Key Pre-WWI Historical Dates for Company L
- May 16, 1898: First mustered into Federal service at Springfield, Illinois, for duty in the Spanish-American War.
- December 10, 1898 – March 29, 1899: Served as part of the occupation forces in Cuba.
- June 25, 1916: Mustered into service for Mexican Border duty.
- July 25, 1917: Called to suppress race riots in East St. Louis before being mobilized for World War I.
- May 16, 1918: Sailed for France to participate in World War I as part of the 132nd Infantry Regiment, 33rd Division.
Company L soldiers were in the Illinois National Guard since 1898. They were part of the Second Illinois Regiment. They were Federally activated and participated in the 1916 Mexican War and the 1916-17 Southern Illinois Race Riots. Following their demobilization they were mobilized again in July 1917 for WWI service.
Three Company L Muster Rolls listing soldiers assignment to the 2nd Infantry, Illinois National Guard, and pre-WWI service, until becoming federalized, then drafted and assigned as Company L attached to the 132nd Infantry, 33rd Division.
October 5, 1916, marks the approximate time when the general demobilization and mustering out of the National Guard units began after their federal call-up for the Mexican Punitive Expedition (also known as the Pancho Villa Expedition).
While the expedition officially remained in Mexico until February 5, 1917, the active search for Pancho Villa had largely ceased earlier, and units were progressively withdrawn and mustered out of federal service starting in the fall of 1916. The withdrawal was influenced by:
- Diplomatic Negotiations: A joint high commission was in session from September 6, 1916, to diplomatically resolve the crisis with the Mexican government of Venustiano Carranza.
- Reduced Border Hostilities: Pancho Villa’s forces had been significantly decimated, and major border raids had lessened.
- Tensions in Europe: The growing likelihood of the United States entering World War I meant that military planners needed to consolidate and train forces for a potential larger conflict.
The federal call-up was made possible by the new National Defense Act of 1916, which expanded the President’s authority to mobilize the National Guard. The experience gained during this mobilization proved valuable for the much larger mobilization a few months later when the U.S. declared war on Germany in April 1917.
Muster Roll Number 1
1916 October 5th: Final Company L Muster Roll ending the Presidential Federal call-up for the Mexican Punitive Expedition (also known as the Pancho Villa Expedition), and returning to the Illinois Governor’s control. Muster Roll Number 1 is a listing of all assigned Company L soldiers.
Click to access 1916-August-31-to-1916-October-5-Final-Muster-Roll-Co-L-2nd-INF-ILNG-.pdf
Following the U.S. declaration of war on Germany on April 6, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson issued a call to bring National Guard units from various states into federal service as part of the formation of the National Army.
Specific actions tied to the July 25, 1917, date include:
- Federalization of the National Guard: Numerous National Guard units, including the 69th Infantry Regiment of New York (which became the 165th Infantry Regiment, part of the 42nd “Rainbow” Division) and the Maryland and Illinois National Guards, were officially mustered into federal service on this date.
- Formation of Divisions: This date was part of the process of organizing and consolidating these units into full divisions, such as the 34th Infantry Division and the 42nd Division, which were then sent to training camps across the country before deploying to the Western Front in Europe.
- Implementation of the Draft: This mobilization occurred concurrently with the implementation of the Selective Service Act of 1917, which authorized the President to raise a national army through conscription. The first draft lottery drawing had occurred just days earlier, on July 20, 1917.
The “Initial Muster Roll, ‘Call of the President’” on July 25, 1917, was part of the United States’ large-scale mobilization for World War I. The “Call of the President” on this date was a critical administrative step in transforming the small, volunteer-based U.S. military into a massive fighting force capable of intervention in the European conflict.
Muster Roll Number 2
1917 July 25th: Initial Company L Muster Roll, ‘Call of the President’. Muster Roll Number 2 is a listing of all assigned Company L soldiers.
Except as otherwise stated in ‘remarks’, each officer ind enlisted man whose name appears on this roll, responded to the call of the President by reporting for duty at the company rendezvous at Chicago, Illinois, on July 25, 1917. Station Chicago, Illinois. Commanding the organization: Arthur L. HART, Captain, 2nd Illinois Infantry.
When WWI was declared in April 1917, Company L was comprised of soldiers from the Illinois National Guard Second Infantry unit, Company L, that was based in Chicago. Federalized on July 25, 1917, the Company L cadre were 125 soldiers who were later augmented by draftees and other more seasoned soldiers.
Muster Roll Number 3
1918 August 3rd: Company L soldiers were drafted for WWI service. Muster Roll Number 3 is a listing of all assigned Company L soldiers.
Except as otherwise stated in remarks each officer and enlisted man whose name appears on this roll was drafted into the military service of the United States August 5, 1917.