This work continued until September, 1901, when the company. assembled in Manila preparatory to its return to the United States.

Lieutenant Ferguson was relieved from duty with the company on September 12 and Lieutenant Kelly on September 20. Lieut. William G. Caples, who had joined the company on April 26, was also relieved on September 20.

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THE FORMATION OF THE FIRST BATTALION

By the act of February 2, 1901, the engineer troops of the Army were increased from a single battalion of five companies to three battalions of four companies each: The organization of the first battalion was effected from the three companies in the Philippines under authority of G. O. No. 22, Headquarters of the Army, A. G. O., Washington, February 26, 1901, Maj. Clinton B. Sears, Corps of Engineers, being assigned to command by G. O. No. 79, Division of the Philippines, Manila, April 26, 1901. The former orders prescribed that the First Battalion of Engineers should consist of four companies, designated as Companies A, B, C, and D, and that it should be formed from the three companies of engineers, A, B, and E, then on duty in the Philippines, a new company, D, to be formed by transfers from the three existing companies, and the designation of Company E to be changed to Company C.

Major Sears assumed command of the battalion on May 16, 1901, and appointed the following staff and non-commissioned staff: Adjutant, Fir t Lieut. Harry Burgess; quartermaster and commissary, First Lieut. Sherwood A. Cheney; sergeant-major, Truman Organ, Company E; quartermaster-sergeant, William Harer, Company E. The adjutant and sergeant-major reported for duty as such on May 30, 1901, the quartermaster and commissary on September 28, 1901, and the quartermaster-sergeant on June 18, 1901. The battalion headquarters (the battalion commander, adjutant, and sergeant-major only) were established at Santa Lucia Building, Malacon Drive, Manila, and remained there until October 2, 1901. Company D was organized June 7, 1901, and brought to its authorized strength entirely by transfers from Companies A, B, and E, of the original battalion. The enlisted men transferred to the company were, at the time, employed on road and bridge work at various points throughout the island of Luzon, and their stations and duties were unchanged by their transfers. During the short period from organization of the company until it assembled in

Manila preparatory to departing for the United States the men composing it remained on detached duty with the companies to which they originally belonged. A description of their duties would therefore be a partial repetition of the history of the three older companies.

From June 13 to July 11, 1901, Lieutenant Burgess was in temporary command of the company, with station at Manila. On the latter date he was relieved by Captain Cavanaugh, and on July 30 the headquarters of the company were established at Dagupan. Lieutenant Rand was assigned to duty with the company on July 11 and Lieutenant Sherrill on July 27, 1901. Both were relieved on September 20. On September 27 the company assembled in Manila to await transportation to the United States.

In assembling the companies of the First Battalion in Manila, no cessation of the works on which they were engaged was caused, for as fast as the various detachments of this battalion were withdrawn from the field their places were filled by detachments from the Second Battalion of Engineers, which had arrived at Manila July 16, 1901.

On October 1, 1901, Captain Zinn took command of the First Battalion, relieving Major Sears, who remained on duty at division headquarters. The battalion headquarters were established in the Cuartel de Malate October 2, and remained there until the battalion went on board the transport to return to the United States. Company A had already left on July 20, and on October 18, 1901, the remainder of the battalion, consisting of headquarters and three companies (4 officers and 234 enlisted men), sailed for the United States on the transport McClellan, arriving at New York City December 23, 1901.

The officers on duty were Captain Zinn, commanding Company B and the battalion; Captain Cavanaugh, commanding Company D; Lieutenant Burgess, adjutant, and commanding Company C, and Lieutenant Cheney, quartermaster and commissary. Battalion headquarters and Companies B and D proceeded to Jefferson Barracks, Mo., for station and Company C to West Point, N. Y. Company A on its arrival had first been assigned to duty at Willets Point, N. Y., but was subsequently sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kans., where it was finally joined by the remainder of the battalion.

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