Commander and Builder of Western Forts: The Life and Times of Major General Henry C. Merriam, 1862-1901

12. Department of the Colorado and the Idaho Mining Riots

The Spanish-American War 171 volunteer army did not exist. As a consequence, some camps had equipment, while others suffered with very little. Most serious was the need for weapons and ammunition. There were also shortages of basic items, such as uniforms, tents, and personal equipment like canteens and mess kits. Camp commanders and quartermaster officers were forced to improvise.The unprepared status of National Guard units exacerbated the situation and at the same time tended to feed back to the general public the problems and conditions of the camps. The Presidio fared better than most, including the camp established at Tampa Bay, Florida, serving troops for the Cuban expedition. Merriam had another new element of his command, the addition of Hawaii , while in charge of both the Department of California and the Department of the Columbia. Obviously, the Hawaiian Islands, and especially Pearl Harbor , were strategically important as a refueling and resupply stopover point on the long route to the Philippines. After Congress passed the resolution for annexation of Hawaii in July 1898, the US military presence in the islands became more organized. In September, Department of California general orders established the Military District of Hawaii and placed it under the command of Brig. Gen. Charles King at Honolulu.That fall Merriam made an official visit to Hawaii , spending several weeks there, accompanied by his son Charles. On the general’s ship were also men and nurses headed for the Philippine Islands. In addition, former Texas governor J. S. Hogg, who had written letters of support for Merriam’s promotion, was on board.This allowed Merriam to cultivate the ex-governor’s friendship and political support.13 As oldest son Lt. Henry Merriam, junior aide-de-camp to General King, passed through Hawaii on his way to the Philippines, he became involved in an embarrassing incident.The young officer had accompanied another lieutenant , designated as provost marshal, into a Hawaiian town following payday with a dozen mounted soldiers with orders to arrest any soldiers if they created a disturbance. The lieutenant, acting as provost, had a “fracas with a merchant sailor,” with a crowd of onlookers unfriendly to the officers.The streets were ordered cleared, and the senior lieutenant rode off in pursuit of a gang of sailors, leaving the woefully inexperienced Lieutenant Merriam behind.Young Merriam reportedly tried to disperse crowds by saying that he was evoking martial law (something he could not do).Word of this reached General King, who hurriedly dispatched a captain to investigate, ensure peace, and bring in the two lieutenants . After an investigation and a report to General Merriam, and with orders for the young officers to proceed on to Manila, the matter was dropped. No doubt the matter, involving troop discipline in Hawaii and specifically his oldest son, proved most embarrassing to General Merriam, an officer who took great pride in the exercise of discipline. Lieutenant Merriam, just beginning his military duty, fortunately escaped serious repercussions.The younger Merriam had another Hawaiian involvement important to the general and to his mother—he became engaged to Alice Lishman of Honolulu.14 172 Chapter 11 General Merriam, Una, and members of the family attentively read the casualty lists of the 7th Infantry, published as a result of its action in Cuba.They were saddened and distressed at reading names they knew all too well.15 Although Merriam’s mobilization responsibilities at the Presidio and Hawaii had begun at a furious pace, they were relatively short lived. The navy’s stunning successes against the Spanish fleets and the army’s quick progress in campaigns in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines resulted in a virtually complete US victory by August 1898. After months of diplomatic posturing, the United States and Spain signed a peace treaty on December 10, 1898, closing the Spanish-American War.While the war in the Philippine Islands transitioned from combat against the Spanish to a more-prolonged struggle against Philippine natives (until 1902), the so-called Philippine Insurrection, the US Army began reverting to a peacetime organization and the demobilization of the volunteers . The process accelerated, in part, because of the high incidence of disease in the army, especially typhoid, malaria, and yellow fever. Merriam family, circa 1898. Seated, l. to r.: Charles, Henry Clay, Una, Henry. Standing: Cyrus and Maude. Courtesy Berger Family Collection. The Spanish-American War 173 General...