Mississippi in the Spanish American War, Philippine Insurrection, and China Relief Expedition, February 15th, 1898, to July 4th, 1902

The State of Mississippi

In The Spanish American War, February 15th, 1898, to July 4th, 1902

The following information is about the Volunteers and Government Officials of the State of Mississippi during the Spanish American War, the Philippine Insurrection, and China Relief Expedition, February 15th, 1898, to July 4th, 1902. If you have any additional information, photographs, artifacts, etc., that you wish to contribute, feel free to submit the information to the Webmaster.

Timeline of Events	Government	Volunteers
Military Camps	Veterans Organizations	Memorials

Timeline of Events

April 23rd, 1898: At the start of the War with Spain Mississippi�s military forces were organized under the title of the �Mississippi National Guard� and was reported as having an authorized strength in April of 1898 at around 1,800 officers and men, in reality the number of men organized were only 1,330 officers and men, with another 263,880 liable for military duty. The National Guard was organized as one division of three regiments of infantry, one regiment of artillery, and one squadron of cavalry. In April of 1898 they were organized as follows:

1st Regiment of Infantry

2nd Regiment of Infantry

3rd Regiment of Infantry

1st Regiment of Artillery

1st Squadron of Cavalry

May 16th to 26th, 1898: The 1st Mississippi Infantry Regiment, U.S. Volunteers, is mustered into United States service at Jackson, Mississippi.

May 30th to June 8th, 1898: The 2nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment, U.S. Volunteers, is mustered into United States service at Jackson, Mississippi.

July 22dnt to August 4th, 1898: The 3rd Mississippi Infantry Regiment, U.S. Volunteers, is mustered into United States service at Jackson, Mississippi.

December 20th, 1898: The 1st Mississippi Infantry Regiment, U.S. Volunteers, is mustered out of United States service at Columbia, Tennessee.

December 21st, 1898: The 2nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment, U.S. Volunteers, is mustered out of United States service at Columbia, Tennessee.

March 17th, 1899: The 3rd Mississippi Infantry Regiment, U.S. Volunteers, is mustered out of United States service at Albany, Georgia.

Mississippi Government	Mississippi Volunteers
Federal and State Government	Mississippi Volunteers, 1898 to 1902

Camps and Military Installations

During peace time and war the United States Military and State National Guard maintains forts, posts, depots, and other installations throughout the various states, and in times of war Camps are organized as rendezvous for the various volunteers joining. The following is a listing of those posts that were located and active in the State of Mississippi from February 15th, 1898, to July 4th, 1902.

CAMP PAT HENRY, JACKSON, HINDS COUNTY

The Camp was named in honor of U.S. Representative Patrick Henry of Mississippi, and was located one mile north of the city limits at what is now Bailey Junior High School in Jackson near State Street and Woodrow Wilson Drive. This Camp was organized under Colonel George C. Haskins of the Mississippi National Guard in May of 1898, and on May 10th, 1898, the �Capitol Light Guards� were the first unit to arrive at the Camp. The Camp served as the mustering in point for all Mississippi Units that served in the Spanish American War, with the 1st and 2nd Regiments being mustered into service in May and June of 1898, and the 3rd from July to September 1898.

CAMP ANSELM J. MCLAURIN, LAUDERDALE SPRINGS, LAUDERDALE COUNTY

The camp was named in honor of Governor Anslem J. McLaurin, and was located near the Lauderdale Springs health resort near Meridian, Mississippi. The camp served as a camp for the 1st and 2nd Mississippi Infantry Regiments from September to December of 1898, when those regiments moved to Camp Hamilton in Columbia, Tennessee.

