CHAPTER XV
BEAVER COUNTY IN THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
By WILLIAM B. CUTHBERTSON, ESQ.
Volunteering – Company B, Tenth Regiment – Response to Call of President McKinley – Mustered in – Tenth Regiment Ordered to the Philippines at Camp Merritt – At Honolulu – In Camp Dewey -First Engagement at Malate-In Attack upon Manila-Corregidor Island and Cavite – Return to San Francisco – Mustered out Receptions at Pittsburg and New Brighton – List of Officers and Men.
THE descendants of the gallant men who pushed back the frontier beyond the limits of Pennsylvania during the latter part of the eighteenth century, with the sons and grandsons of soldiers of the Civil War-and, in two instances, grizzled veterans of that great war, were among the citizens of Beaver County who volunteered to serve their beloved country in the short but epoch-making clash of arms in the closing years of the nineteenth century.
At the outbreak of the war with Spain, Company B of the 10th Regiment of Infantry, National Guard of Pennsylvania, stationed at New Brighton, was the only organized body of soldiery in this county, Harry J. Watson being captain; Edwin H. Carey, first lieutenant; and Elmer H. Thomas, second lieutenant.
In response to the call of President McKinley for I 25,000 volunteers, and in obedience to the order of Governor Hastings, this organization, with the field and staff officers of the regiment, resident in Beaver County, left New Brighton in the afternoon of April 27, 1898, for Camp Hastings, the rendezvous for the State troops. Many thousands of citizens assembled to
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bid the men farewell. A copy of the New Testament was presented to each man by Rev. Robert L. Hay on behalf of the Young Men’s Christian Association immediately before departure.
Every officer and man of this company having volunteered at Camp Hastings, the company was mustered into the United States military service on the 12th of May, at this camp, for a term of two years or during the war.
Dewey’s ever memorable victory in Manila Bay having turned the current of public and official thought from “Cuba Libre” to far Luzon, the l0th Regiment of Pennsylvania Infantry, United States Volunteers, was, through efforts of its friends, ordered to proceed to San Francisco, Cal., there to join the second Philippine expedition under General Francis Vinton Greene.
Leaving Camp Hastings in a special train of two sections on May 25th, the regiment passed through New Brighton, ‘via the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway, on the following day. Thousands of friends and patriotic citizens generally assembled again at New Brighton to bid the troops another farewell.
Arriving at San Francisco on May 25th, the day of the departure of the first expedition, under General Thomas M. Anderson, the regiment went into camp at Camp Merritt, where it was disciplined and drilled until June 14th, when it went aboard the transport Zealandia. Steaming from San Francisco on the 15th as part of the second expedition, under General Greene, and landing at Honolulu for a day or two, receiving there a cordial greeting, the regiment arrived off Cavite, in Manila Bay, on July 17th, and landed at Camp Dewey on the 21st.
General Greene, commanding at the front, advanced an artillery outpost to a point within a few hundred yards of the Spanish line of defense and directly in front of Fort San Antonio de Abad at Malate, a suburb of Manila. A trench 270 yards in length, extending from the bay to the Calle Real, was constructed by the Colorado and Nebraska regiments, and here occurred, on the night of July 31-August 1, 1898, the first engagement of American soldiers in the eastern hemisphere.
Colonel Alexander L. Hawkins, the regimental commander. being ill in his quarters, and Lieutenant-Colonel Barnett absent in the United States on recruiting service, General Greene sent Major Harry C. Cuthbertson in command of the 10th Pennsyl-
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vania, Battery K, 3d U. S. Artillery, armed as infantry, and four guns of Young’s and Grant’s batteries, Utah Artillery, on the morning of July 31st to occupy the trench for a twenty-four hours’ tour of duty. The second battalion of the Pennsylvania regiment, Major Everhart Bierer, and the Utah guns were placed in the trench, and three companies of the first battalion left in support about two hundred yards in rear of the advanced line. Company B of this battalion was posted to guard a road about two miles in rear and to the right of the line. Battery K was posted in reserve along the Pasai road, three fourths of a mile to the right rear of the intrenched line.
About eleven o’clock that night, during a tropical typhoon, the enemy made a very determined attack, with infantry and artillery, upon the American line, with the evident purpose of driving back our troops.
