Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-07-03

An Antiquated and Useless Militia
System
May II. 1876 the Congress of the
L. S. declared that a condition of war
existed between the United States and
Mexico on account of the acts of the
latter nation; and authorized the
President to raise a volunteer force
of $4,000 from the different States as
an adjunct to the regular army.
The President, accordingly, called
for 50 regiments from the so States
then composing the union, with an
additional battalion from the District
of Columbia The NUMBER of regi-
ments assigned to Pennsylvania was
six
The olden-time mastering with all
it's attendant scenes of convivality was
still in the heyday of its popularity;
ana, in consequence, nearly every
town and community had its crack
company arrayed in all possible extra
Vagances of uniform, with wonderful
trimmings and edgings and of every
conceivable com bination of hues.
These crack companies from all
over the State promptly rendered their
services in large numbers so that, by
the opening day of June, more than
100 State organizations had indicated
an eager desire to go to Mexico.
Among the very first of these were
Dauphin Guards" and the Harris
burg Rifles" While neither of these
companies participated in the Mexican
war, as an organization, the Cameron
Guards" did. And the reason why, in
this case, the last was first, unfolds a
tale of interest which will be briefly
too.
Following the offer of services from
these many companies, the militia
officers of the State, who through all
the piping times of peace had been the
central figures of parades and musters
as they rode around in gaudy uni
forms, began to get very busy.
A Plethora of Proclamations
For months the papers of the Com
monwealth carried columns of gen.
eral orders, proclamations and in
structions from the Governor of the
State, the Adjutant- General of the
militia forces, major generals and
rigadier-generals who commanded
alleged brigades and divisions of
militia. At first, June %, was fixed as
the time when everything was to be
ir readiness for a Pennsylvania move
ment Mexico way Then the time was
extended to July II, as the Adjutant
General of the State expressed it ito
allow time for the correction of in
formalities, and that companies might
plement of men"
Bluntly worded the true reason was
that the so-called militia system of
the State at that day was a glittering
sham abounding in show, pretense,
high sounding titles and general in
efficiency to produce speedy and
practical results when confronted with
condition of actual hostilities. Com
pare the months of delay and disap-
pcintment in placing two regiments
in the field, in 1916, which | am about
to narrate. with the mobilization of
the entire National Guard of Pennsyl-
vania at Mt. Gretna in some twenty
four hours at the beginning of the
Spanish American war or what we
have just witnessed in our State in
the past few days following President
Wilson's call for service on the Mex
lean border, and one is able to com
prehend the vast difference in military
conditions at the two periods.
Something Doing at Least
From May II to November s is
good long time as we measure time
new. Yet, on November IS, 1S46. not
one of those hundred and more Penn
sylvania organizations which had
rendered their services was one inch
nearer Mexico than they had been
when the President called for volun-
toors on May II. Troops from many
Of the Southern and Western States
we're in the field: battalion from our
neie hboring city of Baltimore covered
itself with glory amid the lurid fires
OF Monterev but not a Pennsylvanian
was in the fray except those who were
/ ia the repular army. And quite. p
nun her of patriotic young men OF
I Harrisburg dis@usted with the inter
rlediate delay iN tho orE9 nization of
Pernsvlvania vollrteer regiments, had
crtored tho regular service.
There was vest deal of talk in
official circ!e~ and much froth about
whai was going TO be done. Yards
ord varfis of n~o"lar0atinns and ger-
arai orders wero f"ed off every r'Hek.
/ Int urderverth oil these seemed to
h. m irsnnerai,le d'n7culty IN getting
the machinery In motion, Some COM
panies were not filled to the requisite