The War of 1898
(taken from the History of Pottawattamie County, 1907)
The Dodge Light Guards
The first military company form in Council Bluffs as a part of the Iowa National Guard, according to the records in the adjutant-general's office, was known as Company A, Fifth Regiment and was mustered into the state's service May 4, 1887, by Captain M. H. Byers of Company C, who was detailed for that service by the adjutant-general of the state, and has been succeeded in that office by Captain William H. Thrift, Company A, Firty-third Regiment.
In a reorganization of the Iowa National Guard, the Council Bluffs company became known as Company L of the Third Regiment and was known by that name unitl the regiment was called into service of the United States in 1898.
The following is the roster of the original Company A of the Fifth Regiment? Captain, Wm. S. Messner; first lieutenant, Charles Highsmith; second lieutenant, Hugh W. Patterson, with thirty-one rank and file.
The Fifty-first Regiment, of which the Council Bluffs company was a part, left Des Moines for San Francisco June 5, 1898, arriving at Camp Merritt, June 11. On July 29, they were removed to Camp Merriam, remaining there unitl November 3, 1898, when they left Camp Merriam and returned to San Francisco and embarked on board the transport "Pennsylvania." The transport reached Honolulu November 16. Arrived at Manila Bay on December 6, 1898. After nearly a month in Iloilo Bay, the transport departed for Cavite, arriving at that place January 31, 1899, where the troops went into quarters.
The Fifty-first Reg. participated in the occupation of San Roque, February 29, 1899 and the various companies were in a number of engagements during their stay in Cavite, losing in battle and by death a total of forty-one men. The following is a list of engagements in which the companies of the regiment participated: Guadoloupe Church, March 5, 1899; Quingus, April 23, 1899; East and West Pullian, April 24, 1899; Calumpit, April 25; San Thomas, May 1; San Fernando, May 5, May 25, 26 and 31, June 16, 22, 30 and July 4, 1899; Cululut and Angeles, July 9, 1899.
On September 6, the troops broke camp and moved to Manila preparatory to returning to the United States and sailed on the transport "Senator," September 22, 1899.
The homecoming of the Fifty-first was the occasion of great and memorable celebration in Council Bluffs. The company, for a number of years, made its headquarters in rented rooms until, through the generosity Gen. (Grenville M.) Dodge, it was provided with its present armory, located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Pearl Street. The armory was dedicated January 17, 1905.
On July 14, 1904, pursuant to an order from the adjutant-general, Dr. Donald Macrae, major and surgeon, organized a hospital corps, which was temporarily attached to the Fifty-sixth Reg. Orders were sent out from headquarters at the same time for the formation of three other detachments of the corps to be stationed at different points in Iowa.
The roster of the Council Bluffs detachment upon its organization is as follows: Dr. Donald Macrae, major and surgeon; 1st Lt. Dr. C. W. McDermott, Spencer, IA; 2nd Lt. Dr. John Middleton, Davenport; 1st Class Sgt. Wm. Anderson; 1st Class Sgt. Arthur E. Lane; enlisted men, Dan P. Cowles, Jas. Macrae, Jr., Ray B. Beardsley, Clement C. Smith, Harry B. Evans, Egbert D. Aylesworth, Harry B. Sackett and Merl F. Warner.
The corps has its headquarters in the armory of Company L, where all its equipment is stored, the men being drilled once a week in their duties.
Enlisted men in the War of 1898 from Council Bluffs, IA
Will O. Pryor, John L. Moore, Matt A. Tinley, Paul I. Van Order, Jno. Q. Anderson, Chas. Millsap, Peter J. Rodes, Wallace A. Bolin, Jas. H. Windle, Edw N. Catterlin, Frank Stodlmeister, Jno H. Morgan, W. B. Ruffcorn, W. A. Johnson, George Mecham, Edgar G. Harkness, DeWitt Clinton, Tucker, David D. Mottay, Clark P. Pettit, Corut C. Grahl, Harry B. Sackett, Thos. R. Rutherford, R. D. Rutherford, Jr., Jas. E. Mather, Geo. A. Colton, Clarence Weaver, Warren Dailey, Robt. L. Dailey, Sumner Knox, Robt D. Hallader, W. G. Fuller, Jas. Delaney, J. L. Sawyer, Claude Young, Harry E. Grout, Anders Peterson, P. A. Yenter, Robert T. Jarvis, Sam'l A. Greene, Jas. A. Johnson, Martin Hansen, A. C. Aylesworth, Robt. S. Robertson, Carl A. Burhorn, W. A. Williams, Louise Wegener, Fred G. Wilkin, Cort A. Coffeen, Hugh A. McCarger, Geo. F. McMacken, Claus Rus, Clark McGrew, W. H. Fleharty, Thos. L. Hale, Gustavus Lots, Ernst K. Kirkland, George D. Nimmo, E. C. Hardegen, R. T. Kissel, A. M. Flammant, Hugh M. Goss, T. J. Evans, Jr., R. B. Tracy, Harvey Nealey
Return of the Iowa Fifty-First Reg.of Vol. - November 6, 1899
Robert Dailey, James Bayne, Albert Flammot, Charles Williams, William Hesse, Jesse Sawyer, William Sutherland, Richard Rutherford, Charles Anderson, William Brock Edw. Catterlin, Thomas Farnsworth, Sam Greene, Martin Hansen, Edgar Harkins, Charles Jasoph, William Johnson, Robert Jarvis, Sumner Knox, Ernest Kirkland, Walter Larsen, Clarence Luch, Otto Lutz, Harry Maclellan, David Mottaz, William Moore, Harry Patterson, Clark Pettit, Frank Reed, L. W. Silverthorne, Walter Williams, Louis Wegener (killed), George Haworth, George Nemo, Dewitt Tucker (died), Dr. Donald Macrae, Frank Compton, Wallace Bolin (died), Capt. W. O. Pryor, Dr. M. A. Tinley, Fred Van Arnam, Charles Millsap, James Windle, James Mather, Charles Jameson, John Morgan, George Judson, George McMacken, Hugh Goss, Claus Rus, Thomas Hall, Thomas Rutherford, Clark McGrew, Hubert Pardey, James Casey, William Anderson, Warren Dailey, Andrew Peterson, Peter Rodes, George Tinley, Clarence Wooman, Melvin Gould, Roy Ritter, Frank Stodlmeister, Paul Pugh (died)
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