It appearing at the time, from the direction of the firing and otherwise, that an attack was being made upon the unprotected right flank, the supporting companies were advanced to the right, beyond the intrenchment, to meet the attack from that quarter. In advancing to their position these companies lost heavily.
The supply of ammunition in the belts running low, messengers were sent to General Greene requesting a fresh supply, which was sent forward promptly, but not before the command was reduced to an average of three or four rounds per man.
In the meantime Battery K, Lieutenant Krayenbuhl commanding, was brought up to the line from its position in reserve, and General Greene sent to Major Cuthbertson the 1st California Infantry as reinforcement. Battery H, 3d U. S. Artillery (foot), Captain Hobbs, also came up under the gallant Captain James O’Hara, the battalion commander. The engagement continued until two o’clock in the morning, when the firing ceased, the Spaniards failing in the accomplish ment of their purpose.
During the engagement Colonel Hawkins went forward to the battle line and remained at the front until morning; but. being weak from illness and exposure, he did not assume command until the arrival of the relieving force, when he gave the order to return to camp.
The American loss on this occasion was 10 killed and 43
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wounded, including 6 killed and 29 wounded in the l0th Pennsylvania. Two of the 10th’s wounded died within a few days. Jesse Noss, a Beaver County boy, was killed; and Harvey A. Funkhouser of New Brighton was wounded.
The Spanish loss was 500 killed and wounded, as given in Strait’s List of Battles.
The l0th Pennsylvania, part of the reserve during the assault upon and capture of Manila, entered the city on August 13th with the victorious American army. George Bentel, of Beaver County, a member of the Astor Battery, was wounded during the assault. On or about December 1st, Companies A and B of the l0th Pennsylvania were detached from the regiment and sent, under Major Cuthbertson, to guard a convalescent hospital on Corregidor Island, where they remained in garrison until May 14, 1899, then rejoining the regiment at Cavite.
Excepting the two detached companies, the regiment participated in the defense of Manila against the attack of the Filipinos during the night of February 4-5, 1899, and remained on the firing-line until April 14th, when it was relieved from duty with the second division and sent to Cavite. It formed part of General MacArthur’s force in the movement resulting in the capture of Malolos. Several Beaver County men were with the regiment during the Filipino campaign, among them Captain Watson, who happened to be in the city on business at the time of the attack, and was assigned to the command of Company E during the disability of Captain Loar, The command of Company B devolved upon Lieutenant Carey, who remained in command until the return of Captain Watson after the withdrawal of the regiment from the front.
While stationed at Cavite several reconnaissances in force were made by part of this regiment, including the Beaver County contingent, during General Lawton’s movement near the Zapote River. Though under fire an engagement was avoided by the express order of General Otis. Leaving Cavite, July 1st, on board the transport Senator, stopping at Nagasaki and Yokohama, the regiment arrived at San Francisco on the 1st of August, with the body of Colonel Hawkins, who had died en route, and was mustered out of service at the city last named on the 22d of August, 1899.
A committee of citizens from western Pennsylvania met the
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regiment on its arrival in San Francisco and brought it home to Pennsylvania in a special train of three sections, at the expense of the people of the State.
The regiment arrived at New Brighton on the 28th and marched down Third Avenue, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Barnett, taking breakfast, provided by the citizens, in the old car factory. Later in the day it proceeded to Pittsburg, where it received a memorable reception tendered by the people of the State. President McKinley, General Wesley Merritt, General F. V. Greene, Governor William A. Stone, Senator Boies Penrose, and a large number of other distinguished men were present participating.
On the following day a reception by the citizens of the county was given to the Beaver County soldiers at New Brighton, General F. V. Greene, Governor Stone, and Senator Penrose attending and making addresses.
Three Beaver County soldiers saw service in Cuba: Oliver Lutz and Robert Howard Gamer of the 17th U. S. Infantry, and Darragh Leslie of the 8th Ohio Infantry. Lutz participated in all the engagements in front of Santiago in which his regiment took part, but Gamer and Leslie, arriving on July 10th and 11th, were too late for the battles, through no fault of theirs, however.
The county furnished several men to the navy during this war. Mention of these is made in the preceding chapter.
