When the war with Spain came on, in 1898, Indiana was not lacking in its patriotism. Her quota was so small and her patriotism so abundant, that it was feared by many who were anxious to bear a part that no opportunity would be given for service. Dearborn County lacked none of its former readiness to respond to the call, but at first, the opportunity seemed lacking. The first call was filled by the militia organizations of the state volunteering to enlist and maintain their status as in the militia. But a second call gave the counties that were alert the chance to be recognized, and Dearborn County, as usual, secured recognition by the acceptance of one company. This company had been recruited by George A. West, who was made its captain; George W. Fitch, who was appointed its first lieutenant; and Hanson G. Freeman, who was appointed its second lieutenant.
Governor Mount assigned the company to the One Hundred and Sixty-first Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, as Company M. The non-commissioned officers and the enlisted men were as follows: First sergeant, Jacob J. Rief; quartermaster sergeant, Henry A. Spencer; sergeants, George W. Laird, John Seekatz, Charles D. Sparks and Cyrus M. Spencer; corporals, Henry C. Flush, John Siemental, Jesse L. Laswell, Edward Marshall, Paul Givan, Edwin J. Evans, John J. Schofield, Charles H. Hayes, William C. Wilson, Andrew Dailey, Adrian H. Cissna and George J. Fleck; musicians, John M. Strauss and George R. McElfresh; artificer, John J. Fleck; wagoner, William McAdams; privates, Wesley W. Abdon, Henry Andrews, Frank April, George J. Aylor, Charles B. Barrow, Charles H. Bell, Clyde C. Berry, Nicholas Billingsley, Thomas C. Brumblay, Henry Christian, Ira W. Clark, James Clark, John E. Clark, Bertram W. Connelly, William W. Cooper, Edward S. Cox, John Cox, Joseph Cross, Milton E. Davis, George Donner, Samuel Downs, Leroy Emehiser, Charles F. Enke, Luke Fahy, James M. Frazier, John Frost, Albert E. Gerkin, Andrew Gould, George K. Gould, Harley Gray, Peter Hauser, George M. Hayes, Edward M. Hitchcock, Homer Huntington, Thomas B. Jeffries, Albert L. Johnson, Gifford Johnson, Hal Johnson, Walter D. Jones, Charles L. Kelsey, George C. Kepper, George P. Ketcham, John W. Knagge, August M. Knippenberg, John M. Kunkel, Edward Landers, William R. Lawrence, John F. Losey, Benjamin Marshall, Henry Mason, Charles W. McCartney, Ralph A. Meyer, Charles E. Montooth, Henry C. Pate, Minter Purnell, Emery J. Ratekin, Amos B. Reed, Fred C. Roemer, George Schnetzer, Edward Schwab, Frank E. Speckman, Walter S. Stewart, Henry H. Stille, Calvin Suit, Charles J. Taylor, William A. Taylor, William Taylor, Edward E. Thompson, William H. Temke, Edward A. Truitt, Gideon H. Tudor, Marcus Ward, William S. Webster, William J. Wesler, Henry J. Wingerberg, Martin Winkley, Clarence Young and John G. Zimmerman; recruits, Ernest M. Bales, Curtis A. Moody, Frank C. McCartney, Charles H. Rief, Karl Slageter and George W. Strieker.
The regiment, after a short time in camp at Indianapolis, was sent to Jacksonville, Florida, where it remained for several months, after which it was ordered to Savannah, where it stayed until about January 1, 1899, when it was ordered to Havana, Cuba, where it remained until ordered home for muster-out. It was mustered out at Savannah on April 30, 1899, and returned home at once. While the men never were ordered to take part in any engagements with the enemy, they were as ready and willing, if it had been their lot, as any of the men who had, in the years gone by, stood in front of an enemy.
During their term of service, they lost two men by sickness, but none was discharged on account of disability. The scenes on the streets of Lawrenceburg when the men were leaving for the rendezvous at Indianapolis were a reminder of the stirring days of the Civil War. Grave news had been received from Santiago, Cuba, that the army then there was having severe engagements, and the future seemed to promise that the Dearborn County company would soon be called on to meet the enemy. The problem of sanitation in a tropical climate had not then been worked out, and relatives and friends of those who had enlisted realized the seriousness of a campaign in Cuba. The streets were full of people, met to give the soldiers a cheery good-bye, and the old veterans of the Civil War led the procession escorting them to their train.
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.