Date: 6/27/2014 at 21:12:07
In Response To: Re: Keokuk State Guards 
(Thomas Nelson)
Re: Keokuk State Guards
SANFORD
Posted By: Alan W Snyder (email) In Response To: Re: Keokuk State Guards
Date: 6/27/2014 at 21:12:07
(Thomas Nelson)
After the Civil War the State of Iowa, and every other state began the process of updating the obsolete volunteer (and unpaid) militia system, where each city and town raised disconnected companies of men and either the men as whole, the officers or the city/town would raise the money to buy arms, ammunition, uniforms and other equipment, into what is the National Guard today.
Between 1865 and 1872 efforts were made to re-establish and finish the work of legislation started in the 1840's when Iowa was a territory and form a State militia system with Brigade structure organization similar to the structure of the US Federal Services.
In the 1840's however the appointed officers never seemed to complete the task of registering the companies from the towns into their commands, and so the militia system was disconnected and marginally effective.
By 1872 there was new legislation creating this organization; a statewide brigade system for the militia, where these disconnected companies would have a reporting tree that encouraged attendance, drill and improved standards.
During the last few years of Gen. Baker's service as Adjutant General this was forming and between 1872 and 1877 the earliest version of a "formalized" National Guard was referred to as the State Guard.
General Orders No 1, dated January 15, 1877 General Looby, the Adjutant General, changed the name of the active militia organization from “State Guard” to “National Guard, State of Iowa,” thus conforming to the name given by nearly all the States having militia organizations.
-Iowa Journal of History and Politics, Historical Survey of Militia in Iowa, 1903, page 28
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