When the Mexican War commenced Indiana was in worse condition from a military point of view than it has ever been, before or since. The old militia system had become unpopular. Thirty years had passed since the last war, that with Great Britain — 1812 to 1815. The “cornstalk” militia system, which for several years was carefully kept up and prepared for Indian outbreaks or foreign complications, had been lulled to sleep with the tremendous growth of the country and the continued peace with the Indian tribes, which were now beyond the Mississippi, so that only a few companies of the old militia had kept up an organization. The adjutant-general of the United States in a letter to David Reynolds, adjutant-general of Indiana, calling attention to the apparent neglect of military precautions, was answered by General Reynolds as follows:
Adjutant-General’s Office
Indianapolis, Ind., January 25, 1845Sir:—Your circular of the 8th inst. and blank forms have been duly received. The reason the strength and arms of this state have not been reported, as required by Act of Congress of 1803, is that our system has so far gone down that but few officers hold commissions and scarcely any of those few make returns to this office, as will be perceived by reference to my report to the Governor for 1845, which is herewith enclosed.
I also enclose to you the report of the Quartermaster General to the Governor for the year 1845, which will give you an idea of the condition of our arms on hand. There are other arms, let out on bonds, not included in said report, but to what amount I cannot tell.
The dilapidated state of our military system is a matter of much regret. I trust it is perceived that my failure to return our strength, etc., is from necessity and not from neglect.
Your obedient servant,
D. Reynolds,
Adjutant-General, Indiana Militia.
SERVICE REGARDLESS OF PAY
Military matters had fallen so low that the position of adjutant-general was considered simply an honorary affair by which a title could be secured, the office only paying, when the Mexican War commenced, the nominal salary of one hundred dollars. General Reynolds, however, was full of patriotism, and performed his duty regardless of pay. While lacking experience, he made up for deficiencies by possessing plenty of sound, common sense, executive ability and much ability for hard work. After his work had been completed and the war was over, no allowance was made for compiling and preserving the record of the volunteers, and it remained for the Legislature of 1907 to authorize Oran Perry, a veteran of the Civil War, and at that time adjutant-general of the state, to compile and record the great services of the volunteers of 1846 and 1847.
In General Perry’s introduction, he gives this eulogy to General Reynolds, which ought to be appreciated: “His success in rapidly organizing the state’s quota for the war had no parallel at that time, and in 1847 a grateful Legislature recognized the fact by adding $150 to his salary for the year. In 1849 the Legislature again made him an allowance of $183 per month for four months and twenty-three days and ten cents a mile for 664 miles ‘travel.'”
DEARBORN COUNTY VOLUNTEERS
Dearborn County acquitted itself in the struggle with more than ordinary credit. It furnished to the governor the first company under the call for troops, James H. Lane having offered a company, which was accepted and assigned to the Third Regiment as Company K.
President Polk issued the call for volunteers on May 13, 1846. Gov. James Whitcomb issued his call for Indiana’s quota on the 22nd day of May, and by the 10th of June thirty companies had assembled at Ft. Clark, between Jeffersonville and New Albany, the place designated as the rendezvous.
Quoting from General Perry’s report: “At that time there was but one railroad in the state, running between Madison and Edinburg. There were but few improved highways and no telegraphs. All communication was by mail, mostly carried by men on horseback and over bad roads. There were no daily papers, the press services being rendered by small weekly sheets, one or two to the county. In spite of these handicaps, the war news traveled fast. The governor issued his proclamation on the 22nd of May and the adjutant-general his general order No. 1, on the 4th of June, directing the companies to assemble at the rendezvous as soon as possible, by the shortest route and at their own expense, for transportation and subsistence.
“As if by magic, the roads were filled with marching men, helped on by patriotic farmers, who furnished teams for transportation and whose kind-hearted wives fed the hungry volunteers. Notwithstanding these drawbacks the concentration was quickly made, and by the 10th of June, nineteen days after the call, thirty companies had reported at camp and had been mustered into service, while an overflow of twenty-two companies reported from their home stations clamoring for acceptance.”
