This is a documented list of men from Henderson County who served in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War.
The list was compiled from the book “A Partial History of Henderson County” by J.T. Fain, records of North Carolina volunteer infantry units at the state archives in Raleigh, names obtained from the book “Henderson County, North Carolina, Cemeteries,” a list of the charter members of a 1930 veterans’ organization in Henderson County, and other sources.
An attempt was made to then document each name using military records from the National Archives and state archives, documents related to individual military units, census reports, military headstone applications, military records from each branch of service, and death certificates. In some cases, little information was available.
The men are listed as Henderson County men who served in the Spanish-American War and/or the Philippine-American War using the following criteria:
1. Residence at the time of enlistment
2. Residence at the time of birth
3. Residence on census reports
4. Residence on other military records
Spanish-American War Veterans
1. Allen, Mark – (1854-1945) He served with the 3rd N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. K. He enlisted June 23, 1898; mustered into service July 17, 1898; mustered out of service Feb. 6, 1899, at Macon, Ga. His grave site is at Ebenezer Baptist Church Cemetery in the Clear Creek community with a military marker.
2. Barber, Frank Arcocha – (1881-1959) He served with the 1st N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. His grave site is at Lewis Memorial Park in Asheville, Buncombe County.
3. Brown, James Franklin – (1873 to 1877-?) He served with the 2nd N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted June 12, 1898; mustered out of service Nov. 7, 1898, at Asheville. He was living in the U.S. National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in 1931 in Johnson City, Tenn.
4. Bryson, Walter H. – (1876 to 1878-1917) He served with the 9th Cavalry Regiment, Co. F. Research is ongoing as to his original enlistment date and discharge date. His grave site is at Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville. See more information under Philippine-American War and a separate link on Walter H. Bryson.
5. Cagle, David Hasque – (1876-1961) He served with the 2nd N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted and mustered into service June 21, 1898; mustered out of service Nov. 7, 1898, at Asheville. His grave site is at Tracy Grove Baptist Church Cemetery with a military marker.
6. Case, Samuel Pinkney – (1877-1947). He served with the 2nd S.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. K. He enlisted July 18, 1898; mustered out of service April 19, 1899. His grave site is at Dana United Methodist Church Cemetery with a military marker.
7. Clark, John Wesley – (1872-1959) He served with the 1st N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted in June 1898; mustered out of service Nov. 7, 1898, at Asheville. His grave site is at Sunset Hills Cemetery in Bozeman, Montana.
8. Cornwall/Coinwall or Cornwell, Robert R. – He served with the 2nd N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted and mustered into service June 29, 1898; mustered out of service Nov. 7, 1898, at Asheville. No further documented information on this soldier has been located. His residence at time of enlistment was Hillgirt (Balfour) in Henderson County.
9. Cox, Wiley Zebulon V. – (abt. 1879-1902) He served with the 1st N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted in May 1898 and was discharged July 31, 1898. His grave site is at San Francisco National Cemetery at the Presidio. See more information under Philippine-American War. Visit a separate link on men who died in the wars.
10. Drake, Ernest Louis – (1879-1951) He served with the 2nd N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted and mustered into service June 25, 1898; mustered out of service Nov. 7, 1898, at Asheville. His grave site is at Riverview Memorial Cemetery in Charleston, S.C., with a military marker.
11. Drake, Edward Leonard – (1878-1925) He served with the 2nd N.C. Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted and mustered into service May 24, 1898; mustered out of service Nov. 7, 1898, at Asheville. His grave site is at Mud Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Flat Rock with a military marker.
12. Featherstone, Charles (1854-1922) He served with the 3rd N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. K. He enlisted June 23, 1898; mustered into service July 17, 1898; mustered out of service Feb. 6, 1899, at Macon, Ga. His grave site is at Ebenezer Baptist Church Cemetery in the Clear Creek community.
13. Gilreath, Prioleau O. – (1878-1901) He served with the 1st U.S. Infantry Regiment in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. His grave site is on Samar Island in the Philippines. See more information under Philippine-American War and a separate link on men who died in the wars.
14. Green, John David – (1875-1958) He served with the 1st N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He mustered into service July 9, 1898; mustered out of service April 22, 1899, in Savannah, Ga. His grave site is at Moore’s Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery in the Clear Creek community. A U.S. veteran headstone was ordered, but it is not visible today at the cemetery.
