The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-03-23
He Commanded Company That De.
tended Manka'0 in 1862.
TELLS SOME UNwRITTEN HISTORY
Pioneer and His Wife Are Now Living
in Eagle Lake, An Event
full Career.
BY JOHN j. LU1Z.

Two miles south of Eagle Lake, on
the bluffs of the picturesque lie Sueur
river, at the home of his son in law
Walter Macbeth, lives Captain Jerome
Dane, veteran of two warS-the Mexi-
can war and the great rebellion
Captain Dane is in his seventy ninth
year. having been born in Genesee coun
", New York, March 3, 1928. His faith
er was born in Vermont, his grand
father in England and his great, great
grandfather, as the name would indi-
cate, in Denmark. His father was a sol
der in the war of 1912.
A recent visit found Captain Dane in
the reminiscent mood, so he related his
experience rs a soldier in the war with
MeXico-and the part he played in re-
polling the Indian invasion and the de-
Tense of Mankato and Lake Crystal in
August, 1862.
The last Revolutionary hero passed
away some years ago and but two wild
ows of Revolutionary soldiers are yet
living. Last May the last survivor of
away at his home in Southeast New
York and was buried with high honors
in New York city where $4,000 people
gazed upon his remains as they lay In
state. He was born in the year 1900.
4 very few Mexican war veterans yet
survive, and Captain Dane is the only
one we know of in this part of Mime
sofa. He was but boy of seventeen
when he served in Mexico, not as vol
unteer but as a member of the Sec
ond United States Regulars.
/ shall let Captain Dane tell his own
story:
Il enlisted in Company F., Second
United States Infantry at Buffalo, n.
V, Dec. 25, lS45, and was mustered in
to the service by Edward r. S. Candy,
who was just out of West Point and
appointed adjutant of the Second United
States. He was major general in the
Civil war and was murdered by the
Modoes in California in 1873. In the
spring of 1916 my regiment was sent
to TT. Bartly on the Soult Ste Marie,
and from there to Mexico. We went
across the lakes by boat to Toledo, o..
and from there to Cincinnati in the
canal then down the Ohio and Mississip-
ri rivers and across the Gulf of Next
co to the mouth of the Rio Grande, then
by boat to Camargo, 200 miles distant,
joining the army at Mt. Morellis.
Our regiment was commanded by Col
onel Benentt d. Riley, who served in
the war of 1912, belonging to volun-
teer regiment. At the battle of Platts-
burgh he acted as ensign, carrying the
colors. In this battle he received
wound in the face just under the eye
and still carried the scar when | knew
him in Mexico. In this battle the colOrs
were shot from the flag staff and fell to
the ground. Ensign Riley picked up the
colors, wound the flag around his neck
and carried them from the field. For
this brave act he received a promotion
to the regular army. TT. Riley, Kansas,
one of the finest cavalry training
ed in his honor. He died in 1853. An
other interesting character who belong
ed to the Second Regulars was Captain
Nathaniel Lyon, who commanded Com
pany | of my regiment. He became
major general and was killed at the
battle of Wilson's Creek, Mo-, Aug. 10,
1861 Lyon was a very strict discipln-
aran and during the campaign in Mex
leo two of his men died from being
bucked and gagged While the regulars
believed that strict discipline was nee
essary, yet Colonel Riley administered
a severe rebukc to Captain Lyon when
the second man died. The first lieu
tenant of my company-Lorell-after-
ward became General Lowell of the Con-
federate army and surrendered New Or
leans to General Butler in 1862. | was
in the following battles: Vera Cruz,
Cerra Gorda, Centreras, Cherubusco,
Molino del Rey, Chapultepec, and the
capture of the city of Mexico. / serv-
ed first under Scott, then under Gen
eral Taylor. l had the opportunity
of seeing the great generals of the
Mexican war-Twiggs, Wool, Harvey
and Worth. General Twiggs was very
profane man.
Il met General Grant after the cap
ture of the city. He was then captain
or lieutenant After the capture he had
charge of the baking for the whole
army. While there, Grant organized a
small party for the ascent of Mt. Popo-
catapetal. / was one of the number. |
did not reach the mouth of the crater
of the volcano, but | think Grant did.
l was discharged from the regular army
in lS4S at Jefferson barracks near st.
Louis. on account of sickness and went
back to New York. In lS49 | went to
Wisconsin where l was married March
l3. 1853, to Miss Jane Mills in Dodge
county. We came to Tivoli in 1858 set