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MEXICAN WAR TIME LINE –
1836-1848 2/23/1836-3/6/1836 - Siege of the
Alamo - 187 Texans and frontiersmen fight to death in San Antonio against a
Mexican army of 3000 men. 3/2/1836 - Texas declaration of independence
is adopted at Washington, Texas. 4/21/1836 - Battle of San Jacinto - Gen. Sam
Houston defeats Mexicans & captures Mexican Gen. Santa Anna. 10/22/1836 - The Independent Republic of Texas
installs Sam Houston as president. 3/4/1845 - James Knox Polk is inaugurated as
the 11th President of the U.S., after campaigning on promises of annexing
Texas and expanding the Oregon Territory. 12/29/1845 - Texas becomes the 28th state. 4/25/1846 - After Polk took office, he sent a
personal emissary, John Slidell, to Mexico to try to buy New Mexico and
California. When the Mexican
government refused to receive Slidell, Polk sent troops under Gen. Zachary
Taylor (old "Rough & Ready") to the disputed Rio Grande
boundary. Mexican troops attacked the
U.S. soldiers and Polk claimed war had begun "by act of Mexico." 5/13/1846 - Congress declares war on Mexico. 9/14/1847 - Mexico City is captured by U.S.
troops led by Gen. Winfield Scott after a succession of American victories,
including Vera Cruz and Pueblo. 1/24/1848 - Gold is
discovered in California by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill. 2/2/1848 - The Mexican War ended with
the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
Mexico accepted payment of $15 million for territory that
was to become California, New Mexico, Arizona,
Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming - the largest accession of
territory since the Louisiana Purchase.
Polk blocked the Wilmot Proviso, an attempt to exclude slavery from
the new acquisitions. Polk also
tried to purchase Cuba from Spain for $100 million, but his offer was
rejected. ««««««« New Bremen's Mexican War Veterans The following four New Bremenites are listed in the Auglaize County Military Record as
serving in the Mexican War. Also
listed on the May 31, 1937 Memorial Day program was Mike Keegan
(1810-10/13/1883) whose death was recorded by Catherine (Helwig) Schulenberg,
wife of Civil War Vet., Wm. Schulenberg, as "Mack." Gottlieb Hermsmeyer
(11/2/1827-6/12/1909) enlisted in April, 1847 in Co. "I", 4th O.V.I. and fought at Vera Cruz and Pueblo. After the war, he settled on a farm in
Shelby County, and in 1882, he moved to New Bremen with his third wife,
Henrietta Blumhorst, and lived on S. Walnut St. Ernst Herring (12/13/1817-3/5/1898) also enlisted in April, 1847 in Co.
"I", 4th O.V.I. and fought in both the Mexican War and the
"war of rebellion" (Civil War).
He served in Co. "M", 1st O.L.A. (Ohio Light Artillery). Casper Metz
(3/7/1818-5/15/1877) served as 2nd Lieutenant in Co. "C" in the
Mexican War and in the Indian Wars for 7 years. He married his 2nd wife,
Philippine/Philomena Paul, on 10/16/1849. William Schaffer (3/14/1810-11/8/1870) also enlisted in 1847 and was a Private
in Co. "E", 4th O.V.I. He
married Sophia Charlotte Doenges on 4/20/1853. SPANISH-AMERICAN
WAR
3/4/1897 - Republican William McKinley is
inaugurated as the 25th President of the U.S. 2/15/1898 - An unexplained explosion on the
U.S. battleship Maine in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, kills 260 of the crew
while they were asleep. 4/11/1898 - Blockading proclamation
issued. the First gun of the war was
fired by the gunboat Nashville in capturing the prize Buena Ventura. 4/20/1898 - President McKinley is authorized
by Congress to intervene in Cuba with the U.S. Army and Navy, and to call the
state militias as necessary. When the
news reached the large cities, whistles blew and bells rang. 4/23/1898 - The President calls for 125,000
2-year volunteers. 4/25/1898 - The U.S. declares war on Spain,
demanding independence of Cuba. 5/1/1898 - Admiral George Dewey destroyed the
Spanish fleet in Manila Bay, Philippine Islands. 5/12/1898 - San Juan de
Puerto Rico falls before the guns of Admiral Sampson. The fleet arrived in
the Puerto Rican harbor with the message "Remember the Maine" and
did not lose a single ship or man. 5/25/1898 - The President calls for 75,000
additional volunteers. 6/3/1898 - The Merrimac is sunk in Santiago
Harbor. 6/10/1898 - 600 U.S. marines landed at
Caimanera. 7/1/1898 - Colonel Teddy Roosevelt's Rough
Riders take San Juan Hill, losing 231 men, with 1364 wounded. 7/26/1898 - Spain proposes peace through
French Ambassador Cambon. 8/12/1898 - Spain and the U.S. sign peace
protocol, defining terms. Hawaii
annexed to the U.S. 11/28/1898 - Final terms of U.S. accepted by
Spain at Paris. 12/10/1898 - The Spanish-American War ends
with the signing of a treaty. Spain
frees Cuba, cedes Puerto Rico and Guam Islands to the U.S., and sells the
Philippines to the U.S. for $20 million.
