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Spanish American War
The primary cause of the war with Spain was her treatment of the Cubans concentrating them in cities and towns and starving them into submission to tyrannical methods of government. The incentive cause was the blowing up of the United States battleship Maine in the harbor of Havana February 15, 1898, the explosion causing the disaster being so tremendous as to shake the very city of Havana and besides destroying the ship killing 266 American sailors and marines. For while there were a few people in the United States who actually believed that the explosion was the result of an accident, interior to the Maine herself, yet the great majority quickly came to the conclusion to which they still rigidly adhere that the explosion came from the outside. A court of inquiry consisting of Captain Sampson, Captain Chadwick, and Lieutenant Marix was appointed by Captain Sigsbee of the battleship Maine and the people of the United States were requested by Captain Sigsbee to suspend judgment as to the origin of the disaster until this court of inquiry should have time to thoroughly investigate and make its report. The popular belief, however, was strengthened and intensified by the report of Diver JW Bonner, who went to Havana harbor February 23, worked on the wreck until February 28, and found that the forward turret of the ship had been thrown from the port side of the vessel backward, a distance of seventy feet into the starboard superstructure, and that the ship's bottom on the starboard side had been thrown up and that it projected four feet above the surface of the water which would have been impossible from an interior explosion.
A great tidal wave of patriotism swept over the country which so acted on congress that on March 7, that body appropriated $50,000,000 to be used by the President of the United States at his discretion for the public defense and while it was thought for a time that foreign nations would array themselves in support of Spain in case of war between that country and the United States, yet that fear soon vanished especially when it became evident that England would remain steadfastly the friend of the latter country.
That war was inevitable became evident within one month from the blowing up of the Maine, but there was much disappointment upon the receipt of the report of the court of inquiry for although it confirmed the popular belief in the exterior origin of the explosion yet it utterly failed to fix the responsibility therefore.
March 29 resolutions were introduced into congress providing for the recognition of the independence of Cuba and there was much impatience manifested throughout the country because the President appeared to be opposed to warlike measures, but the people did not so fully understand the true condition of the army and navy as did the President. As in other states of the Union, active preparations for war began in Tennessee in advance of the declaration of war by congress. In the month of March it was decided by the state authorities to increase the number of men in each company of militia to 100 and the militia was ready before April, 1 to respond to any call that might be made upon them by President McKinley.
In order to accommodate all such as might desire to enter the service of the state, the Legion armory in Knoxville, was kept open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays of each week, and Major Ramage of the First battalion was anxious to enlist men enough to fill his companies A and B as soon as possible. March 31, an election of officers for company B was held resulting in the election of WH Purple, captain; CM Dyer, first lieutenant; JN Day, second lieutenant.
On April 11, President McKinley, by a message to congress, asked for the use of the army and navy to secure the termination of hostilities in Cuba between Spain and the insurgents which caused varied opinion and comment.
April 19, both houses of congress passed resolutions demanding that Spain withdraw her land, and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban waters, and directing and empowering the President to use the entire land and naval forces of the United States. and to call out the militia of the several states to such extent as might be necessary to carry these resolutions into effect. On April 18, the local troops of Knoxville and vicinity were in readiness to move both those of the First battalion and of company C unattached. The captains of these three companies were as follows :Company A, Mel Brandon; company B: WH Purple, and company C: WH Brown. Rev John H Frazee was chaplain of the First battalion and Rev MD Jeffries of company C.
Battery D of the Fifth United States artillery were the first troops seen in Knoxville after the trouble with Spain began.
This was April 21, 1898, the battery consisting of seventy-five men, and being on its way to Chickamauga, Battery F came next day and afterward followed troops C, E, F, and G of the Third United States cavalry. The passing of these soldiers through the city raised the enthusiasm of the people to the highest state. April 21 came an order for the organization of a regiment in East Tennessee, and on the same day twenty young men from Carson Newman college at Mossy Creek were admitted to company C. At this time came the news of the firing of the first gun of the war by Captain Washburn Maynard, second son of Hon. Horace Maynard. Captain Maynard being a Knoxville boy, born in that city in 1846, and entering the academy at Annapolis in 1865, graduating there in 1869. He made the first capture of the war of the steamer Buena Ventura with a cargo of 875,000 feet of lumber worth $10,000.
