Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1917-04-13
FIGHTING RECORD
OF MONTANA MEN
CALL TO THE COLORS RECALLS
STIRRING DAYS OF WAR
WITH SPANIARD.
First Montana Fought in Many En-
gagements in Philippine Uprising;
State Had Four Troops With
Grigsby; Thousands of Montan-
ans Volunteered.

Grigsby; Thousands of Montan-
ans Volunteered.
President Wilson has asked Mon
tana for 2,05S men for the Second
Montana Infantry, and recruiting Of
fees have ben opened in every Mon
tana town at which an infantry COM
pany has it's headquarters.
Recruiting is fairly good, but it is
nothing to what it will be a little
while later, when it is apparent that
there is real service for the soldier.
Montana's war record is one of which
any state may be proud.
How many people are there in
Montana who know that the First
Montana infantry of the national
guard, when President Mckinley is
sued his call for troops, was the first
guard regiment in the United States
to be mustered into the federal serv-
ice.
Sent to the Philippines.
That was at the beginning of the
Spanish-American var for the free
dom of Cuba. About the same time
Dewey electrified the world by his
humiliation of the Spanish fleet in
Manila bay, and by which action the
whole of the Philippine islands fell
into the possession of the United
States. Immediately it became ap-
parent to the government that it
must send a strong overseas expedi-
ton to the Philippine islands to hold
what Dewey, by his signal victory,
had o
The first Montana was ordered to
the Philippines. 1t vas in command
of Harry G. Kessler, for whom it won
the star of the b~rigadier. With it
went as second in command Lieut..
Colonel Robert Bruce Wallace of
Helena, who had gr. duated from
West Point and was a lieutenant in
the regular establishment. Young
Wallace vas very popular in Mon
tana, particularly SO among the
guardsmen..
Wallace's Supreme Sacrifice.
The first Montana participated in
many engagements in the Philippines
with credit to the regiment and glory
to the state from which it came. 1t
helped materially in the putting
down of the Aguinaldo instruction.
Colonel Wallace was in command of
the regiment at the battle of Calico
can. While leading a charge he was
shot through the lung. He broke
hospital bounds too early, in order
to rejoin his regiment, and about the
time promotion came to him, was or
dered home on account of his
wounds. He never recovered from
this Caloocan bullet, dying a short
time after reaching the United
States. A bronze tablet, ~attesting tc
his valor, emblazons the corridor o.
the state house.
Twenty-Five Montanans lost theil
lives in this campaign, and sleep il
insular graves. One hundred and
fifty were wounded. The regimen
participated in every engagement o.
consequence in the short but blood.
Philippine war. And when the isl
ands were pacified and the regimen
ordered home, Major General Arthur
Macarthur, under whom the Mon
tanans had served, said of them:
'"They have certainly earned
q right to the gratitude of their
state and nation by their bril-
liant and faithful services in the
Philippines"
In addition to this regiment Mon
tana furnished four troops of cavalr.
for Grigsby's rough riders. Captain
D'Gay Stivers commanded the BUTT
troop, Captain Frank Higgins thu
Missoula troop; Captain Joseph T
Brown the Miles City troop, and Cap
tain John c. Bond the Billings troop
Charles F. Lloys of Butte, an oil
West Pointer, was lieutenant of thi
regiment, and James M. Monteith
also of Butte, was major. The regi
ment was organized for service il
Cuba, and spent some time in CAM
at Chickamaga. But the commissar,
department of the army was SO bad
ly disorganized that the Cuban va
was at an end before Colonel Grigs
by's regiment was equipped.
!, Thousands Volunteered.
In addition to the First Montan'
and this squadron of cavalry thou
sands of Montanans volunteered t
the government. In numerous in
stances whole companies were organ
lied and rendered their services t
the secretary of war, all to be de
clined. If the United States had 81
desired 10000 volunteers could LAY
been raised for service in Montana
The First Montana was mustere'
out of the service on its return from
the Philippines. Shortly afterward
the Second Montana was organized
The Second Montana has a goo'
record. 1t served in Butte, durini
the labor troubles of a couple o
years ago, and under Col. a o
ahue, restored order where chao
reigned. Its conduct in Butte at th1
trying time was such as to commend
it to all we'll thinking people.
Following the Columbus raid b.
: Villa the Second Montana was calle'
into the federal service last year, AM
sent to the border. Col. Donahu'
was in command, and in a few
months of border service put brough