Will McMurray and Harry McMurray- Off to Training Camp for the Spanish-American War
McMurray Family, Benjamin Family (Click for Family Tree)
[Are you related? Yes, if you are a descendant of the Jasper County, Iowa McMurray, Benjamin, or Lambert families. This would include having Dr. Edward A. McMurray, Dr. Herbert McMurray, or Maude “Midge” McMurray Cook as ancestors.]
(Continued from yesterday.)
Will McMurray and his younger brother Harry McMurray, their cousin Roland Benjamin, plus the other Company L, National Guard of Newton, Iowa members met at the Old Armory at one o’clock on Tuesday, April 26th, 1898, for one last time. The nineteen men and two cooks formed up to march off to the train station for their trip to training camp in Des Moines, Iowa. Lieut. Col. Elliott Ellsworth Lambert (1863-1948), above, another cousin on the Benjamin side, mounted a very handsome black charger and the horse pranced off down the street. A large crowd had gathered at Lister’s Opera House to see off their sons, brother, fathers, friends, and neighbors. An “eloquent prayer” was offered by the Methodist minister, and the Mayor spoke briefly. A minister of the Christian Church gave the benediction for the young men, and the crowd heartily sang the hymn, “America.”
Company L once again formed up to march. About forty veterans from the Civil War, members of the G. A. R. (Grand Army of the Republic- a group of Civil War veterans) led the Knights of Pythias and then “the heroes of the day,” Company L, in a march to the train depot. The young men bravely sang, “The Battle Song of the Iowa Troops” written especially for this war, trying to distract themselves from the sadness of the moment.
A special train of six coaches arrived at the train station at about three p.m. to rousing cheers. The cars already contained young volunteers from Davenport, Muscatine, Maquoketa, Grinnell, and Student Cadets from the State University at Iowa City.
“Soon the last farewells were spoken and the last kisses received from the mothers, wives, sisters and sweethearts. There was scarcely a dry eye or a lip that did not quiver in the vast crowd…”
The Newton soldiers marched into their own car, which was added to the train. The steam train chugged out of the station as the crowd waved goodbye, and likely many more tears were shed.
“Thus the boys have won their first battle, and though hallowed by tears instead of blood, it was one of the hardest battles that they will be called on to meet– the sad goodbyes with loved ones and going out from home for the first time with the possibility of never returning.”
(To be continued…)
Notes, Sources, and References:
- “Our Boys March Off to War,” The Newton Record, 28 April 1898, Vol. 4, No. 40, P. 1.
- Lieut. Col. Elliott Ellsworth “E. E.” Lambert was the son of Reuben K. Lambert (1839-1918) and Cynthia Adeline Benjamin (1841-1925). Cynthia was the sister of Hannah Melissa Benjamin.
- The photo of Elliott Ellsworth Lambert appears to have embossed on it “G.L. Bates” and to the left of the name, probably “Newton,” to the right, “Iowa.” There was a photographer named G. L. Bates in Newton Iowa at least from 1901-1902, and one, possibly the same person, in Prairie City, Iowa (near to Newton), from 1884-1885. See “Langdon’s List of 19th & Early 20th Century Photographers” at https://www.langdonroad.com/ban-to-baz.
- E. E.’s uniform in this picture was likely ceremonial dress. http://www.spanamwar.com/American49Iowauniform.htm
- The ‘hymn’ “America” was originally a poem, and sung to as many as 75 different tunes before being first published in 1910. We know it today as “America the Beautiful.” See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_the_Beautiful for details.
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