President McKinley issued his call for volunteers April 23, 1898, for 125,000 men to serve for two years, or during the war unless sooner discharged. On the same day Adjutant General Sykes called out the entire national guard of the state of Tennessee numbering 3,800 infantry and 200 artillery.
The First battalion assembled at Pilgrim Congregational church LINK (photo p. 180 +)Sunday April 24 to listen to a sermon from their chaplain Rev John H Frazee, and on the next day Captains Brandon and Purple were detailed as recruiting officers, in order to fill up their respective commands. Finally on April 25 war was declared against Spain by which the public mind was greatly relieved and satisfied that something was to be done that would redound to the honor of the country. On the same day, an order was issued by Secretary of War Alger calling upon the several states for troops. Tennessee being required to furnish three regiments, and Nashville being designated as the rendezvous. Recruiting troops in Knoxville was an easy matter, there being more men applying for position in the several companies organized than they could hold.
On the day of the declaration of war, the two companies of the First battalion were filled, and there were men enough over to fill another company. A Legion Flag, fund started by Mrs Mary Burns, was quickly raised to $87.50 and a committee appointed to oversee the matter of the presentation of the flag, which took place Wednesday morning April 27. On the day previous, company D from Elizabethtown, and company K from Greeneville, arrived in Knoxville, a large number coming in from Mossy Creek to join with company C. A meeting was held for the purpose of raising money with which to purchase blankets for the boys. $192.69 being quickly raised and 160 men being supplied in this way, April 27, the inspection and examination of the recruits was begun in Knoxville, a corps of physicians volunteering for the purpose consisting of Drs William Bowen, JF Scott, John W Carmichael, SR Miller, and SM Miller. From the membership of company C, numbering 108 men, eighteen were rejected. The requirements were that each man must stand at least five feet four inches in height, weigh 128 pounds, have good eyes, good hearing, be temperate, have a minimum chest measure of thirty four inches, and a minimum chest expansion of one and a half inches. On April 28, a fund was raised quickly running up to $573.74 for the purchase of supplies for the soldiers, and on May 3, the companies of Major Ramage's command left Knoxville for Nashville. A war committee was selected consisting of HM Branson, Jesse L Rogers, Peter Kern, Daniel Briscoe, WE Gibbins, SN Littleton, NB Morrell, Edward Maynard, and RW Austin, which did much and very efficient work during the continuance of the war.
Major Weeks, formerly Captain Weeks of company D, which came in from Elizabethton, arrived in Knoxville May 12 to take charge of the recruiting and to raise if possible 100 men as so many of those who had enlisted at first failed to pass the examination. The three companies that left Knoxville as above related became companies A, B, and C of the Third Tennessee, and before the examination occurred this regiment contained 1,134 men. On the 17th of the month, Major Weeks sent forward to Nashville fifty-three men, forty-seven others being sent from other portions of East Tennessee. Dr William Bowen was appointed surgeon of this regiment with Drs GC Givens, of Harriman, and G Manning Ellis, of Chattanooga, as assistant surgeons. This regiment was the first in the Southern States mustered into the service of the United States for the war. The regiment reached Chickamauga Park May 24th, 1898. The field and staff officers were JP Fyffe of Chattanooga, Colonel DM Coffman of Rockwood. Lieutenant Colonel WH Brown, and EC Ramage of Knoxville and Weeks of Elizabethton, Majors EA Turner Chattanooga, Adjutant Hart Reeves of Huntsville, quartermaster Rev JC Wright of Harriman chaplain and Dr William Bowen of Knoxville major surgeon. The number of men in the regiment at that time was 1,005. Together with the First Vermont and Eighth New York, it was assigned to the Third brigade of the First division of the Third army corps. When the regiment was ready to be mustered, it was found there were too many companies and company E recruited by Capt SE Beyland was disbanded the men being assigned to fill out the quota cf other companies. When company G was about to be mustered it was found one man short when Beyland quietly took off his shoulder straps and took his place in the ranks as a private soldier. The next day he was appointed ordnance sergeant of the regiment.
