Company B … Eventually

In our last episode of A Well Regulated Militia, some prominent Hobartites had begun the work of organizing a militia company to help make up for the loss of the Indiana National Guard (now drafted into the regular army). The response of the local populace was somewhat disappointing — only half the men who signed up actually presented themselves for the first drill on August 21.

As the weeks passed, the organizing effort went on, and the response continued disappointing. The embryo company's numbers still fell short of the minimum 55 needed to be recognized by the State of Indiana.

By late October, some echo of disappointment was heard in the otherwise cheerful reports of the local papers. One editor even invoked the dreaded term, "slacker."

The News gently chided — and reassured: "Capt. Chas. Allen … does not understand the seeming lack of interest that has been shown by so many of the young men. … Mr. Allen wishes it explicitly understood that this is strictly a home defense company, and is not to be mustered into the regular service…."

The Gazette was less tactful: "Hobart company should be a credit to the town, county and the state, and it is urged that all young men and all business and professional men of lawful age should show their patriotism by at once joining the company. … When the war is over, every one will be asked, 'What did you do for your government?' Young man, now is the time to show your colors. Don't be a slacker, but be enrolled among the patriots."

A week later, the Gazette threatened the "slackers" with public shaming. "Capt. Allen of the Militia company expects shortly to publish the names of those who have subscribed their names and are not attending drill and also those who are attending the drills. If you have subscribed to the roster and are not attending the drills you had better do so at once so your name will not appear in the wrong list."

The next week's Gazette published the names of the current militia members, presumably in good standing. Those 42 names were printed beside the current Roll of Honor.

A Grand Army of the Republic organization at Hammond now came forward to provide the Hobart militiamen with two dozen guns, each of which would become a member's property upon payment of two dollars. The little company itself purchased some additional guns, and made plans for a public dance on November 24 in Odd Fellows Hall to raise more money. The loyal public rapidly bought up their 50-cent tickets.

Over the space of a couple weeks, something had the desired effect: either the threat of humiliation, or the desire for prestigious recognition, or a late flowering of genuine patriotic enthusiasm, or a combination of those three. A surge of enlistments brought the company's number up to and then well beyond the minimum required. The Gazette noted that the men signed up from a range in ages and "nearly every walk in life."

And on November 24 it became official. At a ceremony in Odd Fellows Hall on that Saturday afternoon, Colonel Gerard of the First Indiana Infantry, assisted by Captain H.S. Norton of Gary, administered the oath to some 80 militia members. Now they were Company B, Indiana State Militia.* (Those who did not attend this ceremony would be sworn in later, by the company itself.) The Hobart company was only the second in the state to be mustered in, the Gary company's ceremony having taken place the previous evening.

The state promised to provide the company with new blue uniforms and enough guns to equip all the members — "guns that will kill, too," said the Gazette. And the state was to provide funds for an armory, which might be either space fitted out in an existing structure or a new building for that specific purpose.

The Gazette and the News each printed a membership list. Some of the names appear in one and not the other, and while generally I consider the Gazette to be the more reliable source, in this case the News list appeared a week later and some members may have joined after the Gazette printed its list. Anyway, I have made a list of all 117 names that appeared in either paper, or both. (The News did not give ranks, so if a name appeared only in that paper, I don't know the person's rank.)

Militia Roster 1917

Some of these are Ainsworth/Ross Township men. For example, two of Charles Chester's sons, George and Sela, are on the News roster. The "W. Hooseline" was perhaps 42-year-old William Hooseline, of a southern Ross Township farming family. "A.M. Boyd" may have been Alexander M. Boyd, of the Merrillville Boyds. Ed Scroggins we know from his marriage to Daisy Chester.

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*Within a few months the Hobart militia would be designated Company K.


