1911 03 11: Dix Reviews 23D; Brilliant Armory Scene

Governor's First Visit

to Brooklyn as Head

of National Guard.

PRAISES REGIMENT

Col. Norton Congratulated on Fine Showing Made by His Command.

One of the largest and most representative gatherings ever assembled at the Twenty-third Regiment Armory, on Bedford avenue, greeted Gov. John Alden Dix on his initial appearance in Brooklyn last night in the role of a reviewing officer.

Gov. Dix promised Col. Frank H. Norton, the commanding officer of the Twenty-third Regiment, when the Colonel was in Albany last January, that the Twenty-third would be the first regiment he would review in Brooklyn, and he made good his promise last night. The display was the finest the Governor has yet witnessed, he declared, and he publicly congratulated Col. Norton and the officers and men of the regiment on their showing.

The Governor arrived at the armory shortly after 8 o'clock and was received with full military honors by the guard that was drawn up in company front just inside the main entrance to the armory. He was then escorted to the Colonel's quarters, with the members of his staff, where he awaited the summons to his position on the floor. In the meantime the regiment was formed by Capt. John H. Ingraham, the regimental adjutant, and turned over to Col. Norton.

The regiment was divided into three battalions and formed in line of masses for review. It was then that Capt. Ingraham was sent out by the Colonel and returned with the Chief Executive of State and staff, who was escorted to his post opposite the front and centre of the regiment. The Governor was attended by Brig.-Gen. William Verbeck, Adjutant General; Col. Dunspaugh and Major Charles A. Simmons, Assistant Adjutant Generals, the latter of whom was acting as Military Secretary in place of Lieutenant Commander Eckford De Kay, who went to the hospital in the Capital City yesterday to be operated upon for appendicitis; Commander Russell Raynor, First Naval Battalion; Majors Edward H. Snyder and John H. O'Rourke, of the Forty-seventh Regiment and Coast Artillery Corps, respectively; Capt. Munson Morris and Lieutenant F. C. Brown, of the Twelfth Regiment, and Lieutenant Charles Curie, Jr., of Squadron C.

Officers and men wore the gray dress uniform, distinctive of the regiment, with white trousers. Capt. Clifford L. LaMont, of Company A, in the absence of Major Blanton, commanded the Third battalion. Majors Frederick A. Wells and William T. Mynotte were the other battalion commanders.

The Governor was next taken to the officers' council room, where an informal reception was held, at which he shook hands with all the officers and very many of the guests of the regiment. He was then taken to the mess hall, on the third floor, where he enjoyed, with other invited guests, the hospitality of Col. Norton and his officers, while the guardsmen and their friends danced until midnight.

In the mess room, Dr. S. Parkes Cadman, the regimental chaplain, made a brief address of welcome to the Governor and expressed the very great pleasure of the regiment and others in having Governor present.

Gov. Dix spoke briefly but frankly in reply. It was a great pleasure to him, he said, to be with the regiment. He declared that the regiment was a credit to the State. He came to find fault, but found no opportunity to do so. He was so well pleased that he had nothing but words of praise for the organization. He wanted to say, very frankly, he said, that the mastery of detail by Col. Norton's command was superior to that of any organization he had yet seen. He was well pleased, he said, with the spirit shown by the officers and men and congratulated the Borough of Brooklyn on having such a fine organization.

Prominent among those present were: Gen. James McLeer, late commanding officer of the Second Brigade; Gen. John G. Eddy, his successor; Gen. John B. Frothingham, former Assistant Adjutant General Second Brigade; Gen. Thomas McGrath, once Adjutant General of the State; Brevet Brig.-Gen. A. L. Kline, retired; Commander Robert P. Forshew and Lieut. Charles O. Brinckerhoff, Second Naval Battalion; Lieut-Col. Ernest E. Jannicky and Major Harry B. Baldwin, Forty-seventh Regiment; Major F. H. Stevenson. Capts. H. F. Summers and Herman A. Metz, Fourteenth Regiment; Majors Walter F. Barnes, Elliott Bigelow, jr., Walter J. Carlin and Frederick N. Whitley, Second Brigade; Lieut. Col. G. A. Wingate, Assistant Adjutant General, S. N. Y.; Col. Charles O. Davis, commanding the Thirteenth Regiment; Capt. James C. McLeer, Squadron C; Capts. Walton, Thorne and Lewis, U.S.A.; Leader John H. McCooey, Congressman J. J. Fitzgerald, District Attorney John F. Clarke, Senator Black, Assemblyman K. F. Lent and Arthur C. Somers, of the Board of Education.