The Fourth Tennessee volunteers was mobilized at Knoxville and was the first regiment mustered under the President's second call for volunteers in the Spanish war. Its colonel was George Leroy Brown, a regular army officer who for some time had been engaged as commandant of cadets at the University of Tennessee. Harvey H Hannah of Oliver Springs was lieutenant colonel and WC Tatom major of the Second battalion, Rev RN Price of Morristown afterwards became chaplain. Company A was commanded by Capt Walter M Fitzgerald and was made up in Knox and adjacent counties his lieutenants being Thos E Matson of Johnson City, and JE Stokely of Jefferson county, Wm A Knabe of Knoxville was chief musician and Wm H Sanders first principal.
From Rule, Standard History of Knoxville, Tennessee, Lewis Publishing Company, 1900, page 189: “General John T. Wilder, on a visit to Secretary of War Alger, June 20, 1898, secured assurances that Knoxville would be made a campsite in the location of the camps for soldiers that were not sent forward to Cuba, or while they might be in waiting. Sites for the Fourth and Sixth regiments were selected June 22, that for the Sixth being on what was formerly Elmwood Park, two miles east of the city on the Park street short line, and consisting of seventy acres of land surrounded on three sides by woodland, and about fifty yards to the eastward was the site of the camp of the Fourth regiment, nearly south of the residence of N.S. Woodward, seventy acres of grass land and well drained. About 5,000 acres of land, partly covered with timber, was there available for a drill and parade ground. A pipe line was laid to the Knoxville water works though the camp, and there were pipes, four inches in diameter, from this main pipe through the center of the camp with hydrants where needed.”
The Fourth Tennessee regiment was mustered July 13th, 1898, remained in camps here until November 28th, on which date it left Knoxville for Cuba sailing from Savannah. December 1st landing at the port of Trinidad December 6th. It remained here, the regiment being divided, and battalions being on duty at different points until March 28th, 1899, when it sailed for Savannah on April 1st. The regiment was kept in quarantine until April 8th, and was mustered out at Savannah on the 6th day of May, 1899. A reception was tendered the regiment at Chilhowee Park soon after its arrival at which words of welcome were spoken followed by refreshments prepared for the occasion by Knoxville ladies.
The Sixth US Volunteers, a magnificent regiment, was mobilized at Knoxville and was largely a Knoxville regiment. Its commander Col Laurence D Tyson was a Knoxville man and had been a regular army officer. Andrew S Rowan the lieutenant colonel was also a regular army officer, Paul E Divine of Tazewell, and Spears Whitaker of North Carolina, were majors. Cary F Spence was adjutant, and Horace Vandeventer quartermaster, both Knoxville men. Among the other officers of the regiment were First Lieutenants Thos A Davis, Frank Maloney, J Baird French, George F Milton, ER Carter, Frank E Murphy, and Second Lieutenants J Welcker, Park Cornelius, Williams and EE Houk, Cary F Spence, Horace Vandeventer, Thos A Davis, and Frank Maloney, were each afterwards promoted to the rank of captain. AM Hall was promoted from quartermaster sergeant to second lieutenant, Shirley E Spence from sergeant major to second lieutenant, and Alvin Barton from first sergeant company C, to second lieutenant, Frank E Murphy was made adjutant, and afterwards quartermaster of the regiment. J Baird French was commissioned adjutant and held that position when the regiment was mustered out. The regiment was mustered at Camp Wilder on the 15th day of July, 1898, by Lieutenant Vestal of the 7th US cavalry, July 30th, it was ordered to Chickamauga Park where it became a part of the Second brigade, first division, Third army corps. It left Chickamauga Park October 6th, 1898, for New York, and sailed from there for Porto Rico on the 9th of October, arriving at San Juan October 15th. The regiment was then divided and was on garrison duty at various points in the northern half of the island with headquarters at Arecibo. This duty was performed until February 12th, 1899, when the regiment was ordered to Savannah to be mustered out. The muster out occurred at Savannah March 15th, 1899.
(Source: Standard History of Knoxville, Tennessee, William Rule, Lewis Publishing Company, 1900)