15. Heatherly, Robert Lee – (1868-1956) He served as a corporal with the 1st N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted April 27, 1898; mustered into service May 5, 1898; and mustered out of service April 22, 1899, in Savannah, Ga. He also enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1891 and served with the 17th Infantry Division, Co. F, and was discharged in 1892. His grave site is at Crossroads Baptist Church Cemetery in Zirconia.
16. Hill, John Logan – (1873-1962) He served with the 2nd N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted and mustered into service May 24, 1898; mustered out of service Nov. 7, 1898, at Asheville. His grave site is at Silver Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in the Mill Spring community of Polk County with a military marker.
17. Hyder, Henry Dock (Dock H.D.) – (1861-1942) He served with the 1st N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. His grave site is at Refuge Baptist Church Cemetery in Dana.
18. Jones, Atlas Otho – (1878-1935) He served with the 2nd N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted and mustered into service June 21, 1898; mustered out of service Nov. 7, 1898, at Asheville. His grave site is at Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville with a military marker. See more information under Philippine-American War.
19. Lanning, James Madison – (1852-1939) He served with the 1st N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. G. He mustered into service in 1898; mustered out of service 1898. His grave site is at Lanning-Pittillo Cemetery in the Fruitland community with military noted on stone.
20. Lyon, John S. – (abt. 1877-) He served with the 1st N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. A. This may be the John S. Lyon who was a patient at the Veterans Administration Home in Washington County, Tenn., in 1940. He was a resident of Hendersonville at the time of his enlistment.
21. Maxwell, James Hillard – (1875-1954) He served as a corporal with the 1st N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted April 27, 1898; mustered into service May 5, 1898; and mustered out of service April 22, 1899, in Savannah, Ga. His grave site is at Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville.
22. Merchant (Muchant), Grant – (1878-1955) He served with the 2nd N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted and mustered into service June 21, 1898; mustered out of service Nov. 7, 1898, at Asheville. His grave site is at Highland Cemetery in Lawton, Comanche County, Okla., with a military marker.
23. Merchant (Muchant), Luther Lancelot – (1876-1966) He served with the 2nd N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted and mustered into service June 21, 1898; mustered out of service Nov. 7, 1898, at Asheville. His grave site is at Riverside Cemetery in Asheville.
24. Pace, Joseph Volney – (1873-1958) He served with the 1st N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. D, Hospital Corps. He enlisted and mustered into service in 1898; mustered out of service in 1899. His grave site is at Berea Baptist Church Cemetery in the Flat Rock/Crab Creek community. See more information under Philippine-American War.
25. Roper, John Barnett – (1880-1898) He served with the 2nd N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted and mustered into service May 24, 1898. He died July 10, 1898, at Raleigh. His grave site is at Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville with a military marker. Visit a separate link on men who died in the wars.
26. Ruth, Robert L. – (1876-1898) He served with the 2nd N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. H. He enlisted and mustered into service May 25, 1898. He died Aug. 8, 1898, at St. Simon’s Island, Glynn County, Ga. His grave site could not be located. Visit a separate link on men who died in the wars.
27. Shipman, Zebulon Allen – (1871-1944) He served with the 1st Battalion U.S. Marine Corps, Co. D. He enlisted Jan. 12, 1898. He was discharged Oct. 21, 1898. He was based at Camp McCalla, Guantanamo, Cuba, in June 1898. His grave site is at Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville with a military marker.
28. Spann, George – (1871-) He served with the 3rd N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. F. He enlisted June 23, 1898; mustered into service as a corporal July 14, 1898, at Fort Macon; mustered out of service Jan. 31, 1899, at Macon, Ga. See more information under Philippine-American War.
29. Thomas, William Freeman – (1876-1964) He served with the 1st S.C. Infantry, Co F. His grave site is at Mud Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Flat Rock with a military marker.
30. Watkins, George Washington – (1876-1952) He served with the 1st N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. F. He enlisted July 26, 1898; mustered out of service April 22, 1899. His grave site is at Old Salem Baptist Church Cemetery in Fletcher with a military marker.
31. Youngblood, Lonnie Joseph – (1877-1929) He served with the 1st N.C. Volunteer Infantry, Co. G. He mustered into service in 1898. His grave site is at Hooper’s Creek Baptist Church Cemetery with a military marker.
