By Jared Olar
Library assistant
Of all the many wars that the United States has fought in its history, the ones that are most prominent in the memory of the American people are, understandably, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the First and Second World Wars. In comparison, other important conflicts, such as the War of 1812 or the Mexican War, are not as well remembered.
One such conflict that is not as well remembered is the Spanish-American War of 1898, a speedy 10-week conflict toward the end of the period of America’s imperialist expansion. The war broke out between the U.S. and Spain when the Maine, a U.S. battleship, exploded and sank in the harbor of Havana, capital of Spain’s colony of Cuba. The Maine was sent to signal U.S. opposition to Spain’s control of Cuba. The cause of the explosion was accidental, but many people in the U.S. thought the explosion was an act of Spanish sabotage.
The conflict was a U.S. victory, due chiefly to American naval superiority. It opened with a declaration of war in April 1898 and was concluded by the Treaty of Paris on Dec. 10, 1898. By the war’s end, the U.S. had acquired all of Spain’s remaining Pacific colonies as well as Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands, and had achieved hegemony over Cuba.
Spurred on by vengeful cries of “Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!,” large numbers of American men enlisted in the U.S. armed forces to fight. Among them were 200 men from Tazewell County, as may be learned by consulting Ben C. Allensworth’s 1905 “History of Tazewell County,” pages 755-756.
Tazewell County’s Spanish-American War volunteers formed two companies of the Fifth Illinois Regiment – but since the lopsided conflict was quickly concluded in the U.S.’s favor, none of Tazewell County’s volunteers saw any action. They got as far as boarding a ship at Newport News, Va., bound for Puerto Rico when fighting came to an end. “The boys were disappointed that they had not been able to get to the front, but it was not their fault,” Allensworth wrote.
Here are excerpts from Allensworth’s account of Tazewell County’s regiments in the Spanish-American War:
“Tazewell County furnished 200 soldiers for the Spanish-American war. April 27, 1898, Company K of Delavan, and Company G of Pekin, both of the Fifth Illinois Regiment, left their respective homes for the Rendevous (sic) Station, Springfield. Company K in charge of Captain Watkins and First and Second Lieutenants C. H. Ball and Dickinson, respectively; Company G being in charge of Capt. E. L. Conklin and First and Second Lieutenants E. H. Mullen and W. W. Sellers. These companies were mustered into United States service May 4th . . . and left Springfield for Chickamauga Park Camp on May 17th, being the first volunteer regiment to arrive there. The Fifth Illinois Volunteer Regiment was packed up for embarking for war on July 4th, but this order from Washington was rescinded in favor of an Ohio regiment. Along about July 20th another order to move was given. The regiment marched to Rossville, Tenn., to embark for Porto Rico (sic). While there a telegraph order was received by Colonel Culver to turn the transportation and travel rations over to the One Hundred and Sixtieth Indiana and return to camp, which was done in a justly moody manner. This regiment was then given a new camp in the Park, and brigaded with the First Georgia and Thirty-first Michigan under General Roe. On August 3d, the regiment again received orders to move. The regiment marched to Ringgold, Ga., and there boarded cars for Newport News. On arriving there a second time they were put in General Fred Grant’s brigade. On August 10th, the regiment completely boarded the Obdam to go to Porto Rico, but fate seemed to have decreed otherwise. While on board the Colonel received an order from the Adjutant-General to disembark and form camp. This order was the result of the final consummation of the peace protocol on that date. After camping there about two weeks, this regiment moved by railroad transportation to Lexington, Ky., from which camp it left for Springfield, Illinois, arriving September 10th. . . .
“On Saturday, September 10th, 1898, a telegram was received by Major Conklin, in this city, stating that Company G would arrive home on Monday morning, the 12th inst. The committee, having in charge the reception of Company G, were immediately notified, and citizens generally, to be on hand at the Court House square at 11 o’clock that morning, to welcome the return of the soldier boys.”
Tazewell County’s soldiers were officially greeted by Pekin Mayor Dan Sapp and Judge W. R. Curran, followed by a grand celebration and dinner on the courthouse lawn. “The boys enjoyed the whole thing exceedingly, and at the end of thirty days at home they returned to Springfield and were mustered out October 16, 1898,” Allensworth added.
And so Tazewell County’s Spanish-American War veterans made it through the war without losing a man in battle and without seeing even a moment of action.
