Antipodes were fleeing in terror before the mighty thunder of the Utah
guns at Santa Mesa and Bag Bag.

The batteries left for San Francisco on May 20th. It was an imposing
sight to see the newly recruited soldiers, commanded by Captain Young,
as they marched down the streets to the depot followed by thousands of
citizens who gathered to bid them farewell. Some partings between
relations were exceedingly touching and sad. Perhaps mothers and
sisters, fathers and brothers read in the dim misty vista of the future
the fate to which some of the men were doomed in the furious skirmishes
of Luzon. Cheer after cheer rang out as the train pulled away and the
volunteers responded with vigor, although there were some whose voices
sounded husky as the final greetings were given.

On their arrival at San Francisco the batteries received a royal
welcome, the Red Cross society taking especial pains to make their visit
a pleasant one. Several weeks were consumed in perfecting the
organization and preparing it for foreign service. Lieutenant Wedgewood
and Sergeants Brown and Fehr returned to Utah and recruited 104 men to
complete the organizations to their full strength, leaving Salt Lake
City with them on June 29th. On June 15th the batteries sailed away to
the land across the seas where work of a far more serious nature awaited
them.

The voyage across was not altogether unlike a voyage on any ordinary
vessel, save for the fact that the men were crowded a little closer than
on a first-class passenger boat, and the food was not so elaborate in
character as one would expect to find in a first grade hotel or a
railway dining car. The men kicked in the good natured American way and
continued to eat what was given them and slept as best they could.

A stop was made at Honolulu, where occurred a reception to the Utah men
which marked a bright day in the life of the soldier. The transports
arrived on the night of the 23rd, and at 11 o'clock. The next morning
they went ashore amid the cheers of the Hawaiians, who gave them a
greeting hearty and cordial. Flowers were in profusion and pretty girls
threw bouquets at the tired pilgrims until they felt that they had
indeed found the "Paradise of the Pacific." Judge Kinney, a former
resident of Salt Lake City, headed the reception committee, and there
were elaborate preparations to make the stay one of gladness. The great
sugar works and plantations at Oahu were visited and the points of
int