2/4/1899 - After U.S. rule was established, Philippine
guerrilla leader, Emilio Aguinaldo, began fighting the U.S. troops for 2
years until he was captured. 1900 - Future U.S. President, William
Howard Taft, was appointed President of the Philippine Commission (1900-1901)
and Governor of the Philippines (1901-1904) by President McKinley. Later,
President Theodore Roosevelt appointed him Secretary of War (1904-1908) and
entrusted him with special missions to Cuba, Panama, the Philippines, and
Japan. 9/6/1901 - President McKinley is shot by
assassin Leon Szolgosz, an anarchist, in Buffalo, New York. 9/14/1901 - President McKinley died. He was the last President to have served
in the Civil War, and the last to embark on a war of territorial expansion -
the Spanish-American War. He was born
in Niles, Ohio, practiced law in Canton, and served as governor of Ohio from
1892 to 1896, when he won the Republican nomination for President of the
U.S. He had been re-elected in 1900
for a second term. 9/14/1901 - Republican Theodore Roosevelt is
sworn in as the 26th President of the U.S. - at 42, the youngest ever to serve
as President. (John F. Kennedy was the youngest ever to be elected, at
43.) 7/4/1902 - The Philippine-American
War ends by proclamation of President Roosevelt. ««««««« ABOUT THEODORE
ROOSEVELT
As a youth,
Theodore Roosevelt's health was poor.
His efforts to build up his physical strength by "roughing
it" helped make him a sportsman, hunter, horseman, rancher, and
explorer. After his wife, Alice, and
his mother, Martha, both died on the same day in 1884, he retired to his
North Dakota ranch for the next two years, where he acquired many
"western" mannerisms. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, he
resigned his position as assistant Secretary of the Navy and organized the
volunteer cavalry regiment known as the "Rough Riders." It was while
Roosevelt served as governor of New York (1899-1901), that he first used the
term, "Speak softly and carry a big stick, you will go far." This was in regards to his relations with
the New York Republicans. In 1906,
Roosevelt was the first President to travel outside the U.S. while in
office. He visited Panama, and was
responsible for the beginning of construction of the Panama Canal. He was also
the first President to ride in a gasoline-powered automobile (8/22/1901) and
the first to fly in an airplane (10/11/1910), a year after leaving the White
House. Theodore Roosevelt was succeeded by William Howard Taft as
President in 1909. ««««««« ENLISTED IN WAR
Ten New Bremenites Sign the Roll
(New Bremen Sun - 4/22/1898) Recruiting officers of Company
"L", 2nd Regiment, Ohio National Guard, of Wapakoneta, were at the
Hotel Central yesterday afternoon and evening to receive applications from
those desiring to enlist as reserves, to serve only in case of war with
Spain. Ten new recruits signed
the pledge. They are as follows: wChrist H. Grothaus, wHenry Herring, William Hirschfeld, Lafe Huelsman, wW.C. Ivins, wClarence B. Kettler, wArthur Moeller, Julius Schwaberow, wOtto Steinebrey, wWilliam Tomhafe. (w7 passed – see below). N.B.'s Spanish-American War Veterans
Company
"L", 2nd O.V.I. - Walter H. Ahlers (Sgt.), George F.
Bloss, William L. Heitman, Henry Herring, William E. Ivins, Clarence B.
Kettler, Otto A. Steinebrey, William Tomhafe. Others - Dr. William H. Fesker, Emmanuel P. Grundisch (Philippines), Eayre R.
Haines (on 1937 program), Valerius H. Nieter, B(enjamin) C. Wiedeman
(Philippines).
««««««« OFF
FOR CUBA
wSeven of the boys who enlisted in the service of the U.S. last
week (see above) passed
examination. The others were fairly
good and would probably have been permitted to go had there not been more men
than were needed. The boys left New Bremen Monday morning for Wapakoneta. They
were serenaded at the Hotel Central
by the Little Six Band and accompanied to the edge of town by a big crowd of
citizens, the band playing and the cannon booming all the while. The rendition of the Star Spangled
Banner and Marching Through Georgia brought hearty responses, and
amidst the patriotic shouts of the assembled crowd could be seen faces wetted
with tears. The old veterans stood by
the 7 brave lads with the devotion of a father. New Bremen is proud of her war lads. (New Bremen Sun - 4/29/1898) ««««««« HER
HEART WENT WITH JOE
The regiment came
up the street, to field of glory bound. At sight of it
from surging crowd, a thousand cheers went round. A maiden fair
pressed close to one, her cheeks and eyes aglow, And as her lips
bestowed a kiss, she whispered, "Good-bye, Joe." The soldier boy
smiled through his tears, he looked upon her face. He pressed her
closely to his side, a last and fond embrace. The crowds cheered
on, the soldiers marched, they heard the bugles blow. The sweetheart
looked along the line and saw no one but Joe. They little recked
the trusting heart that beat so sad that day, When to the fields
of fame and death the gallants marched away. The pallid maiden
left the scene with faltering steps and slow, As on and on
beneath the flag, his thoughts with her, went Joe. The incident the
crowd forgot, it had its counterpart In many a city
fair where beats a young girl's trusting heart. No matter where
those heroes march, nor where they meet the foe, Till he returns -
God speed the day - her thoughts will be with Joe. (New Bremen Sun - 5/6/1898) |
[This
was first published in “The Towpath” – July 2000.]