USA > New York > Steuben County > A history of Steuben County, New York, and its people, Vol. I > Part 57
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There was still one of the former members of the Forty-seventh Separate Company, who formed the gun squad, left in Cuba: Fred C. Santee, for whom the Spaniards diligently sought, in order to gain the reward of one thousand dollars for his head. When the rainy season of 1897 set in Santee beeame ill of fever and was re- moved to a field hospital, concealed in the pine woods near the camp of the Cubans in the hills of Consolacion. The Spaniards obtained information that Santee was in the hospital and made an attack in force, causing the Cuban force, which was far outnumbered, to re- treat. The Spaniards thereupon destroyed the hospital and all the patients contained therein. This fiendish and inhuman act on the part of the Spanish troops brought to a close the career of the last of the three soldiers of fortune, who a year before had left their home and friends in Hornellsville, New York, to take up arms in the cause which they believed to be just, and in the defense of that belief they gave all that it is possible to give-life.
That the memory of Lee, Weiss and Santee may ever be kept green, their comrades of the Forty-seventh Separate Company caused a bronze tablet to be erected in the corridor of the armory at Hornellsville. The tablet, which is of heavy bronze, thirty-six by twenty-four inches, has crossed American and Cuban flags at the top, and is inscribed as follows: "In memory of Wellington Gray Lee, Carl Snyder Weiss and Fred Coryell Santee. Died on Cuban soil in 1897. General Antonio Maceo's Corps, Cuban Army of Liberation. Morir Por La Liberated. Es Para Sexmpre Vivar. Erected by their comrades of the 47th Sep. Co., Inft., N. G., N. Y."
The unveiling of the tablet in the armory on the evening of May 30, 1902, was witnessed by the largest crowd ever in the build- ing, and the ceremonies of that occasion were a fitting tribute to the memory of the three former comrades, who gave their lives in the cause of liberty. Peace be to their ashes !
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On the evening of January 26, 1897, First Lieutenant Franeis G. Babeock, Jr., was elected to the captainey of the Forty-seventh Separate Company, eaused by the resignation of Captain Avery Me- Dougall. On March 29, 1897, Second Lieutenant William S. Charles was unanimously elected first lieutenant, vice Babeoek promoted eap- tain. On Sunday, April 25, 1897, the company left Hornellsville, via the Erie Railroad, for New York city, to take part in the Grant Monument Inaugural parade, which was held on April 27th. The Forty-seventh Separate Company formed part of the provisional regiment of separate companies, composed of the Eighth, Forty- seventh, First, Thirtieth, Twenty-sixth, Thirty-fourth, Twenty-ninth, Forty-eighth, Second and Forty-first, and was commanded by Colonel George C. Fox, Seventy-fourth regiment, of Buffalo. 'The Forty- seventh Separate Company returned to its home station at 9:30 P. M., April 29th, after one of the most enjoyable trips of its his- tory. While the company was making preparations for a tour of duty at the eamp of instruction at Peekskill in 1897 death claimed one of the members, Private William H. Howard dying on July 8th. On July 9th the command left Hornellsville for Peekskill for a week's drill and instruction, arriving at the eamp at 9:30 A. M., July 10th. It was while at this eamp that the first aeeident befell the Forty-seventh Separate Company, for on Monday afternoon, July 12th, while the Y. M. C. A. tent, which is maintained at eamp, was filled with members of the different companies eneamped for the week, a bolt of lightning came out of a elear sky and struek the tent, killing one man, Corporal James J. McDonnell, of Company A, Twenty-second regiment, and seriously injuring fourteen others. Among the more seriously injured was Private Frank F. Gerber, of the Forty-seventh Separate Company, whose right side and leg were paralyzed by the shock. The injured were at once rushed to the hospital, where they were given every attention. Despite the best of medical aid Private Gerber never regained the use of his limb, and after an examination by a board of examiners he was granted a pension. His injuries compelled him to take a physical disability discharge from the Forty-seventh Separate Company, which was granted him April 6, 1899. The command arrived home from the tour of duty at 8:00 A. M., July 18, 1897. During the fall and winter of 1897 and the early spring of 1898 the company performed the required drills and parades each week, but nothing of importance transpired until the blowing up of the battleship "Maine" in Havana harbor in February, 1898. Then everything was hustle and bustle about the company's armory, for it was thought that unless something unforeseen should occur war was sure to result. The press of the country was continually ealling upon President MeKinley to take some action, but he wisely forebore until he could ascertain the resources and strength of the army and navy of the country. Recruiting in the Forty-seventh was rapid, and letters and telegrams poured in on Captain Babcock, asking that a place be reserved in the ranks for the applicants. On April 9, 1898, Captain Babeoek issued the following to the members of the company :
"HORNELLSVILLE, N. Y., April 9, 1898.
