John Blackshoe Sends: Serendipity History – Halloween 1898- “Who Stole the Beer?” - Part III

 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.”

Source:

About a week after the beer theft, they left for Columbus, GA, where they set up Camp Conrad, awaiting occupation duty in Cuba.   With the war officially over as of December 12^th, the regiment was finally officially selected for occupation duty in Cuba.   On December 19, 1898- bolt action .30 caliber Krag rifles were issued to replace the single shot .45-70 trapdoor rifles. 

Leaving Columbus by train, the SS Saratoga took them to Cuba in three sections during January 1899.

Occupation duty in Cuba was interesting, and something of an adventure, albeit lacking what Sir Winston Churchill described from his own experience about this time.  "There is nothing more exhilarating than being shot at and missed.”  Duty was mainly show the flag, keep the not yet departed Spaniards from bullying local officials, and general police and public works tasks.   Compared to a winter in Indiana, a ten week trip to a Caribbean island was not a bad deal, especially if not shot at, and not malaria season!

Determined to get all troops off the island before the tropical disease season started, the 160^th left aboard the U.S. Army Transport Thomas on March 27, 1899 and arrived in Savannah, GA , March 29.  Ironically, General George H. Thomas, “the rock of Chickamauga” was the namesake of both their first and last contacts with the state of Georgia.

U.S. Army Transport THOMAS with a load of passengers circa 1901.
Source:

Men of the 160^th Indiana in the mess shack in Savannah, GA, 1899.  The happiest guy is the one peeling the potato.  Do these guys look like they might steal some beer?  Yes, yes they do!

Source: Courtesy Indiana State Library.

The 160^th Indiana Volunteer Infantry mustered out April 25^th 1899, after one year of service, and the men proceeded home.  So, the 160^th Indiana served their full terms of enlistment, including about two months on occupation duty in Cuba. 

 The Huntington, Indiana Weekly Herald ran a lengthy unit history of their local Company K on its front page on April 28^th 1899 when the 160^th was mustered out.  I highly recommend it as a good summary of soldier life in the Spanish American War.  (It may require a subscription…) https://www.newspapers.com/image/40238797/?clipping_id=110971431&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjQwMjM4Nzk3LCJpYXQiOjE3Mjg4Njk4MTksImV4cCI6MTcyODk1NjIxOX0.QDG0jaJm-mJpxym6A5xLNCX1teZjX7_hI3FuAwwqOPA

 This unit had an active veterans group with annual reunions for nearly 40 years.   Their 1912 reunion featured the ribbon and celluloid “Who Stole the Beer” buttons.   I’d consider that a confession.

Source:

Losses by unit. All started with about 50 officers and 1,000 enlisted, with some
replacements arriving during their service period.  Source:

	12th New York	160th Indiana	3rd Kentucky
OFFICER losses
Resigned or discharged	30	7	7
ENLISTED losses
Transferred	13	69	27
Discharged-disability	47	59	60
Discharged- courts martial	-	-	8
Discharged by order	210	117	129
Death from disease	23	11	17
Death- accidental	1	-	2
Murder or homicide	-	1	1
Suicide	1	-	-
Deserted	91	15	56
TOTAL ENLISTED LOSSES	386	272	300

Part 1 looked at “The Crime” of the beer theft

Part 2 looked at “The Victims”- the 12th New York.

Part 4 will look at “The Perps” from the 3rd Kentucky