The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-07-25

iCS III tile GLlteu SldttS army rs hlle
Fighting Third regiment of infan-
try, ordered to the Philippines for
duty at Turang The regiment was in
Montana from 1877 to 1888. Eight com
panies of the First and Third bat
talions. stationed at Fort George
Wright, three miles west of Spokane,
Lieutenant Colonel Lea Febiger, COM
mandant, and four companies under
Colonel T. c. Woodbury. at the reg
mental post. Fort Lawton, will en-
bark on the United States transport
Buford sailing for the islands on An
gust s. ~.
The regiment participated in many
important campaigns and uprisings.
beginning with the protection of the
western frontiers more than century
ago. serving also with distinction in
the war with the Seminole Indians, in
the Mexican and Civil wars, taking
prominent part in the first Bull Run
campaign. 1t assisted in the opening
of territories in the southwest and
northwest. suppressed Indian upris-
ings and railroad riots in various parts
of the United States. assisted in put
ting down the guerrilla warfare on
the south Atlantic and Pacific islands
and did duty in Alaska. whence 1t
came to the state of Washington three
years ago, after the longest and hard
est march in the army's history.
The history of the regiment, prob
ably the most dramatic in American
army annals, includes many epoch
making events. in which are associated
the names of men, including Anthony
Wayne. Zachary Taylor and others.
who were famous in their time and
are remembered by present genera
tons because Of what they accomp-
lished in the early days OF the re-
public. "a
The organization dates back to 1884,
when. because of the finances Of this
nation We're exhausted. congress dis
banded all that remained of the Con-
tinental army, save one battery Of
80 men at West Point as guard for
the public stores. Several months
afterWard congress resolved that 1t
was necessary to raise body of 700
troops by states, composed of infantry
and artillery, to protect the northwest
ern frontiers The following year the
organization was defined and des-
1BNaIeu al a national DQuy.
Experiments.
Among the many experiments with
the army that then rapidly succeeded
each other was plan for merging the
infantry, cavalry and artillery into a
single body under the designation Of
the Legion of the United States. the
ancient Roman legion being the root
OF the idea. The scheme seems 10
have originated with the Baron Won
Steuben, who, upon review Of all the
military of Europe frankly stated,
that 1.-THE legion alone has not been
adopted by any" yet he ventured to
recommend 1t for reasons of his own.
The legion was organized and divided
into four sub-legions, corresponding to
regiments
The Third regiment, organized un-
der the act of March 3. 1892 as the
infantry part of the Third sublegion
came into being at Pittsburg, head
quarters of the Legion of the United
States. September 4, 1892, under direct
charge of Major Anthony Wayne
commander-in-c chief. A week later it
was given it's marks of yellow bind
ings to the caps. yellow plumes, and
black hair which colors are today
borne in the regimental insignia. The
regiment accompanied General Wayne
on his successful campaign against the
Indians in 1884
In the reorganization of the army
in 1896, the infantry of the Third sub
legion became the Third regiment of
infantry, with Lieutenant Colonel
o,,t
colonel and commander of the Third
sub-legion, and who had served with
distinction as captain in the Revolu-
tionary army, as its first commandment.
The second majors were Jonathan
Cass and William kersey. Zebulon
Pike of Pixies Peak fame, headed the
list of captains
The regiment was stationed along
the northwestern frontier until 1900
was discharged in 1902 and remained
out of service until its reorganization
i'm 1908. with Colonel Pasteur as its
first colonel. He was succeeded in
1910 by Conolen William Dent Beall
whose descendants in The army had
much to do with the opening of the
Inland Empire. as the Spokane coun-
try is now known.
During the war of 1872 the regiment
served in the south, principally against
Indians, and part of it was with Cen
eral Jackson at the taking of PEN
sacola, Fla, in 1914.
A New Third.
In the reorganization of the army in
1916 the Third regiment was CONSOLE
dated with the Second and the Forty
fourth to form the First regiment of
infantry, and the new Third was re-
organized by the consolidation of the
First, Seventeenth. Nineteenth, Twen-
ty-fourth, Twenty-eighth and Thirty
ninth regiments.
Colonel John Miller of the Seven
teenth was retained as Colonel of the
Third regiment and Major Charles X.
Gardner, author of the designation OF
companies by the first letters of the
alphabet, became major of the regi-
ment. He was succeeded the follow
ing year by Major Zachary Taylor,
afterward president of the United
States.
The regiment was moved from the
lake region in 1926, going to Missouri
under its new colonel Henry Leaven-
worth, after whom the city and fort
,,r-tY ,.,fk