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| 87 inspection held December 16, 1876, the smallest number since the organization. In April, 1877, Colonel Loney resigned, but before doing so he had received the resignation of Lieutenant-Colonel George R. Gaither for the second time. Colonel Loney's resignation was to take effect May 10. Lieutenant-Colonel Gaither had a leave of absence for 30 days. On May 11, at a celebration of the tenth anniversary of the organization of the regiment, Colonel Loney took leave of the regiment. The non-commissioned officers and privates held a meeting and passed resolutions of regret at parting with their colonel, and begging the line officers to elect his successor without delay. This was entirely necessary, for at this time there was neither a colonel, lieutenant-colonel nor major, and the command of the regiment had devolved upon the Senior Captain, W. P. Zollinger. In the meantime, while all this was going on, there had been many occasions for parades by the regiment. On February 26, 1877, they acted as escort at the funeral of General Andrew W. Denison, late the Postmaster of Baltimore, and on May 21 there was the regular law parade, and the militia passed in review before the governor. Growing out of this parade a court-martial was convened, by request of Captain Zollinger, for the trial of certain officers and men who disobeyed the order to report for parade. The court was formed, but because of certain irregularities it decided it had no jurisdiction and it was dissolved, and the prisoners under arrest were discharged. The line officers let nearly three months pass without an election of colonel. There were various rumors about a selection, but none was made. Some wanted General James R. Herbert recalled to the command of the regiment, and it was reported that the place was to be offered to General Bradley T. Johnson, who had fought through the war in the Confederate Army, and had risen to the rank of brigadier-general in that service. But no election was made, and the greatest crisis in the history of the regiment came upon it when there was not a field |