Monroe County, Wisconsin - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 36 of those read), 1912

The Military Companies Company

In 1883, early in the year, Col. George Graham, believing that the time was ripe for the forming of an independent military company, with the view to have it eventually mustered into the Wisconsin National Guard, started a movement which resulted in the organization of a company of about fifty young men. They had no money, no arms and no uniforms. The latter were soon supplied by the individual members of the company, who worked and earned money with which to procure a suit consisting of a cap, blouse and trousers of blue. Upon application to the adjutant general a set of old muskets was issued to the company and some old-fashioned belts. They had no armory, but the firemen agreed to let the organization use its hall, which was very small, for meeting purposes and most of the drilling was done out of doors in the summer months. Colonel Graham was captain, Charles K. Erwiu, first lieutenant, and John Richards, second lieutenant. Faithful work brought its reward, for early in 188tt the opportunity came and the ad.jutant general deeming the company sufficiently instructed, issued an order that it be mustered into the Wisconsin National Guard.

On the 28th of May, 1884, Capt. J. W. Curran, as officer on the governor's staff, mustered the company into the Third Regiment as Company K. It being the custom, however, at that time to give each company a name, the "Tomah Guards," was adopted as the name of the organization. It was initiated into military life by participating in the camp of the regiment at Mauston during the summer of 1884 and has, of course, attended every camp of the regiment held since.

jMcCaul's hall was rented for an armory and the company used that for a number of years until the old skating rink fartlier down the street was secured. This was fitted up and used as an armory and public hall. This building had been purchased by the Helping Hand Society in 1887 and the company acquired it from them.

Til July, 18!)(). the c-onipany liaving acquired some means, in order to liave a civil or^ifanization -which could own property and conduct th(> luisiness atf'airs connected witli sucli ownership, was organized into a corporation named the Tomah Guard Armory Association, PI Battles, Irving E. Jones and R. A. Ricliards ])eing the incorporators. Every member of Company K, Third Regiment AVisconsin National (luard, is a member of this corporation as soon as enlisted and holds his membership until discharged; a member who has served for six years in the company thereby becomes a life member of the association.

This association secured a valuable lot opposite the old Sherman House and erected the present armory building, w'hich was at the time considered a model for its purpose ; the society went heavily in debt, but with the passing of the years the revenue derived from the l)uilding, Avhich is nicely fitted up with a stage and good scenery, and is now the onl.y opera house in the citj% and the armory fund furnished by the state to the company, together with profits from entertainments, have cut down the indebtedness very materially and in a few years the association Mill be free from debt and the owner of a very valuable property. The company has always maintained a high standing in the companies of the state, with the exception of two or three years when it dropped in general standing; and at the l)reaking out of the Spanish war sixty-seven out of the sixty-eight officers and men volunteered for that service, and we here give the names of all the men who went into the company, both at the first call and those recruited later, taken from the original nuister-out roll of the company in that war:

Discharged. Frederick S. Barrows, corporal, September 11, 1898, at Coamo, P. R. Charles E. Butters, promoted to regiment chaplain, commissioned October 1, 1898.

Transferred. AVilliam F. Fethenhire, transferred to hospital corps by S. 0. No. 5, headquarters First Army Corps, at Chickamauga Park, Ga., June 23, 1898. Arthur J. Ratcliffe, transferred to hospital corps, S. 0. No. 5, First Army Corps, June 23, 1898. Olaf Thuleen, detached from company and attached to band at Chickamauga Park, June 1, 1898. Adolph AV. Pellants, detached from company and attached to band at Chickamauga Park, June 1, 1898.

Died of Disease. Paul Curtius, died of typhoid fever at Charleston, S. C, August 9, 1898. Oscar Zimmerman, died of typhoid fever at Coamo, Porto Rico, October 15, 1898.

AVilliaiu H. ]\IeCaul was mustered iuto the service as sergeantmajor of the Second Battalion and afterwards promoted to regimental sergeant-major.

