USA > New York > Steuben County > A history of Steuben County, New York, and its people, Vol. I > Part 56
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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY
ber 19th, when the company returned to its home station, highly pleased with the outing. On October 16, 1894, the work of con- structing the new armory on the site purchased by. the county in Seneca street was commenced. On June 29, 1894, at 11:00 P. M., the company left its armory for its second tour of duty at thic State Camp of Instruction `at Peekskill-on-the-Hudson. They ar- rived in camp at 3:45 P. M. the following afternoon .. The members of the company were given practically the same work during the week as on the previous tour. July 4th was appropriately observed by the soldiers in camp. Following the military ceremonies in the morning the meni were given a rest for the remainder of the day. In the evening the Y. M. C. A., which always maintains a , com- modious tent on the grounds, gave a jubilee, at which Lieutenant William S. Charles made a stirring and patriotic speech, which was greeted with cheers. Shortly after noon Saturday the company began preparations for the return trip, and at 3:30 o'clock left for Hornellsville, arriving at 11:00 A. M. Sunday. . During the re- mainder of the year 1894-95 the company did but little military duty other than their weekly drills, annual inspection and Memorial Day parade. On August 28, 1895, the company acted as escort to General Daniel E. Sickles, who made an address at the fair grounds, in connection with the Farmer's Club Fair. During this time the new armory, for which the legislature made a second appropriation of $12,000 in 1895, was rapidly nearing completion, and early in the spring of 1896 the big building was declared finished. On April 15, 1896, pursuant to orders from headquarters of the National Guard, the company assembled for the last time at the old armory in Main street, where so many good times had been enjoyed by all and so much hard work done in perfecting the organization. The assembly was for the purpose of marching from the old to the new armory. Captain McDougall was absent, having accepted a position in New York city on April 1, 1896, and First Lieutenant Babcock was in command. Shortly after 2:30 P. M., headed by the Forty- seventh Separate Company band, the company swung out of the armory and commenced their march up Main street to their new armory. Upon arriving at the armory the company marched into the drill hall, where they were inspected by Lieutenants Babcock and Charles, after which they were dismissed until evening. The company assembled at 7:45 P. M. and gave a short drill, much. to the delight of the large crowd of spectators. The big building, which is one of the finest in the state of New York, was thrown open to the inspection of the hundreds of guests, who were amazed at the size and convenience of the armory and proud of the fact that it was to be the future home of one of the finest military companies in the state. The first annual inspection in the new armory was held on April 25, 1896, at which time both the new armory and the company were inspected by Brigadier General Benjamin Flagler, chief of ordnance; Brigadier General Frederic C. McLewee, inspec- tor general; Colonel G. J. Green, assistant inspector general ; Cap- tain Mighells B. Butler, of the Forty-second Separate Company of Niagara Falls; and Ordnance Inspectors James E. Passage and James Daggert. The inspection was most creditable, and the com- pany was commended on its efficiency. On July 4, 1896, Lieutenant Charles was detailed as quartermaster and commissary of subsist-
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ence for a battalion consisting of the First, Thirtieth, Forty-third and Forty-eighth Separate companies, which were to perform a tour of duty at the Peekskill state camp July 4-11, 1896. The manner in which Lieutenant Charles performed his numerous and arduous duties won for him high commendation from his superior officers. In recognition of his executive ability Major Horatio P. Stackpole, major of the Tenth Battalion, who was post adjutant during the tour, gave orders that "Hornellsville," Lieutenant Charles' native city, should be the countersign of the guard on the night of July 10, 1896.
THREE SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE.
