Who Stole the Beer? ADDED LINK TO FINAL INSTALLMENT

[Subdeacon Joe]

 

A great little sidebar of unimportant history from the Spanish-American War.  Link for the full blog post, and a snippet from it.

https://oldafsarge.blogspot.com/2024/10/john-blackshoe-sends-serendipity_0729024288.html?sc=1730202609665#c8628771166907190576

 

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The Indiana version of this incident is probably pretty accurate:

 

“On October 9th occurred a very grievous event, — the killing of a private of the Twelfth New York by Private Kitchen, of the Third Kentucky, on duty as a provost guard.  Private Kitchen was immediately arrested and placed in jail to await investigation.  It was [later] proven that the killing was done in the line of duty, but, however, some of the Twelfth New York began to plot to avenge what they thought a wrong.

 

On the night of the 10th they attempted to carry out their plan to mob Kitchen, but Gen. Wiley heard of the intention, and at 7:00 p.m."To Arms" was sounded, the entire 160th Indiana and a battalion of the Third Kentucky being ordered out.

 

Ten rounds of ammunition having been issued to each man, the battalions reported to General Wiley for further orders.  After waiting an hour and a half they were ordered to return to camp.  At 9:00 P.M. "To Arms" sounded again, the battalions reporting at 7:00 quickly responded and were soon on their way to the city.  It was a weary march of five miles.  On arriving at Lexington, the companies were divided into squads with orders to patrol the streets and arrest every soldier regardless of his rank or pass.  Each and every arrested man was made to march to camp and it was long after midnight when the long column with its four hundred prisoners ended in the field near camp, in which the arrested men, except commissioned officers, were compelled to await the morning, guarded by the Third Kentucky, but when morning came the guard was withdrawn and all were free again. The Twelfth New York felt very unkind towards the 160th for the part it took in this affair.  The 160th has no pardon to ask, it realizes that obedience is the first lesson of the soldier, they only did what they were commanded to do. “
 

 We’ll see different versions of this event in the next installment, maybe tomorrow, Part 2.

 

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"While this is an amusing incident of soldier life, commemorated by a ribbon and badge at a reunion of the 160^th Indiana in 1912, there is a lot more to understand about the troops involved and the events of the time."

 

Edited November 1 by Subdeacon Joe

[Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme]

SDJ,

 

 One great timely tale of soldiering in late 1890s.

[Subdeacon Joe]

34 minutes ago, Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme said:

SDJ,

 

 One great timely tale of soldiering in late 1890s.

 

And that's just part 1 of 4.  
I like the overview of the Span-Am War.  Then the "human interest" about the missing beer.  I figured that some here would find that story interesting.  I find things like this bring history to life.  

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

Y'all can NOT prove , I had any thing to do with the missing BEER 

 

  CB   

[watab kid]

funny how temermental we get when there is beer involved ...................im rather partial ownself so i get where they were commin from , 

[Subdeacon Joe]

Part 2

 

https://oldafsarge.blogspot.com/2024/10/john-blackshoe-sends-serendipity_02114921478.html

 

Part 2 of 4-  The Victims-  12^th New York Volunteer Infantry

 

 

12^th New York enlistments at their armory in 1898
Source: http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-lost-12th-regiment-armory-columbus.html

 

 

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

Where is the beer ! 

[Subdeacon Joe]

https://oldafsarge.blogspot.com/2024/10/john-blackshoe-sends-serendipity_0455721669.html

 

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 Part 3 of 4-  The Perps- the 160^th Indiana Volunteer Infantry

 

This is the rifle issued to 26 year old Private Melvin W. Minear, the Wagoner for Company M of the 160^th Indiana.

He was later promoted to Corporal.  He was from Claypool, IN, the seventh of ten sons in his family, and the only one who enlisted.  After the war, he married, raised a small family (wife, two sons, and a daughter) and bounced around locations within about 20 miles of his birthplace variously employed as farmer, mail carrier, and lightning rod salesman.  He died in 1953 at age 81.

Source: Author’s collection and photo.
Biographical info from various Ancestry.com sources

 

 

No one would suspect that the 160^th Indiana would be involved in a beer theft.  After all:

“It may be a pleasure of the friends of the 160^th Regiment to know that it was one of the few regiments in which the sale of intoxicating liquors was prohibited. 
For this credit is due Col. Gunder, as he desired to shield his command from the evils of intoxicants and so preserving the health and character of his men.”
Source:

 After initial mustering into federal service the regiment went to Camp Thomas at Chickamauga, TN, arriving on May 16^th, 1898, with dozens of other Regiments and inadequate water, food or preparation.

On June 7, 1898- “Each soldier was issued a Springfield rifle, cartridge belt, canteen, haversack, knapsack and shelter half.  Previous to receiving the rifles, sentinels stood guard around the camp with clubs.”

