The militia of the State had been struggling for years to acquire a recogni­tion as an institution of the State, but so far it had failed. It was rather looked upon as a burlesque on the military profession, than as an efficient and necessary part of the State government. "Yet, neglected and feeble as it was considered, it formed a nucleus from which rallied the first regiments sent to the field in defense of the Union, and from it germed much of the esprit de corps which characterized the early Michigan regiments, coupled with superior military appearance and general efficiency, and which became more or less infused into many other regiments throughout the war. To the efforts of Col. F. W. Curtenius, of Kalamazoo, then Adjutant General, the State was more indebted for whatever efficiency was found in the Militia at the outbreak of the war, than to the meager and limited provisions of law. The entire available force at the time consisted of twenty-eight companies, poorly equipped and armed, having an aggregate strength of 1,241 officers and men. For the entire support of this military establishment the State annually spent the enormous sum of three thousand dollars, appropriated by the Legisla­ture. No wonder the people of Michigan regarded it at a very low ebb and most delicately feeble, when Buch an estimate was placed upon it by the State Legislature.