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First Nebraska: “All Hell Can’t Stop Them”

Courtesy Photo | First Nebraska, led by Company G, crossing the Marilao River on Mar. 27, 1899. Later,...... read more read more

LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, UNITED STATES

05.19.2022

Courtesy Story

Joint Force Headquarters - Nebraska National Guard

After the USS Maine battleship sank and other numerous tensions between Cuba, Spain, and the Americas mounted, Spain and the U.S. declared war on one another Apr. 24-25, 1898. President William McKinley asked Governor Silas A. Holcomb of Nebraska to furnish two regiments of infantry or 2,114 men for the war. Nebraska furnished 4,016 men, well over the required number, who were put into three infantry regiments and one cavalry troop.

The Second Nebraska, commanded by Col. Charles J. Bills, moved to Camp Thomas near Chickamauga Park, Georgia, May 19, 1898. The Second Nebraska never saw battle but could arguably say they saw the most “action.” The hot weather of Georgia combined with large pools of standing water that breed mosquitoes and flies quickly spread disease. The streams and rivers surrounding the area were quickly filled with sewage making drinking water scarce as well as spreading more disease. Along with this, the rations given to the men were often subpar with the Nebraskans describing the rotten meat as “embalmed beef.” The men were also given poor equipment and improper clothing. The above instances plagued all the encampments the U.S. had established for mobilization, but Camp Thomas was the worst out of the 12 formed. The leadership of the Second Nebraska pleaded with Nebraska’s governor to muster them out of service if they were not to be used for combat, and were granted their request Aug. 24, 1898. Although this regiment never left Chickamauga, they lost 26 men to disease and one man to an accident, for a total of 27 dead.

Troop K, Third U.S. Cavalry, commanded by Cpt. Jacob H. Culver, was mustered into service on May 14 and went to Chickamauga Park, as well. After enduring all the hardships of the unsanitary camp and no actual combat, they were mustered out of service Sept. 8, 1898. Total deaths for the Troop were 32 – all from disease. However, many men never went to the infirmary due to their poor conditions, or became ill after they returned home, so likely the number for official illnesses and deaths for both the Second Nebraska and Troop K might be conservative counts.

The Third Nebraska, commanded by Col. William J. Bryan arrived in Jacksonville, Florida, July 22, 1898. From there they went to Fairfield, Florida, on Oct. 23, and to Camp Onward in Savanah, Georgia, on Oct. 24. At Camp Onward, as part of the Seventh Army Corps, the men paraded before President McKinley on Dec. 19, 1898, following the signing of the peace treaty at Paris. The war was over, but Third Nebraska had orders to continue to Cuba for occupational services. At this time, Williams Jennings Bryan resigned from command of the regiment and Lt. Col. Victor Vifquain, a veteran of the Civil War, was promoted to the rank of colonel and commanded the regiment until it was mustered out. This was the only Nebraska regiment to see Cuba. The men sailed from Savannah to Havana, Cuba, Dec. 31, 1898, and arrived in Havana Harbor on Jan. 3, 1899, where they stayed for most of their tour. On Feb. 15, 1899, they held memorial service for the dead of the USS Maine, which sank in the harbor on that date the previous year. The soldiers also helped to receive the city of Havana for the U.S., April 7, 1899. Soon after, the men started home, and were mustered out of U.S. service at Camp McKenzie, Georgia, May 11, 1899. The Third Nebraska lost 32 soldiers total – all from disease.

Commanded by Col. John P. Bratt and later by Col. John M. Stotsenburg, the First Nebraska, after spending some time in California, reached Manila Bay on July 20 just in time to help with the assault on the Spanish occupying the area. The First Nebraska took some fire as it advanced, but the Spanish hoisted a white flag in surrender. On Dec. 10, 1898, the Spanish-American peace treaty was signed. In it, Spain would cede the Philippines to America for $20 million which resulted in tension between Americans and Filipinos. These tensions came to a breaking point Feb. 4, 1899, when Pvt. William W. Grayson, Company D of the First Nebraska, fired the first shot of what became known as the Philippine Insurrection.

Later, American forces started an offensive against the capital at Malolos. The First Nebraska suffered heavy casualties during the seven-day, 20-mile campaign. A typical encounter with the Filipinos occurred March 27,1899 when the First Nebraska attacked a Filipino position, routed them and pursued its soldiers for more than two miles. The regiment defeated their enemy but suffered several casualties. Brig. Gen. Irving Hale, who was watching this advance, remarked, “There go those First Nebraskans again, and all hell couldn’t stop them.” From Malolos, the First Nebraska continued its northward expedition and participated in more battles until casualties, disease and exhaustion had reduced their strength to less than 300 men. They were relieved of duty from the frontline and returned to the U.S. after approximately 16 months of federal service.

For their service in the Philippines, the War Department awarded Nebraskans: two Certificates of Merit – the second highest award for valor – and 11 citations for gallantry in action. The regiment suffered more casualties than any other regiment in the Spanish-American War or Philippine Insurrection. The final tally listed 232 casualties, including 35 killed-in-action, 168 wounded-in-action and 29 who succumbed to disease.

“[First Nebraska] had traveled over 20,000 miles, engaged in 2 wars, fought 35 engagements, lost nearly one-fourth of their officers and men who were killed or wounded or had died of disease or were discharged for disability,” said John F. Shafer in the 1937 General Proceedings of the Thirtieth Annual Encampment, U.S.W.V., Department of Nebraska. “Few regiments in any of our wars ever made a finer record, suffered more severe losses or went through a more trying campaign than did the First Nebraska Volunteer Infantry in 1898 and 1899.”

(Nebraska National Guard story by Staff Sgt. Sherri Maberry, 105th Military History Team)