Porter County in the Spanish-American WarVeterans of the Spanish-American War from Porter County . . . .
The following information concerning Porter County
residents in the Spanish-American War comes from the following sources:
The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso,
Porter County, Indiana; August 18, 1936; Volume 10, Section 4, Page 9.
Gore, James K., John E. Miller, Wilbur F. Havens, and Elizabeth Stewart. 1900.
Record of Indiana Volunteers in the Spanish-American War. Indianapolis, Indiana:
William B. Buford. 368 p.
Background Information
The battleship Maine, blown up in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898,
resulting in a great loss of life, propelled America into war with Spain over Cuba, Puerto
Rico, and the Philippine Islands.
Soon after the sinking of the Maine, President McKinley issued a call for 125,000 volunteers.
On April 23,
1898, Captain Charles F. Griffin, in command of a National Guard company at Hammond,
Indiana, wrote to Captain Stephen L. Finney, of Valparaiso, suggesting the
reorganization of the Porter County company of National Guard, which had
disbanded eight years earlier, as well as outlined a plan for the organization of a
regiment in northern Indiana should President McKinley announce a second call for volunteers.
On April 27, 1898, a meeting was held at the Armory on Franklin Avenue in
Valparaiso to
organize a company. Colonel George S. Haste presided over this meeting and it
was later decided to form a volunteer company of soldiers. So many men responded
to the call for soldiers that two companies were formed.
One company was known as the "Hill Company," commanded by Captain Wallace L. Wright,
while the other company was known as
the "Down Town Company" and was commanded by Captain Stephen L.
Finney. The list of Porter County veterans in the Spanish-American War is likely
to be incomplete. It is known that the list includes individuals that lived in
Porter County before and/or after the war. Carl Bremmer and Carl B. Specht died
while in service.
Porter County Spanish-American War Veterans
Babcock, Daniel D., Private, Company L, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Babcock, Virgil P., Private, Company L, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Walter E. Baum, Sergeant, Company G, 13th U.S. Infantry
Clarence Bell, Trumpeter, 1st Illinois Cavalry
John Bell, Sergeant, Company G, 12th U.S. Infantry
Henry E. Bortell, Private, Company M, 3rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Claire Boughton, Corporal, Company G, 28th U.S. Volunteer Infantry
Emerson L. Bowser, Company A, 101st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Carl Bremmer
Henry A. Cromey, Private, Company L, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Leo L. Donley
Earl C. Dowdell, Private, Battery K, 5th U.S. Artillery
James Dye
Henry L. Garrison
Benjamin F. Hall
Ira Honefinger, Private, Company B, 5th Illinois Volunteer Infantry
Joseph A. Kitchen, Private
August Larson, Private, Company L, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Fred L. McConnell, Private, Company A, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
James W. Marston
Fred S. Nattress, Corporal, Company A, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Edward O'Connor
William Ollin, Corporal, Company H, 43rd U.S. Volunteer Infantry
Carl Ongman, Corporal, Company L, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Roy L. Pierce, Private, Troop I, 1st U.S. Cavalry
August H. Pollentske
Oliver M. Reid, Corporal, Company I, 20th U.S. Infantry
Percy V. Ruch, Sergeant, 39th Coast Artillery
Arthur E. Sager, Private, Company H, 159th Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Henry Schlebohm, Private, Troop K, 1st U.S. Cavalry
Winfield Scott, Private, Company K, 10th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry
Benjamin Siercks
Carl Specht, Private, Company H, 1st Illinois Cavalry
Victor L. Springer
John H. Sullivan
Benjamin Trahan, Private, Company A, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
George W. Vann
William H. Varner, Private 1st Class, Company B, 2nd Engineers
Edwin V. Walton
Albert Weise
Information abstracted by Steven R. Shook