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Atlantic and Cass county, true to their tradition, furnished a splendid quota of volunteer soldiers to the Spanish-American war of 1898. The most of these men fighting in the Phillipines at the time of the Insurrection there, following the United Sates occupancy of the islands. The story of valor written by these men of '98 is a twice told tale. The boys of that day are middle aged men now, many of them with sons of their own, who served in the world war. The part they played in the historic struggle was one of everlasting credit and glory.

In 1898, when it became evident that the United States would declare war with Spain a small squad of local young men started drilling in a room on Walnut street where the Harry South second hand store is now located. They were instructed in the rudiments of the manual by W. B. Martin, now proprietor of the People's store on upper Chestnut street. They drilled with broom-sticks instead of guns and they were "rarin' to go" when the word came that Uncle Same would add no more units to his army for the purposes of the war with Spain, so the dream of the local young men of going with a company from this city was blasted and all of them, in a short time, hastened to Red Oak and other points where they enlisted in various outfits for their country's service. They acquitted themselves well in the conflict and came home, those who were in the Philippines, after a stormy voyage across the Pacific which nearly resulted in their vessel being lost. They were mustered out of the service in 1899.

The men from the county in the service of their country then were:

Herman Murray, age 22, residence Massena, Ia.; enlisted June 13, 1898; promoted corporal Sept. 20, 1899; wounded slightly April 21, 1899, at Malolas, P. I.; mustered out Nov. 2, 1890, at San Francisco, Cal.

Albert M. Petite, appointed first lieutenant Thirty-ninth infantry Aug. 17, 1899; late sergeant Company II, Second U. S. Vonunteer [sic Volunteer] Engineers.

Bode Clayon, age 25, residence Lewis, Ia.; enlisted June 14, 1898; discharged March 1, 1899, at Honolulu, H. I.; Company C, 51st Iowa Volunteers.

Oscar Harvey, Company C, First Nebraska Volunteer Infantry.

Mark Chapman, Taylor's light artillery of Chicago, Ill.; served during Philippine insurrection.

Charles H. Scott, age 24, residence Atlantic, Ia.; enlisted June 13, 1898 in Company C, 51st Iowa Volunteers; mustered out Nov. 2, 1899, at San Francisco, Cal.

John J. Rapp. Age 20. Residence, Atlantic, Ia. Enlisted June 14, 1898. Mustered out at San Francisco, Cal., Nov. 2, 1899. Mr. Rapp furnished The News-Telegraph the data for this story.

Henry P. Hansen, age 21, residence Atlantic, Ia.; enlisted June 14, 1898, in Company C, 51st Iowa Volunteers; mustered out Nov. 2, 1899, at San Francisco, Cal.

Owen H. Williams, age 23, residence Atlantic, Ia.; enlisted June 1(?), 1898, in Company E, 51st Iowa Volunteers; discharged July 31, 1890, at San Fernando, P. I., to enlist in Eleventh U. S. Volunteer cavalry.

Ellery E. Mills, age 23, residence Atlantic, Ia.; enlisted June 14, 1898, in Company M, 51st Iowa Volunteers; died of disease Sept. 14, 1898, at San Francisco.

Ira Day, age 24, residence Atlantic, Ia.; enlisted June 14, 1898, in Company M, 51st Iowa Volunteers; discharged Jan. 14, 1899, at San Francisco, Cal.

Thomas Hollowell, age 18, residence Atlantic, Ia.; enlisted June 14, 1898, in Company M, 51st Iowa Volunteers; wounded June 22, 1890, at San Fernando, P. I.; mustered out Nov. 2, 1899, at San Francisco, Cal.

Henry Hoffman, age 21, residence Atlantic, Ia.; enlisted June 14, 1898, in Company M, 51st Iowa Volunteers; mustered out Nov. 2, 1890, at San Francisco, Cal.

George W. Towne, age 23, residence Atlantic, Ia.; enlisted June 14, 1898, in Company B, 51st Iowa Volunteers; discharged Feb. 18, 1890, at Atlantic, Ia.

Edgar Fritz, age 26, residence Atlantic, Ia.; enlisted June 13, 1898, in Company C, 51st Iowa Volunteers; discharged for disability No. 2, 1898 at San Francisco, Cal.

Charles W. Lee, age 19, residence Atlantic, Ia.; enlisted June 14, 1898, in Company M, 51st Iowa Volunteers; discharged Aug. 31, 1899, at San Francisco, Cal.