Harry Palmer, who served during the Civil War as a member of Company H, 9th Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, and Robert W. Anderson, late of the 140th Pennsylvania Infantry, were sergeants in the loth Pennsylvania during the Spanish War, the former a member of Company A, the latter of B.
Elmer E. Barnes of Company C was wounded during the Malolos campaign.
Chaplain Joseph L. Hunter and First Lieutenant and Assistant Surgeon John W. Coffin, of Beaver County, were officers of this regiment and served in the campaigns against the Spaniards and Filipinos.
Captain Andrew G. Curtin Quay, of the Regular Army, was appointed by President McKinley major in the United States Volunteers. Dr. David T. Mc Kinney was appointed by the President assistant surgeon, U. S.
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A number of Beaver County men enlisted in the Regular Army and in regiments other than the 10th Pennsylvania, but it is not practicable to furnish a complete list of them from authoritative sources. The following is a list of officers and men of the 10th Regiment, Pennsylvania, U. S. V., who went from Beaver County:
Cook, William H. Cuthbertson, Harry C. Abel, Samuel G. Alshouse, William. Anderson, Charles R. Anderson, Clark S. Darragh, Daniel S. Anderson, John C. Dawson, George F. Anderson, Robert W. Donaldson, John N. Aughenbaugh, Robert S. Donaldson, Robert S. Edgar, James B. Edgar, Lewis O. Elverson, Harry H. Bagnell, Harry G. Baker, Thomas L. Baldwin, Emery O. Baldwin, Lewis D. F. Barnes, Elmer E. Barr, Charles I. Bauman, Theodore G. Beam, William. Beitsch, George E. Beitsch, William F. Bennett, Isaac A. Bestwick, Abram. Black, Thomas Boyle, John E. Brown. James H. Bruff, Joseph H. Calvert, Charles S. Carey, Edwin H. Carlton, Thomas G. Carnagey, Charley B. Carothers. George A. Chandler, Benjamin L. Chantler, Thomas F. Cleckner, Harry L. Cleckner, William M. Cleis, Ernest T. Coffin, John W. Colbert. Harvey C. Connair, Daniel J. Cook, Sidney A.
Fitzgerald, Edward L. Fleeson, John. Funkhouser, Harvey Gray, Roy St. C.
Hamilton, Walter C. Harris, Jacob L. Harris, Robert R. Harris, Walter W. Harris, Wilber R. Harsha, Frederick Hart, Frank D. Haney, Lewis Heckathorn, Harry Henderson, Robert Hobaugh, Francis F. Hoon, Frank H. Hughes, William H. Hunter, Fred. O. Hunter, Joseph L. Jackson, Samuel G. Jones, Edward L. Joseph, John D. Ketterer, Wil1iam A. Kingsbury, George E. Laird, Matthew M. Leonard, Burt H. Levis, William T. Linn, Andrew J. List, Louis F. Littler, Alexander C. Logan, Creighton G. Lukens, John E. MacDonald, Ned O. Martin, John L. Matheny, Howard W. McAllister, William K. McBride, George H. McClelland, George L. McComb, George H. B. McKinnis, Robert H. McKnight, Edward I. Mennell, Charles D. Mennell, John A. Miller, Charles F. Miller, Harry N. Miller, Harry W. Minesinger, Edward S. Mitchell, David J. Muse, George W. Norris, Joseph Palmer, Harry Patterson, Robert L. Power, Edward M., Jr. Pregenzer, W. F. Rardon, Henrv Reeves, Joseph? Renouf, Rhea Y (cut off)
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Smith, William E., Thompson, Charles S., Spanier, Abraham, Tidball, Frank,
Springer, James C., Tucker, Jackman J., Sutherland, Edward A., Sutherland, Henry, Veon, Herman, Tallon, Fred. S., Thomas, Elmer H., Waddle, Lyman R .,Watson, Harry J., Webster, Myron A, White, William E., Wilson, Lawrence H., Wilson, Walter W., Wolf, Samuel H., Wolf, William T., Woolslayer, George.
(Source: History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, it’s Centennial Celebration by Rev. Joseph H. Bausman, Vol. 1, The Knickerbock Express, New York, 1904.)
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