Franklin County Military Records

Spanish-American War
April 21, 1898-April 11, 1899

Philippine Insurrection
1899-1902

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Franklin County Soldiers Who Served in Iowa Regiments During the Spanish-American and Philippine Wars
~from the Roster and Record of Iowa Soldiers in Miscellaneous Organizations, Vol VI; 1911
~names extracted by Karon King

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Compiled Records from various sources

If you'd like to honor a veteran here, please send the name of the veteran and a brief note about their service. Photos, additional information & news articles are welcome!

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It was during McKinley's administration, April 1898, that America declared war on Spain. volunteers were immediately called and boys from all over Franklin County enlisted in the army. Flags were displayed at all the towns and a company of soldiers was organized at Hampton. this was Company D and was only partly filled when orders came for the company to go to Des Moines to the first training camp. Later on this organization was sent to camp at Chickamauga, Georgia. It was very hot in Georgia and an epidemic of typhoid fever broke out in camp. Five boys from Franklin County died. They were: John W. French, Ned L. Clock of Maysville, John Brophy, William Demo, and William Mowery.

Some of the men fought at Santiago, Cuba with Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, and others sailed across the Pacific Ocean to fight in the Philippine Islands. J.C. Foughty of Hampton was sent to Manila. Here, Commodore Dewey destroyed the Spanish Fleet and in a fierce battle the Americans defeated the Spanish on land. Foughty says it was unbearably hot and the bullets flew as thick as hail stones. Finally the American troops were victorious on sea and on land, peace was declared, and the Spanish American War was over. The United States had gained Cuba, the island of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.

Soldiers from Hampton and from Franklin County who enlisted are named as follows:

Earl Clock Edgar Dolson Raymond Dolson Charles Homer D.A. Page Clay L. Pearse E.A. Beebe George A. Burns Samuel E. Campbell Wm. Wichersheim

Ned L. Clock Charles Chesterfield M.F. Clark John C. Ferris John C. Foughty John W. French John W. Harriman G.T. McGrillis William Mowery Alfred Feene

J.P. Meyers Harvey Roemer Frank Scott Ernest Meyer Baer Frank Durr Leach J.B. Baylis --- Aldinger

~Franklin County History, Compiled by the Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration, State of Iowa, 1941; Chapter 8; pg 45-46

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The Fifty-Second

The second regiment to go to the front from Iowa under the first call for volunteers was the old Fourth of the Iowa National Guard, the Fifty-second Iowa volunteers. They left Camp McKinley Saturday afternoon for Chickamauga, where they will arrive today. Col. William B. Humphrey is in command. The Fifty-second is made up of companies from the northwest quarter of the state, the following cities and towns sending the twelve companies, although some of the men enlisted in almost every company come from other places than those in which the companies are located.

Company D, Hampton
Captain -- Wm. E. Parker
First Lieutenant -- Carl Menin, JR
Second Lieutenant -- Gorham T. McCrillis
First Sergeant -- Edwin A. Beebe
Quartermaster Sergeant -- John C. Ferris
Sergeants -- Joseph R. Ott, Charles H. Jernegan, Roy C. Hand, John W. French

~Cedar Rapids Gazette, May 30, 1898

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Major Parker, of Hampton, Tells of LIfe on Historic Battlefield

A friend of the Courier has received an interesting letter from Major S.J. Parker, of Hampton, of the Fifty-second regiment, now encamped at Chickamauga. Among other things Major Parker says:

"We are encamped on the historic field of Chickamauga among grand and lofty old oak trees with here and there a tall and stately pine, nearly all of which are scarred by rifle and cannon shot. Our camp is on a stony ridge where the chip-stone are so thick that one can hardly walk. The men are all at work picking and piling them up. They lay them in order around trees, and they make excellent seats, wash-stands, etc. The men are finding all sorts of relics, such as battered bullets, peices of shells and parts of guns. One man found a coat button while digging a hole to put a ten-pole into.

"The temperature here is very hot at present; we have had but one rain in two weeks. They are piping water into camp from some springs two or three miles out, and from now on water will be plentiful. We are all well in my battalion except one man from Co. C, Webster City, who developed quite a serious case of pneumonia on the train Sunday night. We brought him to camp in an ambulance and he is now in the hospital.

"Co D was handsomely treated by the Misses Williams of Des Moines. They waited on Co D the day the ladies gave the dinner and just thirty minutes before we left they came to camp with forty-three 'housewives', which they had made with their own hands, containing thread, needles, pins, fine tooth comb, buttons, court-plaster and a little story, and presented Co D with them. We shall always have a warm place in our hearts for these noble women."
S.J. Parker

~Waterloo Semi-Weekly Courier, June 10, 1898

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Co D Reorganized

Hampton Recorder: Last Wednesday afternoon Captain Parker received a dispatch from Adjutant General Byers notifying him that he would be here on Thursday evening, a little more than twenty-four hours notice, to muster in the new company. The muster was held at Harriman's hall thursday evening and thirty-four found to be present, som six or eight of those who had signed the roll being out of town and not accessible. Sixteen of the number were with the company in the field during the campaign of last summer. After muster-in the following officers were elected:

Captain - G.T. McCrillis
First Lieutenant - Ed A. Beebe
Second Lieutenant - J.P. Myers

The non-commissioned officers will be appointed later on. Of the officers elected all were in the company during the Chickamauga campaign, Captain McCrillis serving as second lieutenant of the company, Ed Beebe as first sergeant, and Percy Myers as a non-commissioned officer.

~Hull Index, March 31, 1899

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United Spanish War Veterans

David Muir Camp #7, Hampton

Delegate: C.F. Reemer, Co D, 52d IA
Alternate: S.E. Campbell, Co D, 52d IA
Commander: E.A. Beebe, Co D, 52d IA

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This page was created February 6, 2012; updated November 15, 2015
©2012-2014 by IAGenWeb & the various submitters.