 The 160^th was NOT among the units sent to Tampa for the invasion of Cuba, and remained in the increasingly sickly Camp Thomas until late July.  They were designated to be part of an invasion of Puerto Rico later that summer, leaving Camp Thomas for Newport News, VA on July 27^th, arriving three days later.   There, they were introduced to the wretched heat and humidity of Tidewater Virginia in the summer.   This was before air conditioning, so they soldiered on.   Shortly before they were to embark on transports for Puerto Rico, the Spanish signed the Armistice, so they remained at Camp Grant in Newport News for a total of three weeks.

 Next they were sent to Lexington, KY, where the weather was a bit better, setting up Camp Miles west of town, and after 3 weeks there moved eight miles east to Camp Hamilton.  So, they arrived at the scene of the beer crime about September 15^th and remained there until November 9^th, becoming more disgruntled with an apparent end to the war, but not their service. 

The brief unit history published April 28, 1899 by the Huntington, Indiana Weekly Herald was the first public mention of the beer incident I was able to find. 

“While [in Lexington]the Pabst and Schlitz companies lost several hundred cases of beer.  The 160^th Indiana have the credit of drinking the beer whether they were the ones who took it or not.  Co. K must have gotten a little of the beer at least.”
Source:

Later, the published unit history more candidly revealed more details, such as would only be known by the perpetrators:

“Halloween came and we were yet in Camp Hamilton.  On that night the boys were full of prank and one was committed that did not seem to be much of a joke to Pabst and Schlitz, but it has since proven to be a cheap advertisement.    Three car loads of beer intended for the Twelfth New York canteen were on the siding in the rear of the camp of the Third Kentucky and 160th Indiana.    The beer so near proved too great a temptation and the  boys  decided they must sample a little of it, and it being Halloween, it would be no crime to use the beer.  During the night the 160th Indiana and Third Kentucky unloaded two hundred and fifty cases of bottled beer and one and a half cars of keg beer.   With so much beer on hand it was difficult to find enough hiding places.    Holes were dug beneath the tent floors kegs were weighted and put in the bottom of the creek, bottles strung on wires and suspended in the water, indeed there was beer anywhere and everywhere.  Pabst and Schlitz were infuriated, bringing action to recover damages at once.  An investigation was ordered and it was decided that the Twelfth New York was liable.    In the meantime the papers far and wide contained accounts of the joke, as it proved to be.  Thousands of buttons have been printed and distributed as souvenirs, thus proving a cheap advertisement, .so satisfactory that the beer manufacturers have come to regard the matter as a joke and have withdrawn their claim for damages.”

Source: 

But, life in the 160^th was not all beer and skittles. 

“While at Lexington, the provost guards had little trouble to maintain order.  The two principal events of the 160^th were the killing of a Negro soldier by a priate of Co. G., and the other by Private Chilcot shooting a private of the Second Mississippi, which resulted in the loss of a leg.  Both casualties occurred in the line of duty.”

 

[watab kid]

this is a really fun thread , thanks , im enjoying it , 

[Subdeacon Joe]

Part, the 4th & Final

 

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Friday, November 1, 2024
John Blackshoe Sends: Serendipity History – Halloween 1898- “Who Stole the Beer?” - Part IV

Regimental Flag of the 3rd Kentucky Volunteer Infantry

Cartridge belt worn by PVT Cecil W. Trotter, 3rd Kentucky Volunteer Infantry
Author photo and collection
Here is a tangible artifact from the great beer theft, and the rest of the 3rd KY Volunteer story. PVT Cecil W. Trotter was issued this cartridge belt, and marked it on the inside “CECIL TROTTER, Co. K, 3rd KY VOLS.” These were issued at the same time as their single shot .45-70 trapdoor rifles, one of which was used in the provost marshal shooting of 12th New York Private Nygren. You can see a cartridge belt on one of the soldiers in the stereo view image (cropped) below, “In the Camp of the 3rd Kentucky Volunteers, Newport News, VA” where the unit was camped prior to moving to Lexington, KY.

3rd Kentucky in Newport News, VA  source

 

[Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme]

SDJ,

 

 Good stuff. All 4 installments.

[Subdeacon Joe]

2 hours ago, Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme said:

SDJ,

 

 Good stuff. All 4 installments.

 

Thanks.  I thought what JB wrote would be of mild interest here.  Did you go to the blog to read the entire post?  

[Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme]

9 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

Thanks.  I thought what JB wrote would be of mild interest here.  Did you go to the blog to read the entire post?  

I did read all 4 parts from the blog. The cartridge belt with Cecil's name inside and then his gravestone were great pics. Also, the badge from the unit reunions was on point. 

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

UNSECURED supplies are fair game 

 

  so says the scrounger