USA > Kansas > A standard history of Kansas and Kansans, Volume II > Part 39
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The National Guard is particularly commended to the earnest con- sideration of all employers. It is believed that if they thoroughly under- ' stand its importance and value they will unhestitatingly encourage the young men in their employ to enlist, and will willingly grant them the amount of time from their regular work to properly perform the mili- tary duties required.
"That a man shall serve his country in time of war is noble, brave and patriotic; but that a man shall properly prepare himself in time of peace to serve in war is all of these things and more. It is noble with a nobility which is real, not ideal. It is brave with a bravery which assumes in time of unemotional peace many burdens, among them that of bearing the lack of appreciation of those who do not consider military preparation or training necessary."
This country should certainly feel proud of its National Guard and should stand ready to support it in every possible way. Its success will depend, as almost everything depends, upon the good will of the people at large. It is doing all it can to merit this good will.
It is believed that in the development of this special form of militia, that is, the volunteer organization or National Guard, in conjunction with the Regular Army, the future problems of the military policy of this country are solved. It meets all the conditions required. In de- veloping this force, no matter to what extent, men are not withdrawn from their regular vocations, and therefore from the productive capac- ity of the country. While filling their regular positions in life, they voluntarily devote a part of their time in preparing themselves for military service. This form of military training does not encourage a prejudice in the minds of the people, but, on the contrary, makes mili- tary service popular.
The value of the National Guard does not rest alone upon the fact that it is an effective military force for war service. It is also a great edneational institution. No one who understands the training can fail to come to the conclusion that the discipline required, the development of intelligence, the precise and orderly performance of duties required, the development of physical health and endurance, makes a better class of citizens.
No other institution is doing as much to develop the patriotism of the country. The influence of the national guardsmen reaches out into every walk of life and into every community. It is a leaven which raises the average patriotism of our citizens. It is a military school which is preparing thousands of young men for the defense of their country. These men will rally to the colors whenever the safety of our country and its institutions require it.
THE NATIONAL GUARD OF KANSAS
In this state, prior to the admission of the state into the I'nion, the Militia consisted of volunteer companies organized in various communi- ties of the territory, the officers of such organizations being commissioned
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by the territorial governor on application of the members of the com- pany. These companies were organized for protection against Indians, bands of outlaws, etc., which were frequent at this time. When the' territory became a state the constitution provided for the organiza- tion of the Militia and the Legislature enacted a law providing for the division of the state into two military districts-the Northern Dis- triet and the Southern District, the Kansas River being the dividing line. There were five regiments in the Northern District and six in the Southern. These regiments were paper organizations only. These dis- triets were sub-divided into regimental districts. Civilians in each of these districts were selected as officers of these organizations. The law required that a roll of all able bodied male citizens between the ages of eighteen and forty-five be kept on file in the county elerks' offices. These citizens were subject to call to complete the organizations which were provided for on paper in case they should be needed to execute the laws, suppress insurrections and repel invasion. In other words, an untrained body of men was subject to the call of the governor to be commanded by untrained officers.
