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The Colfax County, New Mexico Boys Who Served in the 1st Territorial Volunteer Infantry:

News as Told by The Raton Range of Raton, New Mexico

Contributed by Nancy Arnett
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General:

The following  information is from The Raton Range, a newspaper from Raton, New Mexico and concerns the local men of Colfax County, New Mexico, who joined what would become the 1st Territorial Volunteer Infantry.

The articles:

The Raton Range, June 30, 1898:

It is understood that Captain William Strover has been commissioned by Governor Otero to raise one company of infantry in Santa Fe as part of the battalion to be furnished for the regiment of volunteer infantry to be mustered in New Mexico,  Arizona, Oklahoma and the Indian Territory.

The companies of volunteer infantry to be raised in New Mexico will be designated as follows:
Company A,  Albuquerque;    company B, Las Vegas;    company C, Santa Fe;    company D, Las Cruces.

The following officers have so far been appointed for these companies:
Company A, captain, John Borradaile;  1st lieutenant, L.D. Chamberlain;  2d lieutenant, Louis D. McRae.
Company B, captain, W.C.Reid.
Company C, captain, William Stover;  1st lieutenant, Page B. Otero;  2d lieutenant, Ireneo Chaves.

This Thursday morning recruiting commences for the four companies of infantry to be furnished by New Mexico.



The Raton Range, July 7, 1898:
 

NEW VOLUNTEER COMPANY

Major Eugene Van Patten of the National Guard of New Mexico, has been commissioned to raise Company D of the volunteer infantry battalion to be furnished by New Mexico.  This company will be recruited in Dona Ana, Socorro and Grant counties.  Dr. H. M. Smith of Las Vegas, N.M.,  has been appointed assistant surgeon, with the rank of first lieutenant of the New Mexico battalion of volunteer infantry by Gov. Otero.  He was telegraphed at noon today to report at once in Santa Fe, as he will be placed on duty in the medical examination of the recruits for the battalion.

The recruiting in New Mexico now is for an infantry regiment composed of four companies from New Mexico, three companies from Arizona, three companies from Oklahoma and two companies from the Indian Territory.
Governor Mc Cord, of Arizona, is to be colonel of the regiment.



The Raton Range, July 14, 1898:

The official designation of the volunteer regiment to be raised by the four territories is: The Arizona Oklahoma New Mexico Indian Territory regiment of the United States volunteer infantry. New Mexico furnishes four companies, Arizona three, Oklahoma three, and the Indian Territory two. New Mexico will furnish 15 commissioned officers and 424 enlisted men, being the maximum of three commissioned officers and 106 enlisted men, authorized by law, and three regimental field officers.  This will give the territory one major, one assistant surgeon and one staff officer in addition to the company officers.  The companies, as fast as enlisted and organized will be sent to Whipple Barracks, Prescott, Arizona, where the regiment will be fully equipped, armed and drilled.

Co. C. recruited at Santa Fe, left yesterday (July 13) for Whipple Barracks, Arizona.



The Raton Range, July 14, 1898:

COMPANY B

The company raised in Colfax and Miguel counties and now stationed at Whipple Barracks, Arizona, is comprised of the following:

Captain W.C. Reed
First Lieutenant W. D. Morrison,
Second Lieutenant A. L. Comstock
First Sergeant Alfred Luntzel
2d Sergeant John Mennet
3d Sergeant Edward G. Sporleder
4th Sergeant Hermon G. Love
5th Sergeant Chester F. Burnam
Quarter Master Sergeant George C. Palmer

Corporals:
Lawrence McGuire
Wm. H. Conley
Harvey Barrows
Abe Levenson
Harvey Barrows
Abe Levenson
Harvey Herod
Adolph Mennet
Albert L. Harmon
John P. Mason
John E. Mason
John H. Fisher
A.J. Palmer