I suppose I'd better put the names in text for search-engine purposes: Allen, Charles; Andyer, Eugene [Andro, Eugene (News)]; Arnold, Floyd [L.C. (News)]; Ballantyne, E. [Elmer (News)]; Ballantyne, Milton; Bartholomew, H.C.; Baumer, Fred; Beck, Geo.; Blanchard, Chas.; Boyd, A.M.; Bracken, Howard; Brown, E. [E.T. (News)]; Brown, G. [Glen (News)]; Bruce, Geo.; Carlson, Axel; Carlson, Richard; Carnder, F.; Chester, Geo.; Chester, Seely; Clark, John; Clark, Leon; Clifford, Chas.; Cook, Roy; Cooper, Chester; Davis, Cloyd; Deering, H.F.; Dewey, C.S.; Diedell, John; Dixon, Harvey [Harwood (News)]; Earle, Wm. [Earl, Wm. (News)]; Fetterer, F.T. [Franklin (News)]; Fetterer, F.T., Jr.; Fiester, Frank; Fifield, Hugo; Fifield, Leo; Fleck, John; Fleming, Harry; Fuller, John; Gradle, Chas.; Gradle, Dewey; Gradle, Homer; Gradle, Jesse; Gustafson, Wm.; Halstead, Ray; Harrington, J.W.; Hartine, Philip; Hartnup, John; Hawke, Harry; Haxton, Dan; Helm, W.H. [W.S. (News)]; Henderson, S.H.; Hite, W.A.; Hooseline, W.S.; Humes, Kenneth; Johnson, C.G.; Kibler, John; King, Dick; Kossow, Wm.; Krull, Howard [Wm. (News)]; Lennertz, J.; LeReu, Harry [LaRue (News)]; Mackey, Dr. Dwight; MacPherson, W.; Main, Rev. R. Warren; Martin, H.D.; Martin, Harley; Mayne, R.F.; McClelland, D. [G. (News)]; McCormick, Francis; McCormick, Joe; McLinn, B.K. [McGlynn, Burt (News)]; Messick, C.H. [Messig, C.H. (News)]; Nelson, Algot; Niksch, Elmer; Norgren, John; Ochanto, Joe [Ochante (News)]; Pflughoeft, Herman; Pierce, John; Poulton, M. [Poulton, F. (News)]; Reeves, Charles; Reich, Edward; Reissig, Frank; Rinker, R.A.; Ripley, E.W. [E.N. (News)]; Robinson, G. [Gilbert (News)]; Rodman, Gilbert; Roper, Robert [C.B. (News)]; Rowe, Hartley; Schlobohm, Louis; Schuknecht, Geo.; Schwan, A.; Scroggins, Ed; Semi, P. [Sem, Peter (News)]; Sensenbaugh, John; Shearer, Harold; Shearer, Herbert; Shely, R.H.; Slater, Leslie; Stevens, Willard; Swan, Albert; Taylor, Frank; Taylor, John; Taylor, Wm.; Thiede, J.W.; Thompson, B. [Bert (News)]; Thompson, Philip; Traeger, Ed; Veresh, Joe; Vinegar, Sam B.; Wade, Wm.; Wagoner, J.; Wall, Lloyd; Walters, Leslie; Wilson, Lightner; Young, Val; Zander, Paul; Zobjeck, Hugo.


Sources:
♦ "Capt. Allen Requested to Report Progress He Has Made." Hobart News 25 Oct. 1917.
♦ "Hobart Militia Co. Mustered in Last Saturday Afternoon." Hobart News 29 Nov. 1917.
♦ "Hobart Militia Co. One of First in State to Be Mustered In." Hobart News 22 Nov. 1917.
♦ "Hobart Militia Mustered Into Service." Hobart Gazette 30 Nov. 1917.
♦ "Local and Personal." Hobart News 15 Nov. 1917.
♦ "Local Drifts." Hobart Gazette 2 Nov. 1917.
♦ "Militia Company Has Guns." Hobart Gazette 16 Nov. 1917.
♦ "New Militia Doing Fine." Hobart Gazette 26 Oct. 1917.
♦ "The Militia Roster." Hobart Gazette 9 Nov. 1917.