The company was organized at Tomali, AVis., by Capt. AV. AV. "Warren and mustered into service at Camp Harvey, Wis., by Capt. AVilliam L. Buck, :\Iay 11, 1898. Left Camp Harvey, AVis., May 14, 1898, by rail; arrived at Camp Thomas, Ga., May 16, 1898. Left Camp Thomas July 5th. Marched to Ringgold, Ga., thence by rail to Charleston, S. C, where it arrived July 6th. Embarked on transport, the "Obdam," July 20th; left Charleston for Porto Rico July 21st; arrived off Guanica, P. R.. July 27th. Landed at Ponce, P. R., July 28th. On outpost duty July 29th. Provost guard Ponce August - . ^Marched out of Ponce August 7th as advance guard of brigade. Performed outpost duty August 8th. Rear guard August 9th. Second Lieutenant Jones and twenty men support for battery at battle of Coamo. October 2d marched to Aibunito ; October 3d marched to Cayey; camped at Cayey October 4th to 6th. October 6th marched to Aibonito ; October 7th marched to Coamo ; October 8th marched to Juana Diaz; October 9th marched to Ponce. Camped near Ponce October 10th to 21st. October 21st embarked on board transport "Manitoba." Left harbor of Ponce October 22d for New York. Arrived in New York harbor October 26. Landed at "West Shore railroad dock October 28th. Left by rail for ]\Iilwaukee October 28th. Arrived there October 30th. Left ]Mil- Avaukee by rail, arriving at Tomah, "Wis., same date. On furlough to date of muster out. The company was mustered out January 13, 1899.

After the close of the Spanish American AVar tlie Third Regiment was reorganized and Company K, in common with other companies of the regiment, went back into the state service; the company was reorganized ]May 2, 1899, ami took its old place in the regiment.

The company has since maintained its reputation as one of the best all-around companies in the state and demonstrated that fact decisively by winning the "Pfister Troi)hy" in 1904, this being a trophy for the best all-around company and competed for each year.

Here is given a complete list of the commissioned officers of the company with their service before, during and since the Spanish American "War.

The Military Companies 433 The Sparta Rifles

In 1883 the Third Regiment, far from being the organization it is now, held an encampment in the city of Sparta ; in those days soldiering in the National Guard was a good deal of a picnic and the custom was in vogue of holding encampments at different towns within the territory of the regiment; the encampment at Sparta was the first regular encampment as a regiment, and naturally the presence of the companies with a regimental band, the drills, parades and ceremonies aroused a military spirit in the community, although before that some kind of an independent organization had been maintained; through the efforts of many of tlic good citizens the company Avas recognized anil Avas mustered into the Wisconsin National Guard September 28, 188;:{, and given the designation of Company 1, with John J. Esch, now congressman from this district, as its first captain. The company was nuiintaincd at a xcry good standard in membership drill and discipline for a nund)er of years, but during the term of Gen. Charles King as adjutant-general, owing to lack of interest, there being at that time strong efforts made in other towns in the regimental territory to get into the Guard: the company was mustered out of the state service in 1895.

During the existence of the company, on ^larch 9, 1889, a connnittee consisting of D. AV. Cheney. Frank L. French and Timothy 0. Thorl)us selected and l)ought tvro lots of "William Kerrigan and two lots of E. W. Robie on East Oak street, sold stock in an association formed for that purpose and erected the present armory, a brick building 65 by 130 feet in dimensions. One of the lots purchased Avas afterAvards sold to AV. C. Hoffman. Company I had two disastrous fires Avhich burned up the buildings the company had theretofore been occupying as an armory, one of them being an old roller skating rink Avhich the company bought.

Company The Military Companies 435

On November 15, 1895, an agreement was signed by seventyone men whieh provided that the signers would become nicnibers of a military company to be stationed at Sparta and become a part of the National Guard; this was done in pursuance of llie assurance of Adjutant-General King that at the first opening in the regiment, provided Sparta maintained an independent organization, equipment being furnished by the state, and it was brought up to the standard required by the regulations, it would be mustered into the National Guard. The provisional company was at once organized and went to work in earnest. The efforts of this organization were soon rewarded ; one of the two companies at Eau Claire having fallen below the standard required was mustered out and the Sparta company took its place in the regiment, being nuistered in by General King on the fifteenth. day of July, 1896, as Company L. The occasion was made memorable by the presence of a large audience of Sparta people and many notables, civil and military.

The selection of the proper officers was somewhat of a problem, and Eobert B. McCoy was induced to take the captaincy, although he Avas without any previous military experience; but his well known executive ability coupled with the energy for which he was noted gave promise that he would be a good company commander and the estimate was not wrong. Under his connnand, assisted by his able lieutenants, Frank L. French and John P. Rice, the company forged to the front and has always held a high place among the National Guard companies.

