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Spanish-American War
History & Rolls
McLean County, Illinois

War with Spain (1898) War was substantially declared March 21, 1898, by the passage of an act requiring Spain to withdraw her troops and relinquish all authority over the island of Cuba, and authoritarian the President to employ the army and navy to enforce the demand. The President called on the Governor of Illinois for seven regiments of infantry and one regiment of cavalry. The militia of the state was made the nucleus from which these calls were filled. Bloomington had two companies of militia, Company D, Fifth Infantry, and Troop B, Calvary. Troop B was divided, and recruited to two full companies, B and G, First Illinois Cavalry. The three companies were organized at Bloomington. First Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Major, William P. Butler Squadron Adjutant, Louis Reeves Troop B Captain Farrier Park I Eicher Cleon L Hills Frank Wilson Ernest H Fisher 1st Lieutenant Saddler Oscar H P Freeman Edward E Pierson William C Swallow Finis Gammill 2nd Lieutenant Blacksmith Thomas P Graybill Frederick J Knorr Robert L Wright Thomas J Hartson 1st Sargeant Wagoner Charles H Higgins Chris C Taylor (1) George B Davis Bert L Hinshaw Quartermaster-Sergeant Privates Robert I Hunter Louis Lartz Pearl B Anderson John E Hunter Sergeants Headen C Arnold Waldo B Holmes Harry Tompkins William W Adams Cyrus Johnson Robert Eson Frank C Benjamin Elijah T Jester Funk Douglass (2) Ira D Benjamin Ernest E Jones Bert O Trimmer Frank R Beeson Otha J Kerr Charles G Hayden William A Bryant Ulysses G Kerr Corporals George C Buff ham (4) John H Keegan Orselle A Bray William H Burns William Kellum Bert V Howard (3) Edward T Cunningham Oscar C Kinney David S Ramage Joseph L Chambers (5) Jean B Kopf John A Mantle Calvin C Chrisman Lucien LeClair Otto T McMurry Hans P Christiansen Andrew M Lemons Frederick A Baker Walter B Clark Barney Lovell Frank B Higgins George M Coulter George McFadden William F Ziegler Earl C Cheney Vance H Marshall Trumpeters Harry B Cultra William H Maupin Rolla B Price Charle E Daniels Carlyle M Myers Harry J Robbins Walter E Eastman Herbert H Mossman (1) Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant Troop G, same regiment, August 18, 1898 (2) Promoted to 1st Sergeant, August 21, 1898 (3) Promoted to Sergeant, August 24, 1898 (4) Died, August 21, 1898, of cardiac embolism at Lookout Mountain, Tennessee (5) Died, August 27, 1898, of typhoid fever at Fort Sheridan, Illinois Privates (Continued) Peter A Meulendyk Aaron W Robinson William W VanMeter Benjamin F Nelson Webster Skinner Wilber Waterman Robert L Pemberton Clyde M Stewart Clifford F Wakefield Charles D Pemberton William H Sullivan John B Wallace (9) Glenmore Petticord James W Sweetman Arthur C Weaver Albert G Page Howard Suddarth (7) William F Weller Jacob U Plank William L Tatman Joseph T Wilkinson Robert T Prince (6) Ashley T Trimble Edward H Wick Emory C Plumley Charles Taylor George W Wright William B Preston Albertuss Tally Joseph L Zimmerman Howard D Rayburn Clyde A Vandivort (6) Promoted to Corporal (7) Deserted, July 3 (8) Promoted to Corporal (Transcriber Note: no “8” appeared on / in the list) (9) Promoted to Corporal Troop G Captain Walter C Brown Marion C Minser Edward C Butler Leon T Barnes William A McClure 1st Lieutenant Edward Bowman Chester W Mooberry Charles M Beam William G Bone Henry D Morris 2d Lieutenants Clarence M Cunningham Awald H Mueller Thomas W Tipton (1) Marion P Carlock Edward Nutt Chris Taylor Charles Cannon Victor Nelson 1st Sergeant Cele Y Daniels Harry A Nickerson Ben Winslow William L Durant Andrew W Peack Quartermaster-Sergeant George H Deane William S Porter Charles Fauntz Harry R Davis Joseph Penn Sergeants Ora C Eithel Ertha W Powell Lute Hayes Samuel K Empey George H Pennock Thomas Saul Clarkson Faulk Mack Roberts Oscar Lindstrom John W Garis Edward G Rathman Chris Kilgore Owen Hill Max Ruhl (4) Donald D McIntyre Charles Hatfield Charles A Riddle Corporals Frank R Higgins Clifton H Rogers Olin W Patterson George W Hamblin William Reaugh Frank F Becker William H Hicks Harry Rayburn William F Cowley Bert Hamilton Christopher H Renolds Howard R Brinton Bertie G Hudson William W Sciple Oscar F Jackman Elmer H Hartman Louis C Schuckers (5) Harry M Wait Frank W Johnson Guy W Skinner Harold B Stiles Monie Jones Thomas Shea Gratz A Bryan Theodore G Keegan Charles W Steere Wagoner Fred Kenning Lester J Snyder William Deuchler Chris J Kaufer Alie W Saul Trumpeters Gustav P Krueger Orson R Smith Ira Fisher George H Kelsey Charles R Smith William Dunk Tony Lovelass Elmer Smith Farrier Ira Largent Ernest R Snyder John H Hoffa James B Lautz Ralph L Sohn Saddler Elmer E Langley Frederick C Staub Charles F Schmidt Owen E Long Hiram Winningham Privates Robert M Leaf Augustus Wells William Adams Edward B Little (3) Bert O Harrison (6) Albert Barker Lawson D Moore William Bowen (7) Frederick Beam (2) Magnus M Morine (1) Resigned Aug 8 (2) Died (3) Died June 11 (4) Hospital (5) Troop Clerk (6) Deserted