The wave of patriotic sympathy for Cuba in her brave efforts to gain her independence, which swept over the entire country in 1896, was deeply felt in Hornellsville, as everywhere else in this land of liberty, and resulted in the offer of sixteen members of the Forty-seventh Separate Company to enlist under the banner of the Cuban patriots. Wellington Gray Lee, a corporal of the company, on behalf of those who wished to cast their lot with the Cubans, went to New York city and laid their offer before the Cuban Junta. He was informed by that body that they had all the infantry they needed, more, in fact, than they could arm and furnish with ammu- nition, but that they would gladly accept artillerymen, machinists and physicians. Mr. Lee immediately returned to Hornellsville and organized a gun squad. He communicated this fact to the Junta and was told to be ready to come to New York upon receipt of a wire. He had himself served as an artilleryman in the National Guard of Indiana and was also an expert machinist. With him in the enterprise were enlisted Carl S. Weiss and Fred C. Santee, both members of the Forty-seventh Separate Company, but Mr. Lee failed to secure the medical recruit he sought. During the summer of 1896 he made frequent trips to New York city, and, in company with Dr. Joaquin Castilla of the Junta, made thorough tests of the newly invented pneumatic dynamite gun which his squad was to operate in Cuba. The gun was the most modern and powerful en- gine of destruction that had ever been designed and threw a shell containing twelve pounds of high explosives. The tests, which were conducted secretly, showed that the gun was capable of doing all that was claimed for it. Lee stood high in the estimation of the officers of the Junta, who had in him a man invaluable, as he was not only a first class artilleryman, but also an expert machinist. So well did the Junta think of Lee that they gave him a card that would admit him at all hours of the day or night to a certain place on the fourth floor over a store in Eighty-fifth street, where a gun squad was being drilled and put in shape to be sent to Cuba. When Lee entered the place he was surprised to note the activity displayed by the agents of the Cubans, who had the audacity to drill a gun- squad in the heart of New York city. The man in command of the gun squad was Frederick Funston, now brigadier general in the Army of the United States. Upon being introduced, Lec asked the question, "What branch of the Funston family?" To which Mr. Funston replied, "Funston, of Kansas." This was what Lee sus- pected, and it was soon made plain that Lee and Funston were dis- tant cousins. This worked to the advantage of both. Funston in-
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1
formed Lee that he, too, was going to Cuba, but not with a dynamite gun, as his squad would use a gun of regulation pattern. Funston intended to enter the field of journalism in addition to his other duties in Cuba, and to that end had made arrangements with several New York papers to handle his eorrespondence. He introduced Lec to various newspaper managers, many of whom, when informed that Lee and a party were going to Cuba on a filibustering expedition, thought the whole matter a hoax. When asked by Lee what amount would be paid per column for war stories written from the front they replied: "There does not seem to be anything doing in Cuba at the present time, and it is useless to pay for dead matter." Lee replied in his characteristie manner: "But there will be hell raised. down there within a month." When asked to explain himself he informed the manager that he did not want the news anyway, and if he did it would be necessary to copy it from another paper. Lee thereupon went to the office of the New York Journal and stated his ease. He was told to "send on the stuff and never mind the pay, for we will give you twiee what any other paper in the eity will." This was satisfactory, and Lee left the office. A few days later he returned to Hornellsville and put in his time in teaching Weiss and Santee the mysteries of expert gunnery. In July, 1896, Lee received a letter from the Junta, telling him to report in New York with his gun-squad immediately upon the receipt of a wire. The receipt of this letter caused renewed activity on the part of Lee and his men. Nightly drills were held, and everything which they were to take on the expedition was packed in as small a space as was possible. On the afternoon of August. 1, 1896, while Lee was sit- ting in the billiard room at the armory of the Forty-seventh Sep- arate Company, the long looked-for message from the Cuban Junta was delivered to him. It contained but one word, "Come." On the evening of August 2, 1896, Wellington Gray Lee, Carl Snyder Weiss aud Fred Coryell Santee boarded Erie train No. 12 at the local station for New York, from which place they were to be sent to Cuba with the dynamite gun and supplies for the Cuban soldiers. Upon arriving at New York, Lee and his companions were dis- patched to Charleston, South Carolina, for the purpose of embark- ing on the "Laureda" for Cuba. That boat, however, was com- pelled to put to sea fifteeen hours earlier than was expected, a Span- ish eruiser having learned of the projected expedition. The fol- lowing letters from Lee while preparing to embark on the expedition and upon his arrival in Cuba were received by George H. Grosvenor, of Hornellsville, New York, quartermaster of the Forty-seventh Separate Company, of which Lee was a member. The letters are in the possession of Mr. Grosvenor at the present time, being considered among his most valuable keepsakes, The first letter is as follows:
1
"7 : 30 P. M., CONEY ISLAND, MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 1896.
"Dear Old Grosvenor: Here sit the Three Musketeers. We have just finished crabs on toast and lemonade (none of us have touched beer-fact), and are listening to a big orchestra and watching the people. We have been in the surf and feel much refreshed after a hot day in the city. Upon ar- rival in the city and after a good breakfast we reported at the Junta, and about noon received our marching orders. We leave tomorrow at 1:00 P. M .; how, or from where, we do not know. I will endeavor to drop the last letter just before sailing. We have made purchases of a few little needfuls, in-
HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY
eluding hammocks and rubber ponchos. Could not find Avery; he is no longer in the employ of the Coho people. Did not have time to go up to his resi- denee.
