Information
Provided by the Micah John Jenkins Camp
No. 164, Sons of Spanish American War
Veterans
Light Battery
Wyoming
Volunteer Artillery, U.S. Volunteers
Battery history
What was to become the
Wyoming Volunteer Light Battery was
organized in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on
February 19th, 1895, as the Alger Light
Battery ( Battery A) of the Wyoming
Volunteers (National Guard).
With the declaration of War
between the United States and Spain the
State of Wyoming was assigned a quota of
one Infantry Battalion in April of 1898,
however on May 25th, 1898, President
William McKinley issued a call for an
additional 75,000 Volunteers, and under
this call the Governor was asked to supply
one Battery of Artillery for volunteer
service. In the Wyoming National Guard
there was only Battery of artillery, the
Alger Light Artillery, and as such they
were called by the Governor to assemble
for service.
On June 11th, 1898, the
Battery begin recruiting its numbers up to
the 125 officers and men who were needed
for the battery to be mustered into
service, and four days later (June 15th)
the Battery had completed its efforts and
had reached the required number. The
following day (June 16th) the Battery was
formed in ranks and mustered into United
States service at Cheyenne as the Wyoming
Light Battery for a term of two years
service, numbering three (3) officers and
one hundred twenty-two (122) enlisted men
under the command of Captain Granville R.
Palmer.
After remaining in camp at
Cheyenne for a few more days the Battery
left on the 24th aboard trains for San
Francisco, California, arriving at that
place on the 28th of the month, and going
into camp at the Presidio continued the
work of learning the art of soldiering.
On November 8th, 1898, the
Battery breaks camp and marches to the
docks where they board the transport “ Newport”
along with Brigadier General Marcus P.
Miller, U.S. Volunteers, and his staff,
for service in the Philippine Islands. The
transport arrived off of Manila on
December 6th, and on the 7th disembarked
and marched to the town of Cavite where it
was assigned to the Military District of
Cavite, remaining there until July of
1899, during this time the men were
engaged variously in the actions at
Salinos, Rossario, Novaleta, and Caite
Viejo.
On July 8th, 1899, the
Battery, having received orders to prepare
to return to the United States for
mustering out, turned over their four guns
to the 6th United States Artillery
Regiment at Cavite, and moves to Manila.
On the 30th the men of the Battery board
the transport “Grant” in Manila, along
with the men of the 1st Wyoming Volunteer
Infantry Battalion, and sail for the
United States. The Grant arrived at San
Francisco, California, on August 29th,
1899, and the men disembarked and moved
into their respective camps.
After a few weeks rest and
the settling of accounts for the unit the
Battery was mustered out of United States
service on September 23rd, 1899, in San
Francisco, California, with three (3)
officers and fifty-seven (57) enlisted
men, under the command of Captain Clarke.
Through the good will of the citizens of
the State of Wyoming money had been
assembled by a group of private citizens
(as the state had no allotement for the
transportation of the men back to the
State) and the men of the Battery were
able to return to their homes without
having to bear the cost themselves.
During the Battery’s
service it had a total of six (6) officers
and one hundred-twenty four (124) enlisted
men on its rolls, of this number two (2)
officers resigned their commissions and
one (1) committed suicide (Captain
Palmer), one (1) enlisted-man was
transferred, nine (9) were discharged due
to disability, three (3) were discharged
by a general courts-martial, forty (40)
were discharged by order, two (2) died of
disease, and twelve (12) deserted from the
battery, for total loss in the battery of
70 officers and enlisted.
Battery Roster
Clarke, Harry A.
: Mustered into service as First
Lieutenant of the Battery on June 16th,
1898, for two years service; promoted to
Captain on November 12th, 1898, vice
Captain Palmer died; mustered out of
service with the Battery on September
23rd, 1899, at San Francisco, California.
Palmer, Granville
R. : Of Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Committed suicide on Friday, November
11th, 1898, at the Presidio of San
Francisco, California, as a result of
mental instability and overworking himself
.
Clarke, Harry A.
Gilmore, James M.
Fay, Elton E.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Glenn, Edwin O.
Madden, James L.
Bristol, Charles A.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Daily, William M.
