Through the efforts of A. P. Hinton, Spanish War Veteran, the Columbus Municipal Band recruited to full military strength is invited to attend the coming National Encampment of the United Spanish War Veterans at San Antonio, Texas, September19th to 22nd and participate in the grand military parade on the opening day and perform at other required functions. While in the city the boys will be entertained and taken care of.

The band’s well known record and splendid music made it possible to have this invitation extended and it is a well deserved compliment to the band boys and the town.

Spanish War Veterans and their wives from all over the United States, and its insular possessions will be in attendance and it is expected to make this the banner Encampment of them all. No less than twenty thousand Spanish War veterans and their wives are expected. It will be a gala event well worth attending

Colorado County Citizen, Feb 14, 1935
Transcribed by Judy Talkington

Spanish-American war veterans had a big reunion in San Antonio last week, and those attending from here report an exciting and pleasant time with their old buddies.

Mr. and Mrs. K. L. Wallace and Mr. Albert Goldsmith attended the meeting. Mr. Wallace and Mr. Goldsmith were both in Co. D, 1st Texas Reg. during the war, and met up with a good bunch whom they knew during the war. The names of others in the territory were to have been handed in to this office for publication with this report but have not been furished.

Mr. Wallace brought home a beautiful souvenir of the reunion, giving a complete history of that war and the names of all who were in it. The portfolio may be seen at the Wallace home.

Colorado County Citizen, September 27, 1935

The Wm. Lee Stapleton Post of Veterans of Foreign Wars have completed plans to entertain the veterans of the Spanish-American War with a dinner party at the Lions Club Hall at 7:00 Monday night.

James Ray Thomas, George Causey and Ed Whiddon are serving on the committeee making arrangements for the dinner. All members of the post must register for their plate by today.

Robert S. Martin is endeavoring to contact all Spanish-American War veterans in this area to extend an invitation to the dinner.

Dr. John Foster, G. Y. Morgan, E. M. Smith, Sr., C. A. Blessington and Jessie Tise are the veterans of 1898 who will tell their experiences on the anniversary of the sinking of the U. S. Battleship Maine in Havana, Cuba which precipitated the Spanish-American War.

Eagle Lake Headlight, Feb 13, 1948

The Wm. Lee Stapleton Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars entertained with a fried chicken dinner in the Loins Hall on Monday evening when they honored four veterans of the Spanish-American War, Dr. John Foster, E. M. Smith Sr., G. U. Morgan and C. A. Blessington.

Harrison Walker, Post Commander acted as master of ceremonies during the evening, and introduced the veterans of fifty years ago, each of whom gave a short resume of his activities during the war with Spain.
Dr. Foster served as a hospital stewart [sic] on the Ro Grande with the First Texas Cavalry and told of interesting experiences with the troops in that area. He war also in service during World War I in 1918.

G. Y. Morgan served with the First Illinois Division, joining in Springfield. He contacted [sic] yellow fever while in service. Mr. Morgan displayed a pair of gloves which were issued to him fifty years ago while in service. He used them ever since and they are still in excellent condition.

E. M. Smith served four years in First Texas Cavalry and the Fourth Infantry and was service in the Philippines where for five months the troops were without bread. They did not see a white woman for eleven months. He served under Captains Holman and Walters from the Weimar area. Mr. Smith reported that the pay at that time was $13.00 per month. He has been a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars since 1910, joining in Muskagee [sic], Oklahoma.

C. A. Blessington of Altair is another of the veterans who saw overseas duty, going to Cuba with the troops in 1898-99.

James Ray. Thomas, Fred R. Frnka, Franklin Reese, Harrison Boggess members of the Post briefly related their experiences in World War II.

D. S. Taylor, a veteran of World War I was the only other guest of the evening.

Mr. Blessington brought the following facts about the war with Spain which were read by Post Commander Walker:

The War with Spain was one of the most important wars this country ever engaged in, inasmuch as it was the only war that ever paid dividends. It was a war that was not fought to a draw for we dictated the terms. It was responsible for the building of the Panama Canal and also responsible for the passage of the National Defense Act. It united the North and South so that there was no North, no South, but one great people under one glorious flag.

Spanish War Veterans should be proud that there [sic] were members of the only 100 percent volunteer army in the history of our nation and that they fought in the first campaign outside of North America.

The war was fought with very poor equipment, antiquated guns, black powder, inadequate uniforms, and the troops frequently lived on “hard-tack”, “embalmed beef”, and sometimes coffee.

The war caused the improvement in maintenance of the Army and the Navy, and the formation of a standing Army through training camps.

It marked the industrial reconstruction of the South, and also taught the lesson of unpreparedness that claimed more lives than war.

It caused the United States of America to take the head of the table in the concert of nations, and also marked the rebirth of a nation.

Four hundred fifty-eight thousand men were engaged in that conflict, exceeding the number of those in the Revolutionary War, the Mexican War and the War of 1812.

