History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume I, Part 57

Author: Hawley, James Henry, 1847-1929, ed
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 910


USA > Idaho > History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume I > Part 57


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80


From that time until 1898 a permanent National Guard organization was maintained in the state, the companies being organized into the "First Idaho Regiment." At the beginning of the Spanish-American war in the spring of 1898 the state had eight companies fully organized and equipped. The story of the part taken by the First Idaho Regiment in the Spanish-American war and the insurrection in the Philippine Islands has been told in the preceding chapter.


SECOND IDAHO REGIMENT


When the First Regiment returned from the Philippines early in the fall of 1899, and was mustered out of the United States service, many of the men declined to reenter the state service. The work of reorganizing the National Guard therefore devolved upon the state and the result was the formation of the Second Idaho Regiment. In fact, some of the companies constituting this regiment were organized while the First Regiment was still in the Philippines, though the regimental organization was not completed until in 1902. For more than a decade after its organization the world was at peace and there was no demand for its services as an active military unit.


ON THE MEXICAN BORDER


Connected with the internal dissensions in Mexico were frequent raids by Mexican banditti into the United States. To check these raids Congress passed the National Defense Act, which was approved by President Wilson on June 3, 1916. This act authorized the president to utilize the militia of the states to prevent the invasion of United States territory by foreign powers. Immediately after the passage of the act, the president issued his proclamation calling the National Guard of the several states into the United States service to protect the international boundary between this country and Mexico.


In response to this proclamation the Second Idaho was mobilized at Camp John T. Morrison, at Boise, to await the orders of the war department. The regiment was mustered into the United States service by companies from July 3 to 6, 1916, and on the 7th, under command of Lieut .- Col. P. H. Crow, it en- trained for Nogales, Arizona, where it arrived on the 12th. It was engaged in patrolling the border until December 8, 1916, when orders were received to


577


HISTORY OF IDAHO


return home. On January 22, 1917, it was mustered out of the United States service and reorganized as the Second Idaho, National Guard.


WAR WITH GERMANY


Years must elapse before an accurate history of the great World war of 1914-1918 can be written, but no history of Idaho would be complete without some account of the part taken by the state in the great conflict. For several months before the United States entered the war, President Wilson sought by correspondence to obtain some mitigation of Germany's submarine warfare, through which passenger vessels were torpedoed and sunk and a number of American citizens lost their lives. Failing to secure reasonable assurances that this warfare would be modified, the president addressed Congress on February 3, 1917, announcing that all diplomatic relations with the Imperial German Gov- ernment had been discontinued. After reviewing the correspondence and his failure to obtain satisfactory promises from Germany that American citizens should be protected, the president said: "If American ships and American lives should in fact be sacrificed by their naval commanders, in heedless contravention of the just and reasonable understandings of international law and the obvious dictates of humanity, I shall take the liberty of coming again before the Con- gress to ask that authority be given me to use any means that may be necessary for the protection of our seamen and our people in the prosecution of their peaceful and legitimate errands on the high seas. I can do nothing less. I take it for granted that all neutral governments will take the same course."


The severing of diplomatic relations failed to bring better conditions upon the high seas and on February 26, 1917, the president delivered his "Armed Neutrality Message" to Congress, in which he asked for authority to take such measures as might be necessary for the protection of merchant ships, by supply- ing them "with defensive arms should that become necessary, and with the means of using them." Congress granted the authority asked for and a number of merchant ships were provided with arms.


On April 2, 1917, the president again came before Congress and reviewed the situation in a special message, in which he said in part: "The German Govern- ment denies the right of neutrals to use arms at all within the areas of the sea. which it has proscribed, even in the defense of rights which no modern publicist has ever before questioned their right to defend. The intimation is conveyed that the armed guards which we have placed on our merchant ships will be treated as beyond the pale of law and subject to be dealt with as pirates would be. Armed neutrality is ineffectual enough at best ; in such circumstances and in the face of such pretensions it is worse than ineffectual ; it is likely only to pro- duce what it was meant to prevent ; it is practically certain to draw us into war without either the rights or the effectiveness of belligerents. There is one choice we cannot make, we are incapable of making: We will not choose the path of submission and suffer the most sacred rights of our nation and our people to be ignored or violated. The wrongs against which we now array ourselves are no common wrongs ; they cut to the very roots of human life. * * I advise that the Congress declare the course of the Imperial German Government to be in fact nothing less than war against the Government and people of the United States; that it formally accept the status of belligerent which has thus been


Vol. 1-37


578


HISTORY OF IDAHO


thrust upon it; and that it take immediate steps not only to put the country in a more thorough state of defense, but also to exert all its power and employ all its resources to bring the Government of the German Empire to terms and end the war."


