The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-24
How the Men Of This State
Rallied When the First
Call Was Made for
Soldiers.
THE LONG TRIP TOLUzON
And the Stirring Story of the
Constant Fighting in Which
Soldiers From This State
Took Active Part.

April 90, 1898, Colonel Henry c. Kess-
Ter, commanding the First infantry
regiment, National guard of Montana,
after conference swith Governor
Smith, issued orders to the ten COM
panies of his regiment to report for
duty at their several armories through
out the state.
War with Spain was on. The presi-
dent, on April %, had called for 10000
men to form a volunteer army. Mon
tana's quota in that call was one full
regiment Of - companies.
With the issuance of Colonel Kess-
ler's orders to his company command
ers began the history of the gallant
regiment whose return from the war
was celebrated in Butte yesterday.
Colonel kessler's National guard
regiment was a small one, for all its 10
companies. There were few more than
500 men in it's ranks, only half of
full 12-company regiment. The regl
ment had been organized in 1887, and
among it's officers and men were many
military men who had fought in the
civil war and in the Indian campaigns.
The first thing the company com
manders had to do on receiving the or
ders Of Colonel Kessler was to recruit
their companies UP to the maximum
strength of three officers and SO en-
listed men each. This was done with
= ease Then there was to be read
justment of officers of field and line.
In the first place the governor APP
pointed First Lieutenant Bruce Wal
lace of the 9Th United States cavalry,
then on duty in Helena, lieutenant col
onel. James w. brennan, the then adj
jutant general of the state was APP
pointed a major, he being veteran of
Indian campaigns. John r. Miller,
who had commanded the Helena bat
terry of light artillery, was appointed
major also. The third major was By
ron H. Cook of Helena, a soldier of cx-
perience. Lieutenant Albert Seadorf,
the regimental quartermaster, was re-
tanned in that position, he being an
old Indian fighter. Lieutenant Ben E.
Calkins remained as regimental adju-
tant. Colonel Kessler himself, it
should be remarked. had fought
through the civil war as an officer in
Pennsylvania regiment.
When the orders to rendezvous at
Camp R. B. Smith--named for the
governor-came,L 1.-the new company or
ganized at Helena, was the first on the
ground. Then, May a. there came D
of Virginia City B, F, and G of Butte
arrived on the 5th. E of Dillon, X of
Anaconda and NJ, the other new COM
pany formed at Anaconda, came on the
9Th. A of Great Falls reached camp
the It'll, as did c, made up chiefly of the
Bozeman troop of cavalry and the Hell
ena light battery and commanded by
James F. Keown, the troops former
commander; H of Kalispell and l of
Lewistown.
May 9th the muster in was complet-
cd by Lieutenant George P. Ahern, the
regular army officer detailed for the
duty On the same day Colonel Kess-
Ter formally took command. The regi-
ment was the first in all the country to
be completed and accepted.
May 25 at s a. M, the regiment broke
camp and started by rail for San Fran
cisco, which it reached May IS in the
morning. All along the route through
Montana, Utah, Idaho, Nevada and
California countless thousands cheered
the departing soldiers. Camp was es-
tablshed on Point Lobos avenue ~ the
famous Camp Merritt Of San Fran
cisco. There the regiment was fully
equipped with the antediluvan SPRING
field rifles. Uniforms of a shoddy sort
the best to be had-were also furn-
ished by the government
Shortly after the regiment reached
camp 1t, the Wyomings and Seventh
Californians We're incorporated in a
brigade commanded by General Mac
Arthur. June q he departed for Ma
nila. leaving Colonel kessler the sem
Tor colonel in command of the brigade.
Brigadier General Harrison Grav Otis
succeeded to the command three weeks
later.
Twas a Glorious Fourth.
feature of the stay in camp was
the Fourth of July celebration at Oak
land, where the Montana regiment gave
a sham battle. Their efforts to please
the Oakland people were repaid on the
return of the Montanas from the Phil
'ppines, when Oakland made the boys
her guests one day and treated them
royalty.
July came the first death in the
regiment Private Rohert en,,ipoto,
OF the hospital corps, who had been a
member of Company X, died in camp of
pneumonia and was given a soldiers
funeral.
July Is, at Sis a. m camp was
broken and the regiment marched