FORT MASSACHUSETTS, WEST SHIP ISLAND, HARRISON COUNTY

The first fort was established on Ship Island in 1812 to protect the Gulf Coast during the War of 1812 against the British; the original fort was replaced in June of 1859 when construction began of a brick masonry fort that was completed in 1866. During the American Civil War the unfinished fort was occupied by Mississippi State Militia in January of 1861, however it was abandoned shortly thereafter by them until June of 1861 when it was reoccupied by Confederate Troops who mounted several guns at the post. The Fort�s only military action took place on July 9th, 1861, when the USS Massachusetts engaged the guns of the Fort, the action resulted in little or not damage to either side. In the spring of 1862 Ship Island was abandoned by the Confederate Troops and the Island and Fort were soon occupied by the Union Army and Navy who used the Island as a staging point for the capture of New Orleans, Louisiana. It was at this time that the fort was unofficially named �Massachusetts� in honor of the ship that had engaged the Fort the year before, however the name was never officially applied to the fort and it was simply known as the �Fort On Ship Island.� Construction of the Masonry Fort was completed in 1866 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, however by this time the masonry forts were proved to be obsolete, so a full garrison was not provided for the Fort, instead a Civilian Fort keeper (C.H. Stone) was assigned to keep the Fort in a state of readiness in the event it was needed, and later an Ordnance Sergeant was assigned to the post as well to take care of the Forts armament. The Fort was never garrisoned by Troops during the Spanish American War, but was still kept in a state of readiness in case of an attack on the coastline, and in 1903 the Fort was removed from the active list and the Post Ordnance Sergeant was relieved of his duty, at that point care of the Fort was taken over by the Ship Island Lighthouse Keeper.

CAMP WALTHALL, COLUMBUS, LOWNDES COUNTY

The camp was named in honor of former Confederate Major General and United States Senator Edward Cary Walthall of Mississippi. The camp was located on the banks of the Tombigbee River a quarter of a mile from Columbus, Mississippi, near where Moores Creek flows into the river. The camp served as the organizing and mustering Camp of the 5th United States Volunteer Infantry Regiment from June of 1898, and remained as such until August of 1898 when the regiment left from the camp and moved to Savannah, Georgia, for service in Cuba.

Veterans Organizations

Following the end of the conflicts the Veterans began forming themselves into various regimental and national organizations for the purpose of keeping in contact with old and new friends, as well as to perpetuate the memory of their fallen comrades, several organizations sprung up in the years immediately following the war, however aside from the Regimental Associations most of these eventually came together to form the "United Spanish War Veterans." The following is information regarding the Department of Mississippi of the United Spanish War Veterans and the Auxiliary of the United Spanish War Veterans.

Department of Mississippi
United Spanish War Veterans

Department of Mississippi
Auxiliary of the U.S.W.V.

Veterans Memorials

The following pages contain information on the burial locations of the Veterans of 1898 to 1902, as well as the monuments and memorials that were erected to the memory of the Veterans, Battles, and other events that took place during those years, within the State of Mississippi.

Graves Registry

Monuments & Memorials

Resources

Books & Published Material

- Pages 458 to 462, "The Annual Cyclopedia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1898." D. Appleton & Company, New York, 1899.

- "Biennial Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Mississippi for the Years 1898 and 1899." Vance Printing Company, Jacksonville, Florida, 1900.

- "Camps of the United Spanish War Veterans. Local Lairs of the Military Order of the Serpent, 1904-1992." George Kane.

- Pages 600 to 601, "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.

- Volume I, "Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, from its organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903." Francis B. Heitman, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1903.

- "Historical Sketch and Scenes of Camp Life of the Second Regiment Mississippi Volunteer Infantry, Commanded by Colonel W.A. Montgomery." J.C. Coovert, Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1898.

- "Officers of Volunteer Regiments Organized Under the Act of March 2, 1899." Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1899.

- Pages 146 to 149, "The Organized Militia of the United States." Government Printing Press, Washington, D.C., 1900.

- Pages 257 to 264 & 611 to 616, Volume I, "Report on the Origin and Spread of Typhoid Fever in U.S. Military Camps during the Spanish War of 1898." Walter Reed, Victor C. Vaughan, Edward O. Shakespeare; Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1904.

- "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.

Documents, Papers & Non-Published Materials

- General Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers who served During the War with Spain. Microfilm publication M871, 126 rolls. ARC ID: 654543; Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780s-1917, Record Group 94; The National Archives at Washington, D.C.

- Pension applications for service in the US Army between 1861 and 1900, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served. (NARA T289) National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C.

Websites & Online Resources

- Military History of Mississippi: War with Spain, 1898.

- Spanish American War Camps, 1898-1899.

- The Spanish American War Comes to Ocean Springs: 1898.