Franklin County, Indiana - Chapter 12: Military History of Franklin County, 1915 (part 2 of 2)

The original charter hanging on the walls of the post room contain the names of twenty-three petitioners, as follow: John Burkhardt, James A. Rodman. William H. Bracken. John F. ATcKee, William H. Jones. Oliver Baker, Alexander W. Lee. Z. S. Hutchinson. Robert J. Cain. Alanson R. Ryman. Ernest Gagle, John A. Gaines. Lewis Ouillhorst, Thomas C. Shepperd, Nathan Davis, George Monroe, John G. Sauers. Adam Thalheimer, Robert M. Stoops, Josciih R. INisey, Jonathan Parvis, C. B. Smith and Peter Amrheine. For some reason three of these, C. B. Smith, Peter Amrheine and Jonathan Parvis, were not present when the post was organized on April

Frankij-V County, Ixdiaxa. 3I7

18. 1882. In fact, the name of Smith does not appear in the roll of members at all. Amrhcinc was apparently mustered in sometime in 1884, although the record of the post gives the date as April 18, 1882. Par\-is was mustered in March 22, 1884.

Of the twenty who were mustered in upon the first organization of the post, Peter Amrheine is the only one still living. 'I'he present f^fficcrs of Hacklcman Post are as follow: George S. G(jlden, commander: Thoma?> B. Thackrey, senior vice-commander: Milton Curry, junior vice-commander; Oliver G. Templeton. quartermaster: John Cowen, adjutant: John Ferris, surgeon; George \V. Higgs, chaplain; L'rank Fogel, officer of the day; John H. Updike, officer of the guard: Afarion Butler, sergeant major; Michael A. Jacob, quartermaster sergeant: Samuel Thomas, patriotic instructor. The delegate for the next state encampment is Samuel Thomas, with George \V. Higgs as alternate.

New members have been added to Hackleman Post from year to vear until the total membershi]) reached one hundred and fifty-four with the mustering in of Milton Curry, February 21, 1914. The members of the post who have been taken in since it \\as first established, are as follows: Lewis Hornung. Frank Wiefifenljach. Joseph Long. Edward D. VVeltey, Jonathan Parvis, John D. Feiber, Andrew J. Heasom, Robert E. Best, James Williams, Philip Shuh. Frederick Ulrich, Peter Stoltz, William Cooley, John J. Posey, Adam Feltz. John Batzner. Levi W. Buckingham. Peter Amrheine, Oliver Stuart, Simeon Colbank, Elhanan W. Jenkins. James Murch, James E. Washington, Patrick Grimes. Michael Maley, Edward Eckley. Louis G. Schiesz, Oliver G. Templeton. James M. Quick. George W. Campbell. Martin V. Holliday. Joseph A. Bedoll, Samuel R. Baker, William M. Baker. Thomas W. Butler. Benjamin Schoonover. William H. King. John R. Kennedy. John V. Swift, Henr}^ Bickel, George W. Davis. Raphael Gall. Charles Samoniel, Conrad Ries, Frederick Rehme, Daniel Bower, John \\'atler. Richard T. Stoops, Henry F. Teeters. IVIichael A. Jacobs, Edward H. Morin. George Bauer, William Afergenthal. John Riester. Jesse M. WoodrutT. John Castle. John H. Updike, George Koop, John Prei fogel, George F. O'Bryne. Adam Stock. John McFall, John C. Schocke. Albert Dickman. Shelby Utsler. George W. Higgs. Andrew J. Isaacs. Henr>^ B. Sauer. Wilbur A. William, Frank Fogel. John Fruits. F. U. Winans, James G. Clark. George C. Cloud. Adam Miller, John W. Grimes. John W. Smiestcr. John Sieftert. William H. Berry, James P. Howe, Charles H. Stant, R. M. Stoops. Jolin Ferris. George W. Davis. Charles Feary. Thomas J. Swift. John Galhgher. lohn Grober, William J. Stewart. John Showalter, M. B. Hippard, Andrew ;Metz-

