Spanish-American War
   

Lauderdale County, Mississippi Spanish-American War Unit

 

Lauderdale County's Volunteers to the Spanish-American War.

 

M1903 Springfield Rifle

 

The Spanish-American War was a brief armed conflict between the United States and Spain over issues regarding the liberation of Cuba. The U. S. President, William McKinley, called for volunteers in April of 1898 and the war, for all intents and purposes was concluded by August of the same year. The Treaty of Paris, signed on 10 December of 1898 formally concluded the conflict.

As a result of the war, the U. S. found itself with Spain's remaining overseas territories including the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam. This is also the conflict in which future President Theodore Roosevelt rose to prominence as he commanded the 1st Calvary Regiment, called the "Rough Riders."

In the spring of 1898 a group of Lauderdale County volunteers formed the unit that would be designated Company I of the 1st Mississippi Infantry Regiment, United States Volunteers.  The unit was mustered into the service of the United States on 17 May 1898, at Jackson, Mississippi for a term of two years service. Although it was moved first to Georgia then, later to Tennessee for training purposes in preparation for the ensuing conflict, the regiment remained within the territorial boundaries of the Unites States throughout the brief conflict.

The unit was finally stationed at Columbia, Tennessee, where it was mustered out of the service on 20 December 1898, little more than ten days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris that ended the war.

The following table contains the roster of the volunteers as they reported for mustering in at Jackson.

 

 

1st Mississippi Infantry Regiment
United States Volunteers
Company I Roster

 

CPT Charles W. Schamber, Commanding.

Spanish American War
Name Rank Hometown Comments
Allen, Bennett R. Private Meridian Promoted Captain
Anderson, Henry Private Meridian Resigned.
Bell, James A. Private Meridian Promoted First Lieutenant
Brett, Homer Sergeant Meridian Promoted Second Lieutenant
Briggs, Robert Private Meridian
Broach, Elan E. Private Meridian
Brown, Paul Sergeant Meridian
Cannon, Rupert Private Meridian
Chatfield, B. N. Private Meridian
Clark, E. Private Meridian
Comfort, James S. Private Meridian
Cornwell, John B. Private Oklahoma City, OK Terr.
Curling, Arthur D. Private Meridian
Dabney, Frank Private Meridian
Doherty, Joseph C. rivate Meridian
Dugan, William Private Meridian
Durham, Dewitt C. Private Enterprise
Easterling, James H. Private Meridian
Enslem, William E. Private Meridian
Featherstun, W. M. Private Meridian. Promoted Band Sergeant, Transferred Regimental Band
Flanagan, Frank J. Private Meridian Transferred Regimental Band
Flowers, Thomas C. Private Crawley, LA Transferred Regimental Band
Gathright, William A. Private Meridian
Greely, John S. Private Meridian
Griffin, Berry W. Artificer Meridian
Griffin, Mortimer A. Private Meridian
Hackett, John A. Private Meridian
Hall, Earl W. Private Meridian
Hamilton, Oscar E. Private Meridian
Hanna, Mabry A. Private Meridian Discharged Aug 9, 1898.
Harvey, Alexis T. Sergeant Meridian
Heiss, G. M. Sergeant Meridian
Heiss, John L. Private Enterprise
Hoskins, Henry C. Private Bay St. Louis
Huddleston, E. F. Sergeant Meridian
Jacobson, Gabe Second Lieutenant Meridian
James, William R. Private Meridian
Jenkins, Homer [Henry] D. Private Whitney, TX
Jones, Henry H. Private Meridian
Jones, James E. Private Meridian
Keeton, Luther Private Belmont, AL
Kenney, Thomas M. Private Meridian
Kling, George B. Private Chicago, IL
Lawson, James T. Corporal Meridian
Leake, John S. Private Meridian
Lee, Fitzhugh Private Meridian
Love, James L. Private Meridian
Love, James M. Musician White Plains, AL
Lowenberg, Henry Private Meridian
Martin, Edwin M. First Lieutenant Meridian
Martin, Percy L. Corporal Meridian
McCants, J. R. Private Shubuta Transferred Company K, Discharged Aug 12, 1898.
McCants, Samuel I. First Sergeant Meridian
McNair, John C. Private Died on August 22nd, 1898.
McPhilling, James A. Private Meridian
Merett, William E. Private Washington, D.C.
Merritt, Frank E. Private Meridian
Meyer, Ollie J. Private Riverdale, AL
Miley, Robert C. Private Meridian
Montgomery, Walter R. Private Meridian Transferred Regimental Band
Moody, Hall J. Private Bay City, MI Discharged Dec 5, 1898.
Moore, Matthew H. Private Meridian Discharged Sept 8, 1898.
Moss, John C. Private Dixon, MS
Moss, Luther G. Private Meridian
Mytton, Richard G. V. Musician Ellisville, MS
Osburn, A. W. Corporal Ellisville, MS
Overby, Millard F. Private Meridian
Perkins, Isaiah Private Meridian
Pippin, William T. Private Meridian Discharged July 2, 1898.
Price, Thomas T. Private Meridian
Rabbitt, Frank P. Private Chicago, IL
Ray, John E. Private Meridian
Ready, Maurice D. Private Meridian
Reynolds, James M. Private Meridian. Company K,transfer in.
Saunders, Hosea R. Private Sucamoochee
Schamber, Charles W. Captain Toomsuba
Self, Thomas H. Corporal Pacuta
Shields, Edwin Private Ambay, IL
Shumate, John L. Private Died Sept 11, 1898.
Slaughter, James C. Private Meridian
Smith, William F. Private Meridian
Sturges, Wilton T. Quartermaster Sergeant Meridian
Sullivan, Edward D. Private Meridian
Walker, Anthony J. Private Meridian
Walker, Dryden L. Private Meridian
Ward, James A. Corporal Memphis
Weil, Eugene I. Private Hattiesburg Transferred Company M
West, Osceola C. Private Meridian
White, Edgar M. Private Meridian
White, William A. Corporal Winona
Williams, David R. Private Meridian Transferred Regimental Band
Williams, James E. Private Meridian
Williams, Parks Private Meridian
Williams, Zan Private Meridian.
Wilson, James C. First Sergeant Meridian
Wilson, Sol M. Private Meridian
Wolf, Jake Wagoner Meridian

 

Also note that at some point, CPT Charles W. Schamber of Meridian, Mississippi resigned his commission.  1LT Edwin M. Martin, also of Meridian, was promoted to Captain and commanded the company thereafter.  No date is available for the change of command.

 

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