LIBERTY GUARD

Indiana Liberty Guards

Governor James P. Goodrich established the Liberty Guards in 1917. They were to maintain order and watch for anyone working against the war effort.
As auxiliary to the state militia its mission was to stamp out treason, discover disloyalty, and to be on call in time of disaster.

     The organization was formed at the end of 1817 and early 1918. I found something that said Governor Goodrich authorized its formation in 1917. It was largely patriotic in nature. It had 219 companies divided into 18 regiments and they were maintained until the early part of 1919 when the regiments were disbanded and the companies mustered out.
     They trained men inducted into the service by the draft boards and assisted the Selective Service Boards. A few of the main things they were tasked with was to maintain order and help in time of disaster, but it appears they drilled and trained men who either might go into the service or were selected already and were awaiting to leave for duty too.
From what I can tell from newspaper articles, towns and cities that wanted to form these unitscalled on local citizens to join and they had to be age 18-45. It did not exempt them from being drafted. It alson appears that it left each unit to figure out for themselves how to pay for uniforms, etc.
     For a group to petition to be part of the Liberty Guards, they had to have at least 150 men in physical shape who could go into the military if needed and they had to be able to sustain this throughout the war. If people moved, got hurt, volunteered in the service, or were conscripted they had to have others who could fill the ranks.
     The small book that I found has only a few names. It mainly appears to have been used for noting leaves, rank changes, and people who left, so there are a lot of names missing if there were 150 men.When approved a charter was given and a unit number assigned.
     Gov. Goodrich disbanded the Indiana Liberty Guards in December 1918. This may explain why the book didn't have any dates beyond Novembet 1918. The article I read on disbanding said there were 212 units at that time.
......Kathy Snow, contributor.

Indiana Liberty Guards, Matthews Indiana, Prov. No. 117

Matthews is located in Jefferson Township, Grant County, Indiana.
Record book of 1918 which was kept by Captain Arthur Sells, who was the Commander