Brooklyn Times

1910 03 11: Twenty-Third may lose several line officers

Story is That Certain Captains Have Been Slow in Recruiting

COLONEL NORTON IS SILENT.

One Resignation Already In - Regiment Attains 99.04 Per Cent. at Muster.

Now that the annual inspection and muster of the Twenty-third Regiment is over, it is reported that a number of line officers are about to retire. Whether or not this is in line with the avowed intention of Colonel Frank H. Norton "to go down the line" after he had finished with the field and staff is not positively known; but when one officer last night after his company had returned from the floor where it had been inspected was asked about his reported resignation, he refused to discuss it and referred the questioner to the colonel.

It has been rumored for some time that several company captains had signified their intention of getting out of the regiment as soon after the annual inspection and muster as practicable, and those who had their ears to the ground last night heard of at least one and possibly two resignations.

That of Captain George Ball is now in the hands of the colonel. Captain Ball is the commanding officer of Company F. This is one of the small companies of the regiment, its aggregate membership as reported to the inspecting officers last night being but 49. There is but one other company with a smaller membership than this; both are below the minimum. When Colonel Norton assumed command of the Bedford avenue organization last summer he impressed upon his officers and men the necessity of getting recruits. It is said that some of the companies have increased their numbers; but that others appear to be at a standstill. The officers of the companies who have not made good are now slated for retirement, it is said. As to this, however, the colonel himself is non-committal.

Captain Ball enlisted in Company F as a private in 1884. He advanced through all of the grades to the position of first sergeant in October, 1898. He was elected a second lieutenant in November, 1899, a first lieutenant in July, 1902, and a captain in January, 1905.

Just before the inspection of the regiment last night, Colonel Norton swore into his new duties as captain of Company G, John R. Sawyer, the first lieutenant who was recently elected, and the members of the company unanimously chose Second Lieutenant Ethelbert Green as first lieutenant to succeed Captain Sawyer. As soon as Lieutenant Green receives his new commission, Sergeant Fenton will stand for the election of second lieutenant.

Last night was Sergeant W. J. Dalton's last appearance as a member of the Twenty-third Regiment. Sergeant Dalton has been a member of Company M since its organization and prior to that time served with other companies. He recently was elected a second lieutenant of Company C, Forty-seventh Regiment. and passed the brigade examining board last Wednesday evening. His old comrades in Company M last night, after the inspection, presented him with a saber and belt.

The annual inspection and muster last night in many respects was the best ever had at the Twenty-third Regiment armory. The mustering and inspecting officers were enabled to complete their work with dispatch. The entire proceedings were over with by 11 o'clock, whereas in the old days, 1 o'clock in the morning was the usual time for terminating the inspection.

That last night's inspection was consummated so quickly was due to the fact that the equipment and appearance of the men was above reproach. Lieutenant Colonel G. A. Wingate of the division staff, who has been inspecting and mustering for years, said: "The reason we got through so quickly is due to the fact that the men were neat, their uniforms clean and their equipment laid out in an orderly manner upon the drill floor".

