Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-04-06
co. F. DISBANDED.
Official Order Puts End to Ex-
istence Of Capital Guards.
Had Fallen Below Standard and Failed
to Comply With Law.
New Company Will Be Organized to
Take Its Place.

Co. F. of the First Regiment of the
National Guard of the State of Maine
is no more. 1t went out of existence
with the issuing of general orders No.
9, which were sent out, Saturday, from
the office of Adjutant General Farm
ham. For the first time in the mem
DRY of man, Augusta is without a mil
itary organization. Company +, pop
ularly known for many years as the
Capital Guards, has had a continuous
existence for over a third of century.
Back of that, it traces it's origin to the
Gray Rifles" and still earlier to the
Augusta Light Infantry" Of a century
ago. The Civil War broke up the
State militia organizations, but since
that time, the company has had a con-
tinuous and and usually a prosperous
existence.
The reasons for the disbanding of
the company are made plain in the Of
fetal orders. Co. f has fallen below
the proper standard of strength and
efficiency and has failed to comply with
the regulations and discipline of the
service. It's disbanding is a part of
the present plan for the thorough re-
organization of the National Guard of
the State. The Augusta company is
not the only one to be wiped out of ex-
istence. The companies at Waterville
and Machias have likewise been dis
banded, and there are whispers that
other companies will follow them off
the roster. Sanford has put in an ap-
plication for company and has good
preliminary organization already eff
fected, and it is probable that a sue
cessor to one of the disbanded COM
panies will be located there.
The disbanding of Co. F does not
denote by any means, that Augusta is
to be without a company in the Ma
tional Guard. There is every reason
to believe that a new company will
quickly be organized here, and plans
to this end are understood to be afoot
in the office of the adjutant general.
The disbanding of Co. F does not come
as any surprise to those who have
been familiar with the conditions.
Following is the full text of the general
order:
State of Maine,
Adjutant- Generals Office.
Augusta, April 2, 1908.
General Orders No. 8.
/. BY authority vested in the COM
mander- in chief under Section Az of
Chapter 266 of the Public Laws of 1893,
Company F, First Regiment of Infan-
try, N. G. S. M, is hereby disbanded,
it appearing upon reports received aft
er a thorough investigation, that this
company has fallen below the proper
standard and has failed to comply with
the laws, regulations and discipline
governing the service. The enlisted
men of the company are hereby hon
orably discharged from the service of
the State.
II. The commanding officer of Com
pany F. will at once fill out discharge
papers for each enlisted man under
his command and forward them to this
office. Upon the receipt and compile
ton of the same, the designations of
the commissioned officers of Company
+ will be forwarded and they will be
honorably discharged.
III. Captain Dana w. Lovejoy,
commanding Company F, will at once
transfer and forward to the quarter
master general at Augusta, Maine, all
military property in his possession,
making duplicate invoices for the same.
By order of the COMMANDMENTS Chief,
AUGUSTUS B. F'ARNHAM,
Adjutant General.