COMPANY C, CEDAR RAPIDS
One of the best known military companies in the state is Company C, of Cedar Rapids. This company was organized November 1, 1883, its first captain being George Greene. Many of the best known young men of the town at one time or another have been members of this organization.
After serving a number of years Captain Greene resigned, and for a short time W. G. Dows was acting captain. Ed. II. Smith was then chosen to the position. He was succeeded by George A. Evans.
W. G. Dows, long a member of this company, for a time was adjutant of the First Regiment Iowa National Guards.
Upon the call for troops because of the Spanish-American war, on April 25, 1898, the entire membership of Company C left that same night for Des Moines, where the entire First Regiment was assembled. This regiment was mustered into the United States service as the Forty-ninth Iowa United States Volunteer Infantry. William G. Dows, colonel, commanding. After drilling for a time they went to Jacksonville, Florida, and then to Savannah, Georgia, where they took a government transport for Cuba. The members of the regiment did all kind of service in the army of occupation, much of it being very laborious. In May, 1899, the regiment returned from Cuba and shortly afterwards was mustered out at Savannah.
While the company was in the service in Cuba George A. Evans was its captain.
A few months later the present Fifty-third Regiment was organized, each city in the old regiment being allowed a company in the new. Company C was reorganized, and is now a part of this regiment. The first captain of the new company was Frank Hahn. He was succeeded by T. A. Berkebile, and he by John Rau, who is now the captain of the company.
Col. William G. Dows, who is now a member of the governor's staff, served for twenty-five years in various capacities in the same regiment, a service for continuity unequalled. Though offered promotions, he maintained that he would rather stay by the old boys and the old regiment.
FIFTH IOWA BATTERY
Promptly upon the declaration of war in 1898 with Spain a battery was organized in Cedar Rapids for service in that war. It was mustered into the service as the Fifth Battery Iowa Volunteer Light Artillery. Nearly all of the 100 members came from Cedar Rapids and vicinity. The members were enrolled during April and May, and the battery was mustered in at Des Moines in June by Major Olmsted of the U. S. regulars. The battery saw no regular service, but it spent ten weeks in camp waiting, ready for service in the field if called upon. George W. Bever was the captain, R. Tasker Forbes and S. Craighead Cook, lieutenants, Charles A. Loring was first sergeant, Robert M. Witwer, quartermaster sergeant. Dr. C. H. French and Roy Waite were also sergeants in the company.