Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Use microfilm (Misc. reel 2092).

Preferred Citation

Virginia. National Guard. Officers' Rosters, 1917-1922. Accession 32116. State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the Dept. of Military Affairs, Virginia National Guard, 15 June 1984.

Historical Information

Following the passage of the National Defense Act in 1916, the Virginia State militia changed its name from the Virginia Volunteers to the Virginia National Guard. On March 9, 1916, Pancho Villa and a band of Mexican bandits raided the town of Columbus, New Mexico killing seventeen Americans. President Woodrow Wilson ordered Maj. Gen. John J. Pershing and a 15,000-man force on a "Punitive Expedition" into Mexico. The War Department telegraphed the governor of Virginia to mobilize the Virginia National Guard to protect the Mexican Border while the Regular Army units carried out the expedition. The 1st, 2nd, and 4th Infantry Regiments, in addition to the 1st Squadron of Cavalry and the 1st Field Artillery Battalion of the Virginia National Guard, were sent.

Shortly thereafter, the United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, and all of Virginia's National Guard were drafted into Federal service. The 1st, 2nd, and 4th Infantry Regiments were combined to form the 116th Infantry Regiment of the United States, part of the 29th Infantry Division. The 116th joined guardsmen from New Jersey, Maryland, and the District of Columbia at Camp McClellan in Anniston, Alabama, for training before departing for France in 1918. After the war, it was decided that all the Virginia National Guard units which were discharged from federal service would be returned to civilian status. As a result, Virginia found it necessary to replenish its National Guard units. Two regiments of infantry, a machine gun company, and a battery of artillery were formed and its companies designated as provisional or separate and numbered instead of lettered so as not to interfere with those units in existence before the war. The "provisional" designation was dropped in September 1920 and the companies were again lettered.

Following the war, the Virginia National Guard consisted of the following units: 91st Infantry Brigade; 116th Infantry; 183rd Infantry; 111th Field Artillery; Ambulance Battalion Headquarters, 104th Medical Regiment; Ambulance Co. No. 110; Hospital Co. No. 110; Medical Support Section No. 104; Medical Laboratory Section No. 104; 29th Signal Company; 29th Tank Company; 167th Engineer Battalion; Co. B, 111th Military Police Battalion; and 16th Service Battalion. Between 1918 and 1922, numerous changes took place in the Virginia National Guard. The 1st and 2nd Infantry were re-designated by the War Department as the 183rd and 116th Infantry, respectively. The 1st Brigade became the 91st Brigade. The 1st Coast Defense Command of the Coast Artillery Corps was re-designated as the 246th Artillery and the units of that regiment including the 411th through 415th Companies Coast Artillery Corps were re-designated Batteries A through H of the 246th Artillery.

Scope and Content Information

Officer's Roster, 1917-1922: contains a register or roster of officers of the Virginia National Guard commissioned between 1917 and 1922. The roster is arranged according to rank and includes the following information: name (sometimes date and place of birth), age at original entry, grade, organization, date of rank, date of commission, address (residential & business), service record, and remarks. The service record contains a very brief description of the officer's enlistment, transfers, federal & state service, commissions,

Officer's Roster, 1918-1921: contains a register or roster of officers of the Virginia National Guard commissioned between 1918 and 1921. The roster is arranged according to rank and includes the following information: name (sometimes date and place of birth), age at original entry, grade, organization, date of rank, date of commission, address (residential & business), service record, and remarks. The service record contains a lengthy description of the officer's enlistment, transfers, federal & state service, commissions, resignations, discharges, etc. The roster begins with an entry for Jo Lane Stern, Adjutant General of Virginia, then proceeds to list officers from colonels down to 2nd lieutenants. The 1st Infantry, 2nd Infantry, Quartermaster Corps, Judge Advocate General's Department, Inspector General's Department, Medical Corps, Coast Artillery, 1st Field Artillery (became 111th Field Artillery in federal service), and the 1st & 2nd Provisional Infantry are represented in this volume.

Officer's Roster, 1921-1922: contains a register or roster of officers of the Virginia National Guard commissioned between 1921 and 1922. The roster is arranged according to rank and includes the following information: name, business & residence, birth date and place, grade, organization, date of rank, date of commission, service record, and remarks. The service record contains a lengthy description of the officer's enlistment, appointments, transfers, federal & state service, commissions, resignations, discharges, etc. The roster begins with an entry for W.W. Sale, Adjutant General of Virginia. The 1st & 2nd Provisional Regiments, Coast Artillery Corps, Staff of the 29th Division, 29th Signal Corps, Medical Corps, 91st Infantry Brigade, 183rd Infantry, 111th Field Artillery, 116th Infantry, Hospital Co. No. 110, 29th Tank Co., 1st & 2nd Infantry, and 246th Coast Artillery are represented in this volume.

Arrangement

Arranged into 3 volumes: Volume I, Officer's Roster, 1917-1922; Volume II, Officer's Roster, 1918-1921; and Volumes III, Officer's Roster, 1921-1922.