Aug 12 (7) Deserted Aug 12 NOTE -- Troops B and G, First Illinois Cavalry, went to the rendezvous at the State Fair Grounds, April 27, where they were sworn into the United States service May 26 and May 30 proceeded to Camp Thomas, Chickamauga, Ga., where they remained until August 26, when they were sent to Fort Sheridan, where they remained until September 5, when they were given a thirty-days' furlough and were mustered out October 11. Fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry Company D Captain Amos O Bennett Arthur T Lee Edward Y Miller Erman Blake Wilbur H McCoy 1st Lieutenant Herbert J Broughton Mortimer J McKinney Harvey A Waltz Warren S Broughton Charles A McWilliams 2d Lieutenant Ben Bruce Henry Z Miller Roy E Bowman Daniel D Butler Ernest L Nutt 1st Sergeant William Canfield Harley Nutt Fred W Loehr Clarence Cannon (1) Minzo Nutt Quartermaster-Sergeant Paul Carroll Edward Palmer Charles A Myers William R Carroll A Jackson Powell Sergeants Harry W Clark Albert L Price Jesse W Hainline Joseph C Clements Charles G Price Harvey C Myers Frank L Collins William H Prince William F Witty Jesse Conrow Worthington Prince Henry B Ebner John H Dean Jesse Pyatt Corporals Samuel E Davis Clarence Reynolds Oscar Dekins William N Dekins Walter Ritchie Gordon B Hutchinson Robert G Dixon (2) John A Riser Fred W Bailey Thomas J Dlubla Clarence L Rounds J Park Cutting Fred J Downs Eugene T Sage Schuyler C Scrimger Herbert East Clyde W Schermer Harry M Akers Carl Fritz Walter Schmidt John O Judd John W Frost Fred W Schwenn William L Myers Eugene A Gelsthorpe Edward I Schields Fred W Goff William L Gerth Albert Short Robert D Blaine Elmer Gill George R Smith Hugh C McDaniels William Goddard Pres Spaur William Pennock Joe Goetz Robert G Steere Musicians Harvey Hancock Frank E Strimple Albert Neis Charles Hanks George C Taylor Borden Calhoun Charles F Hartenbower Harry E Taylor Wagoner Edgar N Heafer John B Taylor Oscar F Soverns Lewis R Hendryx James N Taylor Artificer Oria E Hillis Walter Trow John T McReynolds Russell P Hillis Orton E Wilber Privates Alex Jorgenson Ulysses Willyard Ed Abbott Louis F Kearfott Walter H Woodford Adolph Anderson Philip Kline Fred Wren Charles A Benjamin Louis Kuntz William Wren (1) Died September 3, 1898 (2) Died August 18, 1898 NOTE -- Company D, Fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry was formed from the company of the same name in the Illinois National Guard together with a number of recruits who were enlisted after the call for troops was made. Orders were received Monday night, April 25, to proceed to Springfield and report not later than 12 o'clock m. April 27. The company left Bloomington Wednesday morning, April 27, by way of the Chicago & Alto railroad for Camp Tanner (State Fair Grounds), and reported to Col. J S Culver at 11 o'clock a.m. Were mustered into the United States volunteer service May 9, 1898. Left Springfield for Chickamauga Park, Ga., (Camp George H Thomas) May 14, arriving there May 16. The Fifth Illinois Volunteers was the first volunteer regiment to report to General Brooke for service. Left Chickamauga for Newport News, Va., (Camp Grant) August 8, where they embarked on the 10th on the United States transport "Obdam" bound for Porto Rico. Owing to some delay the vessel was detained until the next day when word was received that no more troops were needed and orders were given to dis-embark and pitch camp again. On August 18 the regiment left Newport News for Lexington, Ky., (Camp Miles), arriving there August 20. Left Lexington, Ky., for Springfield September 5. Furloughed from there September 12 for thirty days. The company reported to Camp Lincoln October 12 for physical examination and final payment, and was mustered out of the United States volunteer service with the regiment Sunday, October 16, 1898. Eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry Company G A second call was made under which the Eighth Illinois Infantry, made up exclusively of colored men, was raised. After the surrender of Santiago and the development of great sickness among the white troops of the United States in Cuba, the 8th was ordered to Santiago for garrison duty. Company G was made up mostly from this county. They went to Springfield about July 24, were mustered into the service, and shortly afterward sent to Santiago, Cuba, where they still remain doing garrison duty. The following is a roster of that company, so far as from McLean county. Captain H Riley W Hardin Julius Witherspoon H Robert J H Lee 1st Lieutenant E Henry S Madison H W Jameson A Fears D Moore Privates W M Schields J Browner W Smith J G Wilson C Jones N D Lamb F Murphy J Samuels J H Wagoner J Hardin J B Gains H Milhorn W Riley N Lewis C S Anderson D Early C Martin S Hardeman W M Jones G Samuels H D Rodgers F Grayer E Thomas C G Toliver A C William W R Clark V McDonald W A Watson C Glasco [War Record of McLean County and Other Papers, Transactions of The McLean County Historical Society, Bloomington, Illinois, Volume I. (1899)]

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