It just got into the state service in time to get thoroughly organized, participate in an encampment or two when the opportunity came for active service in the Spanish American War. Its members with few exceptions volunteered for the service, and here follows the roll as taken from the official records of Company L. Third AVisconsin Volunteer Infantry :

Pursuant to special orders First Army Corps, dated June 8, 1898, Lieut. Frank L. French, battalion recruiting officer, returned to Sparta and enlisted the following recruits and sent them to Camp Thomas, Chickamauga Park, Ga., June 15, 1898:

During the term of service of the company several changes took place in the commissioned and noncommissioned officers. Captain INIcCoy resigned and came homo undrr date of October 13, 1898, and First Lieut. Frank L. French was commissioned captain to rank from that date and was assigned to the command of the company; John B. Schneller was promoted to first lieutenant October 13, 1898, and INIilon R. Gould was commissioned second lieutenant on the same date; these officers were mustered out holding the ranks named, and the noncommissioned officers at the muster out were Clark McCoy, quartermaster-sergeant; sergeants, Frank J. Schneller, August Yanke, Theodore J. Hanson, Fred V. Burrows; corporals, George W. King, Jason P. AVilliams, James Roy Boyle, Frank E. Perham, John D. Smith,

Transferred. Pvt. Albert L. Miller to Hospital Corps, Ponce, August 5, 1898. Pvt. James Davis to Hospital Corps, Chickamauga Park, Ga., June 28, 1898. Pvt. Edmund McGillis to Regiment Band, January 2, 1899. Pvt. Earl S. Lucas to Hospital Corps, June 28, 1898. Pvt. Arthur DeGroff to Signal Corps. Pvt. Louis Navotney to Regiment Band, June 1, 1898.

Died. Pvt. Leslie McArthur, typhoid fever, in Brigade Hospital, Coamo, September 11, 1898. Pvt. Peter Nolan, typhoid fever, General Hospital, Ponce, October 29, 1898. Pvt. E. Miner Moyer, typhoid fever, hospital, Philadelphia, November 1, 1898. The official record of the company as it appears upon the muster out roll, compiled by Capt. Frank L. French, is as follows : '' Mustered into U. S. service May 11, 1898. May 14, 1898, left Milwaukee, AVis., for Chickamauga Park, Ga., arrived May 16. 1898. Remained in Camp Chickamauga Park until July 5, leaving for Charleston, S. C, on that date; arriving at Charleston July 7, 1898, remained in camp at Charleston until July 20; on that day embarked on U. S. transport No. 30 (Ob dam) and sailed for Porto Rico, daylight July 21. Landed at Ponce, P. R., July 28, remaining in camp there until August 7. Advanced towards San Juan, took part in engagement at Coamo August 9. 1898, went into camp that night near Aibonito Pass. August 12, during engagement wdth the Spaniards, Corporal Oscar Sw^anson and Private Fred J. Voight were killed and Corporal August Yanke and Private George Bunce were wounded by shrapnell fired from enemies' trenches on Asomanta Mountain. "August 13 returned to camp near Coamo, remaining there until October 2, 1898, at which time regiment proceeded toward San Juan, arriving at Cayey October 4, remaining there until October 6, 1898, returning to camp near Ponce, arriving October 9, 1898, remained until October 21, on which date we boarded steamer Manitoba and sailed for New York harbor October 22, 1898, arriving at New^ York October 28, 1898. Left New York for home station October 29, 1898, arrived at Sparta October 3L

In coninion with the other companies of tlie Tliird Regiment, Company L was reorganized and mustered into the state service ]May 1, 1890. The company has stood high among the National Guard companies and made an enviable record as a good allaround company.

April 18, 1900. the company was organized into the Ail)onito Guard Association under the corporate laws of the state; every member of Company L ])eing a memlier of the association and five years' service entitles each man so serving to life membership. This association bought the present armory property and has it fully paid for and are entirely out of debt, and during lin2 numy valual)le imjii-ovements were uuide, including a new heating plant.

United Spanish-American War Veterans

Following the Spanish-American war the necessity for organization to promote the welfare of the veterans of that struggle became apparent, and in due time two camps of the order were organized in this county.

Sparta Camp No. 17. A camp was originally organized some few years ago under this number, but it did not survive, owing to lack of membership, but the old number was preserved and when, in February, 1912, another camp was organized, it was given the old number of seventeen. The charter was granted February 2, 1912, with the following charter members : Geo. Esch, Geo. W. King, John A. King, F. L. French, H. C. Heitman, Evan S. Evans, John H. Jackson, H. Clay Hogue, Frank Perham, J. J. McAulitfe, Wm. L. Davis, R. B. McCoy, E. M. Perham, E. J. Brooks, Henry Selke, Perl J. AVilcox, H. H. Williams, E. A. Baumgarten, A. Anderson, Albert Larson, R. A. Richards, AValter Hammond, C. A. Hutson, Andrew J. Harr, Louis A. Losby, N. C. Markham, A. L. Hollenbeck, M. E. Putnam, A. F. Becker and H. N. Kurtzman. The present officers are : Geo. Esch, commander; F. L. French, S. V. ; E. M. Perham, J. V. ; R. A. Richards, 0. of D.; Perl Wilcox, 0. of G. ; John H. Jackson, Adj.; E. J. Brooks, Quar.