October 7, a recruiting office was opened by Captain Whipple at No. 3  Washington Street, near the corner of Essex, on the site now occupied by Price’s Block.
A Salem paper of Oct. 7 printed the following: For the War!

THE UNION DRILL CLUB
OF SALEM
Believing that the times urgently demand an increased activity among the Young Men of the Country to aid in the suppression of Rebellion and assist in. the contest for the Union, the Government, and the Laws, voted on Monday evening, Sept 30, to Enlist for the War; the Company of which the Club forms a nucleus will join the 23d Regiment to be attached to
GENERAL BURNSIDE’S BRIGADE.

The undersigned, having received authority from His Excellency, Gov. Andrew, to raise a Company, cordially invites all Young Men of Salem and vicinity to enroll their names in this corps. Men enlisting in this Regiment receive a Bounty, Which for a family of three persons is Twelve Dollars a month; also, One Hundred Dollars at the close of the War.
The officers pledge themselves to use every exertion for the comfort and welfare of the men; a faithful and competent Commissary will be at. Attached to the Commissary.   Pay and Rations upon Enlistment
RECRUITING OFFICE
No.31 Washington Street.
GEO. M. WHIPPLE, Recruiting Officer.
By order of Brig Gen. W. W.  BULLOCK. General
Recruiting officer Massachusetts Volunteers
Salem, Oct 7, 1861

At that early period of the war, recruiting was in its golden age, and the men who flocked to the Support of the flag in ‘61 and '62 were, in respect to character and principle, the bone and sinew of the Republic.

The quality of membership of the company whose history we are rapidly sketching was fully up to the standard, and in recognition of that fact one of the papers of the day unwittingly bestowed a name which clung to the company as long as it was in the service, and to this day is not forgotten by the survivors of the regiment.

On the 12th of October, the Young Men’s Union held a meeting, called in view of the fact that some of its members were organizing a military company to aid in defense of the country.” The Hon. Ashael H Huntington presided. Patriotic resolutions were adopted, and a committee, consisting of Messrs. John Bertram, A. B. Almon. K. C. Manning. Justin Rideout,and George C. Bancroft, was appointed to raise by volunteer subscription a fund * for the benefit of the organization.*Captain Whipple writes that about six hundred dollars were raised and placed in his hands.This sum was disbursed for the company as need arose. Among other items two hundred dollars' worth of stamp were purchased at Fort Monroe( Hayward)

Sunday, Oct. 13, the newly enlisted members attended divine service at the Crombie Street Congregational Church, at which time Rev. J. H. Thayer, erstwhile an enthusiastic member or the Union Drill Club and an ardent friend of the new company, delivered a patriotic discourse.

The church was crowded to the doors, many being turned away, unable to gain admissionsOctober 14. The company, about seventy strong, marched to the Neck, where, in barracks erected in April. Its first days of service were passed. and one member  records “we were obliged to cook for ourselves to some extent, and our beds were only straw in hard board bunks," In honor of one who was both to the old and the new organizations a steadfast friend, this First sojourning place was named Camp Bertram.

In the evening the company attended a meeting at Mechanic Half. At the close of the exercises, which consisted of speeches by several gentlemen, and fine singing by the Amphipons, Major Henry Merritt of the 23d Regiment mustered the company into service, the somewhat irregular ceremony being witnessed by a large audience.

Though diarists abounded in the company, they have little to say of those early days. One writer well remembers the first night at Camp Bertram. The situation was entirely too novel for sleep. The hum of voices peals of laughter, story, jest, and repartee filled the hours and made miserable the few who were disposed to court the drowsy god.”
One of the newly-fledged soldiers evinced a strong desire to sing, the burden of his song being —
Oh where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Oh where have you been charming Billy?
And the changes that were rung on the “ cherry pie “(an aggravation, just as we were getting down to camp fare) made his unwilling listeners feel that “life would not be worth the living if they were thus to be nightly entertained.

Now and then some enthusiastic warrior would take his place in the open barracks and practice the manual of arms en solitaire. Once a toe obstinately obtruded itself between the floor and a descending musket-butt, and the night air became vocal with tones of anguish driven forth by a pair of strong country lungs, in the expressive words, “Gosh all hemlock.”

*In 1860 a male chorus was organized in Salem under the name of the “Amphions.” It was composed of twenty gentlemen, and its stirring music helped greatly to foster the war spirit among the young men of Salem. Quite a number of its members went into the service: S. P. Driver as Quartermaster Sergeant of the 23d, Francis H. Lee and H. E. Valentine enlisting in Company F, the club disbanded in 1862.(Hayward)
It is needless to add, that in this company, Enthusiasm in the matter of midnight drills expired at a very early day.
The Salem Register of the 17th said: —
Up to last evening the club had enlisted ninety-two men. The time at Camp Bertram is spent in Squad and Company Drills. This afternoon they will be glad to see their friends at the camp and no passes will be required”

In response to, this invitation, a large party of friends thronged the camp on Thursday afternoon, and it was a gala day for our embryo soldiers.

Friday morning, Oct. 18, the company, ninety-four strong, left Winte Island and under escort of the unenlisted members of the Union Drill Club, Lieut. J. H. Webb, marched to South Danvers where cars were taken for Lynnfield.

The fine appearance of the men, as reported by the papers of the day, attracted much attention.The weather was not propitious, but the rain which fell during the march had no power to dampen their ardor. Front the station at Lynnfield the company was escorted to quarters by Company A and the regimental drum corps, thenceforth to be known As Company F of the 23d Mass. Vols, and as before indicated, somewhat familiarly in the regiment as the “Jewels.” In line of battle F was second company.

As showing the excellent reputation enjoyed by the company, and the eagerness with which young men sought admission to its ranks, we quote from papers of the time: —
“Captain Whipple’s Company has been filled up rapidly and those who have enlisted in it from this city, as well as from the neighboring towns are young men of fine appearance and quick intelligence. They manifest great interest in the drills, and will consequently soon be in excellent condition. The company contains a considerable number of superior vocalists who will doubtless do their full share in maintaining a ‘sunny side’ to the realities of camp life.’ — Salem Gazette, Oct., 22.

Part 3