"ORDER NO. 5: (I)-The members of this command are hereby ordered not to leave the city without the permission of the commanding officer until further orders. (II)-In the event of a call for active service the members
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of this command will assemble in fatigue uniform, fully armed and cquipped (and overcoats if necessary ), leggings and campaign hat. Packs will be worn with blanket and poncho rolled thereon; overcoat, if not worn, will be rolled and strapped on bottom of pack. Each man should wear flannel or merino undershirt and drawers, and dark flannel overshirt; the socks should be strong and without darn; shoes strong, thick soled, wide toes and black. In addition to the above each man should carry two undershirts and drawers, three pairs socks, one dark flannel overshirt, one pair shoes, same as above, one housewife (needles, thread, etc.), one towel, soap, hairbrush and comb, toothbrush, shaving outfit, handkerchiefs, shoe-brush and blacking, cleaning materials, etc., for brasses and piece, and, if desired, a small Testament and prayer book, and clothes-brush. The toilet articles, shoe-brush, etc., may be divided among the several men, so that the burden will be lightened. A small amount of writing material may be taken. The lower portion of the pack must be left for the mess outfit. Mark every article plainly for identifica- tion. Do not load yourself with anything not herein prescribed. Rations will be furnished by the organization. This order is precautionary.
"F. G. BABCOCK, Captain."
Shortly after two o'clock in the afternoon of April 26, 1898, Captain Babcock received the following message from E. S. Warren, adjutant-general of the Fourth Brigade, at Buffalo:
"You are directed to comply at once with the following General Orders No. 5, Headquarters National Guard, Albany, N. Y., April 26th, in compliance with special order No. 64, which states: 'As a demand has been made upon the state of New York by the President of the United States, for volunteers, and as he has requested the quota to be sent from this state to be made up as far as possible from the National Guard, the Commander-in-Chief directs the Commanding Officer of the National Guard to have the commanding officers of each infantry organization in the state assemble at once their re- spective commands in uniform in their respective armories, and there by in- dividual expression, freely and voluntarily given, learn how many officers and enlisted men of his organization desire to be mustered into the service of the United States for the term of two years, unless sooner discharged, to serve where ordered by the proper authorities.' The result of the above instruc- tions will be telegraphed direct to General Headquarters at Albany, stating in the telegram the present enlisted strength of the organization, and the exact number of officers and enlisted men separately, who desire to volunteer, a roll of those volunteers will be made.
"By command of BRIGADIER GENERAL DOYLE, "E. S. WARREN, Asst. Adj. Gen."