King, Granville M.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
La Fontaine, Robert
N. : Mustered out of service
with the Battery on September 23rd, 1899,
at San Francisco, California.
McCabe, John E.
Rigdon, John F.
Cayler, Albert G.
Dyer, Joseph T.
Graham, Robert B.
Hirst, Edward W.
Mahan, Charles W.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Mills, William C.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Shrader, Rufus W.
Wolcott, William C.
Mentz, Edwin C.
Sullivan, James
McFadden, Robert
Sladden, Thomas A.
Olson, John
Farrell, John F.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Dillman, William
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Dreifuss, Isaac W.
Abbott, Glenn W.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Abry, Emil G.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Anderson, John
Anderson, Peter
Bailey, Alonzo A.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Barnett, David
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Barth, George
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Bradley, Frank
Bristol, George
Brookhart, Herman
A. : Mustered out of service
with the Battery on September 23rd, 1899,
at San Francisco, California.
Buck, Clifford H.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Bushman, Charles
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Caffrey, John
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Connors, James H.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Croston, Ernest
R.B. : Mustered out of service
with the Battery on September 23rd, 1899,
at San Francisco, California.
Dale, Henry L.
Darling, John
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Davis, George H.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
DeCory, John L.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
DeHaas, William
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Elkins, Charles S.
Ellis, Daniel R.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Enslow, William M.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Fardy, Gus
Fear, Edward B.
Fitfield, Fay
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Freed, Malcolm L.
Gale, George B.
Garner, Ira L.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Gauff, William
Gideon, William
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Goden, Martin E.
Gonser, Sidney D.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Green, Joseph P.
Guinan, Edward
Gustafson, August
Harner, William
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Hefele, Albert
Hoffman, Andrew
Howay, Arthur C.
Hollyman, Herbert
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Honnold, John G.
Humphrey, James
Jackson, George A.
Jackson, James S.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Jordan, Howard H.
Joyce, Martin
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Keilquist, August
Kroeger, John
Lane, John T.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Lardi, Victor
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Lasson, Lauritz
A.P.
Lawless, Peter
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Levett, Abe
Lish, Alsinon C.
Marble, Charles J.
Martin, John
McCall, William J.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
McCullum, Marion
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
McDole, Robert S.
McKiernan, Edward
L.
Meredith, Edward
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Monroe, George
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Mulligan, John
Murphy, Herbert A.
Oliver, John
Pearson, Otto
Peterson, John
Peterson, Peter
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Pointinen, John
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Porterfield,
Charles : Mustered out of
service with the Battery on September
23rd, 1899, at San Francisco, California.
Quinn, John J.
Rasmussen, Andreas
Rawson, John
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Reedy, John P.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Robidon, Frank
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Roberts, James F.
:
Sackett, Lee B.
Sandberg, Emil A.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Schillin, W.A.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Sehestedt, William
Shirley, Don L.
Sinex, Frank J.
Slane, James T.
Smith, George H.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Snow, Leslie E.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Stamm, Martin
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Steinhoff, Henry
Stone, William A.
Swartz, Oliver E.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Taylor, Edwin P.
Templin, Joseph
Tighe, William L.
Timmins , Frank J.
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Turner, Bryant
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Van Noy, William
Wale, Herbert E.
Willard, Charles
Weir, William
: Mustered out of service with the Battery
on September 23rd, 1899, at San Francisco,
California.
Sources
- Pages 292 to 303, Volume
I, “ History of Wyoming”
I.S. Bartlett, The S.J. Clarke
Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois,
1918.
- Page 624, “
Correspondence relating to the War
with Spain, and conditions growing
out of the same, including the
Insurrection in the Philippine
Islands, and the China Relief
Expedition, between the
Adjutant-General of the Army and
Military Commanders in the United
States, Cuba, Porto Rico, China, and
the Philippine Islands, from April
15, 1898, to July 30, 1902.”
Government Printing Office, Washington,
D.C., 1902.
- “ Statistical
Exhibit of Strength of Volunteer
Forces Called Into Service During
the War With Spain; with Losses From
All Causes. ” Adjutant
Generals Office, Government Printing
Office, Washington, D.C., 1899.
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