Young Republican Regiment
Page 3

The third notice for the company appeared in the Providence Journal, September 28, 1880.

�Company A, Young Republican Regiment.

     Every member of the above is requested to report for drill at Conservatory Hall, No. 217 Westminster street,      Tuesday evening, September 28, at 7.45 sharp.

W. L. Tourtellot."

This announcement together with the following one, which appeared October 4, 1880, showed plainly that steps were being taken to insure the company's success.

�Company A, Young Republican Regiment.

     Every member of the above is earnestly requested to report for drill at Conservatory Hall, No. 217      Westminster street, Tuesday evening October 5, 1880, at 7.45, sharp. Each member is also expected to bring      his cap to receive the company initial.

W. L. Tourtellot, Captain Commanding."

And the papers of the next day give an account of the meeting thus held. The caps of the members of the company were accordingly stamped with a large "A" in the centre of the top with a stencil and brush.

I find no company order ordering us to report for the next parade, October 6, but I presume the General Orders No. 3, from headquarters October 5, 1880, contained the necessary orders for the regiment.

On the evening of October 6, 1880, Broadway and the neighboring streets were illuminated, and a grand and brilliant demonstration took place. To enumerate the different forms of illuminations would be a difficult matter, sufficient to say that the whole street was alive with people and ablaze with Chinese lanterns, colored fires and glowing windows. The Young Republican Regiment was in the third division, and was headed by the American Band. Company A held their usual place at the right of the line, and was commanded by Captain Tourtellot, with fifty-two men. The regiment showed seven hundred and twenty-five men in line and the procession numbered twenty-eight hundred. Two members of the company, and perhaps more, were struck by stones while in the vicinity of Olneyville.

The next call for our services in a demonstration was signified by an order from headquarters in General Orders No. 4, which was worded thus:

     ï¿½Captains of companies will report their commands at headquarters on Friday evening, October 8th, at
     7 o'clock p. m., for the Georgiaville parade. Train leaves depot at 7:30."

This parade will ever remain fresh in the minds of all who participated in it. There was only one draw-back to this grand demonstration at Georgiaville, Allendale, Graystone, Graniteville, Allenville and Centredale, under the auspices of the North Providence Garfield and Arthur Club, and that was the extent of territory confined within the above mentioned villages. Owing to various obstacles the regiment did not get started until 8 o'clock. The regiment was received by the Georgiaville Boys in Blue. The route of march was a long one, and had it not been enlivened by numerous pleasant incidents, the time occupied by the march would have been tedious in the extreme. The houses in and about the villages through which the columns passed, were so widely apart that any attempt at a grand illumination was a failure, however, the solitary candle burning in the window of one house, together with a Chinese lantern hanging from a tree in front of another, plainly showed the good feeling that existed in the locality traversed by the commands for the success of the republican party. A special train left Georgiaville at 1 o'clock a. m., the next morning and convoyed the companies to Providence, where they were dismissed. Though one of the first it was perhaps the most fatiguing parade of the campaign.

The next official order for the company's attention appeared October 11, 1880.

�Company A, Young Republican Regiment.

     All members of the above desiring to participate in the Parade in Newport will report uniformed at the      Continental Steamboat Co.�s wharf at 6:15 p. m., Friday, October 12, 1880. Boat leaves at 6:30. Tickets to      uniformed men, 25 cents, procurable of the Captains and Lieutenants.

W. L. Tourtellot, Captain Commanding."

Promptly at that time the companies assembled and waited patiently in line until they were ordered on to the boats, the Bay Queen and Day Star. The sail down the bay was pleasantly passed, and upon arriving in Newport found the old city in a perfect blaze of glory. It was the largest parade and demonstration ever known there. Seven hundred men came from Providence alone, and the procession itself numbered twenty-five hundred torches. After a long march the column was drawn up in line in front of the old State House, where the Hon. Nelson W. Aldrich read a telegram of glorious news for the republican party from Indiana. The old State House looked splendid; every window was lighted by a candle placed in front of each pane, and the effect was grand. There were sundry disturbances along the route of march, but no one was seriously interfered with. The march was then resumed to the boat, and Newport was left about one o'clock the next morning. The return trip was unlike the sail down in many respects. Company A occupied the upper deck, that is, that was their Headquarters; they were at liberty to roam about the boat at their will. Many members of the other commands had imbibed rather too freely in alcoholic beverages and consequently were ready for anything; numerous disturbances took place on the boat, and many of them wondered no doubt the next morning how they were able to wear their hats the night before, as they now appeared several sizes too small.

The company orders now appeared closely together and we were fairly into the fight. On October 15th we again had our attention called to this order:

�Company A, Young Republican Regiment.

     The members of the above will report at Infantry Armory, Friday evening, October 15, 1880, at 7:15 p. m., for      6th ward parade.

W. L. Tourtellot, Captain Commanding."