Pursuant to the above order the members of the Forty-seventh Separate Company were ordered to report in uniform at the armory at 8:15 o'clock on the evening of April 26, 1898. As the news that the men were ordered to report at the armory had been spread about the city there was a large gathering of spectators when the order to "fall in" was given. But one man was absent. Those who expected to see the men volunteer were disappointed, for after the roll-call the company was marched into the billiard room, and there volun- teers were called for behind closed doors. As the orders were of a confidential nature Captain Babcock would not give out any in- formation as to the number of men who had volunteered, but he stated that when the call to march came the company would take its full quota of men. There were some members of the company who found it impossible to leave their families and volunteer, and these were not expected to offer their services. Neither would they have been accepted if offered, but scores of men were waiting to fill their places, and on April 29th the Forty-seventh had its full quota of eighty-four enlisted men. At 1:45 A. M., April 29, 1898, Cap- tain Babcock received the following message from Brigadier-General Peter C. Doyle, commander of the Fourth Brigade, of Buffalo, New
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York: "Arrange for your command to leave Sunday night to go to Hempstead, Long Island, to arrive about noon Monday. The hour of departure and route taken will be furnished. Take all camp equipage and three days' rations, based on state allowance of forty- eight cents per man. Use every means to have organization re- cruited to maximum quota, as set forth in General Order No. 8, mailed you this evening." The receipt of this message in Hornells- ville, following the declaration of war by President Mckinley, caused the stirring scenes of 1861 to be again enacted. Section and squad leaders of the Forty-seventh were immediately notified of the order and directed to notify the men under their immediate com- mand. Recruits were equipped and drilled at the armory, and the field equipment of the company was carefully inspected and packed, ready for shipment on the morrow. All day Saturday the only topic discussed by the residents of Hornellsville was "war." The members of Doty Post, G. A. R., held a special meeting and made arrangements to escort the Forty-seventh from the armory to the depot, no matter what the hour of departure from the city might be. Chief Lundrigan, of the city fire department, ordered the entire de- partment out as an escort to the "boys" who were going to the front. The full quota of men had been enlisted, but the corridors in the armory were thronged with men, many of whom had come from a distance, all anxious to enlist ; and it was stated by those in authority that so great was the wave of patriotism that swept over the city when it was known that the Forty-seventh was ordered to the front that a regiment could have been enlisted from Hornellsville at that time. Sunday, May 1, 1898, was a day never to be forgotten by the residents of Hornellsville, nor by any of the hundreds of visi- tors from the surrounding towns, who came to witness the departure of the Forty-seventh for the state camp at Hempstead, Long Island, from which place they would later be sent to the scene of the con- flict in Cuba. The day was most beautiful, and all day long the principal streets were thronged with people, while the grounds about the armory were packed with visitors, who were anxious to see all they could of friends and relatives who were soon to depart on their perilous mission. The city presented a most gorgeous appearance, and wherever one went the Stars and Stripes were in evidence. Everything was given over to the soldiers, and even in the churches the prayers were for the "boys in blue." Nearly every clergyman preached upon the all-absorbing topic, the war in Cuba. Invitations to attend services in a body were extended the company, but owing to the work of preparation it was impossible to accept. During the afternoon Captain Babcock received a special letter from Superin- tendent H. E. Gilpin, of the Susquehanna division of the Erie Rail- road, stating that his instructions from military headquarters were to the effect that a special train leaving Jamestown at 4:00 o'clock P. M. would arrive in Hornellsville at 7:00 P. M., with the Thir- teenth and Forty-third Separate Companies on board. Owing to the courtesy of D. T. Roberts, general passenger agent of the Erie, a Pullman sleeper was attached to the train for the use of the officers of the different companies, being furnished free of charge and as a compliment of the Erie Railroad Company. At about the same time a messenger boy came hurrying to the armory with a message to Captain Babcock from Fourth Brigade headquarters,
