The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-12-14
Militia
OF Indian Territory
to be Reorganized



to get a national standing for the mill
tia Of Indian territory likely will be
made during the present session Of
congress. There are now two regi-
ments formed and between them, in
GLIDING the officers anc a hospital
corps, number in the neighborhood of
1000 men, Both of the present regi-
ments, however, are infantry, and
those interested in military affairs
here think if they had even a small
appropriation from the government
that cavalry would become the popu-
lar branch Of the service.
With a view of obtaining govern
mental recognition and assistance,
Brigadier General Ira L. Reeves, ed
itor of the Muskogee Times, recently
wrote a letter to Secretary Of War
Root, in which he made a formal re-
quest that the secretary use his in
fuence to further such legislation a.
i similar letter was also written to Ad-
jutant General Corbin. General
Reeves asked that the bill provide for
the establishing of eighteen compan
les of infantry, six troops of cavalry
one hospital and one signal corps.
He asked that this brigade be placed
under the command of a brigadier
general who should have as his staff
an adjutant general, with rank Of a
lieutenant colonel, an inspector gener-
al, judge advocate general, quarter
!. master general, commissary general,
each with the rank of a major chief
OF ordnance and chief of engineers,
each with the rank of a captain; two
\ personal aides with the ranks of lieu
? tenants Finally, be asks that an ap-
preparation sufficient to carry this in
to effect be allowed.
The status of the present military
organization is purely a personal and
local affair. 1t is independent but
nodded along army lines and conforms
in every detail, save that of equip
ment, to the national guards of the
states. There are two regiments Of
infantry ana a hospital corps The
headquarters of the First regiment are
at Ardmore, and it Is under the com
mand OF Colonel Humphrey, assistant
United States district attorney. while
those of the Second regiment are here,
and under the command OF Colonel
Clarence B Douglas, editor of the
Muskogee Phoenix. The headquarters
Of the hospital corps are in Okmulgee.
Each of the regiments is composed Of
eight companies, no one of which
numbers less TAIN forty men, and
} most Of them run over that number.
The company here numbers fully so
men
A number Of these companies al
ready have fitted themselves either
dth guns or uniforms or both, but
! 5 this had TO come from their individ-
ual pockets or be secured by public
subscription it has not been general.
Il II the government at Washington can
be interested this can be done as il
i is done in the S ates and the people
here do not think It is necessary to
( wait for statehood before taking this
step
A peculiar thing about the militia
Is that nearly all Of those who COM
pose it, both Officers and privates,
have seen service on the battlefield.
1t tSs : we'll known fact that Indian
territory, in proportion TO her popula-
tion, had as many enlisted men IS
the states and most OF these men, save
where they enlisted in state regi-
ments which We're sidetracked got in
the game" Several companies Of the
rough riders came from here and each
man gave a good account Of himself.
These men came back to their ola,
homes after the war was over, but
they still have an interest in military
AFFAIRS
General Reeves. the commanding Of
fioer, held the rank Of captain in the
regular army during the campaign in
the Philippines, but was inyalided
home and retired because Of wounds
received ia battle General Reeves
is one Of the men who worked his
way up from the ranks. He enlisted
in 1898 as a private in the Fourth in
fantry and was stationed in Idaho
where he helped 10 quell the riots
during 1886
In 1896 he was promoted to the rank
OF second lieutenant and was sent to
Ccba as such at the outbreak OF the
Spanish-American war with the Sew