This is known as "Wilson's War Message." On the same day it was deliv- ered to Congress, that body passed the following resolution :


"Whereas, the Imperial German Government has committed repeated acts of war against the Government and people of the United States of America : Therefore be it


"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and that the president be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to employ' the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial German Government; and to bring the conflict to a successful termination, all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States."


The resolution, signed by Thomas R. Marshall, vice president of the United States, and Champ Clark, speaker of the House of Representatives, was sub- mitted to President Wilson who gave it his approval on April 6, 1917, which date marks the official entrance of this nation into the war.


STATE COUNCIL OF DEFENSE


One of the first movements after the declaration was to organize a Council of National Defense to cooperate with the Federal authorities in all matters per- taining to the prosecution of the war. The national council recommended a branch in each state, the plan was approved by the Federal Government, and the Idaho State Council of Defense was organized on May 7, 1917, with Harry L. Day as chairman, the members constituting the council having been appointed by Governor Alexander. Mr. Day resigned the chairmanship, and the council was reorganized on October 29, 1917, when Dr. E. A. Bryan was elected chairman and the membership of the council was doubled, all parts of the state being rep- resented. Doctor Bryan remained at the head of the organization about a year, when J. T. Pence was chosen as his successor.


A local council was organized in each county of the state and worked in harmony with the state council in waging war on disloyalty, ferreting out de- serters, draft slackers, etc., and in various other matters calculated to bring the war to a successful conclusion. Under the auspices of the state council a great war conference was held at Boise on May 20 and 21, 1918, at which delegates from all parts of the state were present, as well as representatives of the gov- ernments of the United States and France. The state war conference was fol- lowed by three district conferences-in the northern, southern and southeastern counties-so that a uniform system of war work was established throughout the state. A vigorous publicity campaign was conducted by the council through the newspapers and by sending speakers to all parts of the state to keep the


579


HISTORY OF IDAHO


people informed as to what was going on and what was needed to assure victory.


RAISING THE ARMY


To declare war is one thing-to raise an army to carry on that war is another. Instead of relying on the old method of calling for volunteers, Congress passed what is known as the "Selective Draft Law," which was approved by the presi- dent on May 18, 1917. This Act authorized the drafting into the military service of the United States "any or all members of the National Guard and the National Guard Reserves, and said members so drafted into the military service of the United States shall serve therein for the period of the existing emergency unless sooner discharged," etc.


In addition to the National Guard organizations of the different states, the act provided for the raising, organization and equipment of an army of 500,000 men, between the ages of twenty-one and thirty years, inclusive, and all male citizens of the United States between those ages were required to register for military duty. The first registration was made on June 5, 1917, when Idaho men to the number of 41,921 registered. June 5, 1918, was a second registration day, when all young men who had arrived at the age of twenty-one since June 5, 1917, were required to register. A third registration day fell on August 24, 1918. In the second and third registrations, Idaho added 3,615 names to her list of military eligibles. In the summer of 1918 Congress changed the age limits for draft purposes to include all men from eighteen to forty-five years, inclusive, and a fourth registration was taken on September 12, 1918, in which 58,819 Idaho men enrolled their names, making a total in the four registrations of 104,355. Of the total number registered, 17,170 were in actual service. This includes 5,060 men composing the Second Idaho Regiment, and others who vol- unteered for service in the regular Army, Navy and Marines, but does not include about 5,000 men engaged in other work or those who served in the Home Guard.


