The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-17
Y EDGAR. A. WEDGWooD.


of the state.
by the batteries in the Philippines, is
kept in the drill hall more for purposes
OF ornament than for any other reason,
except perhaps lack of room in the
basement where the larger pieces are
kept.
At the time of the organization of the
Utah batteries a large percentage of
the officers and men of those organiza-
tons was made up from the then exist
ing guard, but the numbers were easily
recruited to the full strength, for the
reason that enthusiasm ran high and ii
was an easy matter to get men to en-
list for active service This did not.
however, insure as high a state of eff
cheney as might be desired, as only
percentage of the men were actually
trained and those were not accus-
toned to field service.
Made UP of Good Men.
However, the fact that the batteries
were made up of the ablesr young men
of the state, men accustomed to all
lines of service in office. store or actual
outdoor labor, added greatly to the eff
cheney of the organizations if it did not
add to their military appearance. The
of ability I'm business lines as well as
of some military experience, Major R
W. Young, Captain Frank A. Grant
and Captain Joseph z. Game, as heads
of the two batteries and the troop, be-
ing all West Point men.
Later, when Major Young resigned to
accept tie position on the bench of the
supreme court of Manila, the batteries
were placed under Major Grant and
Captain Wedgwood and Captain John
F. CritchloW.
The record made by the batteries is
too well known to need comment at
this time. Suffice it to say that there
was no volunteer organization which
received more cordial recognition from
the regulars and from the heads of the
war department The memory of their
triumphs Is still fresh in the minds of
Utahs citizens, and also in the minds
of those officers ana meE who came IN
contact with them during the trying
fifteen months they spent in the ISL
ards.
Organized In 1894.
The national guard of this state
Chen territory was formed in March
| 1894. nearly two years prior to the ad-
mission of the state into the Union II
was organized by Governor Caleb West
| jutant general. He was succeeded ear
! ly in the history of the state by John @
Cannon, VINO was appointed by the
states first governor, Heber NJ. Wells
Early in 1898. when the first call came
for volunteers. Cannon resigned his Of
fee TO take command of troop OF
cavalry, and Charles 6 Burton was
appointed 10 the Office before the mus
tier was completed This official re-
81
of Governor Wells and till the appoint
ment of J. NJ Bowman in January. 1905,
The guard fiourished in its early
wears. sixteen companies of infantry
three troops of cavalry, two batteries
of light artillery. together with q. Sig
nal and hospital corps being included
in its strength.
Money on Hand.
The equipment for this large body ot
men was made possible by the fact, Ia
quote Adjutant General Burton, that
Utah's share of the congressional ap-
preparation biennially made for the
support of the national guard of the
country had been accommodating as a
credit on the books of the war depart
ment, and it became at once available
,Ipon the requisition of the governor
when the bill for the organization OF
the militia of this then territory had
become a law. 1t thus TRANSFERRED that
sum approaching $4,000 could be
drawn in ordnance and quarternaeter
ting the complete equipment of forces
in arms and other ordnance, and the Is
sue to them of the usual requisite por-
lions of the fatigue or service uniform.
Put the guard had entered only upon
the experimental period of its existence,
and great as was the zeal and enthu-
siasm of both officers and men. these
were soon found to be an imperfect
substitute for experience. 1t became
apparent that for the effective main
tenance of the organization something
more was needed than guns and clothes
from washington. From some source
means had to be secured to pay the
rent of 4rnories and drill halls: to hire
horses for the mounted service; to fur
nish subsistence and per diem to those
called into active service, and to meet
the numerous incidental expenses ne
cessairIy Incurred. The generosity OF
equal 10 the ard0r of the recruits,
doubtless due TO a lack of knowledge
as The needs fthe situation as well as
To 3 recognition of the state OF the
treasury. The result was at any RITE
that the different organizations either
tagged themselves individually for the
means. or suffered in efficiency and in
terest from the lack OF the indispensa-
BILE facilities above referred to. The
pafh of prudence therefore lay along
the lines OF retrenchment; and while
the legislative appropriation increased
with each succeeding session. through
a friendly recognition of the unselfisf
and patriotic service which young mer
had undertaken to preforn, reduction
in the strength of the organization be-
came a necessity To the credit OF
those earlier companies it must be said
however, that nearly all of them served
out with honor and with eommendablt
efflctency the full term of their enlist
ment. after which it was comparative
ly easy to restrain and discourage re-