The inspection officers were Lieutenant Colonel G. A. Wingate, Lieutenant Colonel John N. Stearns, Lieutenant Colonel G. W. Bunnell and Captain Cornelius Vanderbilt for the state and Captain R. Foster Walton and Lieutenant Townsend Whelan for the regular army. Brevet Major General J. G. Eddy of the Second Brigade staff and Major R. G. Moran, brigade inspector, were present in uniform. Previous to the inspection Colonel Norton and his staff entertained the inspecting and mustering officers at a dinner served in the Union League Club. The muster showed a total of 732 officers and men on the rolls, of which 725 were present and accounted for. The percentage of attendance was 99.04. Last year the total on the rolls of the regiment was 760, of which 9 were absent. Following is a detailed list of those present and absent last night:

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

1909 07: Col. Frank Norton now head of 23rd

UNANIMOUSLY ELECTED COLONEL OF REGIMENT TO SUCCEED WM. A. STOKES.

Enlisted in 1885, and With Exception of Eleven Months Has Been a Member Ever Since - Six Officers of 47th Qualify as Marksmen - National Guard Notes.

Lieut.-Col. Frank H. Norton, of the Twenty-third Regiment, as foretold in these columns a few weeks ago, was last night elected to fill the vacancy caused by the recent retirement of Col. William A. Stokes. The election was unanimous, there being no other candidate. Gen. John G. Eddy, commanding the Second Brigade, presided at the election, at which thirty-three out of a possible thirty-eight votes were cast. There were five officers absent, all of whom are out of the city.

Gen. Eddy, after announcing the result, and after the applause which greeted the announcement had subsided, congratulated the regiment and the Colonel-elect on the unanimity of the result, and paid the latter a warm tribute.

Col.-elect Norton made a brief and fitting reply, in which he urged the officers to get together and exert every effort to bring about the upbuilding of the regiment. He bespoke the loyal support of all and predicted that the regiment would soon again be in the front rank of the National Guard organizations of the State, numerically and otherwise.

Col.-elect Norton enlisted in Company F., of the Twenty-third Regiment, September 28, 1885, nearly twenty-four years ago, and except for a trifle over eleven months has served continuously ever since. He was warranted corporal February 7, 1888; sergeant, December 1, 1891, and first sergeant November 18, 1895. He was honorably discharged June 6, 1893, but returned to his old company to accept the position of first lieutenant, then vacant, May 20, of the following year. He succeeded to the captaincy of the company June 9, 1902, and was elevated to the position of battalion commander, with the grade of Major, December 22, 1904. He received his present commission on the retirement of Lieut.-Col. Charles G. Todd a couple of years ago, defeating the senior battalion commander in a contest for the office. He is one of the Twenty-third's most popular and most efficient officers, and his administration promises to be a most successful one. He has shown rare judgment and tact in every position he has thus far held, and the fact that he was nominated by acclamation and was elected without opposition is regarded as a high compliment to his personality and ability. Immediately following the election Gen. Eddy announced the appointment of a special board of examination, before which Col.-elect Norton will appear a week from next Monday night. The board consists of Gen. Eddy, Cols. Foote and Barthman, of the Fourteenth and Forty-seventh Regiments, respectively, and Lieut-Col. Frederick J. J. Wood, Brigade Surgeon.

Col. Norton, in speaking of an election for his successor, later, said he would not order such election until he was satisfied that the officers could agree on a candidate. Thus far three names have been mentioned in that connection. They are: Majors Frederick A. Wells, William Du Bois, and Carl G. Rasmus. Col. Norton believes that before the election is ordered, however, the officers will unite on one of the three Majors named.

Six officers of the Forty-seventh Regiment, with the ordnance sergeant, went to the rifle range of Company L, of the Tenth Regiment, near Newburgh, last Thursday, and qualified as marksmen, sharpshooters and experts, as follows:

Col. John H. Foote, of the Fourteenth Regiment, is in Albany sitting at a court of inquiry appointed by the Governor to investigate the affairs of a battalion of the Tenth Regiment, and of which court Col. Foote is Chairman.

The Fourteenth Regiment will be assembled for two or three outdoor drills at the Prospect Park parade grounds before leaving for the joint army and militia maneuvers next month. Capt. Robert S. Cooke and Lieut. J. H. Blume, of the Twenty-third and Forty-seventh Regiments, respectively, may be detailed to the Fourteenth for duty during the maneuvers.

