The Anaconda standard., 1895-12-23
MONTANA NATIONAL GUARD
General Curtis Thinks We Could Get an
Army Ready In Two Days.

Army Ready In Two Days.
Helena Independent: In speaking of
those possibilities last night General
Curtis declined to admit. first OF all.
that there was any occasion for alarm.
But he gave some interesting estimates
of what might be expected OF the ma
tional guards of the state. which
would. as a matter OF course. form the
nucleus of any military organization
that might be perfected. He believes
II would take about two days to equip
a small but formidable army and have
IL in the field THE men would be
ready in large numbers" he said, 'in
less time than IL would take to have
the arms and accoutrements ready for
them"
The guard has some accoutrements
of its own. however. They would be
enough to make a start.
The actual strength of the state mi
litia. in its unrecruited condition." said
the general 'is now in the neigbor-
hood of 500. The full capacity OF the
First regiment would be the same as
a full regiment of the regular army.
There is material in the guard for
more than that We would. with little
recruiting. place two regiments of in
fantry in the field at once. There are
plenty of accoutrements for two regi-
ments of cavalry. and there is a bat
terry of artillery all ready TO send out
as soon as the men offered themselves.
We could officer and send out three
regiments OF infantry. for that matter,
in a remarkably short space of time.
on an occasion of the kind where there
was a threatened invasion OF the bor-
der, especially. there would be ready
response to the call. Such a fighting
force as L speak of could be prepared
for war and sent to the border in-well,
let me say two days. That would be
an outside estimate l suppose IL such
a campaign were projected the enemy
would enter the Saskatchewan country
somewhere and endeaveor by the best
means they had TO come south to us.
We would be ready for them.
There are several routes they could
come over. at their own pleasure, II
they came. at all. If you will glance at
the map you viii see how that would
be possible. They may take the rail-
road that runs down frCss. Lethbridge,
for instance. and there are = any over
land routes through the mountains.
They could distribute their forces all
along the border, too. and that is more
likely to be what they would do. i
was up in that country once. but not
on military business. and while 1 no.
ticed in a general way that there are
many good strategic points, I didn't
locate them in particular
do you think IL would be advisable
for the army of the United states To
move across the line I'm the first place.
as soon as the war began. and head
them off by taking Up a few hundred
miles OF the Canadian Pacific TO head
them off in case OF future operations
along that liner he asked.
That would be a question of the fu-
ture." General Curtis replied. 1t would
L no. hss fnf
fully before being carried out. IL In to,
early to lay a definite plan of that
kind"
The fighting strength OF the United
States would soon be augmented ht
continued. In few days IL could b,
I made 5000 men. and then. If there
were q further call there would be al
/ least 10000 men in the field. These
would be among the best soldiers In
the entire army. They would consist
I of the miners and prospectors of ths
/ state. and the cattlemen who ride or
the range and are at all times Injured
to hardships of the worst kind. Such q
fighting battalion. says General Cur
tbs. would not be outclassed by any
section of the country.
The most important strategic poin
of ALL" he added. would be Helena
1t would be here that the troops would
be sent for their Quitting. and from
/ here they would be ordered to th'
l front The regulars who took par
would come through Helena. and For
Harrison would become one OF th'
most-talked-of and efficient points IN
the United States. From time TO tim'
as the recruiting of men continued
| Helena would come to be more anS
more important But there would b.
no discounting of the volunteers from
| Montana any of the time. The miner
and prospectors and cowboys woul,
be just the right men i'm the righ
place.