"Yours as ever, "WELLINGTON G. LEE, "FRED C. SANTEE, "CABLE S. WEISS.
"P. S .- Remember us kindly to Lieutenant Charles, Sergeant Humphrey, Fred and the Forty-seventh in general. Happy days on the range and at Bath, Oet. 2nd. Address mc Room 10, 56 New Street."
"AUGUST 11, 1896.
"Dear Grosvenor: We are off down the coast on the steamer 'Seminole' from pier 29, East river. This boat will not land us; we will be trans- ferred. As boat leaves in a few minutes will have to say farewell. "Viva Cuba Libre!
"LEE."
The third letter is dated from Jacksonville, Florida, and is as follows :
"JACKSONVILLE, FLA., AUG. 18, 1896.
"Dear Grosvenor: We have laid here in hiding since Saturday A. M., but have just received orders to be ready to leave by midnight. We are going on the 'Three Friends,' which has been detained by the revenue cutter 'Boutwell,' but she is now released. We are ace-high down here among the Cubans; they cannot do enough for us. We are all in good health and eating wonderfully. The heat does not bother us; to be sure the sun is hot, but the shade is much cooler than it is north. Remember us to all. "Viva Cuba Libre!"
"LEE."
That the gun squad was watched by the government and had trouble in leaving Jacksonville is evident from the next letter, which is as follows:
"JACKSONVILLE, FLA., AUQ. 27, 1896.
"My Dear Grosvenor: You see we are here yet. At the time of my last writing you we expected to leave within a few hours, but the plans failed. In the last weck new arrangements have been perfected, and we hope to get away Sunday or Monday. You possibly have read about the expedi- tion that left Wilmington, Delaware, about the time we left New York. Well, the original plan was for our party to come down on the regular Clyde liner, 'Seminole,' to the mouth of the St. Johns river, there transfer to the 'Three Friends,' which would take us to sea some three days sail, and put us aboard the Wilmington expedition. The delay of the 'Seminole' at New York taking on freight was fatal to the plan, for between the time we were due at the mouth of the river and our arrival there ( some fifteen hours), the revenue cutter 'Boutwell' received orders not to allow the 'Three Friends' to put to sea under any pretext whatever. Upon our arrival at St. Johns we discovered the 'Three Friends' fast to the 'Boutwell' with a chain. Then we knew the jig was up. Several attempts were made to obtain permission for the 'Three Friends' to put to sea, but the 'Boutwell' had orders to follow her every- where. Now other arrangements are on foot, the exact nature of which I am not familiar with. The Wilmington expedition carried accoutrements and side arms for the entire army and has landed safely in Cuba, so that we that are here have got to wait for another outfit. This delay will enable you to get a letter to us here, which we will be very glad to receive, but you had better reply immediately, and send in care of general delivery. I have re- ceived here a couple of letters from mother; Weiss, several from his girl, but Santee is cursing Hanlon to the Queen's taste at not hearing from him. We are all in good health and getting fat in our idleness. Dr. Castillo will be here the latter part of the week. and will probably bring with him any mail for us that has been sent to the Junta, Room 10, No. 56 New street. We have heard that the Hornells won the last serics. When, you write us here be sure and put your address on the envelope, that your letter may be re- turned if I do not get it.
"Ever your friend,
"LEE."
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The next communication received in Hornellsville from Lee was dated Angust 31, 1896, and written ou a postal card, as follows :
AUGUST 31, 1896. "We are off at last. Written by moonlight, 3:00 A. M. All's well. "LEE.''
The next letter written by Lee indicates that the party had but little trouble in eluding the revenue officers. The letter was written just before Cuba was sighted, and is the last communication ever received from Wellington Gray Lee. His movements from the time he landed on Cuban soil up to the time he met his death are con- tained in dispatches, and refer to him in a general way. His last letter is as follows:
"SUNDAY, about Sept. 7th, 1896. ABOARD 'THREE FRIENDS,' OFF CUBA.
"Dear Grosvenor: We will soon begin to land. The coast is not yet in sight, but soon will be. Five hundred men will meet us and guard our land- ing against surprise. Soon after leaving Jacksonville we mounted the gun, training her over the taffrail, but we were not chased for a mile; in fact, saw nothing but the 'Raleigh,' and she could not get at us, a reef intervening. It was after dark, and she followed ns for a time inside the reef, but we soon left her. The 'Three Friends' is very fast, good for twenty knots on a pinch ; so you see it would be hard to catch us. We had pretty rough seas for two or three days after leaving J., and Weiss got pretty sick. Santee was touched up a little also. I, happily, escaped. Us three and two nice American fellows from N. Y. form the gun crew. We have been supplied with uniforms, shoes, hats, machetes, Lee-Remington six-shot carbines, and 150 rounds of ammunition each. We are kept supplied in tobacco and cigarette papers, also pipes. There are about forty men on the expedition, mostly Cubans, and they (Cubans) are all very kind and friendly to us six Americans. The 'Three Friends' is a large sea-going tug. Will you see that mother gets the money from my share in the tandem? Harry Spring should pay her $2.00 for my bicycle seat. Don't tell her all I say in here about "LEE."