First Sergt. Albert B. Work and Private W. Vonderschmit, of Company K, Fourteenth, have been appointed battalion sergeant major and company quartermaster sergeant, respectively.

Corps. R. B. Muir, H. J. Dudley and Jeremiah Smith, of Companies M, A and F, respectively, have been appointed sergeants.

Comptroller Herman A. Metz, who is the commissary of the Fourteenth Regiment of the grade of captain, has been granted a leave of absence from July 13 to September 10, and will not be with the regiment during the joint maneuvers next month.

Brooklyn Times

1909 03: Retirement of Colonel William A. Stokes

Col. William A. Stokes, the commanding officer of the Twenty-third Regiment, who, on April 18 next will celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of his enlistment in the New York National Guard, will close with the completion of a quarter of century in the State service his long and honorable career as a citizen soldier. Col. Stokes, in short, on receipt of the State medal for long and faithful service, covering a period of twenty-five years, to which he will next month be entitled, will make formal application to be withdrawn from active service and placed on the retired list.

Col. William A. Stokes, the commandant of the Twenty-third Regiment, will complete twenty-five years service in the National Guard on April 18, and he has announced that he will apply for retirement immediately after the celebration of his silver anniversary.


Col. Stokes has long contemplated this step and his action therefore will occasion little or no surprise. He has told some of his most intimate friends that he proposed to retire after completing twenty-five years' service, though some of them were not inclined to regard these statements seriously. He declared to the Times representative, however, a few days ago, that such was his intention, and even discussed with the latter the chances of certain officers whom, it is understood, are ambitious to succeed him. Col. Stokes was told that as it had been hinted that he would seek retirement when he had completed a quarter of a century in the regiment, there was already a movement on foot to give him a silver anniversary dinner. He said he hoped not, and if there was that it was unusual. An officer generally gets his twenty-five year medal and gets out at that time, he said, without any further ado. He thought twenty-five years was long enough to serve, he said, and that an officer then should get out.

Will twenty-five years mark the close of your career in the Guard?” Col. Stokes was then asked.

“I am afraid it will,” was the prompt reply.

Continuing, Col. Stokes said he felt that he had earned a rest and intended to take it. He said he was feeling as young to-day as he had felt in a long time, and that he would be ready to return to the service or active duty should the emergency arise.

Col. Stokes will be eligible to retirement as a Brigadier General by brevet, but said he did not know whether he cared for such an empty honor or not and thought that in the event of an emergency he would stand a much better chance of getting into active service as a Colonel than as a Brigadier General. As a retired officer such commission would entitle him to be called General, instead of Colonel, as at present.

Col. Stokes enlisted in Co. I, of the Twenty-third Regiment, April 18, 1884. He was warranted corporal October 2, of the same year, and jumped to the position of First Sergeant March 12, 1886. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant January 31, 1889, and accepted the Captaincy of Co. H July 11, of the following year. He was promoted Major December 21, 1896, and succeed to the Lieutenant Colonelcy May 22, 1902. He received his present commission September 23, 1904, succeeding the late Gen. Alfred C. Barnes. He is one of the very few Colonels who have, or have had, twenty-five years' service to their credit and the distinction of serving through all the various grades.

Col. Stokes is personally popular with officers and men, but some of his ideas and plans have not been approved by his subordinates, with whom he has had more or less serious differences at times. He has been entirely too outspoken, for one thing, to suit some of them, and some of his remarks at times got him into disfavor with some of his own officers and with his former brigade commander.

The next officer in point of rank is Lieut. Col. Frank H. Norton, and he will naturally be a candidate for the prospective vacancy. He was elected to his present position from the line. That he is in every way fitted for the Colonelcy nobody will deny. There are, however, other aspirants for the position, among them being Major William DuBois, the commanding officer of the Second Battalion, and the contest is likely to be a lively one between the latter and the Lieutenant Colonel. Major Frederick A. Wells is the senior battalion commander, but was turned down before and has no better chance of securing the coveted honors this time.

Brooklyn Times