Most of us Shenk’s know John Wesley Shenk Jr., “Judgy”, as our illustrious forbearer who migrated to Southern California, became a California Supreme Court Judge, and established our beloved Twain Harte Cabin. I am not sure how many of us know that Judgy was also a volunteer soldier in the Spanish-American War in 1898.
Sorting through a decrepit binder stuffed with ancient family photos I stumbled across two fading photos showing a young John Wesley in military camp photos. Given the dates marked on the photos it was pretty easy to determine that these were photos taken of John Wesley and some of his military cohorts as they prepared to join the war against Spain in 1898. I had known that John Wesley was in the Spanish-American war since I had been in possession of his two military medals from this period – his “War with Spain” and “Occupation of Puerto Rico” medals. Outside of this most basic knowledge there was little I knew of John Wesley’s exploits in the Spanish-American War.
4th Ohio Volunteers, April 1898 (Private Shank second from left)
Out of pure curiosity I started to dig a little deeper into this poorly known war and into Judgy’s military records. I am sure that with more time and effort more could be uncovered, but here’s what I now know.
John Wesley Joins Up
In 1898 an expansionist United States under the presidency of William McKinley declared war on Spain. The United States, eager to eliminate the last vestiges of Spanish control in the New World and desirous of expanding its own colonial reach, moved to quickly attack Spanish possessions in the Caribbean and in the Philippines. American patriotism, fanned further by the wild claims of “Yellow Journalists” like Randolph Hearst, surged and many a young American of military age rushed to join various United States volunteer military outfits.
John Wesley, who was attending Ohio Wesleyan University at the time, must have been moved by the opportunity to serve his country and to join in the grand adventure. At 22 years old, John Wesley enlisted as a private in Company K of the 4th Ohio Volunteers in April 1898. The 4th Ohio was comprised of 50 officers and almost 850 men. Company K, one of 9 companies in the unit, was largely raised in the Delaware, Ohio section of the state – the region around Ohio Wesleyan. What’s also clear from the photos is that John Wesley was not alone – many of his school chums joined up at the same time as John. The photo below had a handwritten description at the bottom – “All Betas.” I am assuming that this reference was tied to John Wesley’s OWU fraternity affiliation.
4th Ohio Volunteers – “All Betas” (Private Shank is far right…#7)
The Invasion of Puerto Rico
The 4th Ohio and its raw recruits were moved down to an area around the famous Civil War battlefield of Chickamauga in Georgia. After completing its basic training the 4th was then moved down to Newport News, Virginia so that it could board the U.S.S. St. Paul on July 28, 1898. Despite having only 4 months of military training, the 4th Ohio was one of the American units slated for the invasion of Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico? When most of us think of the Spanish American war we think of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders at San Juan Hill, Cuba. Or maybe we think of Dewey’s great victory over the Spanish Navy at Manila Bay in the Phillipines. Despite being less well known these days, Puerto Rico was an important target for the Americans during the Spanish American War. Puerto Rico had maybe the second largest concentration of Spanish military forces in the Caribbean and its subjugation was a key goal of the McKinley administration.
With the war already moving swiftly towards its conclusion, a US military force of almost 3,000 soldiers and sailors landed on the southern coast of the island of Puerto Rico. This invasion from the south was designed to confuse the Spanish who were thinking that the Yanqui would arrive nearer the island capitol of San Juan on the northern shore. The 4th Ohio, under the command of Colonel Alfonzo Coit, landed near the town of Arroyo on August 3, 1898. After the successful and largely unopposed landing, the 4th Ohio was ordered to march towards their objective – the town of Guayama. At this time much of the country was closely following their boys on the island of Puerto Rico – their every action was truly front page news.
New York Times Front Page (July 27, 1898) – Invasion of Puerto Rico
Guayama, with a population of 5,000, was one of the larger towns in southern Puerto Rico and was a site that was being actively defended by almost 1,000 Spanish soldiers. Despite the large Spanish military contingent, Guayama would quickly fall after a few brief firefights. The flag of the 4th Ohio would be fluttering over this tropical town on August 4th. With only four Americans wounded in the taking of Guayama, the 4th Ohio’s invasion was proving to be an easy affair. Most of the papers in the United States were already calling on a defeated Spain to capitulate and end this war.