THE SECOND IDAHO


Although, under the selective' conscription act, the Government depended more upon the draft than upon voluntary enlistments to increase the size of the army, recruiting for volunteers to bring the National Guard organizations up to war strength was permitted to go on until August 9, 1917. Soon after the declaration of war, orders to mobilize the Second Idaho were received by Gov- ernor Alexander, who transmitted the order to Adjutant General C. S. Moody, and within a comparatively short time the twelve companies composing the regiment were quartered at the Boise Barracks to await further orders. As late as the middle of June the regiment was 380 men short of the required war strength, and C. F. Clark was appointed to conduct a recruiting campaign. Offices were opened at Boise, Idaho Falls, Pocatello and Twin Falls, with the result that when the regiment was drafted into the United States service on August 5, 1917, it consisted of twelve full infantry companies, a machine gun company, a supply company and a headquarters company-twelve men more than the full war strength, and these twelve were turned over to the regular army.


580


HISTORY OF IDAHO


ROSTER OF OFFICERS


At the time the regiment was drafted into the national service the regimental officers were: William H. Edelblute, colonel; L. V. Patch, lieutenant-colonel; Clement Wilkins, Dewitt P. Olson and Harry T. Lewis, majors of the first, second and third battalions, respectively; A. M. MacDonald, chaplain.


The first battalion was composed of Companies A, C. E and F, with First Lieutenant Edwin T. Powell as battalion adjutant. Company A came from Sandpoint and was officered by J. P. Matthiensen, captain; E. L. Miller, first lieutenant ; Donald Stewart, second lieutenant. Company C was from Coeur d'Alene with F. A. Jester, captain ; George F. McMartin, first lieutenant ; Claude Hodge, second lieutenant. Company E was from Grangeville, with Richard B. Kading, captain ; George L. Bowling, first lieutenant ; James A. Porter, second lieutenant. Company F was a Lewiston organization. The officers of this com- pany were: H. M. Jones, captain; Walter Newman, first lieutenant ; Raymond C. Hill, second lieutenant. Lieutenant Hill was killed in action.


The second battalion was made up of Companies D, H, K and M. Com- pany D came from Twin Falls with P. W. McRoberts, captain ; C. H. Krengel, first lieutenant ; R. E. Leighton, second lieutenant. Company H was from Boise with H. E. Boies, captain ; F. C. Hummel, first lieutenant ; John M. Regan, second lieutenant. Lieutenant Regan was afterwards and while in France transferred to a Wisconsin regiment and killed in action. Company K came from Buhl: Of this company Claude V. Biggs was captain; Gerald H. Taylor, first lieutenant ; R. F. Chamberlain, second lieutenant. Company M came from Idaho Falls with L. E. Lundberg, captain ; Henry F. Poole, first lieutenant ; Don C. Wilson, second lieutenant.


The third battalion consisted of Companies B, G, I and L. Company B was a Nampa company and was officered by G. H. van de Stegg, captain; Joseph Murray, first lieutenant; Arthur J. Egbert, second lieutenant. Company G came from Caldwell with Daniel F. Banks, captain; Walter S. Church, first lieutenant; Samuel Webb, second lieutenant. Company I was a Payette organiza- tion and was without a captain at the time the regiment entered the United States service; Scott M. Fitch was first lieutenant; L. O. Miles, second lieu- tenant. Company L came from Weiser and was officered by Frank Estabrook, captain ; James Harris, first lieutenant ; Earl H. Brockman, second lieutenant.


The machine gun company was composed of men from different sections of the state, with Woodson Jeffreys as captain and Homer S. Jarvis, first lieu- tenant. Capt. S. H. Travis commanded the supply company ; Bruce C. Leiser, first lieutenant; W. L. Lynd, second lieutenant. C. H. Duval was captain of the headquarters company. A field hospital company was also organized under Maj. B. O. Clark, with Walter E. Patrie, captain; Theodore E. Schwerz, Cris- pin Right and Chester A. Leigh, lieutenants.


On September 21, 1917, the regiment was ordered to Camp Greene, Char- lotte, North Carolina, where it lost its identity much to the regret of the officers and men. The first battalion was assigned to the One Hundred and Forty-Sixth Field Artillery; the second battalion to the One Hundred and Sixteenth En- gineers ; the third battalion to the One Hundred and Forty-Sixth machine gun battalion; the machine gun company to the One Hundred and Forty-Seventh


581


HISTORY OF IDAHO


machine gun battalion, and the field hospital company was divided among four companies. All these organizations were attached to the Forty-First Division. After a short time at Camp Greene, the regiment was moved to Camp Mills, and from points of embarkation near there boarded transports for France, where the Idaho boys gave a good account of themselves on the firing line.