Veterans of the Philippine-American War
1. Bryson, Walter H. – (1876 to 1878-1917) He served with the 9th Cavalry Regiment, Co. F. He re-enlisted in 1903, 1906 and 1910. In 1908 he was assigned to the 24th Infantry, Co. E, and served in the Philippine Islands during the Philippine-American War from 1908 to 1910. Research is ongoing as to his original enlistment date and discharge date. His grave site is at Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville. See more information under Spanish-American War. There is also a separate link on Walter H. Bryson.
2. Cox, Wiley Zebulon V. – (abt. 1879-1902) He served with the 9th U.S. Infantry, Co. F. He enlisted in 1899 and served in the Philippines. He died May 1, 1902, in Manila, Philippines, of malaria. His grave site is at San Francisco National Cemetery at the Presidio. See more information under Spanish-American War. Visit a separate link on men who died in the wars.
3. Evans, Richard Bunyon – (1875-1962) He served with the Army Hospital Corps. He enlisted in 1902 in Macon, Ga. In 1905, he was in the Hospital Corps and based at Camp Dewey in Manila, Philippines. He was on detached service to Zamboanga. He re-enlisted in the Army Hospital Corps in 1906 at Atlanta, Ga., and discharged in 1909. His grave site is at Crab Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.
4. Freeman, Charles Washington – (1883-1971) He served with the 79th Coast Artillery. He enlisted in September 1901. He arrived January 1904 at Walter Reed Hospital, Washington Barracks, District of Columbia. On April 12, 1904, he was returned to duty to Fort Adams, Rhode Island. His grave site is at St. Paul Cemetery in Edneyville.
5. Gilreath, Prioleau O. – (1878-1901) He served with the 1st Infantry Regiment in the Philippine Islands from 1900 to 1901. He drowned Oct. 30, 1901, near Bobon, Philippines, during the Philippine-American War. His grave site is on Samar Island in the Philippines. See more information under Spanish-American War. Visit the link on men who died in the wars.
6. Hill, William Jefferson G. – (1874-1933) He served with the 27th U.S. Volunteer Infantry, Co. I. He enlisted in 1899. He filed a pension application in 1905 for disability. His grave site is at Ebenezer Baptist Church Cemetery in the Clear Creek community with a military marker.
7. Hollingsworth, Thomas W. – (1883-1900) He served with the 47th U.S. Volunteer Infantry, Co. L. He was killed in action Nov. 11, 1900, in Bulusan, Philippine Islands. His grave site is at Mud Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Flat Rock with his military service noted on the grave stone. Visit the link on men who died in the wars.
8. Hoots, John Walker – (1880-1967) He served with the 12th U.S. Cavalry, Troop L. He enlisted in 1901 and was discharged in 1903 due to disability. His grave site is at Refuge Baptist Church Cemetery in the Dana community.
9. Jones, Atlas Otho – (1878-1935) He served with the 12th U.S. Cavalry. Troop M. He enlisted in 1903 and was discharged in 1906. His grave site is at Oakdale Cemetery with a military marker. See more information under Spanish-American War.
10. Lyda, Gus – (1889-1917) He served with the 6th U.S. Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted in 1910 and was discharged in 1913 at the hospital at the Presidio in San Francisco, Calif., with disability. His grave site is at St. Paul Cemetery in Edneyville.
11. Pace, Joseph Volney – (1873-1958) He served with the Army Hospital Corps. He enlisted in 1904 and re-enlisted in 1907. He was based at the hospital at the Presidio in San Francisco, Calif., in 1904. By 1905 he was based at Camp Dewey in Manila, Philippines. He was later based at the hospital at Camp Wallace on Luzon, Philippines. In 1910 he was based at the hospital at the Army post at San Antonio, Texas. He was discharged prior to 1917. His grave site is at Berea Baptist Church Cemetery in the Flat Rock/Crab Creek community. See more information under Spanish-American War.
12. Spann, George – (1871-) He served with the 24th Infantry. In 1902 he was in the Philippine Islands. See more information under Spanish-American War. No further documented information on this soldier has been located. The 24th Infantry was an “all black” regiment. Persons with more information are asked to e-mail [email protected]
13. Wright, Jesse Bishop – (1876-1959) He served with the 27th U.S. Volunteer Infantry, Co. I. He enlisted in 1899 and discharged in 1901. His grave site is at Ebenezer Baptist Church Cemetery in the Clear Creek community with a military marker.