51st Iowa Volunteers
Encyclopedia
51st Iowa Volunteers was raised in Iowa
in 1898 for service in the Philippines Theater of the Spanish-American War
. The volunteers trained in Iowa and San Francisco at Camp Merritt
near the Presidio
, where a monument to the regiment still stands. While in California nearly 27 men died from disease, which made disease the leading cause of death amongst the men. From California they embarked on the SS Pennsylvania for Manila
. After a lengthy and illness plagued voyage, the regiment arrived and were made to wait onboard ship near Cavite
.
Of the 1,344 who served, two died in combat, 41 died of disease and 38 were wounded. The regiment left for the United States on September 22, 1899, arrived 30 days later, and on November 2, was released after 18 months of duty.
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
in 1898 for service in the Philippines Theater of the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. The volunteers trained in Iowa and San Francisco at Camp Merritt
Camp Merritt, California
Camp Merritt, California was a U.S. military camp for American troops destined for the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. Formerly a racetrack, the camp, named for General Wesley Merritt commanding officer of the Philippine expeditionary forces and the Eighth Corps at the time, was...
near the Presidio
Presidio of San Francisco
The Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
, where a monument to the regiment still stands. While in California nearly 27 men died from disease, which made disease the leading cause of death amongst the men. From California they embarked on the SS Pennsylvania for Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. After a lengthy and illness plagued voyage, the regiment arrived and were made to wait onboard ship near Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
.
Of the 1,344 who served, two died in combat, 41 died of disease and 38 were wounded. The regiment left for the United States on September 22, 1899, arrived 30 days later, and on November 2, was released after 18 months of duty.
External links
- http://www.spanamwar.com/51stiowa.htm
- http://www.iowahistory.org/museum/exhibits/medal-of-honor/birkhimer_edward_paw/51st%20Iowa.htm