Company K

Company K, Birmingham Rifles

1st alabama Volunteer Infantry Regiment

The “Birmingham Rifles” were organized as an Alabama Militia Unit in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama. With the end of the American Civil War in 1865 the Militia of the southern states was disallowed until 1876, at which time the Company was reorganized as part of the State Militia, which was designated as the Alabama “State Troops” in 1881. After the reorganization the Company took part in serve public disturbances including the Birmingham Riot of 1894, and at Huntsville in June of 1897 in response to a lynch mob that was going to take action against three colored prisoners. In 1897 the Alabama “State Troops” designation was again changed and the Company now was part of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the “Alabama National Guard.”

In May of 1898 the Company Volunteered it’s services and reported to the rendezvous with ninety-seven (97) men, and the Company was mustered into United States service on May 9th, 1898, at Camp Clark in Mobile as Company K of the 1st Alabama Infantry Regiment, United States Volunteers, for two years service. The Company moved with the Regiment from Camp Clark in Mobile to Miami, Florida, on June 25th, 1898, and remained there until August 12th, when it was transferred to Camp Cuba Libre in Jacksonville, Florida, arriving on the 13th. They remained in that Camp until September 13th when the Regiment returned to Birmingham, Alabama, to prepare to be mustered out of United States service; upon arrival in Birmingham they were given a Thirty (30) Day furlough. Following there return from furlough the Company was mustered out of United States service with the rest of the Regiment on October 31st, 1898, at its Camp near East Lake, Alabama.

Ø Captain

Ledbetter, Charles L.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ø First Lieutenant

Brown, Lucien C.: Mustered into service as First Lieutenant of Company K on May 9th, 1898; appointed as Regimental Adjutant and was transferred to the Regimental Staff on June 13th, 1898.

Johnston, Edward D.: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Mustered into service as Second Lieutenant on May 9th, 1898; promoted to First Lieutenant, no date.

Ø Second Lieutenant

Dean, Henry T.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ø First Sergeant

Dozier, Henry M.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ø Quartermaster Sergeant

Barnett, Frank M.: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Discharged.

Nichols, C. William: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ø Sergeant

Collins, Hugh: Enlisted in May of 1898 for two years service; killed by a negro on May 3rd, 1898, at Camp Clark in Mobile, Alabama, before being mustered into service. [Born on January 30th, 1870; Killed on May 3rd, 1898; buried at the Old Lebanon Cemetery in Ackerman, Choctaw County, Mississippi.]

Craddock, R. Emmett: Enlisted as a Sergeant in Company K; transferred to the Regimental Band as Band Sergeant.

Gardner, Charles G.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Hagood, Walter M.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Huey, William M.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Reynolds, William S.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ø Corporal

Bowron, Thomas W.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Catchings, Benjamin S.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ellis, John E.: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Discharged.

Johnston, Reuben T.: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Discharged.

Moses, Frank L.: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Discharged.

Reid, Charles G.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Reynolds, Herbert E.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Robinson, Douglass O.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Russell, Robert L.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ø Artificer

Francis, Sears: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ø Wagoner

Brown, Allen G.: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Discharged.

Douthet [Douthit], Charles P. [O.]: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ø Company Cook (Corporal)

Ball, Willie C.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ø Musician

Koenig, August: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Discharged.

Morgareidge, Charles F.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Rensford, John: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ø Private

Baker, Ernest A.: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Honorably Discharged.

Ballard, Clarence B.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Barks, Henry L.: Of Ensley, Alabama.

Barnes, Walter K.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Benze, Henry: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Discharged.

Bergen, Henry M.: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Discharged.

Brock, Ellis R.: Of Oxmoor, Alabama.

Brooks, Oliver T.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Brown, Allen G.: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Discharged.

Brown, Reuben J.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Burbridge, Samuel H.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Butcher, Oscar W.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Butler, Mike: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Byers, Edgar B.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Campbell, Goodrich: Of Ensley, Alabama.

Clisby, Warner C.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Connolly, Charles E.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Cowan Jr., A. Sid: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Discharged.

Crowder, George A.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Cushen, John W.: Of Ensley, Alabama.

Davis, Edward A.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Davis, William: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Dyer, Charles: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Endsley, Arthur B.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Faunce, James N.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Fields, Wade H.: Of Nannie, Georgia.

Fowler, Harry: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Fowler, Jack: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Fuller, Allen A.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Germaine, Pete G.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Hall, James M. [W.]: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Hall, John: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Hathaway, H. Bert: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Havis, Glen W.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Hicks, William J.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Huddleston, George: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Hutto, Walter B.: Of Oakman, Alabama.

Hyche, William F. [T.]: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Jones, Thomas R.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Joseph, Leon: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Keheley, Walter D.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Kelly, Jeff: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Lamb, William B.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Latham, John D.: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Discharged.

Lawes, Leo V.: Of Ensley, Alabama.

Leonard, Ernest Eugene: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Lester, Robert E.: Of Stanton, Alabama.

Lockart, David H.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Long, James McK.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Lytle, J. Fred: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

McCaa, Waights: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

McCaskey, John P.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

McDonald, Ellis P.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

McDonald, James: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

McDonald, John P.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

McFarlin, Willis H.: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Discharged.

McGrady, Walter: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

McKendrick Jr., Allen: Of Oakman, Alabama.

McNulty, John: Of Pratt City, Alabama. Enlisted and is mustered into service as a Private in Company K, no date; transferred to the Regimental Band, no date.

Moore, John W.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Moser, Gotlieb Aug: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Napier, John F.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Oglesby, William S.: Of Centreville, Alabama.

Owen, William C.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Parrish, Thad: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Patterson, Simp W.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Perkins, John R.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Price, Cliff S.: Of Avondale, Alabama.

Raisler, Fred W.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Randolph, Victor M.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ransom, Edgar F.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Redmayne, Marmaduke: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Reid, Charles G. McD.

Reed, Samuel P.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Robubuck, Hamilton D.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ross, Walter M.: Of Opelika, Alabama.

Russell, Robert L.

Schitz, Charles: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Died of fever at the Division Hospital in Miami, Florida, on August 18th, 1898.

Searcy, Euclid H.: Of Birmingham, Alabama. Discharged.

Sizemore, Fred: Of Mobile, Alabama. Died of typhoid fever at the Hillman Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, on October 3rd, 1898.

Smith, Fred: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Sparks, Fred Y.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Stewart, Malcolm [Malcomb] M.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Sziepok, Joseph S.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Tambling, Frank: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Taylor, George O.: Of Bessemer, Alabama.

Terry, Percy W.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Webb, Alonzo W.: Of Bessemer, Alabama.

Whelan, Patrick C.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Williams, John: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Zeigler, Thomas R.: Of Birmingham, Alabama.

Sources

- Pages 10 & 11, “Muster Rolls of Alabama Volunteers in the Spanish-American War of 1898". Adjutant General’s Office, Washington, D.C., 1899; Reprint, Washington, D.C., Library of Congress, 1989.

- Pages 17 to 19, “Southern Martyrs. A History of Alabama’s White Regiments during the Spanish-American War. Touching incidentally on the experiences of the entire First Division of the Seventh Army Corps.” M. Koenigsberg; Montgomery, Alabama; Brown Printing Company, Printers and Binders, 1898.

Contributed by Kenneth H. Robison, II - President (2007) of the Micah J. Jenkins Camp No. 164, Sons of Spanish American War Veterans