In 1865 the state was divided into four brigade districts. The or- ganization at this time consisted of twenty-four regiments and four separate battalions. Efforts were made at each meeting of the Legisla- ture to enact laws to provide for the organization of an active Militia. These efforts met with little success, the active Militia of the state be- ing comprised of but two companies in 1870, one company in 1873, and three companies in 1874. Owing to Indian troubles in 1874, the Legislature appropriated a militia fund of $4,000.00. During this year approximately 200 men were enrolled as active militiamen and par- ticipated in active service with Indians. In 1879 an attempt was made to provide for the organization of the Militia upon a satisfactory basis without results. In 1880 the National Guard Association of Kansas was organized and a meeting held in Topeka. A military convention of the officers of the Militia was also called with the view of securing legislation providing for an effective Militia organization. This bill was presented to the Legislature in session in 1881, passed the Senate but failed of passage in the IIouse. This law finally passed both branches of the Legislature in 1885 and became a law. It provided for the divid- ing of the state into four brigade districts, the entire state constituting a division to be commanded by a major-general. The organization pro- vided for by this law consisted of four regiments of infantry, one bat- tery of artillery, with approximately 2,000 men. In 1894 this organi- zation was reduced to three regiments and in 1897 was reduced to two regiments, which was practically the organization of the National Guard up to the passage of the National Defense Act in June, 1917. This act provided a strength of 800 enlisted men for each senator and represen- tative in Congress from the state, making the total authorized enlisted strength for the National Guard of Kansas 8,000 and the necessary offi- cers for said troops. Under the provisions of the law, these additional troops could not be organized until the Secretary of War designated
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what was to be allotted to the state. About a month after the declara- tion of war with Germany, in 1917, the Secretary of War allotted to the state the following troops, in addition to those already organized :
One brigade headquarters detachment.
Three regiments of infantry.
One regiment of field artillery.
One battalion of engineers.
Two field hospital companies.
Two ambulance companies.
One ammunition train.
One engineer train.
One field battalion signal corps.
One squadron of cavalry.
These troops have all been organized and are now training prepara- tory to being called into the federal service on August 5th. The total strength of these organizations and the old organizations, including offi- eers and men, is about 10,000.
The National Guard of Kansas has made great progress and de- velopment during the past few years. Correspondence schools have been organized for the purpose of giving uniform courses of progressive instruction to all officers. These schools are conducted during the win- ter months, and school camps of instruction are held during the spring in order to permit the officers to make practical demonstration on the ground of the theoretical work which they have taken during the winter months. In addition to these schools, the commanding officer of each organization conducts a school for noncommissioned officers and expe- rienced privates. These various schools have been very beneficial to the officers of the Guard, and in turn have made them better instructors of their organizations. The instruction of the various units of the Guard during the winter months is principally done in the armories of the organizations, and consists of elose order drill, bayonet exercises, guard duty, practice with gallery rifles, working of problems on sand tables, and lectures. During the summer months the instruction is mostly done out of doors and consists of close and extended order drills, rifle prac- tice, practice marches and maneuvers. The improvement made by the National Guard of Kansas has been repeatedly commented upon by the war department, and they have rated the National Guard of Kansas among the best in the United States.
In June, 1916, the National Guard of Kansas was in the Federal service for several months on the Mexican border. During this period the rate of sickness averaged less than two per cent, and sanitary inspec- tors sent out by the War Department reported that Kansas had the best sanitation of any of the National Guard troops on the border. Great improvement has been made along the lines of sanitation since the Span- ish-American war, this being strongly demonstrated by the contrast in the sickness and death as a result of sickness in the Spanish-American war and in the service on the Mexcan border. Kansas troops were in the service over six months and only lost one man, and that by drowning.
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BY GEO. P. MOREHOUSE
Few states or localities on earth have turned up more ancient evi- dences of a land and region of remote antiquity than Kansas. It is well known that quite a part of Central and Western Kansas was once covered by a great inland sea, in which lived huge pre-historic monsters of the type of the ichthyosaurus, pterodactyle, and large sharks and fishes. Gigantic land animals thrived upon a luxuriant vegetation, as proven by the enormous teeth, bones, and entire skeletal remains of the mastodon and megatherium type. Some of these wonderful specimens are pre- served in our Kansas museums and many others have been taken to enrich the collections in eastern universities.
After examining a fossil fish sent to him from Hamilton County, Chancellor Snow said : "Your fine fish probably lived and died when what is now Hamilton County, now more than 3,000 feet above the pres- ent sea level, was under the salt water ocean. Remains of fishes, sharks, and great sea monsters are found abundantly in the rocks of Western Kansas, especially along the banks of the Smoky Hill River and its branches. The Rocky Mountains were not upheaved when your fish lived and died."
