The Governor Orders a Military Court Martial
A simmering internal conflict within the Washington National Guard reaches a breaking point as a colonel faces formal charges.
Governor Ferry has been induced to order a court martial to try Colonel Maines on the charges preferred against him by Major Ayers, acting for General O'Brien. The Governor, on examining the charges, thinks that the assault on O'Brien amounts to a military offense which justifies the calling of a court martial. The court will meet in Olympia November 6th and will consist of the following officers: Brigadier General A. P. Curry of Spokane, Colonel Enoch W. Pike of Goldendale, Colonel E. E. Carr of Seattle, Colonel Henry Landes of Port Townsend, Colonel Wellington Clark of Walla Walla, Colonel J. Kennedy Stout of Spokane, and Colonel Frank T. Gilbert of Walla Walla. For the position of judge advocate the governor has nominated First Lieutenant Charles R. Dorr of Peyton.
“The Governor, on examining the charges, thinks that the assault on O'Brien amounts to a military offense which justifies the calling of a court martial.”
Internal friction within state institutions remains a constant, and this 1891 incident reflects the high stakes of military discipline in early Washington State government. While the context of National Guard politics has shifted, the oversight of officers through state-level committees continues to be a point of civic interest.
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