First Washington Infantry U.S.V.

First Washington Infantry, U.S. Volunteers, Field Staff and Officers listed in Biography section of "Campaining in the Phillipines", Karl Irving Faust, 1899.

  Field and Staff Officers
John A Wholley (Colonel) Vancouver, Wa
W.J. Fife (Lieutenant- Colonel) Tacoma, Wa
John J. Weisenburger (Major) New Whatcom, Wa
N. J. Canton (Major) Seattle, Wa
Fred T. Briggs (1st Lieutenant ) Yakima, Wa
W.L. Lemon (1st Lieutenant)
Lewis R. Dawson (Major and Surgeon) Seattle, Wa
Elmer M. Brown (Captain and Assistant Surgeon)
Leonard G. Allis (1st Lieutenant and Assistant Surgeon)
A. L. Knutson (Chaplain) Walla Walla, Wa

  Commisioned Officers of Company A
Albert G. Otis (Captain)
Wm. I. Hinckley (1st Lieutenant) Spokane, Wa
Walter L. McCallum (2nd Lieutenant)

  Commissioned Officers of Company B
Matthew H. Gromley (Captain)
H.G. Moss (1st Lieutenant) Green Lake, Wa
Charles E. Head (2nd Lieutenant) Seattle, Wa

  Commissioned Officer of Company C
J.B. McCoy (Captain)
Louis S Stejer (1st Lieutenant) Tacoma, Wa
S.C. Bothwell (1st Lieutenant) Whatcom, Wa
Martin Johnson (2d Lieutenant) Tacoma, Wa

  Commissioned offiecer of Company D
Frank E Adams (Captain) Seattle, Wa
Zephaniah B. Rawson (2nd Lieutenant) Seattle, Wa
Henry E Egel (1st Lieutenant) Seattle, Wa

  Commisssioned Officers of Company E.
Marshall S. Scudder (Captain) N.Yakima, Wa
Edward J. Young (1st Lieutenant) N. Yakima, Wa
John T. Alderson (2nd Lieutenant) N.Yakima, Wa

  Commissioned Officers of Company F
C. A. Booker (Captain) Dayton, Wa
Geo. B. Dorr (1st Lieutenant) Dayton, Wa
J.G. Miller (2d Lieutenant) Dayton, Wa

  Commissioned Officers of Company G.
M.F. Ellrich (Captain) Vancouver, Wa
William E. Weigh (1st Lieutenant)
George Lamping (1st Lieutenant) Seattle, Wa
Henry A. Riegle (2nd Lieutenant) Vancouver, Wa

  Commissioned Officers of Company H
A.C Steinman (Captain) Ellensburg, Wa
E.E. Southern (1st Lieutenant) Ellensburg, Wa
John J Carlton (2nd Lieutenant) Ellensburg, Wa

  Commissioned Officers of Company I
William B. Buffum (Captain)
Thomas D. Hart (1st Lieutenant)
Charles S. Buffum (2nd Lieutenant) Walla Walla, Wa

  Commissioned Officers of Company K
Charles T. Smith (Captain) Waitsburg, Wa
Jessie H. Arnold (1st Lieutenant) Waitsburg, Wa
John B. Caldwell (2nd Lieutenant) Waitsburg, Wa

  Commissioned Officers of Company L.
J.M Moore (Captain) Spokane, Wa
Charles E Nosler (2d Lieutenant) Spokane, Wa
John E Ballaine (1st Lieutenant) Spokane, Wa

  Commissioned Officers of Company M
John E Boyer (Captain) Walla Walla, Wa
Geo. M Dreher (1st Lieutenant) Spokane, Wa
Ben H. Rhodes (2d Lieutenant) Centrailia, Wa

Mary Jenkins has copy of the above book and is willing to furnish info from the biography section. The book also a photograph of the Field & Staff with identified officers and a number of Unit photos.

REGIMENTAL HISTORY

The First Washington Infantry, U.S. Volunteers, was organized in mid-1898 to fulfill the state's responsibility to provide 125,000 volunteers to fight in the Spanish-American War. Shortly after the U.S. declared war against Spain, President William McKinley called for each state to provide 125,000 men to serve a minimum of two years. The state of Washington organized its quota of men into one infantry regiment composed of several companies. These included two from Seattle, two from Spokane, and one each from Tacoma, Walla Walla, North Yakima [later renamed Yakima], Waitsburg, Ellensburg, Centralia, Dayton, and Vancouver.

Under the command of Colonel John H. Wholley, the First Washington Infantry's twelve companies assembled together and were mustered into U.S. military service at Camp John R. Rogers, near Tacoma, on May 1, 1898. On May 10, the first battalion, consisting of companies A," "B," "D," and "E," left Tacoma under sail for San Francisco to await further orders and practice drills. The second battalion, consisting of companies "F," "G," "I," and "L," left Camp Rogers on May 15 to join the first battalion at San Francisco's Camp Merritt. The third battalion, consisting of companies "C," "H," "K," and "M," proceeded to the Vancouver Barracks, Vancouver, Washington, on May 24, and like the other battalions its devoted the next several weeks to field drills. There was no Company "J." By late July, the third battalion rejoined its fellow battalions in San Francisco. By late October, the Washington volunteer regiment had embarked steamers for Manila, Philippine Islands.

The First Washington Infantry, U.S.V., participated in numerous battles with Filipino insurgents throughout the first half of 1899. By late August, Colonel Wholley received orders to return to the States, arriving in San Francisco in early October 1899. Washington Governor Rogers and several delegates from the state met the men at the docks to celebrate their victories and their safe return home. The volunteers were mustered out on October 31, 1899.
[Regimental History from Washington State University Library - Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections.]
http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/holland/masc/finders/firstwainf.htm

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