BANKS COME TO RESCUE
The state at that time had but little money in its coffers and the banks of the state came to the rescue, offering funds for the expense of equipping the men. The following letter to Governor Whitcomb from the cashier of the Lawrenceburg bank shows that Dearborn County was not behind any other county in its patriotism:
Branch of the State Bank of Indiana
Lawrenceburg, Indiana, June 8, 1846At a meeting of the board of directors of this branch, held this day, the following resolutions were unanimously passed:
Resolved, that the cashier honor the draft of James Whitcomb, governor of this state, to the amount of ten thousand dollars, for the purpose of equipping and supplying the volunteers called for from this state through the war department.
Resolved, that such advance shall be considered a loan to the state of Indiana, to be repaid at such time and in such manner as may hereafter be provided for by the Legislature, or by the general government.
Resolved, that the captain of the Dearborn volunteers be authorized to draw the sum necessary to equip and remove his company to the place of rendezvous in this state; this advance to be considered a part of the above ten thousand dollars.
Attest: Henry K. Hobbs, Cashier.
SOLDIERS INADEQUATELY DRILLED
James H. Lane took the first company to Ft. Clark as its captain, but on the organization of the Third Regiment was made its colonel. The county during this conflict organized and sent to the field one company for the Third Indiana Regiment, two companies for the Fourth Regiment, and one company for the Fifth Regiment. James H. Lane, who raised the first company and was made colonel of the regiment, the Third, when it was returned home at the expiration of its term of service, recruited another regiment, called the Fifth, to which Dearborn County furnished one company.
The men were enlisted for only one year and their term of service, while arduous, yet hardly accustomed them to the life of a soldier before it was ended. In calling for recruits the same mistake was made in the Mexican War as in the War of 1812 and the War of the Revolution. Short-term service prevented the men from acquiring the discipline necessary for a good soldier and also made it impossible for the men to become inured to the hardships of campaigning.
ROSTER OF DEARBORN COUNTY SOLDIERS
The company recruited in this county for the Third Regiment was numbered as Company K, and was composed of the following officers and privates:
Captain, George Dunn; first lieutenant, William L. Guard; second lieutenant, Benjamin Spooner; second lieutenant, Aaron C. Gibbs; Joseph W. Cheeseman, first sergeant; William H. Reed, sergeant; Solomon P. Tuney, sergeant; Robert McGarve, sergeant; John Goddard, corporal; John Christy, corporal; Charles D. Seeds, corporal; Thomas W. McRight, corporal; David V. Johnson, musician.
Privates:
Thomas Bell, Strawder J. Byron, Benjamin Bodine, Anthony Bloster, Peter Browne, Simeon Bradley, John S. Conger, William Croak, Franklin B. Darling, James Foster, James Gilmore, David Gilliland, Alexander Gamble, John Gras, Francis M. Gray, Jabez Heeley, Samuel Hines, Judson U. Holden, Nelson Hammel, George Hudson, Joseph Irvey, Louis Kissley, Joseph Kussins, John Kelly, Solomon Lafollet, Austin McCright, Gerothwell Maxwell, John Medd, Thomas Medd, Thomas B. Motherell, William North, Nathaniel Olmstead, William M. Perks, Joseph C. Pike, John Ross, Joseph Ross, Elisha Scoggins, Tosh Soppiger, Joshua Senit, William Todd, William C. Truitt, William Wilson, John J. Wilson, John Wyers and Barnhart Werle.
Discharged by surgeon’s certificate before their term of service expired:
Moses Bennett, Victor McGarvey, Charles Dauber, C. Law, Wallace, Andrew Moss, George Kempp, John Naylor, George W. Knapp, William O. Walker, George W. Hamblin, Samuel Crist, George W. Dawson, John Godfrey, George Norris, Moses Pryor, James Russell and Jesse White.
Died in the service:
David G. Conger, Richard H. Inman and Jonathan Walton.
In addition, John G. Dunn was assistant surgeon of the regiment.
THE FOURTH REGIMENT
The Fourth Regiment was mustered in a year later, with Willis A. Gorman, former major of the Third Regiment, as its colonel and Ebenezer Dumont, of Dearborn County, as its lieutenant-colonel; Mac Crookshank, quartermaster-sergeant.
Company C was raised in Dearborn County, with the following officers and privates:
Captain, Morgan L. Payne; first lieutenant, Martin M. Van Duesen; second lieutenant, Thomas J. Lucas; second lieutenant, James H. Thompson; first sergeant, Joseph V. Bemnsdoffer; second sergeant, Jasper S. Briggs; third sergeant, George W. Baldridge; fourth sergeant, Abner Prather; first corporal, Henry S. Griffin; second corporal, Thomas M. Griffin; third corporal, John B. Pike; fourth corporal, Israel Fowler; drummer, Thomas L. Lockhart; fifer, Samuel Steel.