That Lee and his companions landed on Cuban soil on Mon- day, September 8, 1896, is evident from the numerous dispatches contained in the New York papers, under date of September 11th, of which the following is an extract: "Information has reached New York that the steamer 'Three Friends,' which left Jacksonville last Friday, has again been successful in landing an expedition in Cuba, in spite of the watchfulness of the Spanish war vessels, which constantly patrol the coast. The expedition was landed precisely where the Spanish navy department exerts its greatest vigilance; that is, on the coast of the Pinar Del Rio province, where a few weeks ago it was reported that the Cuban leader, Antonio Maceo, was in sore need of ammunition and clothing for his troops. The landing was effected last Monday near Bahia Honda, where a de- tachment of Maceo's forces, which had been sent to await the ar- rival of the expedition, took charge of it the moment the cargo reached the beach. The cargo which was landed consisted of 1,017 rifles, 460,000 rounds of ammunition, one pneumatic dynamite gun, 2,000 pounds of dynamite, 1,000 machetes, and a large supply of medical stores and clothing. The rifles were especially adapted for the Mauser cartridges used by the Spanish army, a supply of which the Cubans stated could be purchased or captured from the Spanish army. The dynamite gun was the most prized feature of the ex- pedition, and the men who were to handle it, and were sent down for that purpose, were experts in their line. They were Civil En- gineer J. R. Villalon-Sanchez, Wellington G. Lee, Carl S. Weiss, Fred C. Santee and John Drew, artillerymen, formerly of the United
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States army; Eustache Constantonovich, Nicholas Coceus, Peter Strebzow, artillerymen, formerly of the Russian army."
No direct word was received in Hornellsville from Lee and his comrades until the return to New York in November, 1896, of Lieu- tenant Emanuel Ramos, who had been with Maceo in some of his hardest fought battles and who was wounded in the right leg at the battle of Vinales. As Lieutenant Ramos was in charge of the dyna- mite gun with which Maceo did such fearful execution to the Span- ish troops in Pinar Del Rio he had a most interesting story to relate. He said: "It was in September when I went with the filibustering expedition that carried the wonderful gun to Cuba. I cannot dis- close the name of the ship in which we sailed, but we landed at Las Canas on the 8th of September. There was no one to receive us, but we found three Cubans, who said that Maceo was waiting for us. As we were fifteen days late he had gone and left instruc- tions that we should go to Colonel Lora's camp, three miles distant. Our further instructions, which came through General Rio, were that if we met the Cubans we were to take them into camp. Rius Rivers, who was in command of the expedition, at once started with his men, guns and munitions, and we reached camp without delay. As I was in charge of the ammunition I was present during the first battle in which one of the dynamite guns was used, and had a chance to see its effective work. Associated with me in charge of the par- ticular gun of which I am speaking were A. Villalon, a civil en- gineer, William Lee, "Call" Weiss, George Santee and Lieutenant Rockwell. From Lora's camp we marched ten miles to where Fa- gardo was encamped, and went from there to Remates, where we found Maceo with several thousand troops. He at once took charge of the expedition, distributed the guns and munitions, and with three thousand troops of his force and the gun to which I was attached started for Monezuelo. He was anxious to meet the Spaniards and try the dynamite gun on them. It was on the thirteenth of the month that we met two Spanish columns, which meant a battle with even forces. As we reached a hilltop overlooking a narrow valley we saw the Spaniards on top of the next hill, only a quarter of a mile away. They were at work throwing up a line of fortifications. A few shots were exchanged, when Maceo ordered our gun forward and had it trained on the enemy. He stood by the piece and ob- served us closely as we prepared to fire, and when the report was heard he watched the result with the deepest interest. The aim was too low and the shot fell short of its mark. No one was injured, but the effect on the ground where it struck apparently astonished the Spaniards, for they ceased firing for several minutes. During those minutes we were preparing for the second shot. The muzzle of the gun was raised a little when all was in readiness and the deadly projectile was thrown over the brow of the hill and into the very midst of the Spanish troops. The explosion brought consterna- tion. The shot had done its frightful work, and the Spanish, dis- appearing from sight, did not fire another gun that night. We waited for morning to renew the battle, but as soon as it was light the enemy fired one bomb-shell and then retreated. The battle was won by that one shot from our gun. Maceo destroyed the fort, took tools and provisions that had been abandoned and started in pur- suit of the retreating enemy. We marched twenty-one miles and
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overtook the same troops-strengthened by a reinforcement of 1,500 men-at Las Tumbas Torino. We met on level ground between four large hills. We fought that afternoon, all night and until noon the next day. During all this time rain was falling. In this battle the gun did its best work, although it was fired only seven times. The gun was aimed where the Spanish troops were the thickest, and after each shot the ground at that spot was found bare, excepting for dead and wounded soldiers, and those living near were seen fleeing in every direction. The enemy retreated, leaving dead, wounded, muskets, munitions, mules, provisions and medical stores behind them.