Whether man lived in eastern part of Kansas during the age above mentioned by Chancellor Snow is not known, but we do know, from the labors of our few but patient Kansas archaeologists. types of humanity have lived in this state for many, many hundreds of years.
Archaeology, in its more limited sense, and as generally treated, means anthropology; as it refers to the concerns and work of the pre- historie natives of our nation and state prior to discovery and explora- tion by the whites. It thus is the study of mankind from the beginning- back to a period of time, when his doings were not recorded in the writ- ings of modern historians. All prior to this is "pre-historic"; for, while some of the American aboriginals had and have historical tradition and even some crude written records, yet they are so brief, vague and frag- mentary, that they are not accepted as genuine history.
The united efforts of the archaeologists and geologists of Europe have brought to light interesting facts regarding the primeval inhabitants of that country. In like manner, the study and exploration of our west- ern country will add many interesting chapters to our knowledge of ancient Kansas. Right here within the domains of this central state, midway between the oceans, Great Lakes and Gulf, where erossed the pre-historie highways of ancient commerce. is one of the richest archae- ological fields and one which has only been imperfectly explored.
The idea which many have had, including our early Kansas historians, that "Kansas cannot boast of a remote antiquity, that her soil never became the scenes of stirring events until of late years"-as one of them once wrote-is far from correct. Our historical writers have been kept so busy with the known, active, throbbing life of the state during its
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period of conquest, its border and Indian warfare, its Civil war agitation and its modern development and progress, that they have neglected the investigation of the things which archaeology is bringing to light.
While few, if any, commonwealths have paid more attention to its known history during its formative period and development, yet, Kansas has taken but little interest in its pre-historic annals as recorded in the testimony of the rocks and the many relics found in its ancient river beds, its mounds, and in its many Indian village sites. But now that the state has become rich and prosperous, it has more time to devote to those arts and sciences, which, while not considered necessary, add much to the general intelligence and the state pride of its citizens.
The early neglect, under state authority, to explore and gather archaeological relics has been unfortunate, for skilled parties from other states have come here and developed many inviting fields and taken thousands of priceless relies to distant states and museums.
Mr. J. V. Brower, of St. Paul, Minnesota, who conducted extensive explorations for several years, subsequent to 1896, along the Kansas Val- ley and some of its tributaries, took from the 100 or more village sites explored nearly 10,000 specimens to the museum of the Minnesota His- torical Society.
Had the Kansas authorities encouraged and worked in conjunction with Mr. Brower, this fine collection and other fruits of his labors might have been saved to the state. While the State Historical Society has, during the years, become possessed of numerous and rare archaeological specimens, it could have had many times more by proper attention. Until recently, it has taken little interest in the matter, but is now prepared to build up a great museum along this line.
At the nineteenth biennial session, Secretary William E. Connelly presented the matter of the need of an archaelogical department sec- tion. This was followed by the appointment of an archaelogical commit- tee, composed of the following persons: Geo. P. Morehouse, chairman; Mark E. Zimmerman, of White Cloud; George J. Remsburg, of Potter; Allen Jesse Reynolds, of Ottawa; Christian Bernhardt, of Lincoln ; John J. Arthur, of Topeka; and John T. Keagy, of Alma. This committee is doing much to encourage the owners of small collections of relics to donate them to the society's museum, where they will be properly pre- served and displayed, and also to induce those having large collections to hold them in trust for the state to which they really belong.
A few years ago, a rare Aztec chart of great age was found among the remnants of the Kansa or Kaw Indians by Geo. P. Morehouse, their official historian. It is one of the most interesting hieroglyphical scroll records ever found regarding the Aztecs, and is clearly wrought upon a sort of fibre cloth eighteen feet long by eight inches wide. Upon it is traced hundreds of characters, emblems, sign and miniature pictures, symbols of wars, battles, victories, defeats, councils and courts with a chronological calculation running along the narrative. Harvard profes- sors say that it is a record of 200 years of the history of the Aztec people, after they left that unknown island of the Aztlan, from which they Vol. II-24
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came to Mexico. But how and when did the Kansa Indians find this pre- historie document and why did they keep it for generations among the saered and prized relies of the tribe ?
