaling was resumed and the transport put to sea. on the 11th the ships arrived at muji, the key to the southern end of the inland sea. here japan's military power is fully shown. huge guns bristle from every hill, dark warships stud the clear waters of the ocean and soldiers deck the peaks. the sharp green cliffs in the inland sea chop off into the water and from every one of these of any importance a cannon menacingly points. both entrances to the place are controlled by powerful[pg 96] fortresses which command the open sea for a distance of twelve miles. in such a way has the mikado prepared for any war emergency. two days after sighting muji the "hancock" dropped anchor in the harbor of yokahama. the visit here lasted three days, during which the utahns took a trip to tokio and saw of what the outside wall of the emperor's palace is composed. at yokahama the batterymen spent the time in visiting the european portion of the town and learning all they could about the flavor of the japanese foods. on the 16th the vessel lifted her ponderous anchor and pointed her prow eastward.

the only exciting incident during the entire voyage happened at nagasaki, when the first officer attempted to use corporal punishment on the ship's quartermaster who had been ashore and in addition to getting drunk had succeeded in breaking his kneepan. while he was getting his wound attended to in the ship's hospital the big burly mate descended the gangway and struck him a violent blow in the face. not content with this brutal treatment the monster had the poor wretch placed in irons and dragged up the ship's ladder. just as this procession landed on the upper deck the soldiers rose unto a man and stopped the performance amid cries of "throw him overboard." surprised and astounded at this interference the worthy officer demanded of the mob if they knew they were mutinying. to which several of the leaders answered they knew not under what legal nomenclature such a demonstration could be classed but that they would carry out their threat to the letter if the castigation should proceed. at this the cowed dignitary retreated in haste to the security of his cabin.

the "hancock" was generally regarded as a fast boat. this may have been true twenty years before the nebraskans and utahns boarded her, but there were those who doubted the truth of such an assertion. during her infancy on the atlantic the boat had struck an iceberg and succeeded in breaking forty feet off her bow. since then she has been subject to periodical disturbances in her interior, consequently her owners patiently awaited the advent of war, knowing that the united states government would purchase her for the transport service[pg 97] at an early opportunity. it is needless to say she eventually found her way into the pacific. on leaving manila it was the intention of the "hancock" to break her own record of eighteen days between san francisco and that port. her new record of thirty days had not yet been announced in the newspapers. as a matter of fact she did happen to break her machinery and delay the expedition six hours, causing a break in the fond hopes which the soldiers had built up.

there was one death during the trip over, richard ralph of battery b, who died at nagasaki of typhoid fever on the 15th of july. corporal george williams of the same organization was also left at the same point owing to a severe attack of the dysentery. both men were englishmen and had enlisted at eureka. otherwise the health of the batteries was good.

the big prow of the "hancock" loomed up darkly on the night of the 29th in san francisco harbor and rested at anchor. the long sea journey was over. until very late that night, long after taps had sounded sharply over the waters of the harbor, the soldiers clustered around the deck of the ship, heard the megaphone dialogues between the newspaper tugs and the transport, and looked with longing eyes and hearts that beat with joy at the gleaming lights of san francisco.

many friends from utah arrived on tugs during the next day, when the transport was still in quarantine, and there was a generous greeting when the transport moved up to the dock on the morning of the 30th. the whole of this day was spent by the soldiers in exchanging greeting with friends and in preparing their property for transportation to the presidio.

it was on the morning of the 31st that the soldiers were permitted for the first time to descend from the transport and walk again, after sixteen months of absence in the orient, upon the shores of the united states.

the battalions marched up the streets of san francisco behind the veterans of the nebraska regiment, the center of a tremendous demonstration. at the presidio they were given quarters on the slopes to the left of the presidio road. the patriotic sentiments and generous[pg 98] feelings of the citizens had been further shown, as the slopes of the hills were lined with large sibley tents, each equipped with a stove as protection from the chilly mists that creep up by night from the bay. there were also frame buildings for use as offices and a large kitchen and mess room, commodiously and thoroughly equipped for comfort and convenience.

the citizens of utah in the meantime had been active in preparations for receiving the native warriors. on august 8th, adjutant-general charles s. burton and colonel bruback, members of the governor's staff, and representing the citizens' committee, arrived at the presidio and used every effort in providing for the further comfort of the men and arranging for their early departure to their homes in utah. it was learned that a special train had been chartered by the citizens to convey the volunteers to utah, and to the fund necessary for this purpose collis p. huntington of the southern pacific had contributed $2500.

