James Montgomery Rice

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Representative
James Montgomery Rice
Juris Doctor
Member of the
Illinois House of Representatives
In office
January 4, 1871 – March 14, 1872
ConstituencyPeoria County
Member of the
Presbyterian General Assembly
In office
1899–1900
Personal details
BornMarch 8, 1842
Monmouth, Illinois
DiedApril 11, 1912
Peoria, Illinois
Political partyRepublican
SpouseEliza Rice (m. 1871)
Children6
Relatives
EducationUniversity of Michigan (BA)
Alma materMichigan Law (JD); Monmouth College (B.A.)
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
RankColonel

James Montgomery Rice (March 8, 1842 – April 11, 1912) was an American soldier (Colonel),[1][2] lawyer, and member of the Illinois House of Representatives[3] who contributed to the establishment of the United States National Guard.

Early life[edit]

Rice was born in Monmouth, Illinois, to George and Caroline (née Montgomery) Rice. He was named after his second great-grandfather, William Montgomery, whose vaunted military and political service was a major influence on his life.

American Civil War[edit]

Following the First Battle of Bull Run, Rice left Monmouth College to enlist in the 10th Illinois Infantry Regiment. After three years of continuous service, which covered 1,000 marched miles and 13 battles, he was discharged on September 18, 1864.

Juris Doctor[edit]

Rice completed a bachelor's degree at the University of Michigan followed by a Juris Doctor at Michigan Law School. Following graduation, he went into practice with David McCulloch and was admitted to the Supreme Court of Illinois in 1867, followed by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1890. He practiced law for 31 years.

United States National Guard[edit]

James Montgomery Rice

Colonel
1890
Service/branch
Years of service
  • 1861–1864
  • 1875–1896
RankColonel
Commands heldSecond Brigade
Battles/wars1877 St. Louis Strike

American Civil War

Atlanta Campaign

In 1875, Rice re-enlisted in the National Blues of the Illinois Militia.[4] Recalling his experience in the American Civil War, Rice was concerned with the organizational structure, lack of standardization in leader qualifications and professional development, low levels of individual and unit training and readiness, and inadequate uniforms and equipment. He began advocating for federal involvement and became the first chairman of the Committee on Legislation of the National Guard Association of Illinois in 1883. He authored dozens of articles over the ensuing years including most notably:

  • 1888, Military Education and the Volunteer Militia[5]
  • 1894, The National Guard—What It is and Its Use[6]
  • 1896, The Defense of our Frontier[7]
  • 1896, The Present Congress and the National Guard[8]
    • Notable excerpt: “The National Guard, if rightly fostered and improved, will be a very efficient and economical force to be used for almost any purpose and at any place where a force may be needed by either the state or the nation.”
  • 1901, Field Service Instruction and the National Guard Officer[9]
  • 1904, The New National Guard[10]

His articles were circulated nationwide and caught the attention of the National Guard Association of the United States. He joined the executive staff in 1890 alongside Charles Dick who would become president in 1902 and sponsor the Militia Act of 1903, officially establishing the United States National Guard.

In 1892, Rice authored the Range Manual and Score Record[11] and Small Arms Practice for National Guard,[12] which are adopted as doctrine nationwide.

Other civic service[edit]

During the golden age of fraternalism, Rice assisted in organizing the Grand Army of the Republic Bryner Post #67 in Peoria, Illinois. In 1879 he was nominated the first adjutant and served on the national staff from 1894 to 1896. In 1896 his mother, Caroline, established the Peoria chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, honoring her great-grandfather William Montgomery.[13]

In 1897, Rice was endorsed by the Illinois Republican Party and National Guard Association of the United States for United States Assistant Secretary of War, however George de Rue Meiklejohn won the nomination.

In 1901, Rice authored the "Peoria Overture Plan" which profoundly effected corruption and reorganization of the Presbyterian Church.[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report". Illinois State Archives.
  2. ^ "The Civil War, Soldier Details". National Park Service.
  3. ^ McCulloch, David (1902). Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Peoria County, Volume II. Munsell Publishing Company. pp. 1036–1037 (618–619).
  4. ^ Lusk, D.W. (1877). Biannual Report of the Adjutant-General of Illinois for 1875–1876. State Printer and Binder. p. 14.
  5. ^ Rice, James (October 1888). "Military Education and the Volunteer Militia". The Century Magazine. 36: 939–943.
  6. ^ Rice, James (September 1894). "The National Guard — What It is and Its Use". Journal of the Military Service Institution. 15: 909–936.
  7. ^ Rice, James (March 1896). "The Defense of our Frontier". Journal of the Military Service Institution. 18: 298–320.
  8. ^ Rice, James (September 1896). "The Present Congress and the National Guard". Journal of the Military Service Institution. 16: 452–479.
  9. ^ Rice, James (November 1901). "Field Service Instruction and the National Guard Officer". Journal of the Military Service Institution. 29: 436–442.
  10. ^ Rice, James (May 1904). "The New National Guard". Journal of the Military Service Institution. 35: 467–475.
  11. ^ Rice, James (1892). Range manual and Score record. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library General Collection: Springfield Ill. The H.W. Rokker Printing House.
  12. ^ Rice, James (1892). Small arms practice for the National Guard, a modification of Blunt's small arms firing regulations. Adapted to the use and requirements of the National Guard in the United States. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library General Collection: Springfield Ill. The H.W. Rokker Printing House.
  13. ^ Rice, James Montgomery (1912). Peoria City and County Illinois, Volume 1. S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. pp. 575 (434).
  14. ^ "Peoria Man Will Try His Overture on State Legislature". The Daily Review (Decatur, Illinois). August 1, 1901.


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