Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/310

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250 HISTOEY OF GOODHUE COUNTY Kimie first lieutenant. The company again visited the World's Fair and took part in the Minnesota Day parade, which was during the fall of 1893. Capt. Person was untiring in his efforts to bring the company up to a high standard, and during the en- campments of 1895 and 1896 his command won the gold medal for proficiency in guard duty. In 1897 Capt. Person resigned to accept ;i position as major of the regiment, and in January, 1898, W. W. Kinne was elected captain and II. W. Yochem first lieu- tenant. -1. A. Erstad was at thai time second lieutenant, having been elected some years previous. It was just at this time thai the call for volunteers for the Spanish-American war was issued ami Company D was among the first io offer their services. One evening when the com- pany was lined up at the armory, Capt. Kinne asked all the members who would volunteer to step two paces to the front. Every man in Hie company stepped forward, bu1 as they were some short of the 105, to fill out a lull company. Col. Johnson furnished the balance of the quota from Mankato. On Thursday, April 28. 1908, the company left Zumbrota amid a scene which will he lonu- remembered by those who witnessed it. Many eyes were dimmed with tears and hearts throbbed with emotion as the buys left home. At that time Hie no n- commissioned officers were: Sergeants, John Bouck, George W. Eastman, C. O. Bon- ham. E. F. Davis, II. -I. Teich, -I. C. .Miller and II. Eastman; corporals, Sid Anderson. Y. P. Armstrong, M. II. Powers, Harry G. Gudd, Ludwig Johnson. Charles C, Dickenson. Louis Lohman, and others. The company was stationed al the slate fair grounds and had a total number of 115 men. About thirty of these had to be rejected, as an order was received for only 84 men to a company. On May 8 the company was mustered in and was known as Company I). 14th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. A few days later the regimenl left Camp Ramsey in three sections for Chickamauga Park, Ga. All along the route citizens turned out to welcome and cheer the troops. Arriving at a small station called Lytic, the regiment marched into the park a few miles, where a cam]) was assigned them, in company with 60,000 other troops from all parts of the United States. This camp was known as the George H. Thomas, and the company was brigaded with the First Pennsylvania and Second Ohio Regiments, and known as the third brigade, second division, first army corps, under command of Gen. Rossar, a veteran who fought with the South during the civil war. The extreme heat and poor water began to tell on the men from the North and as a result there was a great deal of sickness, but everyone was anxious to get to the front, and patiently endured the constant drilling, and it was but a