Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-10-11
Montana Guards Rally
To Defense of Nation

From the days of single handed
combat with the Indians to the pres
ent time of mass mechanical warfare
Montana men have rallied to the de-
Tense of their country when the call
came.
ficers and men of the i63d infantry,
Montana national guard, for one
years training marks the fourth time
the state has sent men to the nations
defense in one form or another.
The first military unit in Montana
was organized Feb. 6, 1866, when C.
D.. ]. Curtis was commissioned a cap
tain in the Second regiment, terri
torial volunteers, to lead the fight
against the Indians. The commission
was signed by Gov. Thomas F.
Meagher, and the volunteer regiment
skirmished with the Indians for four
months IdE, during the summer and fall
Gained, the regiment was mustered
out in Helena Oct. 2. 1867.
Another company of volunteers went
into action 10 years later to fight
Chief Joseph, the Nez Perez Indian
chief who moved across Montana
and freedom. The troops met the In
dian forces in a decisive battle at the
Big Hole, where Chief Joseph won a
victory. The Indian forces finally sur
rendered to General Miles, north of
the Bears Paw mountains, Oct. S. 1878.
Led by Gibbon
In the battle of the Big Hole, John
Glbbon was commanding colonel Of
the volunteer unit that included II
officers. 1873 regular army men and
80 citizen volunteers A total of 4i2
volunteers who participated in the
1877 campaign received a total pay
ment of s6,879.
Organization of the Montana ma
tional guard became a reality on
March 10. 1887, when a unit was
formed under a territorial legislative
act. with C. N. Turner as the first
adjutant general. The guard included
Z regular companies, in Butte, in
Billings, in Virginia City, in Hell
ena and in Dillon. Two troops OF
unattached cavalry were stationed at
tached artillery outfit, Battery BAIT " A. was was
stationed at Helena. The guard
strength totaled At officers and 542
enlisted men.
The first annual encampment OF
the national guard was held at Hell
ena fairgrounds Aug. 81. 1888, lasting
three days, and made possible by con-
tributlons Of 81 400 from Helena citi-
zens. The largest representation was
company D of Virginia City, which
sent SO enlisted men.
In Background
Lack OF funds and lack of attention
showed the national guard into the
background for a few years, and it
was not until 1893 that the militia was
assembled to drill daily and made
that might be encountered due to
the financial disturbances of that de
preston year."
In 1894, the public, impressed BY
the efficiency and cooperation of the
guard. made it possible for the troops
to have their encampment. The old
military grounds at Fort Ellis, near
the best camps ever held" was sta
toned there at that time The troops
returned to drill at Fort Ellis in 1895
and 1896, and the morale of the guard
was at its highest point.
The national guards greatest serv-
ice up to that time came on April %,
1898, when the Spanish American war
States to issue call for troops. The
Montana regiment, under the COM
mand of Col. Henry C. Kessler, en-
tered the service of the United States
army May 9, 1898. with so officers and
e88 enlisted men. The volunteers re-
Smith, so called in honor of the gov
ernor of Montana. The camp was To-
Gated at Helena.
The Montana men arrived in San
Francisco May % and trained there
for two months before leaving for the
Philippines July 10. They anchored at
Cavite Aug. "a only to find that the
Spanish had surrendered at Manila
on Aug. 10. But the work of the Mon
tana guard was not overt was on
duty for several months quelling ill.,
smrrection of the natives of the islands.
The Montana troops were engaged in
| dangerous skirmishing work for the
next year and left the islands on Aug.
"a, 1899, to return to the United States,
Twenty-one were killed, 10 died of dis
ease, and ! drowned. The wounded
numbered 121.
| The first Montana infantry troops
landed at San Francisco Sept. Is, 1889
and were mustered out of service on
Oct. IT.
| Guard Rebuilt
The Spanlsh-American war left the
national guard in depleted condition
and it was several years before the
organization could be built again from
the ground. Under the active leader
ship of Adj. Gen. Shirley Ashby and
later under Adj. Gen. Phil Greenan,
the regiment was built up SLOWLY and
In 1910 went into encampment at
American Lake, WASH, with So off
| GERS and 532 enlisted men.
In 1910 the men were called to fight
I, disastrous forest fires in western Mon
tana-the first time the guard had
been called out since the Spanish
I American war. In 1911 an encamp-
Harrison. and In 1912 the guard went
under federal supervision under terms
Of the Dick act, the federal govern
| ment paying part Of the expense and