When did mankind first inhabit Kansas or the regions contiguous to it, will always be an interesting question for the scientist. Until the past few years, it has been considered that the immediate ancestors of some of our known Indian tribes were our first settlers-say within 4 or 500 years. That far back is proven from the testimony of the earliest Spanish and French explorers, who-during the period of Cabeza de Vaca in 1536; Coronado in 1541; Onate in 1601; Marquette in 1673; Dutisne in 1719; Bourgmont in 1724; Jesuit Fathers as early as 1727 ;- found by personal exploration or from information, that Indians were then inhabiting what is now Kansas, during those dates. Of course, the first coming of man to this state was long prior to those above dates; for, some of those explorers found the Indian fairly well established along certain of our river valleys, where it was then evident they had lived for many years.
But within a few years past, discoveries have been made which throw new light upon the antiquity of man in Kansas, and seem to prove that he was here many thousands of years ago. In 1902, the scientists of the world were startled by the discovery of the skeleton of the "Lansing man" which was unearthed near Lansing, Leavenworth County, while some parties were digging a deep tunnel. It was found far below a stra- tum of earth and roek, imbedded in river loess. Eminent scientists from various parts of the United States critically explored the location of the relic and reported thereon. They found that the probable age of this remarkable find was from 10,000 to 35,000 years old. From other dis- coveries, it is almost certain that man lived within the present borders of our state as far back as the Glacial period-possibly before.
The more thorough explorations will probably reveal-if it has not already done so-the relies of man along with that of the extinct animals found in the ancient glacial drifts of Eastern Kansas and in the beds of our pre-historie seas in the western part of the state.
It is now an accepted fact that men were living in the Mississippi Val- ley and along its tributaries when the mastodon and the elephant lived in and browsed upon its forests, and in New Jersey when the walrus and reindeer from Greenland reached that far south.
Relies of mankind and extinet animals are found in the gold bearing gravels of California and Colorado; and right near us in Nebraska arrow and spear points are found from fifteen to twenty feet below the ground surface, and in the loess covering the ancient lake beds of our neighbor- ing state, mixed with the bones of the early American elephant.
Years ago (1880), the Scientific American in commenting upon a report of Judge E. P. West regarding archaeological explorations in Kansas said :
It presents a large amount of evidence to show that at a remote period that region was peopled by a raee with which the mound builders must be accounted modern. Prior to the drift epoch the river chan-
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nels were deeper than now and the river valleys were lower. Subsequently the valleys were filled by lucustrine deposit of considerable depth. In or beneath this deposit the remains of an extinct race occur. Here we have a buried raee enwrapped in a profound and startling mystery-a race whose appearance and exit in the world's drama precede stupendous changes marking our continent, and which perhaps require hundreds of thousands of years for their accomplishment. The prize is no less than determining when this mysterious people lived, how they lived, when they passed out of existence, and why they became extinct.
The explorations referred to were principally along the second bot- tom or terraces of the Kansas Valley in Douglas, Pottawatomie, Riley, Dickinson and Ellsworth counties,-also in the counties of Marion and Lincoln, in which the digging of wells and other excavations, stone and flint artifacts, bones and bone implements, pottery and other relics of man were found from twenty to thirty feet below the present surface of the ground. The age of these relies and the race using them has been placed just after the glacial epoch and before the deposit of the loess accumulations.
One of the prolifie sources of information regarding pre-historie Kan- sas comes from the relies of various kinds found in the numerous mounds which have been discovered and explored by our local archaeologists. While the mounds and also those numberless stone, flint and bone artifacts found upon the sites of ancient Indian village sites were prob- ably used by a race of men hundreds of years this side of those hereto- fore mentioned, yet their mute evidence is eloquent with facts tonching their habits of life, their tribal relations and the extent of their travels and influence.