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stating that his company was ordered to leave its home station at 7:00 P. M. on the special train, which would leave Jamestown at 4:00 P. M. The members of the command bid a fond good-bye to their relatives and friends, and hurried to the armory to complete their preparations for departure. At five o'clock the signal agreed upon for the assembling of those who were to escort the troops to the depot was given by the fire alarm. Immediately the crowds on the street began to increase, and by the time the line was ready to move every point of view along the line of march was occupied. While the escort was assembling a special train arrived from Way- land, bearing about one hundred and eighty people, who had come to see the boys off. They formed in line, headed by the Abram Drum Corps of seventeen pieces, and marched to the city hall to join the other escort. The baggage of the Forty-seventh was loaded and the company marched out on the lawn, where a photograph of the com- inand was taken by Sutton. At the second signal from the fire alarm the line moved in the following order: Platoon of police; Mayor Rathbun ; Chief Engineer Lundrigan and Assistant Engineers Haverty and Lindsay; Hornell band; Maple City Hose Company ; Emerald Hose Company, Babcock Hook and Ladder Company and Prindle Hose Company; Forty-seventh Separate Company's bag- gage wagon; Abram's Drum Corps; Doty Post, No. 226, G. A. R., one hundred of the old veterans being in line; Wayland delegation ; Guard of Honor, composed of ex-members of the Forty-seventh Sep- arate Company ; the Forty-seventh Separate Company, N. G., N. Y .; Hartshorn's Church Men's class. The line of march was down Sen- eca to Main, down Main to Center, countermarch to Canisteo, to Loder, to Erie station. The entire line of march was a perfect ovation, and when the procession reached the station it was met by the largest crowd that had ever gathered there. It was a seething mass of humanity, through which it was next to impossible for the line to penetrate. The company finally reached their train, and after several selections by the band, ending with "America," in which the crowd joined in singing. there were many tearful farewells, and many a hearty hand-grasp and good wishes of good luck and a safe return. Then, amid the cheers of the multitude, the train pulled out of the station and the command was at last on its way to the scene of active preparations for the war with Spain. At every sta- tion on the Erie the special bearing the first troops transported in the war was greeted by the entire population, who cheered them- selves hoarse as the train thundered by. The command arrived at Jersey City shortly after seven o'clock, Monday morning, May 2, 1898. They were immediately, in company with the other organiza- tions of the provisional regiment, transferred to a waiting ferry boat, which conveyed them to Long Island City, at which point they en- trained for Camp Black, Hempstead Plains, near Garden City, Long Island.
The arrival of the train at Jersey City was the signal for the greatest ovation that was ever tendered a body of troops in this country. Every bell and whistle on the hundreds of boats in the river and the numerous engines in the railroad yards, as well as the factory whistles, started to ring and blow, while the water front of New York was one solid mass of bunting and waving flags and hand- kerchiefs. The company arrived at Camp Black shortly after noon,
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tired, hungry and with no prospects of dinner in sight; for, through some misunderstanding, the baggage of the company did not ac- company the command from Long Island City to the camp. To add to the discomfort of the troops the rain began to fall, and all were soon wet to the skin and shaking with the cold. With no place in which to seek shelter the men of the Forty-seventh were obliged to make the best of the situation and wait for their baggage, which came in shortly before dark. With the arrival of the baggage every one fell to and the line of tents was soon erected. Meanwhile Quar- termaster Frank Storms and his able corps of assistants had started a rousing fire and commenced the work of preparing a bountiful supper for the nearly famished members of the command. Immedi- ately after supper the tired men of the Forty-seventh went to the tent assigned them, utterly worn out with the fatigue of the pre- ceding twenty-four hours. Reveille was sounded at 5:25 the morn- ing of May 3rd, and after a hasty breakfast the men proceeded to put their street in military order. On this day the Forty-seventh