Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Militia members in front of the armory
Militia members standing in front of the Salem Armory.

Map of Salem under militia control
The first general order posted by the militia's command was made on the evening of June 25, 1914, and placed Salem under semi-martial law. The city was split into several districts patrolled by assigned militia units in order to maintain security and order. Also represented in this map is the burned area of the city and the locations of the refugee camps, including the number of tents and refugees at each.

General Order No. 2
The second general order posted by the militia's command on June 28, 1914, established one-way streets, redirected traffic at certain intersections, and granted right-of-way to military and emergency vehicles.

Report of observations at Salem Fire
This report to the Acting Inspector General, later forwarded to the Adjutant General, gives an account of the early militia response to the fire.

Colonel Frank A. Graves
Colonel Frank A. Graves of Marblehead, Massachusetts, commanded the Provisional Troops in Salem after the fire. He had served in the Spanish-American War in 1898 and would go on to serve as second in command on the Mexican border in 1916. Here he stands in front of the Salem Armory.

Militia members encamped in Salem

Militia members encamped in Salem

Militia members unloading supplies
Militia members from several units were called to duty in Salem, including from the Infantry, Coast Artillery, Cadets, sanitary troops, and Naval Brigade.

Militia members marching down the street

Militia Guarding the Ruins on Lincoln St. at Big Salem Fire
Many postcards were made and distributed showing the fire and its aftermath.

Militia member patrolling ruins

Militia unit on patrol in Salem

Militia patrolling in front of Saint Joseph's Church
Three militia members pass the ruins of Saint Joseph's Church on their patrol. The church, only recently constructed in 1911, was gutted by the fire. The parish would use the cellar and tower bases until a new church was built in 1949. The new Saint Joseph's was later torn down and replaced with affordable housing in 2013.

Col. Graves speaking to the press
Colonel Frank A. Graves speaking to men who appear to be members of the press.

Militia members cooking in camp

Militia members gathered in Salem

Militia members in Salem, possibly cooking

Report of unsanitary conditions in Salem
The militia and the State Board of Health attentively maintained health and sanitary conditions in Salem in the days after the fire. On June 30, 1914, certain responsibilities of the militia were turned over to civil authorities, which included the oversight and enforcement of sanitary regulations at the camps. Colonel Frank A. Graves, the commanding officer of the militia troops at Salem, wrote this letter on July 1 to Adjutant General Charles H. Cole, describing the unsanitary conditions he'd witnessed in Salem, including refugees living in unsafe structures, the poor storage conditions for food, and improper handling of waste. Grave blamed such conditions on the neglect of the civil authorities.