The Great War: April 28, 1917

A couple of weeks ago, we learned that when Company F, the "crack unit" from Hudson, returned home after two months of guarding the aqueduct in Orange County, they had to share the Hudson Armory with Company H, the unit from New York City that was guarding the railroad between Tivoli and Stockport. Commenting on the situation, the Hudson Evening Register declared, "There is no doubt but that a splendid spirit of good fellowship will exist between the two companies." The arrangement, however, was not without its difficulties, as evidenced by this item which appeared in the Evening Register on April 28, 1917.

The members of the Cadets' battalion are feeling in a rather sore mood today. Last night the members of the battalion, in pursuance to a call, went to the armory to drill, but they failed to do so.

According to their story, they had received permission earlier in the week from Captain Vogel of Co. H, 71st regiment, to use the armory on Friday night, he informing them that the armory floor would not be occupied that evening. When the battalion members arrived last night they were refused entrance to the armory, a sergeant of Co. H telling them that he had received orders from Captain Best, of Co. F, to this effect.

The Cadets have been drilling three years at the armory and feel the instruction and drilling fits them for some of the home defense work. They say that the Boy Scouts have drilled there four times recently, and the battalion members feel they have as much right to do so, in fact more, as they were organized primarily for a "feeder" to Co. F. Some of the battalion officers to-day were trying to get the use of City hall for their drills.

The Register sought to-day to learn what Captain Best had to say on the matter, but was unable to get in touch with the captain.

It should be remembered that in 1917, City Hall was what we now know as the Hudson Opera House, and where the Cadets were hoping to drill, since the armory was unavailable to them, would most likely have been the auditorium on the second floor of the building.
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