Separate Company lost its identity as a separate organization, for on May 3, 1898, it was designated Company K, Third Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, U. S. Army. Assistant Surgeon Charles O. Green, who accompanied the command to Camp Black, left for his home Tuesday morning, as the Hospital Corps of the Third Regiment would not be accepted by the government, and his services were not required. The physical examination of the regi- ment was commenced on May 10th, and, be it said to the credit of the regiment, less than five per cent of the men were rejected by the examining officers, Major William M. Bemus and Lieutenants Alfred F. Hodgman and Reeve B. Howland. As soon as a man was rejected the commanding officer to whom he belonged would tele- graph his home station for a man to take the place of the rejected soldier. Meanwhile drills, guard duty and routine work were being done pursuant to regimental orders. The programme for the day was as follows: Reveille, 5:25 A. M .; mess, 5:30; section drill, 6:00; mess, 11:00; company drill, 3:25; mess, 5:00; tattoo, 10:00; taps, 11:00. In a very short while a great improvement was noted in the guard duty and drill of the different companies of the regi- ment, and the open-air life caused the men to become bronzed and hardened. Company K, as the Forty-seventh was now known and designated, had no second lieutenant at this time, and First Ser- geant George G. Grosvenor was promoted to the vacancy, success- fully passing the examination given him by the colonel and majors of the regiment. May 17, 1898, was a red-letter day in the history of Company K; for on the afternoon of that day the regiment was drawn up in line on the sandy Hempstead plains, preparatory to being sworn into the United States service by Captain W. S. Schuy- ler, Fifth United States Cavalry. As the regiment was drawn up in line the sun, which had been hidden behind lowering clouds, suddenly broke through the mists and shone in all its splendor upon the uncovered heads of 1,300 men, who were about to swear al- legiance to the greatest country in the world, the United States. The white tents of the regiment formed a perfect background, while the plain for miles on either hand assumed a purple tint, owing to the countless millions of violets with which it was carpeted. The sight was most inspiring, and at the same time awesome. At exact-
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ly 3:37 P. M. on May 17, 1898, the members of Company K raised their right hands, and with a resounding "We do" took a solemn obligation to obey the president of the United States and those officers who were placed in command of them against all enemies of the United States, according to the regulations and articles of war. The following composed the roster of Company K from Hor- nellsville, New York, who were sworn into United States service on May 17, 1898: Captain, Francis G. Babcock; first lieutenant, Will- iam S. Charles; second lieutenant, George H. Grosvenor ; quarter- master sergeant, Frank E. Storms; sergeants, Raymond Wafer and John D. Groves; corporals, Fred J. Pierce, Arthur D. Shaffer and John W. Robinson; privates, Charles G. Alley, Jr., Bert Arwine, Lewis Burd, Millard R. Brown, Frank P. Barker, Albert Balmos, Claude H. Beard, Harry Bickford, Alvaro G. Bonney, Lewis Clancy, James A. Crandall, Jr., Winfield R. Crandall, Arthur H. Cunning- liam, Richard L. Carter, Raymond Cottrell, Arthur W. Davis, Charles L. Davis, Percy H. Doty, John B. Doane, Joseph M. Geary, John M. Gilbert, James W. Griswold, Albert L. Gregory, Joseph E. Hurley, Edward W. Hanlon, William H. Hunt, Miles S. Jordan, Leon M. Kysor, Frank J. Kennedy, Ray W. Lanphear, Harry C. McEvoy, William H. Moore, Harry D. Munn, William H. Monroe, William S. Mitchell, John R. Murray, George C. Myres, Claude E. Martin, George W. Newman, John M. Ostrander, Charles L. B. Ordway, George H. Patterson, Frank B. Pritchard, Frank G. Place, Fred E. Putman, Florence V. Ragon, Albert Richey, Clarence L. Rowley, Harry I. Spring, Albert R. Stannard, Frank A. Stewart, Fred D. Sutliff, Bert Santee, Henry Sherman, John Stevens, Robert W. Spooner, George W. Townsend, Fred C. Teasdale, Glenn B. Teeter, George E. Totten, Russell R. Wells, Burr W. Ward, Abner M. Wal- lace, Charles P. Wafer, Rollin G. Wilkins, Merle R. Wallace, Fred- erick C. Wiggins, Lewis G. Lockwood, Charles E. Hennessy, Joseph B. Velie, Daniel C. Smith, Bert Cole, Robert E. Reynolds, Edward Lundrigan and Luther F. Coburn; making a full quota of eighty- four officers and enlisted men. On May 19th Sergeant John D. Groves was promoted first sergeant, vice Grosvenor, promoted sec- ond lieutenant. On the same day Corporals Pierce, Robinson and Private Santee were promoted