Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-04-29
The State Militia,

In the event of war the militia of the
state would like to know how and when
they are to get into the service and
what what will be their status in the
army. At the present time there are
about $4,000 of the national guard in
the United States. Uuder the last ad-
vices from Washington it is stated that
the president will give the national
guard the first opportunity to volunteer
and will call for $4,000 of them. De-
Quoting from the total number of mill
tiamen those who are sick. disabled
and for other reasons will be unable to
60, a call for $4,000 would include
nearly, if not quite all, ablebodied mill
tiamen and would give the entire fight
ing force Of the national guard an op-
portunity to see service.
If the guardsmen are called for first,
it is likely the governors of the state,
including that of North Dakota, would
be called upon to furnish such a proper
ton OF his state troops as was deemed
reasonable by the department. In the
state of North Dakota there is one regi-
ment of infantry, one troop of cavalry
and n battery of light artillery. Adj
jutant General Miller believes that the
latter organization will be the first to
be called upon by the government. The
members Of the battery have already
volunteered and are ready for service.
The governor being called upon
would at once, through the adjutant
general Of the state, communicate with
the different company commanders, in
structing them to enlist their companies
to their full quota, discharge those
men who for any reasons were not in
position to go the front and report for
duty. There are now nine companies of
infantry in the state, and it is believed
that all of them would respond patrioti-
cally to a call. These troops are in two
batallions, under the command of
Major Flint of jamestown and Major
Frank White of Valley City. Colonel
A. P. Peake of Valley City is in COM
mand OF the regiment and would be if
a full regiment were called from the
state into service. The regiment once
mustered would be made to rendezvous
at Fargo, where they would be met by a
recruiting officer of the United States
where they would be sworn into the SER
vice of the United States and become
then regular troops of the government,
the regiment maintaining it's officers
and organization if it's full quota of
men and companies we're mustered into
service.
The regiment would then be dispatch
ed to the front, if desired for use in the
Cuban campaign, and combined with
other regiments in the higher organiza-
tons of the army, under command of
regular officers of the United States
army. Their disposition after that
would depend upon the %exigencies that
might arise, and the luck Of war, con-
corning which there is nothing definite
to be hazarded.
General Wingate, formerly inspector
Of the national guard of New York state
and n of the best posted men on ma
tional guard affairs in the United
States, makes the following statement
which will be of interest to all militia
men:
Competent military men consider it
doubtful if there a be found in the
country 10000 national guardsmen who
are sufficiently drilled and equipped SO
that they could be counted upon to do
immediate effective service. The ex-
: tent to which the national guard will