(continued from Vanderburgh County, Indiana, in the Mexican War, pg 1)
regiments Indiana furnished recruits for two whole companies for the Sixteenth United States Infantry, three for the United States Mounted Riflemen, and one for the United States Dragoons, while as many as three hundred Indianians, failing of acceptance in regiments from their own state, crossed the Ohio and accepted service in Kentucky regiments.
Splendid was the record of Indiana and her soldiers in the prosecution of the war with Mexico and one of which every Hoosier may be justly proud. It is the aim of this contribution to present the part Vanderburgh County bore in that record, and incidentally to make personal mention of a few of the outstanding characters who went into the service from the county. Four score years ago war broke out between our country and Mexico. Of the men who enlist from Vanderburgh County, not one is left to tell of the contest, of who stood and who fell. They all sleep in the peace of eternal rest, and if we can do nothing more we can do nothing less than to record their names, deeds and valor on the scroll of time.
Company K, Second Indiana Regiment was raised in Vanderburgh County by William Walker, assisted by Joseph Lane, Dr. Daniel S. Lane, Dr. John T. Walker and others. The company was first known as the “Indiana Riflemen,” but became better known as “Captain Walker’s Company.” It left Evansville June 7, 1846, on the steamer Thomas Metcalfe, and was the first from a distance to report at the place of rendezvous. It was mustered into the service June 18, 1846, with William Walker as captain, and mustered out June 28, 1847, with George W. Peck as captain. Its service record is that of the Second Indiana Volunteers, to which regiment it was assigned.
When this company left Evansville, or at least when it was raised, the following were its officers: William Walker, captain; Martin L. Stinson, first lieutenant; Jerome A. Epperson, second lieutenant; George W. Peck, first sergeant; James S. Chambers, first corporal; Robert McCutchan, Joseph Hervey and William W. Easton, corporals.
The enlisted privates of the company were as follows: Samuel Adkins, David Allen, Isaac Anderson, Benjamin Anthony, David W. Barr, William A. Beall, George W. Bee, Joseph Bilderback, Henry Blanchard, John Bowerman, Giles Chapman, William Conley, Harrison Cox, Oliver J. Crooks, James H. Curts, Henry Davis, Alason C. Ferres, Francis Finch, James Fisher, Wedur Forster, John W. Gahan, George W. Gormon, James A. Goodgame, Adam Haag, Samuel Halsey, George Hamilton, William Harris, Stephen Harrison, John N. Hawkins, Joseph C. Higgenbotham, Elias Holler, Leroy Jenkins, George W. Knight, Thomas Knight, Levi Lawrence, Richard A. Lee, Alexander D. Linxweiler, John Littlejohn, Littlebranson Madden, Thomas Murphy, Thomas Nolan, George Peachey, Benjamin Plummer, Dewitton Price, Isaac Privette, Lewis Rightmire, John Robison, Andrew J. Ross, Achileas J. Ruple, Christian Russler, James Sanders, John Skims, Richard Smith, Thomas S. Smith, Obadiah Sansberry, John W. Stephens, John Stillman, Benoni Stinson, John Stoner, James Sublet, William F. Sublet, Enoch J. Sutton, Jacob Taylor, Vicissimees Teasley, Travalion T. Teel, Gordon Wilhoit, Alfred Williams, Floyd Williams, Edmund Wyatt.
To the above should be added Joseph Lane, Dr. Daniel S. Lane and Dr. John T. Walker as having enlisted in the company. However, Joseph Lane was elected colonel of the Second Indiana Volunteers, while Dr. Daniel S. Lane was commissioned surgeon and Dr. John T. Walker assistant surgeon of the regiment. In reality, 83 men enlisted from Vanderburgh County in Captain Walker’s (continued next page)