Missouri State Genealogy Trails
[Transcribed by Donna Walton - 2008]

FIRST BRIGADE

While the existing organization is officially designated as the First Brigade, which would normally consist of three infantry regiments, it is a separate brigade, all of the units of the National Guard being attached to it, so that really the First Brigade and the National Guard are synonymous terms. Upon the discharge of the Missouri Volunteers from federal service following the close of the Spanish-American war, the Governor decided to reorganize the National Guard and place it under the command of a general officer of the line and make its headquarters and administration in fact as well as in name one of real responsibility with authority to exercise the functions of such command. He accordingly on February 2, 1899, commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel Harvey C. Clark, Sixth Missouri Infantry, who had organized and served with that regiment in the Spanish-American war, as Brigadier-General and assigned him to the command of the National Guard of Missouri. General Clark at once began the work of reorganization. The Legislature revised the military code of the state and vested the responsibility for the administration of its affairs, as well as its command, in the commanding general. One of the features of the new law was the creation of the military council, consisting of the commanding general, the adjutant-general, the regimental commanders and the senior artillery officer. The functions of the military council, in a general was, are analogous to those of the general staff of the army. It is clothed with full power to provide for the organization, equipment, service, discipline, etc., of the National Guard and totally divorces the organization from politics. As a result there has never been since the adoption of this law the slightest suggestion of political influence coloring any of the policies of the Guard and the officers and men who compose it are solely responsible for its government and efficiency.

The Brigade as originally organized consisted of four regiments of infantry, a separate battalion of infantry, two batteries of artillery, a troop of cavalry, a signal corps company, a field hospital company and an ambulance company. Later the separate battalion was expanded into the Sixth Missouri Infantry. The strength and composition of the various units have changed from time to time. The Legislature made a small increase in the appropriation for military purposes and the state troops having the advantage of many experienced officers rapidly increased in efficiency and were soon recognized as among the best National Guard organizations in the United States. The passage of the Dick bill by Congress in 1903 provided among other things for the payment of the officers and men during their attendance at camps of instruction, together with their transportation and subsistence, and this was a long step forward. On June 3, 1916, the Defense Act, federalizing the National Guard and officially changing its name from organized militia to the National Guard of the United States, made possible still greater improvement. Missouri was the first state in the union to comply with the provisions of the Defense Act, one of its regiments taking the new oath the same day the act was signed. One of the stumbling-blocks in the way of legislation in Congress had been an opinion rendered by the judge advocate-general of the Army, concurred in by the secretary of war, to the effect that the Guard could not be federalized under the constitution. It may not be out of place to mention that the military council of Missouri submitted a brief on this proposition in answer to the contention of the judge advocate-general, which was adopted by the committee on military affairs of the National House of Representatives and printed in full in the report of the committee as their reply to those who were opposed to federalization.

It has been the general policy in this state to assemble the entire National Guard in brigade camp each year, and in pursuance of this plan the following camps have been held:
Springfield, July 15-22 1900; Nevada, July 21-28, 1901; Lack Contrary (near St. Joseph), July 19-26, 1903; Nevada, July 17-26, 1904; Lake Contrary (near St. Joseph), July 5-17, 1905; Lake Contrary (near St. Joseph), August 11-19, 1907; Nevada, July 18-25, 1909; Nevada, August 20-27, 1911; Nevada, August 24-31, 1913; Nevada, July 12-19, 1914.

A provisional brigade consisting of the Second Infantry, Colonel William A. Raupp, the Third Infantry, Colonel Cusil Lechtman, and the Fourth Infantry, Colonel William E. Stringfellow, under command of Brigadier-General Harvey C. Clark, participated with troops of the regular army in maneuvers at Fort Riley, Kansas, August 26-September 3, 1906. The report of the chief umpire on the problems in which they engaged was commendatory of the Missouri troops. A provisional brigade under the command of Brigadier-General Clark, consisting of the First Infantry, less one battalion, and a battalion of the Fourth Infantry, Colonel E. J. Spence, the Second Infantry, Colonel William A. Raupp, the Third Infantry, Colonel Cusil Lechtman, Light Batteries A and B, Signal Corps Company A and the Field Hospital, engaged with troops on the regular army in maneuvers at Fort Riley, Kansas, August 20-30, 1908. On this occasion the brigade participated in a most interesting problem against a force composed entirely of regular troops, the chief of staff of the opposing force being Major Peyton C. March, 6th Field Artillery. This was a convoy problem and it was so successfully solved by the Missouri troops as to bring the highest commendation from the chief umpire. A provisional brigade consisting of the Second Infantry, Colonel William A. Raupp, Fourth Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Clay C. Macdonald, and the Sixth Infantry, colonel Arthur L. Oliver, participated in maneuvers with regular troops and the Oklahoma National Guard September 3-10, 1910, and was again successful in the solution of the major problem.

The service of the several organizations constituting the brigade is detailed briefly in the history of each unit and a full account of the service of the Missouri Brigade on the Mexican Border is given in the report of the commanding general at the beginning of this volume. It may be said briefly that this was the first occasion in our history when a full brigade of state troops was called into federal service. The order of the Secretary of War was received at the headquarters of the National Guard at Nevada at 11 o'clock Sunday night, June 18, 1916, and was communicated to all the organizations within an hour. Brigade headquarters was established in camp next morning and on the 20th, a little more than twenty-four hours after the call had been received, the troops were assembling in camp and were waiting for the federal mustering officer when he arrived. Had the order been to proceed direct to the Border without waiting for the formality of muster into federal service, the Missouri Brigade would have been on duty on the Rio Grande within thirty-six hours after it was called. Its mobilization and movement to the border could not have been surpassed and its service there was marked by exceptional disciple and efficiency. It was on duty during a period of more than six months, during which time it patrolled 145 miles of the Border in the Laredo District. Although this district was regarded as the worst along the Rio Grande and the troops of the regular army on duty there prior to the arrival of the National Guard had experienced difficulty in preserving order, and one of their amps had been raided with the loss of four men, not a single act of disorder occurred during the tour of the Missouri Brigade. No better troops ever served.

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Missouri Genealogy Trails