Dubois County, Indiana - Chapter 7: Military History, 1896

Chapter 7: Military History

The military history of Dubois County is as long as the history of the county, and, without a blemish. The county bears the name of an old Indian fighter. The first settler was a ranger, and a faithful guide to General Harrison. General Harrison's army camped in Dubois County when he was on his way to fight the Indians, at the battle of Tippecanoe, on November 7, i8n. Indiana was admitted as a state December ii, i8i6.

The first constitution of the state of Indiana was ordained and established at Corydon, Indiana, on Monday, June lO, i8i6. It remained the constitution until November i, 1851. Under this first constitution it was provided that all free, white, able-bodied male persons, resident in the state of Indiana, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, with few exceptions, shall constitute the state militia. On certain davs during the year men were required to muster, (now called drill.) They elected their own officers; captains and subalterns were elected by their respective companies ; majors were elected by those persons within their respective battalion districts subject to perform militia duty ; colonels were elected by those persons within the bounds of their respective regimental district subject to perform militia duty; brigadier-generals were elected by the commissioned officers within the bounds of their respective brigade; and, major-generals were elected by the commissioned officers within the bounds of their respective divisions.

The organizations were squads, companies, battalions, regiments, etc. Dubois County had her share of pioneer soldiers, The annual muster was held on the first Saturday in May. This was called brigade or battalion muster, and was held a mile southwest of the court house, between the Huntingburg road and the railroad. Here met all able-bodied men and drilled, and went through all the evolutions of soldiers. The four days following such an annual muster, or county muster, were given up to sports, such as shooting-matches, foot-races, wrestling, jumping, and frequently a few genuine fist-fights.

Lieut. W. W. Kendall

Co. A. 49th Ind., Vet, Vol., as a military conductor on the L., F. & L. railroad. Congress presented to him a medal of honor in 1894, for bravery at Black River Bridge, Miss., May 17, 1863. He is now custodian of the Dubois County Soldiers' Monument.

Col. B. B. Edmonston

Born in Buncom County. N. C, Nov 6, 1802; clerk of Dubois County for twenty-eight years; served also as Auditor, Recorder. Sheriff, Representative, and in many other positions of trust and honor. He was a Brig. General under the muster laws of the constitution of 1816; died blind, at Jasper, Ind., July 23, 1888.

"Enlow Mill," (which stood where Eckerts' Mill now stands) and get cornmeal and bake their own "hoe-cakes." They enjoyed these cakes and wild meats.

The company musters were semi-annual, and lasted for one day each. There were many "company-muster-grounds" throughout the county. At the crossing of the Jasper and Schnellville road with the St. Anthony and Celestine road, at Portersville, at Colonel Haddock's farm, near the corner of Bainbridge, Boone, and Harbison townships, and many other places company musters (or drills) were held. Squad musters were local and convened at the call of their captains in that vicinity.

drilled companies of one hundred men, or more; lieutenant-colonels drilled battalions of two hundred, or more ; colonels drilled regiments of one thousand, or more; and, generals, brigades of two thousand, or more.

When these muster days, or drill days occurred, and the native was the possessor of a rifle, he was required to bring it to the muster-ground. If he had no gun he practiced the drill with a stick the size of a rifle. The guns used in those days were of the style known as "long-barrel, full-stock, singletrigger, flint-lock or scrape-fire."

The manual of arms is too lengthy to describe, and the evolutions of the soldier can be imagined better than told. Under this old military system,

Capt. Philip P. Guckes Capt. R. M. Welman

Co. K. 27th lud.. Vols Brevett-d Major at close of Civil War. Died at Jasper, Fehruarv 14, 1884. Guckes-Welman Post No. 448, G. A. R.," bears his name.

among many others, the following citizens rose to at least local distinction: Brig.-Gen. B. B. Edmonston, Col. Thos. Shoulders, Lieut. -Col. Elijah Kendall, Major John Sherritt, Capt. Elisha Jacobs, Capt. Cox, and many others. Strange as this may seem in the light of military regulations of the present day, these musters created the spirit of patriotism that made itself felt in the Mexican and Civil Wars. These musters were before 1853.

