SECOND OREGON VOLUNTEERS GO TRANS-PACIFIC

The Spanish-American War enjoyed ramped up emotions across the United States.  Oregon was by no means immune in the enthusiasm to teach Spain a lesson.  The state’s National Guard – a part-time militia more trained in strike-breaking than actual warfare – consisted of a brigade of two regiments .  President William McKinley requested the State to furnish the Army with one regiment in the war with Spain, so a little selecting had to be done initially.  And with the distance involved between Oregon and Cuba, there was little chance of Oregon troops being involved in the main war there.  Dewey’s 1 May victory at Manila Bay, however, gave the men from the Beaver State another opportunity, but instead of going transcontinental, the Second Oregon would need to go trans-Pacific to participate off to the Philippines.