HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER

National Guard

The local National Guard was organized in 1901 by Captain Louis P. Coulbourne, a veteran of the ranks of the Regular Army. He kept a saloon in Salisbury when the law permitted it and a clothing store on Main Street in Salisbury when it did not. At this period, Salisbury was legally dry and the captain was in the clothing business.

         

Salisbury was selected to be Company I of the First Maryland Infantry.

By 1904, the First Lieutenant was a prominent local lawyer named L. Atwood Bennett. Another prominent Salisburian from 1904 on was Amos W. W. Woodcock. He joined as an enlisted man in 1904 and rose to the rank of General before his military career was over.

         

The first engagement was a maneuver near where the Battle of Bull Run was in Virginia. Salisbury’s Company I left Salisbury by train for the trip. It must have been quite raucous as the company’s quartermaster-sergeant brought his personal pistol and took pot shots at the lights in the train car. Due to his condition, he didn’t hit any. The captain didn’t seem to mind and actually thought the noise might attract attention to the company, which it seemed he desired. They had made quite a production of marching the thirty-odd men in the company from their headquarters at the corner of East Church and Williams Streets to the train station which was probably not more than 100 yards away. This building burned down in 1906 and left Company I without a home until the New Armory was built in 1915 on S. Division St. where the library is today.

         

The first real mission of Company I was their trip to the Mexican border in 1915 during the time when Poncho Villa was causing such problems that the Federal Government thought American troops would quell the disturbance. Company I didn’t stay down there very long, but long enough to further their training as a regular army unit. That training would become invaluable as they went to war in Europe during World War I.

         

When World War I ended, Company I came back to Salisbury and remained intact until World War II. At this time they became the 115^th Infantry, part of Maryland’s 29^th Division.

         

The Old Armory on S. Division St. moved out on Route 50 West on October 23, 1958. The Old Armory is now within the Wicomico County Library.

         

In 1965, another change was made in the organization. It became the 115th Military Police Company with the motor pool being attached to the 1229^th Light Truck Company located in Crisfield, the support unit for the 115^th.

         

A book could be written about the history of the National Guard in Salisbury. There has been many times where the Guard was activated for use around the local area. They assisted during catastrophes such as hurricanes and to quell things during the many riots during the 1960’s. The have been a vital and integral part of the community for over a hundred years. They are always there. Let’s just hope we don’t need them.