Name	Rank	New Rank	Date	Order Number	Remarks
Harley Thompson	Corporal	Eight Duty Sergant	Aug 16 1918	Company Order 4	appointed new rank
R. C. Gadbury¹	Private	Corporal	Aug 16 1918	Company Order 4	appointed new rank
Everett Beuoy	Private	Corporal	Aug 16 1918	Company Order 4	appointed new rank
G. Earl Hoover	Vice	Private	Aug 16 1918	Company Order 4	Reduced to Private
Wilson Davis	Private	Acting Second Duty Sergant	Aug 17 1918		Appointed during Captain Sells pleasure. This appears to mean the acting rank only during Captain Sells leave
Adolph F. Charles			July 22 1918		Granted honorable discharge because he was drafted into the U. S. Army
Jasper Lyon	Private	First Sargent	July 25 1918	Company Order 1	appointed new rank
Wilson Davis	Private	Second Duty Sargent	July 25 1918	Company Order 1	appointed new rank
Thomas Smiley	Private	Third Duty Sargent	July 25 1918	Company Order 1	appointed new rank
Walter Penrod	Private	Fourth Duty Sargent	July 25 1918	Company Order 1	appointed new rank
H Earl Browning	Private	Fifth Duty Sargent	July 25 1918	Company Order 1	appointed new rank
J. O.? Foster²	Private	Corporal	July 25 1918	Company Order 2	appointed new rank
A. O. Barrett³	Private	Corporal	July 25 1918	Company Order 2	appointed new rank
J. O.? Roberts	Private	Corporal	July 25 1918	Company Order 2	appointed new rank
Dennis Jones	Private	Corporal	July 25 1918	Company Order 2	appointed new rank
Clarence Jones	Private	Corporal	July 25 1918	Company Order 2	appointed new rank
A. O. Barrett	Private	Acting Corporal	Aug 8 1918		Appointed during Captain Sells pleasure.
W. L. Ball⁴			Aug 16 1918		Granted twenty day leave of absence from noon Aug 16th 1918 until noon Sept 5th 1918
Chester P. Brewbaker			Aug 31 1918		Granted thirty day leave of absence from noon Aug 31st 1918 until noon Sept 30th 1918
Geo Bougher			Sept 10 1918		Granted Thirty day leave of absence from noon Sept 10th 1918 until noon Oct 10 1918
H. Earl Browning	Private	Acting Fifth duty sargent	Aug 8 1918		Appointed during Captain Sells pleasure.
Everett Beuoy	Private	Acting Corporal	Sept 16 1918		Appointed during Captain Sells pleasure.
Clyde I. Boyer			Aug 17 1918		Granted honorable discharge because he enlisted in the U.S. Navy.
W. L. Ball			Oct 1 1918		Granted thirty day leave of absence from noon Sept 30 1918 until noon Oct 30 1918
Chester Brewbaker			Oct 1 1918		Granted honorable discharge because he enlisted in the U.S. Army
Mark Richards	Private	Sixth Duty Sargent	Aug 8 1918	Company Order 3
U. J. Kimes⁵	Private	Seventh Duty Sargent	Aug 8 1918	Company Order 3
Harley Thompson	Private	Corporal	Aug 8 1918	Company Order 3
G. Earl Hoover	Private	Corporal	Aug 8 1918	Company Order 3
M. J. Kirkwood⁶	Private	Corporal	Aug 8 1918	Company Order 3
Ray Nottingham	Private	Corporal	Aug 8 1918	Company Order 3
Earnest B. Couch	Private		Sept 28 1918		Granted honorable discharge on account of him taking up his school work
Joe Foist			Oct 1 1918		Granted ten day leave of absence from noon Oct 7 1918 until noon Oct 17 1918
J. O.? Foster²	Private	Acting Corporal	Aug 8 1918		Appointed during Captain Sells pleasure.
Frank Hamilton			July 12 1918		Granted thirty day leave of absence from noon July 12th 1918 until noon Aug 12th 1918
Mack Hazelbaker	Private		Sept 9 1918		Granted ten day leave of absence from noon Sep 9th 1918 until noon Sept 19th 1918
Frank C Hamilton			Sept 12 1918		Granted sixty day leave of absence from noon Sept 12th 1918 until noon Nov 12th 1918
R. C. Gadbury	Private	Acting Corporal	Sept 16 1918		Appointed during Captain Sells pleasure.
Paul Lorn Hopkins			Aug 14 1918		Granted honorable discharge because he volunteered for service in the Merchant Marine.
Arthur Gillos?⁷			July 22 1918		Granted honorable discharge because he enlisted in the U. S. Navy.
Earnest Gadbury			Oct 7 1918		Granted thirty day leave of absence from noon Oct 7 1918 until noon Nov 6 1918
Dennis Jones	Private	Acting Corporal	Aug 8 1918		Appointed during Captain Sells pleasure.
Jasper Lyon	Private	Acting First Sargent	Aug 7 1918		Appointed during Captain Sells pleasure.
U. J. Kimes⁵	Private	Acting Seventh Duty Sargent	Aug 8 1918		Appointed during Captain Sells pleasure.
Ora Lytle			July 18 1918		Granted honorable discharge because he vwas drafted in the regular Army Killed in action WWI
No first name Ribble	Captain		July 10 1918		A note thanking Captain Ribble, Fairmount Ind.- Yours of the 8th inst. at hand and I thank you for your kindness in forwarding copy of discharge and company order. Your many favors have been duly appreciated. Lieutenant Teltoe and your boys have been of great service to us. Accept our best wishes and should ever occasion require it we will give you an assistance within our power.
Harry B. Pherson⁸			July 18 1918		Granted ten day leave of absence from noon July 17th 1918 until noon July 27th 1918
Mark Richards	Private	Acting Sixth Duty Sargent	Aug 8 1918		Appointed during Captain Sells pleasure.
Thomas Smiley	Private	Acting Thrid Duty Sargent	Aug 7 1918		Appointed during Captain Sells pleasure.
Russell Smiley			Sept 10 1918		Granted thirty day leave of absence from noon Sep 10th 1918 until noon Oct 10th 1918
Harley Thompson	Private	Acting Corporal	Aug 10 1918		Appointed during Captain Sells pleasure.
Harley Thompson	Corporal	Acting Eighth Duty Sargent	Sep 16 1918		Appointed during Captain Sells pleasure.
Elno F. Couch⁹			Oct 12 1918		Granted honorable discharge because he was moving to Marion Ind.
Walter J. Watson			Nov 12 1918		Granted thirty day leave of absence from noon Nov 12th 1918 until noon Dec 12th 1918
Fred B. Carson			Nov 13 1918		Granted thirty day leave of absence from noon Nov 13th 1918 until noon Dec 13th 1918
George Couch			Oct 12 1918		Granted honorable discharge because he was moving to Marion Ind.
Frank C Hamilton			Oct 26 1918		Granted honorable discharge because of him joining Students Camp at Tailor U.
END OF ENTRIES IN RECORD BOOK