Spanish Soldiers Dug In
But with the war not yet over and control of Puerto Rico still not established, the American military forces under the command of General Nelson Miles prepared to assault a Spanish strong point at the Guanamani Heights. Spanish troops here had retreated to a very strong trench line dug in amongst a palm-covered ridge. Several advanced companies from the 4th Ohio had run into the Spanish 6th Provisional Battalion and had suffered 7 wounded in a brief exchange of gunfire. On August 9th the 4th Ohio prepared to flank this tough Spanish position while it was taken under artillery fire from American units below the ridge. As the 4th Ohio prepared for this difficult assault they would learn that the Spanish had agreed to peace terms with the United States and the war was over – whew! I am not sure how John Wesley and the others of the 4th Ohio felt at this moment. Were they greatly relieved that they would not have to enter into a tough combat situation? Or were the young soldiers of the 4th Ohio disappointed that they would not get the chance to show their true fighting mettle?
The Occupation of Puerto Rico: A Life of Unalloyed Bliss
With the war now at an end, the 4th Ohio would be tasked with occupying and pacifying the island of Puerto Rico. At this time Company K drew a very enviable task – the men of Company K were asked to occupy the Puerto Rican town of Aibonito. According to the 4th Ohio’s own history, “[the]…command received the ‘best end’ in this detachment, for it was assigned to the most picturesque and beautiful part of the island.”
On October 8, 1898, John Wesley and the other soldiers of K Company would slowly make their way to the town of Aibonito. Evidently, with an abundance of chickens, oranges, and ‘hatfulls of eggs’ along the way there was much straggling in the ranks.
Certainly Aibonito was no snowy Valley Forge or steaming Guadalcanal. Further accounts of the 4th’s time at Aibonito make it sound like a time of tropical pleasures and few challenges…
“Life at Aibonito was one of unalloyed bliss as compared with our previous experiences on the island. The town was beautifully situated high up in the hills, and the climate was delightful. Our only duty was guard every four or five days, the rest of the time was spent in wandering over the hills, hunting out the Spanish fortifications and looking for relics of the Coanio skirmish. Just south of the town was the famous Aibonito pass, where the Spanish had made preparations for a desperate stand, which would undoubtedly have been successful against any force that could have been brought up in front, for their artillery commanded the road for miles down the mountain.”
The Spanish Barracks in Aibonito, Puerto Rico
The Return Home
After ‘pacifying’ Aibonito, the 4th Ohio was then moved up to the capitol of San Juan and on October 29, 1898 they boarded the USS Chester for their return to the United States. During the entire war, the 4th Ohio would lose 23 men to disease, one man to court martial, and five men to desertion (Aibonito must have been nice!). Not one man from the 4th Ohio would die in combat.
JW Shank’s War with Spain Medal
After returning to New York City, the 4th was moved to Columbus Ohio and the soldiers were given a furlough. Most of the soldier-adventurers, including John Wesley, would be relieved from their two-year service commitments and would return to their civilian lives. The only other interesting historical tid-bit to mention here is that the official Company K register states that Private John W. Shank Jr. was “Absent at muster out of Company” – hmmm…. “Absent”? Maybe Judgie was more eager than others to get back to his civilian life? Anyway, it does not appear that anything was too awry by this absenteeism since John Wesley would receive his two Spanish American War medals.
The Following song is attributed to the 4th Ohio during its Spanish-American War days. Can you hear Judgie singing this ditty?
“Lying in the guard house, awaiting my discharge- To hell with all the officers, the provost and the guard- When we get back to Circle Ville, as happy as a clam. To tell about the sow-belly we ate for Uncle Sam. Home, boys home, its home you ought to be! Home, boys home, in your own country! Where the ash and the oak and the bonnie willow tree- Where the grass grows green in God’s country”
note: John Wesley Shank Jr. had not changed the spelling of his last name at this time. All the records show his last name spelled, “Shank”