The Grand .Army ot the Republic post at .Metaniora was establi-hefl in 1884. It was numbered 279 and named the Henry 1). Washburn I'(.»st, in honor of one ut the \eterans from this county who gave his life for his country in the Civil War. Since the organization of the post at Metann^ra there have been forty-three members initiated. Alany of the.>-e have died, others have transferred their membership to r)ther ])lace>, and still others have dropped out for various reasons until at the present time there are onlv a few members left. The complete list of initiated and transferred members who have been identified with the ])ost at Metamora are as follows: Andrew J. Bowman. John R. Dtmlap, William Fields, Geijrge Foster, George W. Gates, Joseph Hooper, .Alexander W. Lee, Patrick Manlv. Henrv P. Matthews, James Jones, Simeon F. Ridenour. George W. Riger. Claudiu.s Shafer, Milton Curry, Elisha Morford, George Alurray. George Phillips. J. C. Ryman, Charles Hawkins, Thomas Jones, Lynn McWhorter, John E. Swartz, Harrison Swift, David B. Tuell, Hugh Weston, Charles Wolf, James Hannefee, Andrew Alley, J. B. High, Edwin W. High. Benjamin

Besides the Grand Army of the Republic posts at Brookville and Aletaniora, there have been local posts at Laurel, Mt. Carmel. and Andersonville. Deaths and removals have been the caii<;e of all the posts in the county losing most of their members.

The soldiers" mommient on the public scpiare at Brookville was finally completed in February. 1901. The striking feature of the monument is a large cannon of the howitzer variety, which is set upon a block of cement six by four feet and >ix feet his^li. Two designs were submitted for the monument and alter lareful deliberation by the Cf^mmittee, composed of R. J. Stoops, J. W'atler and L. G. Scbicsz, the design of Dr. Calvin Carter was selected. Tlie base of the monument was built by Theodore H. Brown and consists of stone, faced with Portland cement. 'I'he iron bearing of the cannon was made by Williams (!i Sons and is a remarkalile piece of work. The bending of the angle irons lia'- been particularly admired. The cannon which surnicjunts the substantird ])v.'destal was donatetl by the national government. Doctcjr Carter mounled the cannon by means of block and tackle. In the front of the pedestal is a marble slab with this inscription:

It was the intention of the post when the monument was erected to place upon the sides of the pedestal the names of all the soldiers from Franklin county wIkj died during the Civil War. Thus far, however. Bohlander is the only soldier whose name appears on the face of the monument.

Franklin county did not furnish a company during the Spanish-American War, although there were a number of men from the county who enlisted elsewhere. Some of these were in the regular army and others in the volunteer service. There have been no less than fifteen enlistmeuts in the regular army since 1898. Augustus Baither enlisted at Indianapolis. February 14, 1898, as a member of Company H, First United States Heavy Artillery, and was in the service for three years. Most of the time was spent in Florida and he was mustered out at Fort Barrancas, in that state, February 14. 1901.

Hugo Tettenborn enlisted at Cincinnati. December 16. 1898. and was mustered in as a private in Company A. Eleventh United States Regiment. He was in the service for three years and four montlis, ahhough he was paid for three years and a half. He left New York city in January, 1S99, for Cuba and was with his re.ijiment in that i>Ian'i f'jr five weeks. His regiment was then transferred to Prjrto Rico, where he remained f.^r one vcar. In the sprins^ of 1900 liis re.cjiment was ordered to the Phihppincs and left New York City April i for San i-Vancisco. The rejjiment was taken to the Phihppines !)y way of Hontjlulu and spent ei,i;hteen months on the islands of Leyte and Somar. The rec,Mment was en^ajred in picket and patrol dutv during all of the time it was on the islands. Only one incident occurred which was particularly exciting. One night alxnit two o'clock a cannon ball hit the door of the barracks and the soldiers rushed out. thinking that they were on the point of being attacked by the savages. They followed the retreating natives with their guns in hand and soon came across the scared Filipinos and cannon which had caused all tlie di.sturbance. The cannon was made out of a large bamboo which had been wound around with hea\y wire, a fragile piece of ordnance, which did not seem heavy enough to stand more than one shot at the most. Strange t(j say, the one shot of the cannon was the only shot fired that night. The Eleventh Regiment was brought back to the United States by way of Japan and landed in San Francisco on the 1st of April, 1902. The men were mustered out Aiiril 12. 1902.

John H. Ertel enlisted, :\Iay 13, 189S. in Company L. Twenty-third United States regulars, and accompanied his regiment to the Philippines at once. They landed on the islands in July, 1898, and saw hard service tb.ere until they were mustered out, Jime 30. 1899, at Jolo. The Twentv-third Regiment was the third to land on the island and was in the assault upon Manila, August 13, 1899. Among other engagements which are noted on the back of the discharge papers of Air. Ertel is the battle of San Pedro jNIacati, March 4, 1899. This regiment was engaged in constant skirmishing against the Filippinos on Luzon, Jolo and adjoining islands in the archipelago. Such was the service of Mr. Ertel in the Philip])ines that his captain wrote on his discharge paper "honest and faithful"' and of "excellent" character. The Twenty-third Regiment returned to the United States by way of Japan and landed in San Francisco in August, 1899.