Privates:
Josiah T. Bailey, William H. Baldridge, Thomas Barnes, Cornelius Beck, William Binegar, George Brownlake, William Britton, William H. Cavil, John Church, Rufus S. Craft, Jesse Cross, Andrew J. Dolph, John Fell, Calvin A. Gibson, Eli Goodwin, George Gordon, Samuel P. Goucher, John Grapp, Richard Grapp, William P. Gosnell, John Hoffman, William M. Hoffman, Valentine M. Hudson, John James, John Koontz, James Leeper, William W. Lowe, Jacob C. Larne, Francis McCabe, Isaiah McCleaster, William Victor McGarvey, Peter E. Mitchell, John M. Moger, James North, John F. Orill, Samuel Protzman, Lycurgus Richardson, William Robertson, John H. Seeley, William Sinick, James W. Smith, Mahlon Smith, John Stone, Van V. Tousey, William T. Wade, William B. Welsh, and Levin Ward.
Before their terms of service expired, the following were mustered out for disability or on a surgeon’s certificate:
James Hudson, William M. Bennett, Hiram J. Davis, Johnson McLain, Hiram P. Stage, Reuben Brown, Jacob W. Gibson, John J. DeHart, Isaac P. Lewis, George W. Newby, Jacob Wizard and Van V. Tousey.
Transferred to Company K:
David G. Cromlow.
Deserted:
Mortico Cross, William Douglas, Theodore Gliff, William D. Hawkins and John King.
Absent:
George W. Baldridge.
Died:
David Finley, John Handen, Christian Schmeidmiller, James W. White, Benjamin Nalliner, Robert Owen, Joseph F. Law and Henry T. Bunner.
Resigned:
William T. Baldridge and Milton H. Catlett.
ROSTER OF COMPANY K
Company K of the Fourth Regiment was also organized in this county, with the following officers and privates:
Captain, A. L. Mason; first lieutenant, James C. Littell; second lieutenant, L. Noble Hamilton; second lieutenant, James R. Mills; first sergeant, John Watts; second sergeant, James P. Hart; third sergeant, Davis W. Cheek; fourth sergeant, Washington L. O’Neal; first corporal, James E. Goble; second corporal, David G. Cromlow; third corporal, Newton P. Norris; fourth corporal, Henry Kohoy; drummer, Vandyke Barricklow; fifer, Joseph Stevens.
Privates:
Bale Ashby, Thomas Bassett, Adam Baringer, Lemuel Bigney, Ira Brown, John A. Buchanan, Mark Collins, Charles Campbell, John R. Churchill, Aquilla Cochrane, Daniel Connelly, James L. Consley, Alphonso Doolittle, John A. Forester, Job Ervin, Edward Gray, Merit C. Grimes, Levi Hamlin, Jeremiah Hallenbeck, Robert F. Hume, Isaac Horton, Josephus Jones, James Kitts, Henry Lake, Samuel Land, Lorenzo D. Lowe, William Lucas, John Manley, William Miller, Edward H. McPike, Litle W. Parks, Thomas P. Paugh, Robert Raney, Hart Reno, Eli S. Richmond, Jonathan Roach, Samuel Roach, Robert W. Roberts, John Scott, Thomas Shoat, Joseph Smith, Franklin Stateler, William H. C. Steele, Aaron Stilwell, Joseph Teany, Joseph Todd, George W. Walker, Noble G. Walters, Jesse White, John Whitaker and Isaac M. Brower.
Discharged for disability:
Daniel Cole, Curtis Bird, James Harper, William K. French, Amos K. Butterfield, Thomas Lake, Charles Dean, John Duncan, Edward Woyciehoskie and Henry Bowers.
Died:
George B. Jones, George N. Lowe, James H. Best, Frederick Seifert, Pleasant Chew, Thomas Watts and William C. Crookshank.
Deserted:
Jonas Dodson, John Hum, Harrison Osborne, George B. Griffith and Thomas Shoat.
