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:
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.
The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso,
Porter County, Indiana; August 18, 1936; Volume 10, Section 4, Page 9.
United Spanish War Veterans. Data compiled for Indiana Department of United
Spanish War Veterans. Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana State Archives.
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
Enrollment Date: June 29, 1898
Notes: Born at Babcock, Porter County, Indiana. Stationed at Michigan City,
LaPorte County, Indiana
Babcock, Virgil P.
Private, Company L, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Enrollment Date: June 29, 1898
City of Residence: Porter, Porter County, Indiana
Baum, Walter E.
Sergeant, Company G, 13th U.S. Infantry
City of Residence: Michigan City, LaPorte County, Indiana
Notes: Associated with Camp 58 of the United Spanish War Veterans in Michigan
City, LaPorte County, Indiana.
Bell, Clarence
Trumpeter, 1st Illinois Cavalry
Bell, John
Sergeant, Company G, 12th U.S. Infantry
City of Residence: Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Notes: Born October 18, 1880, in Billingsville, Union County, Indiana. Died May
25, 1962, and interred in Graceland Cemetery, Porter County, Indiana. Married
Ella (Ahlgrim) Bell May 9, 1905, in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana. Ella
(Ahlgrim) Bell born September 6, 1882, in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana.
Bortell, Henry E.
Private, Company M, 3rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Boughton, Claire
Corporal, Company G, 28th U.S. Volunteer Infantry
Bowser, Emerson L.
Company A, 101st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Enrollment Date: June 28, 1898
City of Residence: Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Bremmer, Carl
Cromey, Henry A.
Private, Company L, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Enrollment Date: July 8, 1898
City of Residence: Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Donley, Leo L.
Dowdell, Earl C.
Private, Battery K, 5th U.S. Artillery
City of Residence: Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Notes: Born March 27, 1878, in Lawrenceburg, Dearborn County, Indiana. Married
Augusta Bertha (Wienkauff) Dowdell on March 24, 1902, in Valparaiso, Porter
County, Indiana. Augusta Bertha (Weinkauff) Dowdell born February 18, 1880, in
Wanatah, LaPorte County, Indiana.
Dye, James B.
Company A, 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Notes: Born March 17, 1870, in Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio. Died January 16,
1936, in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana, and interred at Graceland Cemetery
in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana. Married Emma.
Garrison, Harry L.
Company F, 4th Illinois Volunteer Infantry
City of Residence: Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Hall, Benjamin F.
Honefinger, Ira
Private, Company B, 5th Illinois Volunteer Infantry
Kitchen, Joseph A.
Private
Enrollment Date: July 2, 1898
City of Residence: Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Larson, August
Private, Company L, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Enrollment Date: June 30, 1898
City of Residence: Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana
Notes: Born April 26, 1864, in Smollan, Sweden. Died January 14, 1949, in
Kissimmee, Osceola County, Florida, and interred in Graceland Cemetery in
Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana.
McConnell, Fred L.
Private, Company A, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Enrollment Date: June 28, 1898
City of Residence: Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Marston, James W.
Company B, 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
City of Residence: Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Nattress, Fred S.
Corporal, Company A, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Date of Enrollment: June 28, 1898
City of Residence: Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
O'Connor, Edward
Ollin, William
Corporal, Company H, 43rd U.S. Volunteer Infantry
Ongman, Carl
Corporal, Company L, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Enrollment Date: June 29, 1898
City of Residence: Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Notes: Born May 15, 1876, in Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana. Died June 29,
1950, and buried in Memorial Cemetery in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
(burial Section K, Lot U.S. W. V. Lot #23). Records suggest that Carl Ongman
never married.
Pierce, Roy L.
Private, Troop I, 1st U.S. Cavalry
Pollentske, August H.
Reid, Oliver M.
Corporal, Company I, 20th U.S. Infantry
Ruch, Percy V.
Sergeant, 39th Coast Artillery
Sager, Arthur E.
Private, Company H, 159th Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Schlebohm. Henry
Private, Troop K, 1st U.S. Cavalry
Scott, Winfield
Private, Company K, 10th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry
Siercks, Benjamin
Specht, Carl
Private, Company H, 1st Illinois Cavalry
Springer, Victor L.
Company C, 3rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
City of Residence: Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Notes: Born January 2, 1878, at Arcanum, Darke County, Ohio. Also served with
Company C, 13th U.S. Infantry.
Sullivan, John H.
Trahan, Benjamin
Private, Company A, 161st Indiana Volunteer Infantry
City of Residence: Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Notes: Born October 30, 1871, in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana. Died at
Hines Hospital in Hines, Cook County, Illinois, on May 23, 1938, and was
interred at Graceland Cemetery in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana. Married to
Mae M. (Worden) Trahan on December 24, ????, at Valparaiso, Porter County,
Indiana. Mae M. (Worden) Trahan born on May 9, 1875, at Polo, Ogle County,
Illinois.
Vann, George W.
Varner, William H.
Private 1st Class, Company B, 2nd Engineers
Walton, Edwin V.
Weise, Albert
4th U.S. Infantry
City of Residence: Kouts, Porter County, Indiana
Notes: Born February 8, 1875 in Frankenhausen, Germany. Married to Laura M. (Pontoro)
Weise on February 24, 1903, in Kouts, Porter County, Indiana. Laura M. (Pontoro)
Weise born on December 3, 1882, in Kouts, Porter County, Indiana.
Information abstracted by Steven R. Shook