The spirit that aroused so many of the hardy pioneers at the time of the Black Hawk war had not died out in 1846, when the government declared war against the Republic of Mexico. Soon after the formal declaration of war Indiana was called on for three regiments of infantry. At that time James Whitcomb was governor, and he at once issued his proclamation calling for volunteers. In a few days the governor's proclamation reached Crawfordsville. News of the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma soon followed, and these startling events at once threw the whole county into a great excitement. The whig and democratic parties were nearly equal in the county. The whigs had predicted that a war with Mexico would follow the policy of the democratic party touching the annexation of Texas. There was some party animosity, and the democrats were denounced for involving the country in a war whose sole object was believed to be the extension of slavery. But the news of Taylor's victories at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, and a few stirring speeches from Henry S. Lane, the gifted orator and pure patriot, and Judge Isaac Naylor, one of the heroes of Tippecanoe, both leading whigs, soon obliterated all party lines, and the people of the county, with one voice, declared they would stand by the government, right or wrong. The Saturday after the governor's proclamation reached the county a large meeting was held at the old Christian church in Crawfordsville. Speeches were made by Lane and others, and about twenty volunteers enrolled their names in response to the proclamation. The whole county was then canvassed, and in a short time ninety-eight names were secured. June 10 was designated as the day on which the volunteers would meet at Crawfordsville. They all came prepared for the long and tedious journey to the seat of war, on the Rio Grande. On the 11th an immense concourse assembled in front of the residence of Henry S. Lane, who had been the inspiring genius of the movement for responding to the governor's call. Here Mrs. Lane, in behalf of the ladies of Crawfordsville, presented a beautiful flag to the company. Wagons had been tendered by the patriotic farmers to transport the new recruits to the capital. Many sorrowful good-byes were spoken, and the wagons started forward. At Brownsburg the volunteers were greeted with applause, and tendered the hospitalities of the village. The next day they reached Indianapolis. Here the company was organized by the election of Henry S. Lane as captain; Allan May, first lieutenant, and Gustavius A. Wood as second lieutenant.
    Gov. Whitcomb advanced $5 to each one of the recruits, from the state treasury, and on June 15 they marched to Franklin, the county seat of Johnson county, twenty miles south of Indianapolis. Here they were treated with great hospitality by the citizens, and cared for till the morning of the 16th, when they marched to Edinburgh, where they took the cars for Madison. From Madison they went by boat to New Albany, and there went into camp at a place called Camp Whitcomb, in honor of the governor. By July 5 thirty companies had reported, and they were at once organized into three regiments. The Montgomery county company was assigned to the 1st reg. James P. Drake was appointed colonel; C. C. Nave, of Hend- ricks county, lieutenant-colonel; and Henry S. Lane, major. There was much dissatisfaction because Lane was not appointed colonel of the regiment, as he was a favorite with all the volunteers. They have always believed that under him the regiment would have been assigned a more honorable place, and had a more eventful career. When Capt. Lane was appointed major, John B. Powers took his place as captain of the company. On July 5 the regiment started for New Orleans on steamboats, and landed at the old battle-ground on the 12th. Here it remained till the 17th, when the Montgomery county company was crowded on board a small sloop with another company (some 200 in all), and set sail for the Rio Grande. Before <lay on the 22d the vessel struck on the beach of Padre island, fourteen miles north of Brazos, the place to which the 1st reg. had been ordered. A stiff breeze was blowing, and the night was very dark. "When daylight came the troops were all safely sent ashore in boats, with their stores, and went into camp. They remained here eight days, when they were marched to the mouth of the Rio Grande, and finally up the river to Camp Belknap, where they remained for some time. The whole term of service was spent in marching up and down the Rio Grande. The company suffered much from sickness, and at the close of the year for which they had enlisted it was reduced to one half its original strength. Upon the expiration of their term of service the volunteers (or, rather, so many as had survived the ravages of disease) returned home. Upon their arrival at Crawfordsville, in July 1847, a grand ovation was tendered them by the citizens of the county, on which occasion Col. Henry S. Lane, who had been promoted during the campaign, made one of the most eloquent and thrilling speeches of his eventful life as an orator.


    Montgomery County, even prior to 1861, was noted as one of the localities of the state where a military spirit had always been more or leas fostered. Lewis "Wallace, who rose to high rank and distinguished himself during the war, had been a lover of the rattling drum, the flashing sword, and the gleaming bayonet, from his boyhood, and had long kept up a military company in the county. When in April, 1861, Mr. Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to aid in enforcing the law, young Wallace, for he was then quite a young man, was practicing his profession in Crawfordsville ; but he at once threw down his pen and law books and took up his sword to defend the Union. He had served in the Mexican war when very young, and was not altogether a stranger to the bivouac and the march. His example, together with that of Malilon D. Manson, another Montgomery county veteran of the Mexican war, who also distinguished himself in the war of the rebellion, soon filled the whole county with an enthusiastic spirit of devotion to the old flag of the fathers.
    The night after the President's call for 15,000 volunteers was issued, a large and enthusiastic meeting was held at McClelland's Hall, in Crawfordsville, at which the venerable Judge Isaac Naylor presided. Resolutions were adopted denouncing the rebellion as wicked and inexcusable, proclaiming that the public authorities were as much bound to put it down as they were to repel a foreign invader, and offering all the aid the county could render to make the war for the Union successful. The third day after this meeting a company was fully organized and ready to go into camp. The morning of April 18, 1861, the time set for its departure, will be long remembered in Crawfordsville. War was a new thing to most of the people, and thousands had gathered in the streets of the town to honor the brave and patriotic young men who were to be the first to meet the hazards of battle. A little while before the arrival of the train which was to bear them away the company was drawn up in line on Green street, between Main and Market, and James H. Benefiel passed along presenting to each member thereof a copy of the New Testament. After this the company marched to the depot of the then New Albany & Salem railroad, followed by nearly the entire population of the town and hundreds from the country. It was a sad and solemn occasion. The patriotic father, with a heavy heart, bade his manly boy good-bye. The mother, with a mother's tender love, pressed him to her bosom, as she feared, for the last time and the coy maiden, who had pledged him her affections,, with bowed head and palpitating heart, whispered in his ear her wish for his safe return. It was not long till the train came, the boys were soon on board, the train moved off, handkerchiefs were waved, and the vast concourse in solemn silence went back to their several homes, little dreaming that such scenes were to be repeated till 2,000 of the county's patriotic sons should volunteer to join the ranks of the national army. The next day a company left Ladoga, and soon another from Crawfordsville followed. And from this time till the old flag of the Union waved in triumph from the ramparts of Sumter again the county promptly met every draft upon her patriotism. During the long struggle many a field drank freely of the best blood of the county, and many a household yet mourns the loss of a dear boy or a father who gave his life to preserve what we to-day enjoy, a government strong enough to be merciful to its enemies, upright enough to gain the respect of all the nations of the earth, and mild enough to retain the undying love of its own citizens.

Source: History of Montgomery County, together with historic notes on the Wabash Valley By Hiram Williams Beckwith, P. S. Kennedy, Davidson, Thomas Fleming