The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-25


been handed down from revolutionary
days that the citizens of the United
States must be prepared also to be her
soldiers. When war was declared in
the spring of 1851 most of these pioneer
guards enlisted. They formed the nu-
cleus Of the famous First regiment.
In 1853 the first legislative assembly
Of Minnesota met, and on April IL a
law was enacted for the military or
ganization of the state, in accordance
with an act of congress, passed the
preceding winter. The first report of
Adjt Gen. Alex. c. Jones to Com
mander-in-C Chief Sibley, of the state
troops, gives some idea of the militia
organization, or rather lack of 1t in
territorial days.
Story of the Beginning
upon assuming the duties of my
Office" reported the adjutant, "I found
the old territorial system fallen almost
to decay. There were no records
from which information could be
gained, and an entire lack Of system
pervaded the whole department, so
that it became necessary to create
rather than to organize. AS the first
step toward organization, it was neces-
sary to divide the state into military
divisions. The law provided that the
state should be composed of three di-
visions, these to be subdivided as might
be deemed advisable by the COM
mander-in-c chief (the governor). Each
original district was divided by him
into two. thus forming six military
subdivisions of the state. Taking this
subdivision as a basis, I resorted to the
last census returns and list of coun-
ties as guide in dividing these again
into brigade and reginental districts,
which was done with a view to unity
and efficiency"
In this report the adjutant general
speaks Of the general apathy existing
in regard to military affairs" and also
of "the lack Of military fund.-
Upon entering upon my duties," he
reported II found the arms of the
state few in number, and Of poor quail
ity, being the old f1intlock muskets
altered to percussions."
He was determined to do his best,
however, and later on in his report he
says: Referring to the records of the
war department, / found that there
was due to the territory for the years
1S57-1S58 a quota Of similar arms,
which I succeeded in having committed
to a smaller number of new United
| States rifles, musket- and service rifles.
three pieces of light artillery. sig
Founders each, with carriages and
caissons; a few infantry swords and
| Colts revolverS (navy size), all of
which have been received.
This supply of arms formed the nu-
cleus, therefore, of the present state
arsenal The adjutant general de-
clared in his report that ''the receipt of
these arms has been to infuse new life
into the companies formed and to en-
courage the formation Of Others"
First Test of Active Service
| 1t was not long after the military
organization, under the state legisla-
ture act of 1858, that war broke out in
/ Wright county, and part of the new
militia received its first taste of active
| service man by the name sof Jack
son, who had been acquitted by the
court Of a criminal charge brought
against him, was taken from the Jail
/ by mob and hanged. The governor
declared the county to be in state of
instruction, and a general order cali
ing upon Company A, Capt. Western,
and Company B, Capt. O'Gorman.
Twenty-third regiment; and Company
! A, CAPT Loomis, of the Twenty fifth
regiment. of the newly organized mill
| tia. A detachment under Col John S.
Prince Twenty third regiment.
marched to the seat of warfare and
| the mob was quickly subdued by this
military display. The report made
later by Adjt.- Gen.-Jenes pronounced
| the conduct of the detachment decor
Gus and manly to a degree"
Previous to the spring of 1861 VIII
| liam A. Acker, one of the heroes of
the First Minnesota, was adjutant gem
eral on-the staff of Gov. Ramsey. The
act of the state legislature, under
which the militia was organized, did
not prove to be very effective, and in
one of Adjt. Gen. Acker's reports. is
/ sued in 1851, he said, 81 beg leave in
this report to call your attention to the
present weakness of the military force.
as well as to the absolute inefficiency
of the militia system of our state"
And excellent reason he had for criti-
cising it, for at that time there were
less than one and a half privates te
| each officer; in other words, there We're
lat general staff and, field officers to
about 200 privates enrolled among the
active militia The adjutant general
very wisely remarked that it was fools
ish to appoint officers until there were
| men for them to command.
In June, 1859, State Auditor w F.
Dunbar reported that there were
1892 able bodied white male citizens
between the ages of eighteen and forty
/ five who were liable to be enrolled for
military duty in the state. But Adjt
1 Gen. Ackers report, Issued two years
later. stated that the militia of the
state consisted of six divisions, twelve
! brigadss. twenty-eight regiments, and