Location: US 70 (Arendell Street) near 35th St. in Morehead City
County: Carteret
Original Date Cast: 2016
The North Carolina National Guard traces its origins to the North Carolina Militia, organized in the colonial era. The original colonial charter of 1663 granted the Proprietors the right to organize men for the defense of the colony. Actual progress in organizing a militia came in fits and starts, and it was not until 1715 that the government began to bring order and structure to the Militia through a series of laws. In 1877, the North Carolina Militia was reorganized by legislative act as an all-voluntary unit, the North Carolina State Guard.
In the early twentieth century, efforts began under the Federal government to modernize the state militias and bring them into a tighter relationship with the national armed forces, due to various problems that had become apparent during the Spanish-American War. In 1903, the United States Congress passed the Militia Act of 1903, also known as the Dick Act after its chief sponsor, Congressman Charles Dick of Ohio. The law replaced the antiquated Militia Act of 1792. The various state militias were brought under greater federal control, with the president given the right to call them out for as long as nine months at a time to meet specific emergencies. Federal funding was provided for the state militias to modernize their arms and equipment, and to pay for their annual encampments.
In February 1903, officers of the North Carolina State Guard met in Raleigh and endorsed the new law. At this point, the State Guard was formally renamed the North Carolina National Guard. The first annual encampments since the change from the State Guard to the National Guard were held in July and August 1903. While in the past encampments had frequently been held in one central location, by 1903 the trend was towards multiple encampments held concurrently. The Second Regiment North Carolina National Guard had the earliest North Carolina National Guard encampment, on July 22-28, 1903, on Bogue Sound west of Morehead City. The encampment was called Camp Rodman and lay along both sides of the Atlantic and North Carolina railroad. The same site and adjacent territory were used for a larger encampment in August 1904 called Camp Lee. When the state decided to establish a site for a permanent annual encampment in November 1905, the area chosen incorporated the Camp Rodman and Lee sites and adjoining areas, forming the site of Camp Glenn.
References:
Wilson Angley, “A Brief History of the North Carolina Militia and National Guard,” (unpublished report, Research Branch, North Carolina Division of Archives and History, 1985)
Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of North Carolina for the Year 1903
Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of North Carolina for the Year 1904
Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of North Carolina for the Year 1905
“The National Guard,” Charlotte Observer, January 21, 1903
“To Consider the Dick Bill,” Charlotte Observer, January 25, 1903
“The Soldiers in Camp,” Charlotte Observer, August 11, 1904
“Adjutant General and Dick Bill,” Morning Post (Raleigh), January 17, 1903
“Will Have an Encampment,” Morning Post (Raleigh), June 20, 1903
“Places and Dates for Guard Encampment,” Morning Post (Raleigh), July 12, 1903
“Criticisms of State Guard Encampments,” Morning Post (Raleigh), November 25, 1903
“Movement for Central Encampment,” Morning Post (Raleigh), February 18, 1904
“Annual Encampment to Be Held August 9-19,” Morning Post (Raleigh), June 11, 1904
“Permanent Encampment,” Morning Post (Raleigh), November 1, 1905
“Accepts Dick Bill,” News and Observer (Raleigh), February 13, 1903
“Tramp of Soldiers,” News and Observer (Raleigh), July 23, 1903
“Encampments to Morehead City,” News and Observer (Raleigh), November 28, 1905
“National Guard Encampment,” Wilmington Morning Star, March 25, 1904
“Bids for Camp Site,” Wilmington Morning Star, September 25, 1905