the date for the muster out of the utah troops was fixed by the headquarters of the department of california as august 16th, and notwithstanding the efforts of general burton and major grant to have this time extended, general shafter was unable to give an extension of time. this left but a short period for the immense labor of closing the affairs of the battery and the intricate details of the muster out. the captains of the batteries and a large clerical force were kept working almost continuously from the day of the arrival at the presidio, and late on the night of the 15th they had the gratification, after toilsome days and sleepless nights, of putting the final touch to the muster out rolls. the next morning the rolls went to the paymaster. the labors of the utah volunteers in the army of the republic were over.

some time before this, on august 5th, the men passed the final physical examination, and the general condition of the command was found to be extraordinarily good. then the men were ready for the last function of muster out.

the next day the paymaster's wagon rattled up the presidio slope. then the soldiers performed the last act[pg 99] of their soldier career. one by one they marched into the small official frame building where the paymaster fingered his gold. as the veterans came out, each hand laden with gold, there was upon each face an iridescent smile, not only because of the augmented wealth, but for the reason that each one knew that for him the last bugle call had sounded, that his breast would no longer swell under the blue of the united states uniform. in two hours the soldiers had all left the presidio, officers were shaking hands with the men over the bridged chasm of official dignity, and up on the slope of the presidio the sibley tents were ransacked and deserted.

that night the men of utah slept in the hotels of san francisco and dreamed of the morrow.

on the night of the 16th the transport "warren" arrived, bearing among its passengers major richard w. young, late chieftain of the batteries, who had come, much to the satisfaction of the men, in time to join his old war comrades in the homegoing.

the ferry which was to carry the soldiers to oakland was ready before noon on the 17th, and early in the afternoon the engine of the special train gave a few premonitory puffs and the train full of returning warriors was moving towards utah. the cars consisted of tourist sleepers for the men and a buffet pullman for the officers and their friends. across the center car a streamer stretched, bearing the words, "the utah batteries."

crowds gather at all the stations on the route and cheer the warriors. there was some delay, but nothing of special import occurred during the trip.

early on the 19th the soldiers were able to see for the first time the towering blue mountains of utah and the splendor of her sunshine. it was nearly noon when the train drew up at the ogden station, and the soldiers looked out over the heads of a cheering multitude and listened to shrill whistles signalling a joyous welcome. the reception here only lasted an hour, but was cordial in the extreme, and out on the ogden park a tempting lunch was served by fair women of ogden. lieutenant george a. seaman, formerly of ogden, was given an ovation as he stepped down from the platform of the car. a[pg 100] special car conveying the governor and a large party met the volunteers.

two hours later the jubilation was complete. the volunteers saw at first a crowd and then a throng. they saw flaming streamers, flags fluttering and hats waving; they heard the diaphanous shriek of the steam whistles, the blaring of bands and the din of thousands cheering—all mingled in one chorus of praise and rejoicing. there were hurried handshakes and greetings and policemen's voices raised in fierce altercation with the crowd.

soon with the cavalrymen and the engineers and the national guardsmen the batterymen had struggled into line. horses were in waiting at the station for the officers and all were mounted in the parade. when the order to march could be heard through the tumult, the procession moved through a gayly decked arch at the station, and majors young and grant rode side by side at the head of the battalion.

the crowd became more dense as the march continued towards main street, and as far as liberty park thousands thronged the avenues. excited relatives made a military formation impossible by rushing into the ranks to grasp the hand of a veteran.

at the park the day's ceremonies were held. there were speeches by the governor and the two majors, and here the silver medals which the legislature decided should be presented to the fighting sons of the state were awarded. with the conclusion of the formal exercises, the volunteers were led to an elaborately prepared lunch on beflowered tables beneath the shadows of the locust trees, and while refreshments were being taken fair maidens who ministered at the feast pinned badges on the breasts of the modest volunteers.

that night the celebration reached its full blazonry. the city glowed and sparkled; gayly-bedecked, her flaunting colors were aurioled in the lustres of the night; like an imperial palace, awaiting the return of victorious princes, the lights gleamed and burned into the darkness; and in the center a luminous monument, glowing[pg 101] like the smile of an archangel, stood in vivid brightness the arch of triumph.

when the men of utah batteries passed out into the darkness that night from the dazzle of color they knew that the glamor of the victorious home-coming, the shouts and the jubilation were over. yet there was peace in their hearts and on their breast was a badge of honor from a grateful people. and when they slept that night there were in their dreams no spectral visions of distant battlefields. all that was closed.