World War I Montana: The Treasure State Prepares

by Ken Robison

Overview

Montana's cowboys, miners, foresters, farmers and nurses entered World War I in April 1917 under the battle cry that would resonate on the battlefields in France--"Powder River, Let 'Er Buck!" Montana men served in a greater percentage per capita than any other state. Hundreds responded to the call, including local women and minorities, from the nation's first congresswoman, Jeannette Rankin, to young women serving as combat nurses on the front lines. Additionally, the state provided vital supplies of copper and wheat. Learn what role celebrities like "cowboy artist" Charlie Russell played in the war and how Montanans mobilized, trained and deployed. Acclaimed historian Ken Robison uncovers new and neglected stories of the Treasure State's contributions to the Great War.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467140249
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	10/08/2018
Series:	Military
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	1,065,510
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Native Montanan Ken Robison is historian at the Overholser Historical Research Center and for the Great Falls/Cascade County Historic Preservation Commission and is active in historic preservation throughout central Montana. He is a retired navy captain after a career in naval intelligence. The Montana Historical Society honored Ken as "Montana Heritage Keeper" in 2010.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 7

Introduction 9

Part I The Treasure State Goes to War

1 April 1917: The United States Enters a European War; Jeannette Votes "No!" 17

2 May 1917: America's War Is Underway; War at Sea's First Shot; Food Wins Wars 24

3 June 1917: Building a Million-Man Army; Women in the World War 34

4 July 1917: "Lafayette, We Are Here"… but Not Yet Ready to Fight 52

Part II Mobilizing State and Nation

5 August 1917: Montana's "First" Military Son; The Draft; The Racial Divide 71

6 September 1917: Building Camp Lewis; Montanans in Canadian American Legion 94

7 October 1917: Montanans to Camp Lends; Of Blood and Iron; Marching Away to Glory 107

8 November 1917: Some Combat Action; On the Homefront; Forming Rainbow Division 124

Part III Deploying to the Danger Zone

9 December 1917: A War Christmas; Deploying the Montana National Guard; The Cowboy Artist at War 147

10 January 1918: Navy Nurses and Yeomanettcs at War; Wilson's Fourteen Points for Peace 179

11 February 1918: The Tuscania Tragedy; Montanan POWs; When Patriotism Stifles Dissent 205

12 March 1918: America's First Year at War; Too Little, Too Late? 239

Notes 247

Bibliography 255

Index 259

About the Author 272