Porter County in the Mexican WarVeterans of the Mexican War from Porter County . . . .
The initial enumeration concerning Porter County
residents who participated in the Mexican War came from the following source:
The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso,
Porter County, Indiana; August
18, 1936; Volume 10, Section 4, Page 9.
Background Information
On May 11, 1846, the United States Congress declared war on Mexico at the
request of President Polk. The dispute arose over a border issue between the
Republic of Texas, then annexed to the United States, and Mexico. Three
volunteer infantry were recruited from Indiana. In 1846, Joseph P. Smith, at
that time being Clerk of Lake County, Indiana, resigned his position and
recruited a company; this company consisted of some men residing in Porter County and was
mustered into service in 1847. The company was not assigned to any of the three
Indiana regiments, rather it was assigned as Company H, Sixteenth United States
Infantry, commanded by Colonel John W. Tibbatts. Company H was mainly responsible
for guarding wagon trains and never experienced battle. Although Company H never
saw battle, only 36 of the 119 men of the company returned home, nearly all
deaths being caused by tropical disease. Note that the veterans of the Mexican
War from Porter County listed below is very likely to be incomplete due to the
lack of muster rolls.
Porter County Mexican War Veterans
Alyea, E. Jacob
Private
Born in Indiana
Grey Eyes, Auburn Hair, Light Complexion Height 5' 9"
Occupation, shoemaker
Enlisted at age 19 on April 5, 1847, at LaPorte, by Captain Smith
Discharged August 1, 1848, at Newport, Kentucky, expiration of service
Source of Data: Descriptive and Historical Register of Enlisted Soldiers of
the Army, for during the War with Mexico, under the Acts approved January 12th
and February 11th, 1847, page 6.
Brown, Daniel
Sergeant
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Black Eyes, Brown Hair, Light Complexion, Height 5' 7½"
Occupation, tailor
Enlisted at age 27 on April 1, 1847, at Valparaiso, by Captain Smith
Discharged August 1, 1848, at Newport, Kentucky, expiration of service
Source of Data: Descriptive and Historical Register of Enlisted Soldiers of
the Army, for during the War with Mexico, under the Acts approved January 12th
and February 11th, 1847, page 30.
Conklin, Oliver
Private
Born in New York
Hazel Eyes, Black Hair, Light Complexion, Height 5' 11½"
Occupation, farmer
Enlisted at age 20 on April 6, 1847, at Valparaiso, by Captain Smith
Died in service, August 24, 1847, at hospital in Camargo, Mexico
Source of Data: Descriptive and Historical Register of Enlisted Soldiers of
the Army, for during the War with Mexico, under the Acts approved January 12th
and February 11th, 1847, page 51.
Farwell, Hudson S.
Private
Born in Cattaraugus County, New York
Blue Eyes, Brown Hair, Light Complexion, Height 5' 7"
Occupation, farmer
Enlisted at age 20 on April 2, 1847, at Valparaiso, by Captain Smith
Discharged August 1, 1848, at Newport, Kentucky, expiration of service
Source of Data: Descriptive and Historical Register of Enlisted Soldiers of
the Army, for during the War with Mexico, under the Acts approved January 12th
and February 11th, 1847, page 85.
Hopkins, Maturin
Private
Born in Stark County, Ohio
--illegible-- Eyes, Brown Hair, Dark Complexion, Height 5' 11"
Occupation, farmer
Enlisted at age 35 on April 6, 1847, at Valparaiso, by Captain Smith
Died in service, July 26, 1847, at hospital in Mexico
Source of Data: Descriptive and Historical Register of Enlisted Soldiers of
the Army, for during the War with Mexico, under the Acts approved January 12th
and February 11th, 1847, page 122.
Jackson, Clinton
Private
Born in New York
Grey Eyes, Black Hair, Light Complexion, Height 5' 7"
Occupation, artist
Enlisted at age 29 on April 2, 1847, at Valparaiso, by Captain Smith
Discharged August 9, 1848, at Monterey, Mexico (hospital steward), expiration of
service
Source of Data: Descriptive and Historical Register of Enlisted Soldiers of
the Army, for during the War with Mexico, under the Acts approved January 12th
and February 11th, 1847, page 133.
Musselman, David
Private
Born in Sandusky County, Ohio
Blue Eyes, Brown Hair, Light Complexion, Height 5' 7½"
Occupation, farmer
Enlisted at age 20 on April 1, 1847, at Valparaiso, by Captain Smith
Discharged August 1, 1848, at Newport, Kentucky, expiration of service
Source of Data: Descriptive and Historical Register of Enlisted Soldiers of
the Army, for during the War with Mexico, under the Acts approved January 12th
and February 11th, 1847, page 175.
Patterson, George H.
Private
Born in Vermont
Blue Eyes, Brown Hair, Light Complexion, Height 5' 10"
Occupation, farmer
Enlisted at age 20 on April 9, 1847, at Valparaiso, by Captain Smith
Died in service, September 21, 1847, in Mexico
Source of Data: Descriptive and Historical Register of Enlisted Soldiers of
the Army, for during the War with Mexico, under the Acts approved January 12th
and February 11th, 1847, page 207.
Patterson, Simeon P. (possibly Simon)
Private
Born in Vermont
Blue Eyes, Brown Hair, Light Complexion, Height 5' 8½"
Occupation, farmer
Enlisted at age 20 on April 9, 1847, at Valparaiso, by Captain Smith
Discharged August 1, 1848, at Newport, Kentucky, expiration of service
Source of Data: Descriptive and Historical Register of Enlisted Soldiers of
the Army, for during the War with Mexico, under the Acts approved January 12th
and February 11th, 1847, page 207.
Pulsifer,
Newell
Sergeant
Born in Ohio
Black Eyes, Brown Hair, Light Complexion, Height 5' 7"
Occupation, --illegible-- maker
Enlisted at age 29 on April 2, 1847, at Valparaiso, by Captain Smith
Discharged August 1, 1848, at Newport, Kentucky, expiration of service
Source of Data: Descriptive and Historical Register of Enlisted Soldiers of
the Army, for during the War with Mexico, under the Acts approved January 12th
and February 11th, 1847, page 207.
Contracted bilious fever and applied for discharge
(Download
application for discharge due to health)
Risden,
Cyrus H.
Enlisted at age 25
Born in Sandusky County, Ohio
Hazel Eyes, Black Hair, Dark Complexion, Height 6' 2"
Occupation, shoemaker
Enlisted April 1, 1847, at Valparaiso, by Captain Smith
Died in service, August 6, 1847, at hospital in Mexico
Source of Data: Descriptive and Historical Register of Enlisted Soldiers of
the Army, for during the War with Mexico, under the Acts approved January 12th
and February 11th, 1847, page 220.
Sparks,
John
Died in service
No enlistment record was found.
Streeter, Lewis P.
No enlistment record was found.
Wariner, Gilbert
No enlistment record was found.
This is possibly the same Gilbert Wariner who was born December 18, 1828, and
resided circa 1850 in Pleasant, Township, LaPorte County, Indiana. This
particular Gilbert Wariner married Anna Watkins on November 9, 1852, in LaPorte
County, Indiana, later dying while serving in Company F, 73rd Indiana Regiment
Infantry during the Civil War on December 31, 1862, at Stones River near
Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Tennessee.
Information abstracted by Steven R. Shook