The average length of service in the Spanish-American War was 14 months as compared with 11 months for the Civil War and nine months for World War I. The losses from all deaths from all causes were 4.3 percent as compared with .6 of 1 percent for the Civil War and .7 of 1 percent for World War I. The average pay was $15 per month as compared to $30 per month for World War I.

Sixty-one per cent saw service on foreign soil, as compared with 36 per cent for World War I. Seventy three per cent of the Spanish-American War veterans were sons of Civil War veterans and 4 per cent saw service in World War I.

They received no bonus, no war-risk insurance, no adjusted compensation, no vocational training and no hospitalization until 1922, 20 years after the war was over.

The cost of the Spanish American War was $1,800,000,000 as compared with $8,500,000,000 for the Civil War and $500,800,000,000 for World War I. Property acquired valued at $8,000,000,000 as compared with none for both the Civil War and World War I.

The duration of the war with Spain and the Philippine Insurrection was four years and two months, as compared with four years for the Civil War and one year and seven months for World War I.

The Spanish-American War furnished every commander in World War I from the commander-in-chief on down.

The average pension of the Spanish-American War veteran, after 20 years, was $21.00 per month, as compared with $28.00 for Civil War veterans and $126 per month for World War I.
Eagle Lake Headlight, February 20, 1948
Transcribed by Judy Talkington

Funeral services for Wm. F. McKennon, 91-year-old Oakland native and veteran of the Spanish-American War, were held Thursday afternoon, Oct. 7.

Rev. Larry Embury officiated at services at Schwenke-Baumgarten Funeral Chapel, Schulenburg and interment was in the Hallettsville City Cemetery

Born near Oakland Aug. 26, 1874, Mr. McKennon was a son of John and Adelia Kinnard McKennon. He married Miss Sallie A. Coleman at Hallettsville on June 10, 1907, and they lived at Oakland two years before moving to Hackberry, where they lived for 43 years. They moved to Schulenburg in 1951.

Mr. McKennon died Oct. 5 in Youens Hospital here after a year’s illness.

Surviving in addition to his wife are three sons, Douglas of Schulenburg, Kenneth of Sheridan and Clem of Portland, Texas; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Murdock McKennon, Helmuth Helmcamp, Louis Mayes, W. T. Bass, Alton Graves and Simpson Carson.

Weimar Mercury, October 21, 1965

Last Thursday Sergeant Will Whittington of the second Texas infantry left to rejoin his command at Dallas, his furlough having expired.  He also expects to be back in a few days as a citizen, his regiment now undergoing the process of being mustered out.

Colorado Citizen, November 3, 1898
Sumitted by Deborah Smith

Will Whittington of the Second Texas infantry arrived last Friday at his home in Weimar, his regiment having been mustered out at Dallas.  Will at once assumed the citizen's attire, except his soldier pants, which he says he must get the good of.  He was accompanied home by Beulah (sic--Buhler William) Houchins of Victoria, who belonged to the same regiment.  James Doggett of Flatonia, also a mustered out soldier of that regiment, arrived last Thursday.  He stopped in Weimar to spend awhile with his father's family.

Colorado Citizen, November 10, 1898
Sumitted by Deborah Smith

Jesse Peavy, son of G. A. Peavy, of our city, returned yesterday from the Orient, where he went about four months ago as a member of General Merritt's command operating in the Philippines.

He says It is a very hard country on Americans. He has the usual complaint of bad commissary and lack of proper attention to the sick that has characterized all our armies organized for operations against Spain. The climate is very severe on foreigners, readily developing typhoid, dysentery and other formidable maladies. The supply of good water is very short and the native fruits, while largely the life of the natives, are almost deadly in their unwholesomeness to unacclimated people. Native children ten years or older will go about stark naked, and with a raw fish in one hand and a chunk of bread fruit in the other, live in clover. The marines under Dewey have abundance of everything, faring incomparably better than the soldiers on transport in camp. Dewey is virtually king in that country and the natives regard him as little less than a god, since he accomplished in a few hours what they had failed to do in ages. His influence over the natives is absolute. Jesse was in the battle of Manila and while unharmed, his tent-mate, a young man named Bunton from Gonzales, was killed. Jesse was threatened with typhoid going over a short stay there developed a serious case and also rheumatism to such an extent that he was sent home on a furlough, at the end of which he will receive his discharge on account of his disabilities. He says there were eight hundred sick men on the transport on which he returned and a funeral at sea was by no means an uncommon occurrence. Jesse thinks he is thoroughly cured of army life and the romance of seeing in that way the remote places of earth. The voyage from Manila to San Francisco required 28 days and Jesse says it is anything but cheering to spend 25 days out of sight of land. --Cuero Star, Tuesday.
Weimar Mercury, October 29, 1898
Submitted by Rox Ann Johnson