Edward F. Brown, age 22, residence Lewis, Ia.; enlisted June 13, 1898, in Company C, 51st Iowa Volunteers; wounded June 30, 1899; mustered out Nov. 2, 1899, at San Farncisco [sic Francisco], Cal.

Ole M. Oleson, age 29, residence Wiota, Ia.; enlisted June 14, 1898, in Company M, 51st Iowa Volunteers; discharged Aug. 19, 1899, at San Francisco, Cal.

John J. Toulouse, age 24; enlisted May 25, 1898, in Company A, 51st Iowa Volunteers; mustered out Nov. 2, 1899, at San Francisco.

Joseph H. Toulouse, age 23; enlisted April 26, 1898.

Gust Anderson, age 21, residence Atlantic, Ia.; enlisted June 14, 1898, in Company C, 51st Iowa Volunteers; promoted cook Oct. 11, 1898; mustered out Nov. 2 at San Francisco, Cal.

William A. Wright, age 20, residence, Atlantic, Ia.; enlisted June 14, 1898, in Company E, 51st Iowa Volnuteers [Volunteers]; mustered out Nov. 2, 1899, at San Francisco, Cal.

William B. Emerson, age 26, residence, Atlantic, Ia.; enlisted June 14, 1898, in Company C, 51st Iowa Volunteers; promoted corporal Sept. 1, 1899; mustered out Nov. 2, 1899, at San Francisco, Cal.

Dan Maher, enlisted September, 1899, at Denver, Colo., in Company M, 43rd U. S. Volunteers; mustered out July 5, 1901 at San Francisco, Cal.

Frank Temple, enlisted at New York in Company G, 43rd U. S. Volunteers and served in the Philippine insurrection; mustered out at San Francisco, Cal., July 15, 1901.

Frank Hanton, enlisted at Hackensack, N. J., in Company G, 2nd New Jersey Volunteers, and transferred to U. S. hospital at Jacksonville, Fla., rank of sergeant; mustered out Nov. 4, 1898. He served at Sea Girt, N. J., and was the last man of his regiment to be mustered out.

William Kincaid, residence Griswold, Ia.; enlisted in 1st Nebraska Volunteers; mustered out in July, 1899, and reinlisted in Company M, 43rd U. S. Volunteers in July, 1899; mustered out at San Francisco, Cal., July 8, 1901.

Of the above, Ellery Mills, Ira Day, W. B. Emerson, Frank Temple and Henry P. Hansen are deceased.

Present Atlantic residents who served in the Spanish-American war, enlisting elsewhere, are:

Fred L. Bailey, age 18; enlisted May 17, 1898, at Portland, Ore., in Company E, 2nd Oregon Volunteers; discharged from regiment in 1899 to enlist in the Philippine constabulary; mustered out at Manila, P. I., December, 1900.

Hans C. Miller, enlisted in Company E, 3rd Nebraska Volunteers on July 6, 1898; discharged for disability.

Edward G. Eustis, age 24, residence, Stuart, Ia.; enlisted in Company H, 51st Iowa Volunteers April 26, 1898; transferred to Company I Oct. 25, 1898; mustered out at San Francisco, Cal., Nov. 2, 1899.

George Neely, age 24, residence Villisca, Ia.; enlisted in Company B, 51st Iowa Volnuteers [sic Volunteers] April 26, 1898; mustered out at San Francisco, Cal., Nov. 2 1899.

William H. Irving, enlisted April 26, 1898 in Company E, Illinois Volunteers and served in Cuba; rang [sic rank] of corporal; mustered out May 2, 1899.

Guy Cocklin, residence, Griswold, Ia.; enlisted in 34th U. S. Volunteers and served until after the Philippine insurrection. He is also a world war veteran, having served in the 108th aero squadron. He was stationed at Kelley Field and at Giratner Field in Louisiana.

George Binnell, residence Griswold, Ia.; enlisted in Company C, 1st Wyoming Volunteers, and was in a number of the battles in the taking of Manila. After the regiment was ordered home he remained in Manila for two years and served in the quartermaster's department. Is a member of Louis Wegner post U. S. W. V. at Council Bluffs.

Frank Carr, residence Lewis, Ia.; enlisted in 4th Missouri Volunteers.

Charles S. Baker, age 25, residence Anita, Ia.; enlisted May 17, 1898 in Company K, 50th Iowa Volunteers; mustered out Nov. 30, 1898, at Des Moines, Ia. Mr. Baker recently died in South Dakota.


Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, August, 2024 from Atlantic News-Telegraph, Thursday, December 5, 1929, Section 4, pg. 3 (pg. 27 of the 62 page special edition).