While the mound builders of Kansas were of a different type than those of Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin, nevertheless, in many respects their work is just as interesting and worthy of study.
There never was a systematic exploration of the known mound and ancient Indian village sites of Kansas, and a large part of those which were first noticed when the state was settled have been obliterated by the cultivation of the soil or by the acts of careless despoilers and most of the valuable relies were lost or scattered.
Thirty or forty years ago one or two of our educational institutions made some effort and about twenty years ago the Kansas Historical So- ciety had a committee which tried to do some original work; but having no means to pay expenses did not go very far. The most systematic work ever done in the state was by some private parties from other states,- such as that by Prof. J. V. Brower of St. Paul, Minnesota, and most of what such expeditions found went to eastern museums.
One early Kansas enthusiast was Prof. J. A. Udden of Bethany Col- lege, at Lindsborg, who early in the '80s explored several mounds south of the Smoky Hill River and found mmerous animal bones, hand grind- stones, stone and flint weapons,-implements and pottery,-in all about. 500 relies. The finding of a piece of Spanish chain mail made him think that the site was occupied as late as the earliest western explora- tion by the Spaniards of Coronado's time.
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Two of the most successful recent Kansas archaeologists are George J. Remsburg, of Potter, Kansas, and Mark E. Zimmerman, of White Clond. They have discovered and explored numerous pre-historic mounds and villages sites in Northeast Kansas and preserved large collec- tions of fine relies. Most of their work has been in Doniphan, Atchison and Leavenworth counties and has been described in published articles. Among the numerous mounds examined by Mr. Remsburg were two upon the land of the late Senator John J. Ingalls, about five miles below Atchi- son on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River, and Walnut Creek. One of these contained the remains of a dozen aboriginals. It was 15 feet in diameter, composed of alternate layers of stone and earth, with the bones, flint and pottery articles embedded in the earth layers. At Oak Mills, he found an extremely ancient and extensive cemetery and hun- dreds of flint and stone weapons, implements and potsherds.
The site of the main village of the "Quans" or the "Grande Village des Cansez" which was the famous capital of the Indian nation after- wards known as the Kansa, Kanses, Konzo, and by a hundred or more other names, had been a matter of doubt until Mr. Remsburg found it some years ago.
Ilis proofs are conclusive that the Town of Doniphan in Atchison County stands upon the site of that ancient Indian settlement, which De Bourgmont visited in 1724 with his French expedition from New Orleans, and at that time found it to be a very old town site-probably being the site of an Indian town centuries before occupied by the Kansa nation.
Mark E. Zimmerman, of White Cloud, Doniphan County, heretofore mentioned, is doing much to clear up difficult pre-historie problems by his zealous archaeological study and explorations. He has made many original explorations of mounds and village sites and has an invaluable museum of relies as the fruit of his labors. He is a specialist upon the significance of the various types of burial mounds and pottery, as show- ing the movements of the ancient dwellers of this Western country. He claims that the stone cist or vault graves and the shell-tempered pottery, as found at the two ancient villages near the mouth of the Nemaha River, marks the western limit of the White Pani or Allegwi-Welsh Indians' habitat and where that interesting people made their last heroic stand and were exterminated by Siouan tribes. Mr. Zimmerman traces this people across the country from the mouth of the St. Lawrence to these places near the northeast corner of Kansas and where he and others have found much of the shell-tempered pottery, the cist graves and even in one mound some sixty speeimens of the crania of the vietinis.
It is claimed, that in all the vast region between the Kansas River and the Mandan country of North Dakota, they were the only people who made that type of pottery and buried their dead in that manner.
A very old village site has been discovered about two miles south of Topeka, where many relies have been turned up during the past twenty or more years. Upon the recent clearing of an adjoining tract of timber land, Mr. John Arthur, a Topeka archaeologist, has recently found
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