THE MEXICAN WAR*
(Transcribed by Sharon Wick)

     War was declared with Mexico in May, 1846, and Illinois, under the call for volunteers, was entitled to three regiments.  The sheriff of Macon county, under the proclamation of Gov. Ford, called for the enlistment of volunteers.  Under this call company C of what was afterwards the 4th regiment was raised, consisting of 78 men.  When the company reached Springfield thirty companies had already reported, and the tree regiments were full.  E. D. Baker†, then a prominent man of Illinois, through the influence of Hon. O. B. Ficklin, our member in Congress, prevailed on President Polk to allow him to raise a 4th regiment from Illinois, and by this means the Macon county men entered the service.  Mr. Baker was elected Colonel, Lieut. Gov. Moore was elected Lieutenant Colonel, and Thomas Harris↨ was elected Major of the regiment.  The late Gen. I. C. Pugh was elected Captain of company C, and Senator B. J. Oglesby, 1st Lieutenant; Anderson Fromon, 2d Lieutenant; John P. Post, 3d Lieutenant; Stephen Osborn, 1st Sergeant; G. W. Galbreath, 2d Sergeant; B. F. Oglesby, 3d Sergeant; B. L. Martin, 1st Corporal; James Hollingsworth, 2d Corporal; W. J. Usrey, 3d Corporal; and G. W. Nelson, 4th Corporal.
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*For this article on the Mexican war, and list of names, we are indebted to the History of Macon county, published by John W. Smith, Esq.
†Afterwards Senator from Oregon, Major General in the late war, and who was killed at Ball's Bluff.
↨After whom Harrristown was afterwards named.

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     The following is a list of the volunteers:  Madison Bradshaw, P. T. Bebee, Laben Chambers, J. M. Dicky, W. P. Davidson, James Greenfield, J. Horner, Wm. Hawks, Levi Hite, T. Johnson, H. Lord, J. C. Malson, I. Martin, Chris Mayers, G. M. Braden, A. Botkin, George Curver, G. W. Dillow, Dial Davis, David Huffman, D. Howell, M. M. Henry, John Henry, J. A. Lowrie, Thomas Lord, G. J. Malson, H. Martin, Chas. Nelson, W. W. Chapman, G. W. Church, J. B. Case, W. Dean, A. Greenfield, Sterne Helm, S. K. Harrell, W. D. B. Henry, I. Inman, J. C. Leadbetter, A. B. Lee, Ben. Martin, Wm. McDaniel, Wm. Nesbitt, James S. Post, James Rea, J. Sheppard, D. G. Stevens, J. A. Shepley, James Turner, J. D. Travis, W. R. Wheeler, W. E. Warnick, Robert Warnick, Richard Barnwell, J. Perryman, Wm. Robinson, Jason Sprague, W. E. Lee, T. Souther, F. E. Travis, T. D. Turney, Lewis Ward, J. W. White, James Freeman,* Miles Bosworth, David Bailer, S. Rice, E. Rice, R. H. Stewart, Dan. Spangler, J. Saunders, J. B. Travis, William Wheeler, B. E. Wells, B. White, J. M. Arwood, Jesse Butler.
     Company C. marched from Decatur to Springfield about the middle of June, 1846, where the regiment was formed.  After remaining at Springfield a short time, the regiment marched to Alton, where arms were in store, which the regiment procured by a little maneuvering on the part of Col. Baker and Capt. J. S. Post.  Col. . J. Hardin, believing that he was entitled to these arms, stoutly protested against their appropriation by Col. Baker, and a wordy warfare ensued which came near resulting in a duel.  From Alton the regiment was transferred to Jefferson Barracks, and there placed under charge of Col. Churchill, commandant, under whom it received through discipline and drill.  About the 20th of July the regiment was mustered into service by Col. Crogan, of Fort Meigs notoriety.  In a few days the regiment received orders and embarked from New Orleans, and thence to Brazos, Santiago Bay, four miles north of the mouth of the Rio Grande, where it disembarked.  After remaining at this point for about a week orders were received to march up the Rio Grande eight miles where occurred the first death in Co. C, viz:  Second Sargeant George Galbreath.  As Col. Baker and a squad of twelve men, all from Macon county, detailed to bury Mr. G., were about to return to camp, they board a disturbance on board of a steamboat near by and on arriving at the scene, they learned that an Irish company, in a drunken melee, had driven from the boat of the Kennesaw rangers.  Baker ordered his handful of men on the boat to quell the disturbance; but no sooner had he done so, than a hand-to-hand encounter ensued, in which the colonel and his squad were soon overpowered and compelled to retire: but not without loss.  Col. Baker received a rapier thrust, penetrating his mouth and extending through the back of his neck; Capt. J. S. Post was wounded in the breast, having a rib broken; Charles Dillow,† killed; R. H. Stewart, bayoneted in the thigh; and seven others of the squad more or less injured.  At this point orders were received to move still further remained a few days, and then moved on to Camargo, where a great deal of sickness ensued.  Returning to Matamoras, they then marched to Victoria - marching on Christmas day forty-five miles.  About the first of January, 1847, orders were received to march to Tampico, two hundred miles distant, at which place preparations were made for an attack on Vera Cruz.  Taking ship at Tampico about the first of February, Vera Cruz.  Taking ship at Tampico about the first of February, Vera Cruz was reached in sixteen days, and Company C Assisted in the construction of the batteries and the bombardment of the city, which surrendered March 29.  After the taking of the city of Vera Cruz, Scott's army marched for the City of Mexico, and en route met Santa Anna, at the mountain pass of Cerro Gordo, on the eighteenth of April, where a battle was fought. Company C had but forty-eight men in this engagement two of whom were killed and ten wounded.  The killed were J. C. Malson and George Nelson.
     At this battle Santa Anna came near being taken prisoner, and in his effort to escape left in his carriage $25,000 in silver and his cork leg, which were captured by Company C, it being at the head of the brigade.  The next morning ensuing the battle, Gen. Scott followed on to Jalapa where Company C remained about a month, when the time of enlistment expired, and the company returned via New Orleans and St. Louis, arriving at home about the first of June, 1847, bringing with them the banner received from the citizens on their departure.  They were very enthusiastically received.  A grand barbecue was prepared for the returning volunteers, and a day of general rejoicing was had, still remembered with satisfaction by the participants.
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*Joined the company at Brazos
†His last words were: "If I have got to go, the road to heaven is just as near from here as from Macon county."