LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA

Columbus Gazette, Columbus Junction, IA
Thursday, June 22, 1916
Page 1

Submitted by Beverly Gerdts May 29, 2023

Local Militia Responds To Call Of President

The spectre of War was brought home vividly to Columbus Junction Tuesday morning when the members of Co. K. of Washington in this city received orders to join their company that afternoon and await orders to mobilize at Des Moines. The orders to mobilize were received in this city from Washington Tuesday morning and immediately increased activity was evidence that Columbus Junction was ready and anxious to furnish her quoto in response to the call of the president. At two o'clock a monster meeting of the business men was held at the city hall and led by the Band the boys were escorted to the depot where at 2:59 they departed for Washington. Several hundred people gathered at the depot under the leadership of the band to wish the boys farewell and gave them three rousing cheers as they boarded No. 1 and departed for Washington. The Washington company was quartered during the day in the armory there and none were given permission to leave more than seven minutes at a time.

President Wilson's call Monday morning for the state militia of the different states of the entire nation to be in readiness to go to Mexico met with instant response by the sixteen members of the Washington company in this city. The Columbus Junction boys have been drilling for several months and are ready to obey the summons for the president. Local members of Co. K., of the First Iowa regiment are in two squads under the command of Corporal Geo. Oaks and Corporal Hal Jennings. The following young men are members of the two squads: Geo. Oaks, Corporal, Lee Ogier, Summer Darrow, Paul Hannan, Harry Cobb, Warren Stevens, Roy Pine, Dean Carlyle. Hal Jennings, Corporal: Walter Baker, Harry Church, Carl Oakes, Jack Pence, Verne Furnas, William McKay, Chas. Dean.

All of the young men were either in business or employed but they immediately laid down their work and dorned the uniforms of the National Guard of Iowa and will unhesitatingly follow their commanders wherever they are called. It is sincerely hoped of course that every one of these bright young men will return to Columbus Junction in health and strength but it is needless to minimize the danger of war even with Mexico and the possibilities of complications with other nations. The world is certainly war mad and although our nation has seeming exhausted every means to preserve peace it seems that we must be soon engaged with the Mexican bandits who as a last effort to save themselves a semblance of leadership with their followers have done everything possible to bring about a conflict with this nation. Wild rumors that Japan and England will oppose intervention have filled the papers the past few days but England certainly has her hands full at the present and Japan is not ready to cross the Pacific in a vain attempt to wage war with the United States.

Company K is well equipped for service now and could present a well trained fighting unit at a mobilization camp as soon as a train could transport them. There is no doubt apparently that the mobilization point for Iowa militia will be in Des Moines, where the three regiment of infantry, one squadron of cavalry, one battalion of artillery and the signal and hospital corps would be concentrated for seasoning preparatory to service on the border. In the Iowa guardsmen are gathered at Des Moines it will likely be several weeks before they would be sent to the Mexican border, according to the belief of military men. The wishes of the war department and President Wilson have not been made known and the guardsmen are waiting the next move with considerable interest, but they are rather hoping that something in the way of active service will transpire. Preparations for receiving the 3,600 militia at Camp Dodge near Des Moines are being rushed and reports from Des Moines state that supplies for 3600 men for thirty days have already been ordered.

Warren Stevens, one of the members of the local militia squad, was visiting at Monticello, Indian, when the call came to joint the colors. Roy Pine was visiting in Oho having made the trip in an auto. Both are expected home in time to join Co. K. before it is called to mobilize at Des Moines. Walter Baker, who was visiting at Des Moines over Sunday, arrived home Tuesday evening unaware of the call which had been received by the local militia to mobilize at Washington. He promptly donned his uniform and hastened to join his comrades who are quartered at the Washington armory.

Summer Darrow, who was at work in Davenport when the call came arrived here yesterday with his wife in their car and hurried to Washington to join his company. Mrs. Darrow will visit his parents. Hilton Patton was enroute to Sigourney when the company was called to Washington and accompanied them there and enlisted. Several of the militia boys were given a furlough for a few hours and visited their homes here Tuesday evening and also Wednesday evening. Twenty Americans were killed in Mexico Wednesday afternoon and it seems that war is certain to result. When word was received here that the boys were called to Washington, J. G. Baker made a hurried round of the business men and collected a purse which was presented them at the depot to be used as they saw fit.

(in a boxed area)

Columbus Junction Boys Who Responded To the Call For The Iowa Militia

George Oakes	Walter Baker
Lee Ogier	Harry Church
Summer Darrow	Carl Oakes
Paul Hannan	Jack Pence
Harry Cobb	Verne Furnas
Warren Stevens	William McKay
Roy Pine	Chas. Dean
Dean Carlyle	Hilton Perry
Floyd Pine	Roy Bliven
Hal Jennings

The height of the Mexican Border conflict came in 1916 when revolutionary Pancho Villa attacked the American border town of Columbus, New Mexico. In response, the United States Army, under the direction of General John J. Pershing, launched a "Punitive expedition" into northern Mexico, to find and capture Villa.