John A. Cook was a member of Troop B, Fifth United States Cavalr\-. He enlisted September 29, 1898. and was discharged at Utnado. Porto Rico. April 15, 1899. He served in Culia and Porto Rico. Henry J. Xeuman is a master gunner in the United States coast artiller>- service and is now stationed at Fort Worden, W'ashingtoti. He enlisted at Fortress Monroe in 1900 and has been in the regular army ever since. He was stationed at Honolulu for two years, but the rest of his service has been in the United States.

C. Keeler Cabin, Bt.Ue Creek. 1S08 General Hackleman Cabin

Albert A. Xeunian i^ ii'iw in the United States army in the coast artillery. He enlisted tliree years n^,<.> and is now stationed at T"<^rt DeSoto, Florida. Other young men whn ha\e enlisted in the rej,'ular army from this county within the past two years are as follows: Frank Showaltcr, Joseph Peters, Dora Lee, fkis Pelser, Ray Jeter, Peter Hall, ITenry DcFausett, John Buclcer, Daniel Ulrich, Clarence Wilson, C'alvin Wilson and Roswell W'inans. It has not been possible to t^et the military record of these men.

Edward G. Dudley enlisted at Cincinnati in 1898 as a member of Company G, First Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Dr. William Squier. now a practicing physician at Alilton, Indiana, was in the re;.,'ular army during the Filippino insurrection and saw active service in the Philippines.

A number of Frankdin county boys have served in the navy during the past few years, but it has not been possil)le to obtain the complete records of all of them. The names of the following have been found who have s[)ent at least one term in the navy : Peter Dudley, Arthur IMeeker, Dora Lee, John Moore, John W. Schebler, Austin Swift and two - Ludwig and W'attcrson - whose Christian names have not been ascertained. Schebler was accidentally killed as a result of a fall down a stairway on the battleship "Dixie,"' November 15, 1913. His body was brought to Franklin county and buried at Hamburg, November 21, 1913. Schebler had enlisted on July 12, 1907, and upon the expiration of his first term reinlisted on July 12, 1911. He had served on the battleships 'Airginia'" and "Dixie," and held the rank of a quartermaster of the third class at the time of his death.

Peter Dudley enlisted in 1906 and during his first enlistment of four years traveled 45,456 miles. He enlisted for his third term, ]\Iarch 31. 1915, and is now in the ninth year of his service in the navy. Dora Lee and John Moore enlisted at the same time and served for the regular four years. Moore is now a second class boatman's mate on the "^Montana,'" having previously served on the "Iowa." Moore has been in the service since October 21, luoS. Swift, Ludwig and Patterson are still in the navy as far as is known. Franklin county has one graduate of the Xaval Academy at -\nnapolis, Scott Baker, who served his regular time after graduation. He has been a resident of Brookville since leaving the service.

As far as is known, there were only six volunteers from Franklin county in the Spanish-American \^'ar. Three of these. John S. Francis. Alden Murray and William Woessner, were irom Metamora. Thev were members of Company F, One Hundred and Sixty-first Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, and were mustered in June 29, 1808, and mustered out April 30. (21) ' '

1899. The other three volunteers from this county were Jesse \V. Ailes, of Stips' Hill, Irvin Morford, of Andersonville, and Henry Seibel, of Hamburg. Ailes was mustered in June 27, i^()S; appointed corporal August 23, 1898; appointed sergeant, December 31, 1.S98: mustered out April 30, 1899. Morford enlisted June 2y and Seibel (;n July 5, 1898, and both were mustered out April 30, 1899. Ailes, ^^()rford and Seibel were members of Company H, One Hundred and Sixty-fir.st Regiment of Indiana Volunteers.

Milford P. Hubbard enlisted in the Twenty-seventh Indiana Battery of Light Artillery, April 26, 1S98. This battery drilled at Camp Mount, Indianapolis, in the spring of 1898 and later went to Chickaniauga Park, Tennessee, where it remained until September. It was then taken to Porto Rico and remained on that island for thirty-four days. They only had one chance of engaging in a skirmish and that occurred on the day that the message announcing the signing of the protocol was received, August 12, 1898. On this particular day the battery was advancing to make an attack on Juvana, but just before hostilities began, a courier came with the message that a protocol had been signed. Thus ended the active service of the Twentythird. It was mustered out Xo\eniber 25, iT