Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-06

tofd Them TO SEM out recruiting Omcers
to the towns and cities where the COM
panies Of the First regiment had been
organized. and endeavOr to fill up these
companies with the least possible delay
| and authorized him and them to state
to all men enlisting that they should
nave the same treatment and the same
-gratuity as was given by the act of April
1851, to the soldiers OF the first 10 regi-
ments, assuring them that would either
raise the necessary funds to do this my
self. or call an extra session Of the legis-
lature, and recommend that it be done
| in which event 1 had no doubt it would
| be-
/ After due deliberations finally decided
! under all the circumstances, to pay this
bounty to the men on my own personal
responsibility, trusting and believing
that after you had full knowledge OF
the facts. the needs of the men and the
| urgency Of immediate enlistments that
the wisdom and propriety, as well as
the necessity of SO doing. would COM
mend itself to your Judgment, and the
act be ratified by you. There are GER
| fanny as cogent reasons for paying this
| small bounty to these volunteers as there
were to those i'm 1861. Many of the men
were in pressing need of some money
| TO purchase little necessary articles for
themselves. and others must have some
thing to send to their very destitute
families or leave them in want.
| While we We're graphing with and
overcoming these difficulties, incident to
hlllng the quota by using the National
| Guard, l was constantly receiving nu-
| merous applications. from all parts OF
| the state. from patriotic citizens who
| desired to raise companies, and who ex-
pected to be commissioned in those com
| panes, offering services of themselves.
and various numbers of volunteers. and
! il had felt at liberty to disregard the in
| structions from Washington to use the
| guard. and to accept these volunteer
| Companies, l could have raised several
| regiments in a very short time, and at
| less cost to the state.
For the reason above stated, and for
| others which are obvious, am very de-
| cidedly of the opinion that there shout |
| be some radical amendments or changes
| in the laws relating to the National
Guard of Maine. At the present time
| both regiments of the guard are very
| much shattered and disorganiZed from
| the results of the war, and orders have
been issued furloughing the entire guard
| to the first of May next. do not in the
| least desire to reflect upon the officers
or men who constitute the National
| Guard of our state. 1t is not their fault
| if the march of events has outgrown the
regiment provided by our military laws
| and dei:and something of different
| character. The difficulties. to my mind,
| can be obviated and removed. not by re-
pealing. but by properly amending in
some important sections the law Great
ing and regulating the guard as it now
stands upon our statute books.
Ii is certainly better and less expensive
n~.S
and have every company full to the
standard of the United States require
ments. than a larger number of organi-
cations with less men in them. such as
our present laws provide for. What Ma
tional Guards the state of Maine may
| have in the future should be composed
| of companies of not less than the same
| number of physically sound men that
the United States regular army require
| ments specify. They should be armed
| with modern guns, thoroughly equipped
and drilled, and ready to take the field
at any time upon short notice, and when
| any call by the general government has
exceeded their numbers, and more SOL
GierS are needed there will be no lack
of eager volunteers But two regiments.
with full compliments of officers so that
no commissions can be given to those
who desire to bring men in. in which only
from 20 to 10 men are physically mt for
duty. are expensive and difficult to raise
to the United States standard and re-
quirements when called into active serv-
ice. and should cease to exist in our state.
In short. l submit that it is very desila-
BILE to SO change our military laws as to
form our National Guard in every par
ucular. SO far as We can, upon the reSu-
lar army standard.
There We're some soldiers enlisted and
sent To join the First regiment of in
fantry and battery A of the heavy ar
tillery, under the supervision of the
United States government and const-
tuted a part of our quota under the sec
ond call. None of these men have re-
ceived any of the gratuity before re-
ferred 10. | believe that ii is right that
it should he paid to Them as the state OF
Maine always has been and can afford
20 he not only Just but generous to the
brave men who came forward and en-
| listed in her behalf at the countrys call.
All of the officers in these four batteries
were officers in the guard. though some
of them do not hold as high rank in the
batteries as in the guard. and all of their
men and the men of the sigma, corps
have received the gratuity as above
| stated. with The exception oi The few
that enlisted in battery A.
For some of these soldiers in the late
war. with Spain. and for the old soldiers
! of the war of 81, whose valor saved the
republic and made it indeed n nation.
where the fires of liberty will continue
| to burn on the affairs of Freedom. rec
ommend that you make such reasonable
provision as shall help to smooth the
path of their declining years and save
them from want.
The last legislature appropriated $15-
600 per annun, which has been very care
fully and judiciously distributed to the
most needy and deserving. through the
agency Of Colonel f. {. Milliken. There
are also some needy families of soldiers
in the late war with Spain, that have re-
ceived aid while their husbands We're
absent in the service, from certain cities
and towns. l submit that this aid should
not pauperiZe them, but should be as
sumed and paid by the state in the same
manner that state aid WAS furnished in
the War of the Rebellion; thus treating
them and their families as the state
treated the soldiers and their families in
the war of 1861.
desire, in closing these already lengthy
suggestions and remarks on military
matters-for l can only recommend and
suggest. action and The initiative is with
you-to call your attention to the fact
that in all the state has done in filling its
quotas in equipping the men, in caring
for the returned sick and suffering. the