HOME GUARD


When the Second Idaho was called into the national service, the state was left without troops for internal defense in case of emergency, and Governor Alexander authorized the organization of a battalion of home guards. Com- panies were organized at Boise, American Falls, Pocatello, Sandpoint and Mos- cow. The Sandpoint company (Company B), Capt. Herman H. Taylor, was called into service to quell riots started by the Industrial Workers of the World at St. Maries, which was the only time any part of the home guard was called into active service, though all the companies were ready to perform their duty.


THE FINANCIAL SIDE


When war was declared the United States was short in military equipment of all kinds. Vast sums of money were needed for the organization, subsistence and equipment of the army and navy, the manufacture of arms and munitions, etc. To raise these sums four popular loans were authorized by the Govern- ment, the four loans, known as "Liberty Loans," aggregating $16,285,283,000. Each loan was apportioned among the states in proportion to population and wealth. In each state a committee of citizens was organized to assist in the sale of the bonds, the Idaho Bankers' Association assumed the responsibility for conducting the first loan in the state. F. F. Johnson was chairman of the com- mittee for the first loan; D. W. Davis, afterwards elected governor, for the second and third; and Montie B. Gwinn for the fourth. The following figures show how Idaho kept the faith on each occasion :


Loan


Quota


Subscribed


First Loan


$ 4,700,000


$ 5,400,000


Second Loan


9,338,000


11,103,550


Third Loan


8,600,000


10,975,450


Fourth Loan


14,549,400


16,895,150


Total


$37,187,400


$44,374,150


In the sale of bonds the bankers, councils of defense, commercial clubs, women's clubs, boy scouts, etc., all worked together and the result of their united efforts, as shown by the above figures, was that Idaho "went over the top" in every loan, her total subscriptions being more than 20 per cent above the quota assigned. Five hundred "honor flags" were awarded to as many different localities which were prompt in purchasing their alloted share.


WAR SAVINGS STAMPS


As a further means of raising money for the prosecution of the war, the Government conceived the plan of asking the people to purchase $2,000,000,000 worth of securities known as "War Savings Stamps" during the year 1918, and


582


HISTORY OF IDAHO


this amount was allotted to the several states in proportion to their population. These securities could be bought in amounts ranging from a twenty-five cent thrift stamp to $1,000 worth of war certificates and differed from the liberty bonds in that the interest on the savings stamps is payable only at maturity.


Idaho's quota of these stamps was $8,000,000, or about twenty dollars per capita, the same as that allotted to the other states. An executive committee and a director were appointed in each state, the first director for Idaho being James H. Hawley, former governor, who resigned a short time before the primary election to become a candidate for United States senator, in order to free the drive for the sale of stamps from any hint of political influence. No successor to Mr. Hawley was appointed, but Allen B. Eaton, secretary of the organization, and the executive committee continued the work. The state was at a disadvantage when compared with the states having large manufacturing or commercial centers, in which large numbers of persons were employed and money distributed through the medium of weekly or monthly payrolls, though when the armistice was signed in November, 1918, the amount of savings stamps sold in the state amounted to about $5,861,664.73, maturity value. Idaho's total contributions to the war finances were:


Liberty bonds purchased $44,374,150.00


War Savings Stamps


5,861,664.73


Red Cross Fund (approximately )


700,000.00


United War Drive


450,000.00


All other relief work.


1,347,978.00


Total


$52,733,792.73


These figures mean about one hundred and twenty dollars for every man, woman and child in the state. In addition to this financial aid, the people of the state made sacrifices by saving food to feed the "boys in the trenches" and the citizens of the invaded countries in Europe. It is estimated that over one million pounds of wheat flour, twelve million pounds of sugar and one million pounds of meat were saved by the people during the war. In this work the women's committee of the council of defense played an important part.