"In the next battle at San Francisco, on September 20, 1896, the result was the same. We had slept all night in the hills of Consolacion, walked all day, and met three thousand Spaniards un- der command of Echague. These were new enemies. In this batile the Spaniards lost one of their bravest officers, Captain Ramon Ioonet. The next battle which the gun won for us was a fearful one, against great odds, for twelve thousand Spaniards were in front, under command of Echague, Melguizo, Incian and Munoz. It was fought at Guayabita, among the hills and in the pine woods. At first we were fearful of defeat, but Maceo went from point to point, urging on his men, encouraging them and impressing them with the importance of standing firm and not conceding one inch to the enemy. The battle lasted for thirty-nine hours, and the fighting was simply terrific. Had it not been for Maceo we would have been routed, but his daring conduct and encouraging words were inspira- tion to the patriots. Wherever the enemy was in greatest force, there the dynamite gun would be aimed. The result was always the same -death to many of the enemy and a scattering of their forces. Seven shots were fired in this battle-only seven-but they were enough, as each discharge meant death to many. The Spaniards stood against the fire as long as they could, but were beaten back at every point, and took advantage of the night to hide, and early in the morning retreated. ' It was in this battle that the Spanish fired on and killed old men, women and children, whom Maceo was try- ing to conduct to a place of safety. Maceo could not suppress his 'delight when the retreat begun. 'Americans, see them run! See then run !' he cried, as he stood by the gun. Maeeo and all the Cubans appreciate what Americans have done for Cuba, and cannot say too much about it.
"The next battle was on September 25, 1896, at Vinals. Here we met the enemy face to face, only one hundred and fifty feet apart, as we stood on the hills divided by a shallow valley. Maceo stood beside the dynamite gun and with his pistol fired at the Spanish officers on the opposite hill. The firing was sharp for a time, but after one shell from the dynamite gun had been fired at the enemy they ceased firing and retreated as rapidly as possible, having heard of the deadly effect of the gun."
So great was the execution wrought by the gun in the ranks of the Spanish army that General Weyler caused notices to be posted throughout the length and breadth of the island, offering one thou- sand dollars each, in gold, for the heads of Lee, Weiss and Santee, who directed the firing of the deadly dynamite gun. Many efforts were made by the Spaniards to win the prize, but the Americans
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managed to elude capture and consequent death during the year 1896; but in 1897 there is every reason to believe that the three for- mer members of the Forty-seventh Separate Company met their fate at the hands of the Spaniards. While no authentic information can be obtained from Cuba, or from those with whom they fought and died, yet it is conceded that Lee, Weiss and Santee met their death early in the year of 1897. For distinguished service and for his expert knowledge in handling the dynamite gun, Wellington Gray Lee had been appointed an aide on the staff of Maceo. In his capaci- ty as aide, he accompanied Maceo on the night he went under a flag of truce to hold a conference with General Weyler, at the latter's suggestion. It is a well-known fact that when near Weyler's camp Maceo and his aids were ambushed and killed, and it was at this time that Wellington Gray Lee undoubtedly met his fate. After the death of Lee the command of the gun squad fell upon Carl Weiss. He did heroic work with the gun for some time, but in the midst of a fierce battle with the Spaniards in the Pinar Del Rio district in 1897, the gun, which had become heated, exploded a shell in the tube of the gun, killing the entire gun crew and wounding many soldiers who were in the vicinity. Dispatches from Gomez to the Junta in New York, following the battle, stated that "Call" Weiss had been killed by the explosion of the dynamite gun.
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