The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-02-23

| lowing change in officers occurred:
Lieutenant Wilson was elected cap
tain; @. c. Grafton, first lieutenant:
III L. Loonafs, fr., second iieutenants
and Fredk Keye, the present captains
was appointed first sergeant. Under
the above officers the company went
to camp at Devils Lake in the summer
OF 1891, and steadily upheld its old
reputation as one Of the best com,
panies in the guard. During the win
ter OF 1S90-s1, on account Of the IN
dian uprising which eliminated in the
fight at Wounded Knee, s. D., the n
ID. n. 9. was under arms for three.
days, all ready to move to tho front.
Company b was called out on a Sum
day morning and ordered to prepare
to take the field at once. When the
roll was called, all but three men
answered to ti1edr names: Of these
three, two were i'll in bed, and the,
other was out of the city. There
was no sign of nervousness or appre-
hension among the men at all, but,
on the contrary a cool, soldiery stead
mess which was admirable, The com
pany lived in the armory during these
three days and nights. Capt. /. H.
Wilson was at this time in COM
mand. In the fall of 1892 Captain
Wilson was promoted to be major of
the first battalion, comprising the
companies stationed along the line of
the N. r, r. r.. between Fargo and
Bismarck. The election rendered nee
essary by this promotion resulted as
follows: Captain, G. C.. Grafton; first
lieutenant, HI, L.. Loomis, ir. second
lieutenant, Fred. Keye. Upon the res
ignation of Lieutenant Loomis, shortly
after this Lieutenant Keye was elect
ed first lieutenant; Sergt. John Jack
son, second lieutenant, and upon the
resignation of Lieutenant Jackson
Sergt. E. G. Gearey, jr. was elected
second lieutenant and M. A. Hildreth
was appointed first sergeant. Lieu
tenant LOOMS later rejoined the guard
as assistant chief OF supply, with the
rank of major. Under the command
of Captain Grafton, Lieutenants Keye
and Gearey, the company was recruit
ed up to full strength, and reported at
Camp Seward, Jamestown, n. D., in
the summer of 1894 with forty mine
men, the largest number ever taken
to camp by this company. A silver
cup; offered as prize to the best
drilled company in the regiment by
Governor Shortridge and Adjutant
General Topping, was won by company
r on July 4, the company obtaining
almost the full number of marks al
lowed in the competition. It's record
,on the rife range was also good, the
scompany standing second in shooting.
During the great fire., June z, 1893,
and for two nights thereafter, COM
pany b waslo on duty guarding exposed
property, and did it's duty i'm q man
ner worthy of all Communications. Par
ticuluarly was this the case on the
night of June. as all the men had
been fighting fire all afternoon, and
them went on duty without a murmer.
and almost without food, same some
crackers and cheese and coffee kindly
provided by Col. E. G. Gearey, sr, and
every man walked post for twelve
hours without relief of any kind. Up
on the resignation of Captain Grafton
in January, 1895, First Lieutenant
Keye was elected captain, E. C.
Gearey, jr., first lieutenant, and M.
A. Hildreth, second lieutenant, Sergt.
r. A. Thomson being appointed first
sergeant. These are the present Of
hcers of the company and it Is need
foSS TO say fEHdG unuer IIelF manage
ment the company will sustain it's
position at the head of the regiment
or very near IT," The members of the
company are the best eIement among
the young men of our city. The writer
recently had the pleasure Of witness
ing one of the regular weekly drills
OF the company. which demonstrated
that much interest was taken in the
work by both officers and men, and in
dicated that high standard Of efFic-
iency was maintained. Captain Keye,
the present commanding officer is
veteran soldier. having served i'm the
Irregular army all through the civil war
and for some time, thereafter. He also
saw service in North Dakota before
the N. p, r. r. was built. He is a
Thoroughly competent officer. Lieu
stena ntsl Gearey and Hildreth both
commenced their military career in
company B, and are officers of much
llpromise. The same may also be said