"The army in alaska"
(Reprinted from, an article by Col*Wildej .P.Richardson,
tJ.S. Army, Ret ^published, in the ’’Infantry Journal;May 1923)
" Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867, for the sum of
> 7,200,000.00. Ihe Territory has a total area of nearly 590,000 square
miles,with a total shoreline,including its islands,of more than 25,000
miles. Inis widely extended area,under the influence of mountain ranges,
warm ocean currents of the IJortti Pacific flowing thru numerous channels
between the islands and along the shores of southivestern and southeas
tern Alaska, and of the ice packs of the Polar Seas on the north, has many
varieties of climate, 'ihe coastal belt as far west as Cook Inlet is com
paratively mild,but with a heavy precipitation of 3now in winter and
usually considerable rainfall in summer* This belt is for the most part
well timbered with spruce,hemlock,birch, and yellow dedar,and in the small
protected valleys all the hardier cxvops can be grown.Beyond Cook Inlet
on the Alaskan Peninsula and on the Aleutian Islands but little timber
is found* * - . ~
Thruout the interior or central part of Alaska the precipe
i tat ion .of enow and rain ia much less, and 'vhile very low. temper Atures oc
cur at tinea in winter, the Burners are usually fine,with ten or twelve
weeks of good growing weather for crops* In the northern and northwestern
sections of Alaska the climate is nore rigo»ous*’^iis region is practically
barren of. vegetation except the Arctic noss,a;ii aside from its mineral de
posits, will-be valuable chiefly as pasturing ground for reindeer*
Alaska \ras occupied by,troops of the Aruy immediately fol
lowing the purchase in 1867,and for ten years thereafter* Ihese troops
consisted of batteries of the 2nd and 4th Regiments of Artillery,and com
panies of the 21st Infantry, but detailed data are not readily available
as to tfye organisations or periods of service.The coasts of Wrangel,Sitka,
and.Kodiak were occupied*Among the officers who served in Alaska in the
early days were F.C*Ainsworth,afterwards the Adjutant General,and Chas*F.
Humphrey,afterwards Quartermaster General of the Army.All troops were with
drawn from Alaska.in 1877 to take.part in the Nez Perce campaign*There
after for 20 years,or until after the discovery of gold in the Klondyke,
(Canadian Shkon),we had no troops in the Territory*During these 20 years
Alaska made little progressive Territory had acollector pf customs, later
a governor,a naval.vessel,and a force of marines at Sitka.The Revenue Cut
ter Service patrolled the Bering. Sea,looking after the fur seal of the
Pribilofs, and the natives of the Aleutian Islands and along the coast *
During tills period,however, several notable expeditions were
made into the Territory*Lt.?#Henry Ray, 8th Infantry, conducted an expedit
ion. which spent 2 years, 1833 -3,at ?t#Barrow,naking. observations upon the
Aurora Borealis and other phenomena of the north# l»t#Frederick. Schwartka
descended the Yukon River in 1883,and Lt#Abercrombie in 1084 made an un
successful attempt to explore the.interior by way of the Copper River# In
1885,2nd Lt.,(now Major General) H.T.Allen ascended the Copper in the late
winter, crossed to the Tanana,which he descended by shin boats constructed
by himself,to the Yukon,crossed on foot to the ICoyukuk, which he explored
up to within, the Arctic Circle, thence back down the IIo;rukuk and the Yukon
to St.Michael# No journey of exploration thru tlie Territory,mostly• thru an
absolutely unknown region at that tine,has ever been nore successfully con
ducted, or resulted in more interesting and valuable information concerning
the Territory# " ‘
(To be continued next week) .