The Rev. Joseph Kundeck, of Jasper, also had a company of one hundred men. These he frequently commanded personally. They drilled on the public square, or in the church lot at St. Joseph's Church. These men were uniformed and supplied with arms. William Burkhart was captain, and Michael Reis was lieutenant. This was early in the fifties, before the Civil War.

With the Mexican War came actual services. Co. E. 4th Reg. Ind. Vol. was partly raised in Dubois County in 1847. Several were killed in the battles with Mexico. Military spirits slept then until 1861. On April 30, 1S61, one week after the firing on Fort Sumpter, citizens of Jasper began to organize. The first volunteers from Dubois County for the Civil War were mustered June 7, 1861, for three years. They were from Haysville and vicinity. A company was organized at Jasper, and went into camp south of the Jasper College, at what is known in military history as Camp Edmonston. On August 15, 1861, it elected John Mehringer, captain ; R. M. Welman, first lieutenant, and Stephen Jerger, second Lieutenant. Be-

Co. M. 10th Ind.. Cav. He organized Co. M. in 1863. and served as its captain from date of its organization to the close of the Civil War. Was also state representative and mayor of Huntingburg.

Brig.-Gen. John Mehringer

He organized Co. K. 27th Ind. Vols, at Jasper, and was its captain, July ISfU. While with his company at Indianapolis he was promoted to Major of the 27th, on account of his knowledge of the manual of arms which he acquired while a soldier in the Mexican War. After five months he resigned and rettirned to Jasper and organized the 91st regiment of Ind. Inf. Vols, of which regiment he was colonel. He, also, for a long time commanded a brigade in the 2.3rd Army Corps, under General Schofield. At the close of the war, Colonel Mehringer, became a brevet brigadier-general. Previous to the Civil War he served Dubois County as sheriff and also as auditor, which latter position he resigned to become colonel of the 91st regiment. He is now a citizen of Louisville, Kentucky.

fore the war was over these men had won their promotions on the field of battle. Captain Mehringer became General Mehringer, Lieutenant Welman became Major Welman, and Lieutenant Jerger became Captain Jerger. The spirit of patriotism spread over the entire county. It was not long until Capt. R. M. Welman, Ciipt. Stephen Jerger. Capt. Casper Blume, Capt. Morman Fisher, Capt. John M. Lemmon, Capt. P. P. Guckes, Capt. J. J. Alles, Capt. J. C. McConahay, Captain Haberle, Capt. D. J. Banta, Capt. Geo. W. Hill, Capt. A. J. Beckett, Capt. J. W. Hammond, Capt. L. B. Shively, Lieut. W. W. Kendall, Lieut. Leander Jerger, Lieut. Arthur Berry, Lieut. Wm. A. Kemp, Lieut. Hiram McDonald, Lieut. Jeremiah Crook, Lieut. W. R. McMahan, Lieut. Arthur Mouser, Lieut. Marion Martin, Lieut. Ed. Buchart, Lieut. Harter, Lieut. Geo. Friedman, Lieut. J. F. B. Widmer, and 2,000 other young men were in their country's army. The Civil War cost Dubois county more than $So,ooo in cash during the war and the lives of many of her young men. At that time our pop-

This flag was madf and presented to Co. K. l)y tlie ladies of Jasper, in I8(ii. It was used part of the time by the 27th reginieut. The flag was carried upou the hloodv. Imttle-field of Aiitietani. and several Dubois County soldiers viewed it there for the last lime, as their lil"e-l)lood Howeii from their wounds. It was so toru and bullet-ridden at this battle, September 17, 18()2, that it was returned home by Captain Welitian. and a new one purchiisod. It is now preserved in the archive of the Soldiers' Monument at .fasper. The guard about the flag in the engraving are a few of the survivors of Co. K., now living at Jasper. The members shown in the picture are Conrad Eckert. Josejih Schroeder. Mathias Schmidt, George Mehringer, Joseph Koelle, and Anton Berger. from left to right in the order named.