THE FIFTH REGIMENT
The Fifth and last regiment raised from Indiana for the Mexican War was commanded by Col. James H. Lane. It rendezvoused at Madison, and after a short time spent in camp there, was rushed to Vera Cruz to take an active part in Gen. Winfield Scott’s campaign against the City of Mexico.
Company G of the Fifth Regiment was organized in Dearborn County and was officered as follows:
Captain, Aaron C. Gibbs; first lieutenant, Lewis S. Moffatt; second lieutenant, Henry W. Jones; second lieutenant, Gerothwell Maxwell; first sergeant, Frederick White; second sergeant, George W. Claypool; third sergeant, James Harris; fourth sergeant, Christian Lenberger; first corporal, William H. Bisbee; second corporal, Thomas B. F. Hewitt; third corporal, Henry O’Brien; fourth corporal, James Ewing; musician, Andrew Herzogg.
Privates:
John Cavanaugh, Joseph W. Cheeseman, George P. Christopher, Ephraim Darnby, William Duncan, Abram Ferrell, Jackson Poland, Robert Green, Samuel Hines, Pacter T. Harden, James Headrick, Samuel Henderson, George Hamblin, Joseph Irvy, George W. Johnson, David James, Joseph Kussins, George W. Lawrence, Allen Major, Michael McGarv, Nicholas Mitchell, Asa McManaman, James R. McClure, John S. Merrill, Enoch McCarty, Nathaniel Olmstead, Samuel Plomteaux, John P. Pepper, Jacob Phillips, Joshua Rounds, Samuel Rayson, Joseph Rounds, John A. Stephenson, Frederick Swatfager, Isaac Strimback, Gilbert Turner, John H. Touner, Abram Teney, Stephen Wood and Thomas Wymond.
Transferred to other companies:
Jacob Murray, Elijah Earley, David W. Cable, Joseph Jenkins, Andrew Robbnett, James Curtis, Joel Wilson, Thomas J. Webster, James D. Ayers, Samuel Chapman, John C. Campbell, Zachariah Lacy, Charles Palmer, Robert Sunman, William Frost and John M. Myers.
Deserted:
James Patterson, Michael Church and Abram Peters.
Discharged for disability:
Samuel Cowden, Andrew I. Gray, David C. Lord and William G. Lyon.
Missing and supposed to have been murdered by the Mexicans:
William Crook and Samuel Dougherty.
Died:
Joshua Shaffer, Giles Hoft, Jonathan Budd, James Griffith, William Byram, Patrick Ryan and William Wilson.
Left sick:
Benjamin E. Noster, John Diehammer, Elzy Spurgeon, Benjamin Swan, William Teney and William Truitt.
SCHOOLING FOR CIVIL WAR
The Mexican War proved to be a good school for the Civil War. Out of the officers that were in the Mexican War from this county, there were furnished for the Civil War three brigadier generals and one colonel, as follows:
Brigadiers, James H. Lane, Ebenezer Dumont and Thomas J. Lucas; colonel, Benjamin Spooner.
Besides these, many of the rank and file were commissioned officers and valuable men in the service of drilling and recruiting troops for the greater crisis of the War of the Rebellion.
It was only thirteen years from the close of the Mexican War until the call to arms came in 1861, and many of those who had responded to the call for volunteers in the former war were ready at once to shoulder a musket in the latter war to perpetuate the government they had made sacrifices for in earlier life.
The part taken by Indiana in the Mexican War was creditable to the state’s patriotism and to the bravery of her sons. It was a tradition for some years that her troops had not acquitted themselves creditably in the campaign under General Taylor at Buena Vista, but the facts are that there was nothing to be ashamed of and much of which every Hoosier should be proud. Investigation showed that the responsibility for misconduct was all to be charged to the colonel of one regiment, a man who, in after years, when the life of his country was at stake, proved to be a traitor to his country.
The Mexican War broadened the viewpoint of the people and gave them a better idea of the extent of the country and its extraordinary resources. It aroused the restless spirit of the pioneer that had been latent for a decade and emigration to the westward was again increased. Shortly afterwards the discovery of gold in California gave to all those restless spirits an opening for their adventurous blood and the country was for a decade destined to grow more rapidly than at any time in its past.
Back to: Indiana History & Genealogy Project
Source
Shaw, Archibald, History of Dearborn County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of old families, Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen, 1915.