THE ARMISTICE


.On November 11, 1918, the news came that an armistice had been signed by the leaders of the contending armies and that the war was practically at an end. Governor Alexander issued his proclamation requesting the people "to join with the peoples of the world in giving thanks for the deliverance of suffering humanity from the yoke of bondage and barbarism with which they have been weighted for centuries ; and I will ask the people to show their joy by holding public meetings and processions to commemorate this great and glorious news, the wonderful achievement of our armies and our allies, and let us not forget in our moment of rejoicing our brave boys who have made the supreme sacrifice for country and flag, they gave their lives that peace might reign."


The proclamation was observed in all the principal cities and towns of the state. Business was suspended, meetings were held, speeches made, bands ren- dered patriotic music, and November 1I, 1918, was a day of general rejoicing.


583


HISTORY OF IDAHO


No state in the Union had more cause for rejoicing than Idaho, as no state could show a better war record, all things considered.


It is difficult to determine the proportion of the soldiers raised in the State of Idaho that crossed the Atlantic and were actually engaged in service on the battle fields of France. The old Second Idaho was disintegrated and the troops from this state did not preserve their identity as regimental or company units, but were scattered through different commands. It is well known, however, that of the large number of Idaho troops that crossed the ocean very many were called into active service and did duty on the firing line. In the future it will be possible to ascertain how many of these gallant boys were killed, wounded and taken prisoner, but at the present time there is no way of determining it. All of the casualty lists have not as yet been published by the Government, and from those that have been published it is impossible to ascertain the facts con- cerning the dead and wounded from any particular state. Enough information has been given, however, to positively show that Idaho's loss in killed and wounded was heavy and that very many of the gallant soldiers from this state made the supreme sacrifice, while very many others are returning home helpless cripples.


It would be a satisfaction, also, to include as a part of this history the list of the soldiers from Idaho who served in the war with Germany who received special mention for gallantry while in the service. Many such are known but it would be unfair to others not yet reported to mention any names at the present time. It is sufficient to say that the boys from Idaho did their full duty, that in their ranks were neither cowards nor slackers and that a grateful state in the near future will commemorate the gallant deeds of its sons engaged in this gigantic struggle by proper memorials erected in their honor.


CHAPTER XXXI BENCH AND BAR OF IDAHO


ORIGIN OF CIVIL LAW-THE LAWYER AS A CITIZEN-PURPOSE OF THE COURTS- TERRITORIAL COURTS OF IDAHO-GOVERNOR WALLACE'S PROCLAMATION-FIRST JUDGES-FIRST TERM OF COURT-LIST OF LAWYERS ADMITTED-A LAWYER RE- BUKED-TERRITORIAL JUDICIARY-UNDER THE CONSTITUTION-THE SUPREME COURT-SUPREME COURT JUSTICES-DISTRICT COURTS- THE BAR - PERSONAL SKETCHES OF REPRESENTATIVE ATTORNEYS.


Civil law made its appearance as soon as men began to realize that some system of rules was necessary for the protection of person and property, and at the same time not trespass upon the rights of the individual. The lawyer and the legislator were therefore among the earliest agencies of the world's civiliza- tion. At first the laws were few and simple and the methods of the primitive courts were no doubt crude when compared with the tribunals of the present. As civilization progressed, as the occupations of the people became more diversi- fied, as new lands were discovered and commerce began to carry the arts and ideas of one country to another, laws grew more and more complex until it was found convenient to arrange them into codes. A fairly good idea of the intelli- gent progress made by any country might be compiled from its statutes and court decrees alone.


No profession requires more of its devotees than the law. It demands of the judge on the bench and the attorney at the bar alike a careful, conscientious effort to secure the administration of justice-"speedy and efficient, equitable and economical." Within recent years there has been much criticism of the courts for their delays and the columns of the public press have contained a great deal about the need of judicial reform. Some of these criticisms and com- ments have no doubt been well founded, but, unfortunately, many people have condemned the entire judiciary system because occasionally a judge has failed to measure up to the proper standard, and the entire legal profession has been branded by unthinking persons as dishonest tricksters because occasionally a lawyer has resorted to the tactics of the shyster of pettifogger. It should be remembered that a majority of the men most prominent in our national history were members of the legal profession. John Marshall, one of the early chief justices of the United States Supreme Court and who held that office longer




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.