1. This may be Roscoe Clark Gadbury based on a WWI draft card.
2. This may be Jesse O. Foster. Middle initial O. based on headstone at Matthews Cemetery.
3. This may be Adrian Otis Barret based on a WWI draft card
4. This may be William Lindsley Ball based on a WWI draft card
5. This may be Urshel J. Kimes based on a WWI draft card
6. This may be Marcus J. Kirkwood based on a WWI draft card
7. This probably Arthur J. Gilles based on a WWI draft card and his cemetery stone that says USNRF WWI.
8. This may be Harry Bernard Pherson based on a WWI draft card
9. This may be Francis Elno Couch based on a WWI Draft Card

Notes:
1. No attempt was made to make spelling corrections when translating information
2. No attempt was made to reorder entries by date or order number, they are in order as found in the record book although some a pages are loose and may be out of order, the book originally was set up to be in alphabetical sections by name like a address book is.
3. A question mark is inserted in places where it was difficult to decipher a initial or name
4. Information in the record book is typed with some information being written in, such as names, remarks, and some of of the dates. It appears to be carbon like paper inserted into a small spiral notebook. Captain Sells may have tried to make forms that he could use for various type of information that he had to repeat.

The Upland Monitor, Upland, Indiana

Thursday, July 4th, 1918, page 1, column 4.

COMPANY OF INDIANA LIBERTY GAURDS [sic] ORGANIZED AT MATTHEWS

Last Thursday night a bunch of fellows who come over or under the draft age, got together and completed their organization which had been started the week before. Officers were elected as follows:

Captain – Arthur Sells.
1st Lieut. – J. J. Minch.
2nd Lieut. – Fletcher Miller.
Co. Doctor – Dr. C. H. Dawson.

Clarence Jones acted as temporary secretary of the meeting. Lieut. Telto of Fairmount, accompanied by three other members of the Fairmount company of Liberty Guards was present and administered the oath to about 50 new members, making a total of 88 now in the company. At present they hold meetings every Thursday night.

Upland will have to get a move on or she will soon be at the tail end of the procession of towns that are forming companies of Liberty Guards.

     "The Indiana Guard Reserve, formerly the Liberty Guard and the Indiana Legion, is a militia force that serves as the state defense force of the state of Indiana.
     The Indiana Guard Reserve serves under the exclusive authority of the governor of the state of Indiana through his executive agent for military matters, The Adjutant General of Indiana. The Guard Reserve is a unique military organization designed to provide military support for the state of Indiana when units of the Indiana Army National Guard are activated for federal service or otherwise unavailable to the state of Indiana.
     When the Indiana Army National Guard enters active federal service and departs Indiana, the Indiana Guard Reserve remains in Indiana and becomes the governor's military force. The Indiana Guard Reserve could be assigned missions of providing custodial management of armories, security for armories and possibly other state properties, and support to civilian authorities in natural disasters and other state emergencies." © Wikipedia

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