Musicians:
Mark Marsh
James P. Gardner

Artilleer:  Joseph L. Hardwick
Wagoner:  Nicholas Simons

Privates:
Anderson, Gus
Anderson, Alex
Archuleta, Miguel
Arellano, Alejandro
Parker, Charles C.
Barney, Frank
Betry, Edward
Bilbo, James A
Boyce, Marcus A.
Bromagem, Howard
Brown, Edward R.
Brown, Frank
Brush, Wm. H.
Buck, John L.
Burley, Charles
Burns, John
Butts, John O.
Collins, John
Cook, John
Connors, Harry
Dickerson, Marvin
Doerfer, Peter
Eckhardt, Charles F.
Edinger, William G.
Edwards, Thomas
Fairfield, Herbert A.
Felber, Rudolph
Fernandez, Nicanor
Flamin, Adolph
Greenland,  A.B.
Grine, Victor
Harrison,  Michael J.
Hartley, Walter C.
Hartnett, Morris
Hayward, Wm. H.
Hovner,  John
Isaacs, Samuel
Jacoby, George E.
Jarnmillo, Adolph
Johnson, John H.
Lopez, Thomas De A.
Lornergan, Wm.
McCarty, Frank T.
McDowell, Alexander
McKinley, John
McKin, Richard B.
McVay, Edward I.
McMitchel, Robt.
Mason, Albert
Miller, John
Mitchell, Robert
O’Neal, Bige
Ortiz, Elias
Owen, Thomas J.
Partain, Daniel I.
Peterson, Peter H.
Prince, Edward,
Raymond, Thomas
Reichel, George
Reynolds, Lewis B.
Robertson, John A.
Romero, Salsich Fosters
Sanchez, Blas
Schaffer, George W.
Schoonover, Emery D.
Sena, Henry
Schceley, John E.
Shivers, John M.
Stuz, Charles
Sullivan, James
Tenny, Homer
Teevey, Robert
Tschudy, Gustav
Tyler, Earl
Valdez, Antonio M.
Van Lansingham, George
Walsh, James T.
Winters, Evy
Wright, Samuel T.
Wright, Frank,
Wright, Benjamin

Company B
Chester Burnan, one of Raton’s brightest and best young men enlisted in Co. B, New Mexico Arizona Oklahoma and Indian Territory Regiment and was appointed a Sergeant.



The Raton Range, July 14, 1898:

MORE RATON HEROES.

List of Soldiers Who Left This City Friday and Saturday for Las Vegas to Join Co. B.

Friday and Saturday some of the best blood in New Mexico left Raton for Las Vegas to become members of Co. B. of the New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma and Indian Territory regiment of infantry.
Their names are as follows:
Alex Anderson
Jas. P. Gardner
Bert Turner
Frank Wright
F. A. Palmer [Frank A. Palmer - see below*]
Bert Coble
Robt. Mc Michael,
Ed Betry
W. C. Hartley
Wm. G. Edinger
Evan Winters
Louis Rivon
C.E. Griflin
Marvin Dickenson
Chas. Burley
Chester J. Burnam
Thos G. Owen
Victor Grine
John Horner
Geo. E. Jacoby
M. Archuleta
Morris Hartnett
Fidel Gonzales
George Strong
Walter Woods

Almost the entire populace was at the depot to see these brave boys off and wish them God speed in their patriotic mission. They were mustered at Las Vegas (New Mexico) and became part of Co. B.   Fidel Gonzales and Bert Coble were rejected  on account of physical disability.



The Raton Range, July 21, 1898

Major C.L. Cooper of the Regular Army will be Lieut. Col. of the Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Indian Territory Volunteer Infantry Regiment.



* Frank A. Palmer eventually served in 1st Regiment of Territorial Infantry, Co. F. under Capt. Wm. C. Reid, mustering out at Albany, GA on February 11, 1899. Later, he served in the 34th U. S. Volunteer Infantry under H. C. Barnes in Co. I, mustering out at Presidio, San Francisco, CA on 17 apr 1901. Listed as a Sergeant in 1900, but a corporal when he musters out.


Bibliography:

Hampton, Anne - Info. on Frank Palmer

The Raton Range, June 30, 1898

The Raton Range, July 7, 1898

The Raton Range, July 14, 1898

The Raton Range, July 21, 1898


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