Collection is open for research.
Purchased in January 1993 (Lib. Acc. 25092).
The 2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry was a U.S. Army regiment that was formed from members of the Oregon National Guard in May 1898, shortly after the outbreak of the Spanish-American War. The regiment took part in the surrender of Guam, and later took part in the Spanish army's surrender in Manila, the Philippines. After Spain surrendered, the regiment served on provost duty in Manila, acting as the city's police. In February 1899, Filipinos began an armed rebellion against the occupying U.S. forces, known as the Philippine-American War. During the first four months of this conflict, the 2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry fought in five campaigns. In June 1899, the regiment returned to the U.S. and was mustered out.
Source: "2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry," by Warren Aney, Oregon Encyclopedia,
2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry pay records, Coll 1010, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
At the time the Oregon Historical Society Research Library acquired this collection, its contents were tightly folded. Processing in 2024 included flattening of documents over a two-month period.
The collection consists of pay records of the 2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry, a regiment that fought in the Spanish-American War and in the first several months of the Philippine-American War. These records consist of payrolls for November and December 1898, produced in January 1899, for each company, field staff, and detachments; and records for the pay of individual soldiers from January through June 1899. Individual soldiers' records consist of discharge notices and final pay statements. Payrolls and many of the individual soldiers' records are stamped with "Maj. M. F. Sheary," referring to an Army paymaster. The collection also includes two additional items from December 1898: A note from J. Bragge to Sheary, asking for his pay to be given to another soldier, as he would not be present on payday; and a notice that First Lieutenant Rhees Jackson was entitled to a mounted officer's pay.
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.