ulation was io,ooo men, women anil children. It was to commemorate the patriotism of these men that the handsome soldiers' monument was erected in the public square at Jasper, upon the spot where the young ladies of Jasper had presented to the soldiers of iS6i a fine flag to follow on the southern field of battle. The arrangements for building the monument were made on the evening of January ii, 1893, at the court-house, at Jasper, where the following organization was effected at a public meeting: Permanent organization: Chairman, John S. Barnett ; Secretary, John Gramelspacher ; Assistant Secretary, George R. Wilson ; Ti'easurer, George Mehringer; Executive Committee, John S. Barnett, John P. Salb, W. S. Hunter, Com ad Eckert, and William A. Traylor.

Articles of voluntary association were filed with the secretary of state, February 17, 1893. The work began September 19, 1S93. The monument cost $5,000. Prof. Michael F. Durlauf, was the architect and builder.

Capt. John J. Alles

Co. I, 49th Ind. Vols. Elected captain Nov. -1, isni, at Jasper, Ind., and served during the war. Mustered into service Nov. 21, 18(il. Capt. Alles .served many years as trustee of Hall townshij) and as county commissioner of Dubois Countv.

diana ; Col. I. N. Walker, Commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic ; Hon. A. M. Sweeney, clerk of the supreme court; Gen. John Mehringer, ex-auditor of Dubois County, and others. It was a day long to be remembered, for its music, parades, soldiers and addresses.

When the tocsin of war soundorl the alarm, Over tlie hill-top, valley, villaRe and farm; From the green hills of Dnl)ois County they came To march, to fight, to defend their country's name. Quietly tliey quartered at Camp Edmon.ston And (hilled from morn until set of sun. On Reider's Ifill they liid farewell to mother, Si.ster, sweetheart, father and younger brother. Right-about-face! Forward! Our two thousand strong Went to fight for this nation; to right a wrong. Did they do their duty'.' Ask the generals Who guided the armies of the Federals; Round the banners of our country and our might They taught the South ell the beauties of the

Meade, Sherman, 2<Iorgan, Thomas, nearly all indeed. If this generation thinks they went for fun? Ask the boys who fought at the second Bull Run; At Cold Harbor, Antietam. and Malvern Hill, Resacca, Seven Pines and Chaneellorsville. They fought at Black River and Chattanooga, Also, at Lookout Mountain and Chickanniuga, And, at this distant day it makes one shiver, To read of fights at ShilOh and Stone River, At New Hope Church, Mission Ridge and Champion Hill. At<'edar Mountain, Franklin Pike and Nashville, Viek^sburg, Fredericksburg and Fort Donaldson They did their duty with cannon, sword and

Prom Gettysburg down to 'Island Number Ten;' Kenesaw Mountain or wherever it may be, Yes. in the march "from Athinta to the Sea." Down from the mountains of the Alleghany They drove Lee to stand at Spottsylvania, Then bade farewell to Old Virginia's rocks. After his surrender at .Vppomattox. If you lived here long, no d<)u))t you have heard Of the twenty-seventh and twenty-third, And all the otlu-rs as on the list they run, From one hundred forty-three to number one. You heard of "Company B" and all of them From "Comj)any A'' down tf) "Company M" Of the calvary three, nine, ten, thirteen! And all the men that <lrank from the same canteen, There were privates. oflBeers; all volunteers; They went as footmen, marines, cavaliers: And while they over the fighting .South did roam. Their wives, sistersand mothers stayed at home. Stayed at home'? Yes, indee<l! but not in vain; They worked as best they could with might and