sergeants and Privates Bonney, Greg- ory, Hanlon, Newman, Merle, Wallace and Wilkins were promoted corporals, all pursuant to Order 23, dated May 24, 1898. Frank B. Pritchard and John Stevens were appointed musicians; Albert Stan- nard, artifieer, and Miles S. Jordan, wagoner. Following the mus- ter into the United States service of the Third regiment it was drilled daily in both elose and extended order, and within a short time was conceded to be the best drilled regiment in camp. In pur- suance to orders from the war department the regiment left Camp Black May 28, 1898, and proceeded to Camp Alger, near Dunn Lor- ing, Virginia, over the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, arriving at Dunn Loring at 8:00 A. M. May 29th. The regiment detrained and marched about three miles to its camp, being assigned to the First Brigade, Second Division, Second Army Corps. Pursuant to orders from the war department the regiment was recruited to the maxi- mum strength, recruiting parties being sent to the home station of each company in the regiment for that purpose. On Wednesday afternoon, June 8, 1898, Sergeant Fred J. Pierce, of Company K,
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was ordered to proceed to Hornellsville, New York, for the purpose of securing twenty-five recruits, that number being required to bring Company K up to the full quota required in the armory at Hornells- army. A recruiting office was opened in the armory at Hornells- ville on June 10, 1898, and within a few hours the required number of men had been examined by Surgeon Charles O. Green. On June 16, 1898, Captain John T. Sadler, commanding Company L, Third New York Volunteer Infantry, accompanied by Assistant Surgeon Howland, arrived in Hornellsville for the purpose of swearing the recruits into United States service. At the close of a rigid examina- tion the following men were enlisted as privates in Company K: Alfred E. Bates, Charles E. Dunn, Ray Lanphear, Dennis T. Nolan, Clarence W. Norwood, William H. Quick, Thomas J. Ryan, Frank S. Shaut, David C. Siver, Patrick Tafe, Lee M. Van Campen, Frank J. Walters, Wade H. Webb and Gilbert M. Wright, all of Hornells- ville, and the following. from Wellsville, New York: Andrew B. Buchanan, William R. Baker, William R. Calkins, Burton D. Danks, Patrick E. Doyle, Oswold W. Foreman, Wheeler B. Hakes, Charles H. Hoagland, Ernest Johnson, Kris Kull, Harry D. Ostrander, Will- iam Ostrander and Perry D. Reed. On June 17, 1898, the recruits entrained at the Erie depot for Camp Alger, Virginia. Their march from the armory to the depot, escorted by a detachment of the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Separate Company and headed by the Hornell band, was an ovation the entire length. The train bearing the recruits left Hornellsville at 4:10 P. M. and arrived in Elmira at 7:30 P. M., where they were met by Captain Sadler, who ordered them to report at the armory of the Thirtieth Separate Com- pany. They were joined at the armory by the recruits from Olean. Both detachments entrained at Elmira shortly after eight o'clock that evening for Washington, via Harrisburg and Baltimore. The detachment arrived at Dunn Loring, Virginia, shortly before one o'clock Saturday afternoon, June 18th, and were met at the depot by Battalion Adjutant Smith. The march to the camp was at once commenced, the recruits arriving in camp just as Company K was assembling for battalion drill. The recruits were at once assigned quarters and, after washing the dust of travel from their persons, were given a hearty meal by Quartermaster Storms. The usual drill, guard and routine work of the regiment continued until June 22, 1898, when the Third New York and the One Hundred and Fifty- ninth Indiana regiments went on a practice march and outpost duty, carrying packs, blankets and shelter tents, to the Allen farm, on Difficult Run, about eleven miles from Camp Alger, and were absent three days. This was the hardest march undertaken by the regi- ment, and the men were nearly exhausted upon their return to camp. The weather was intensely hot, and the men, although in heavy marching order and carrying three days' rations, established a rec- ord for the distance traveled. After this march orders were issued from the war department that no more record-breaking attempts should be undertaken, and the regular routine of drill, guard and police duty was resumed. July 1, 1898, will long be remembered by the members of Company K as the hottest day in the history of Camp Alger up to that time; for at 3:00 P. M. the mercury in the thermometer in Colonel Hoffman's tent, located in a comparatively cool place in the wood on the hillside, registered 105 degrees Fahren-
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