OBITUARY

COL. CHARLES PARKHURST

RETIRED OFFICER, DEAD

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Longmeadow Man Was Artillery Captain in Spanish-American War

Col. Charles D. Parkhurst, 81 of 131 Benedict Terrace, Longmeadow, who served in the United States Army from 1872 until he retired in 1908, died at Weson Memorial Hospital yesterday morning after a long illness.

He was born at Providence R.I. and was graduated from the Providence High School and from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1872. He was then commissioned an officer in the 5th New York Cavalry. After serving in the western Indian campaign, he was transferred to the heavy artillery in 1886.

In the Spanish-American war in 1898 he was captain 2nd field artillery. He received his commission as colonel in 1906 and two years later was retired from service.

Until last December he lived at New London, Ct., when he came to Longmeadow to make his home with his son, Capt. George C. Parkhurst who is stationed at the U. S. Armory here.

The body will be taken to New London in the morning in charge of the W. H. Graham corporation for services and burial in that city.

(The Springfield Daily Republican, Springfield, Mass.: Saturday, May 16, 1931.) (Article from the Springfield Genealogical/Historical Library, via Peter G. Parkhurst) (See Vol. 2, # 4) (See GPI, pg. 432).

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The following is a copy of the report Captain Charles Dyer Parkhurst sent to The Adjutant General, U. S. Army, Washington D. C., written at New London, Conn., on September 12, 1898. It was taken from, Message from The President of The United States to The Third Session of The Fifty-Fifth Congress, Washington: Govern- ment Printing Office, 1899. (Submitted by Bob Parkhurst of Redwood City California).

New London, Conn., Sept. 12,1898

The Adjutant General, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C.

Sir:

I have the honor to submit the following report upon the service of my Battery (F, Second Artillery) during the months of June and July, covering the expedition to, and operations about, Santiago de Cuba:

1. The horses, men, personal baggage, and camp equipment of the battery were loaded upon the transport Berkshire, in connection with Battery A, Second Artillery, prior to June 13, 1898, and the transport hauled out into the stream; but the ship came into the slip again and the horses were unloaded and sent up to camp, awaiting final departure of the expedition.

On June 13 the horses were reloaded, and the transport hauled out and proceeded to the lower bay to await the assembly of the fleet.

The guns, carriages, caissons, harnesses, and general battery equipment had all been previously loaded and stowed, in connection with Battery A, Second Artillery, upon the lower deck of the transport Iroquios, it being possible to load and stow without dismounting any of the artillery. The ammunition, and also that of Battery A, Second Artillery, was all stowed, under personal supervision, in the forward lower hold of the same transport.

It is to be regretted that it was impossible to have loaded the complete battery upon one transport; but owing to the character and arrangements of these transports, taken as they were where they could be found, such an arrangement was impossible. On the Iroquois there was room available for guns and carriages, but none for the horses. On the Berkshire horses and men could be taken, but there was no room for guns, etc. Hence, the separation of the men and horses from the guns etc., appeared unavoidable, even though undesirable.

On June 14, at about 3 p. m., the fleet had got into position and proceeded to sea. The trip at sea was without particular incident of interest. Though somewhat crowded, and, from the construction and nature of the transport, without much accommodation in the way of cooking, the men got along very comfortably . They were allowed to occupy nearly the whole ship by day and sleep anywhere at night. The saloon staterooms were allotted to the recommissioned officers. There was no sickness, and, so far as the men were concerned, nothing better could have been expected under the circumstances.

As to the horses, they stood the confinement and heat of the horse deck much better than had been anticipated. It was to be regretted, however, that the horses deck, being of iron, necessitated a temporary wooden cover upon which to fasten the stanchions for the stalls and cleats to prevent slipping. This wooden covering and the cleats formed a regular open work grill, into which chaff and manure would pack in spite of all efforts to the contrary. The build of the ship, too, was such that no gangways could be provided in rear of the horses, there being barely room for one gangway at their head; hence the manure was difficult to be got at and removed. All this made it next to impossible to keep the horses deck as clean as it should have been.

As there were but two small scuppers - one on each side - on this deck, and as the deck was said not to be tight and the hold beneath was full of cargo, no cleaning by flushing out with hose was permissible.

The ventilation was defective, but through the fault of no one, being the best possible from the construction of the ship. Fresh air was admitted through two large wind sails in the forward hatches, and also through the deadlights upon each side of the ship. The side ports, one forward and one aft on each side of the ship, were so constructed that they could not be opened generally with safety; hence there was no proper exit for the foul and heated air, or any chance to cause a strong draft throughout the horse deck.

The small side ports, or deadlights, were quite numerous, and could generally kept open. They were fitted with extemporized hoods of tin, made by the battery blacksmith, and, with these hoods, admitted a good deal of fresh air while the ship was under way.

By shifting the horses about continuously in a regular order, so as to bring them all in turn into the cooler and fresher part of the deck, they were kept in fair condition, with but one or two exceptions. One horse became sick and exhausted, and died; another was about gone when we were ready to unload, and died before reaching the shore, and another was overheated, and drowned from spasms while swimming ashore. With these exceptions, the horses were landed in very fair condition.

It is to be understood that no criticism or fault-finding is intended by the above mentioned report as to the horse deck. It is well known and understood that transports had to be taken as they could be found and the best possible use be made of them. It is not to be supposed that a vessel built for a horse transports were to be had, and it is fully conceded that the best possible arrangements were made to convert the Berkshire into a transport upon which horses could be sent with but small risk of disaster.

The same is to said as to the limited arrangements for cooking and messing for the men. The Berkshire, from her build and previous trade in the merchant service, had simply a forward galley of size commensurate for her limited crew, and aft a small pantry for a limited number of passengers; hence nothing could have been provided.

As the men had travel rations, the main thing was to provide coffee. This was arranged for by the provision of some large barrels with a steam coil within, in which barrels of coffee could be made by steam heat. By amicable arrangements with the ship's cook and captain I obtained the use of the cook's galley when not in use for the crew, and by cooking at night was thus enabled to give the men extra food above the travel ration from stores brought along for the purpose.

Taken all in all, the trip by sea was by no means a great hardship; the men were cheerful and contented; there was no sickness, and nothing happened in any way to mar the success of the expedition.

2. After arriving at the coast of Cuba the artillery was not landed for a day or two after the infantry had all but landed. Finally the order was received, and the Berkshire moved in and anchored within about 400 to 500 yards of the beach.

Contrary to the teachings of the books, the horses would not swim ashore unaided. At first they were sent overboard loosely, expecting that they would swim ashore; but this was at once found to be an impracticable method, for they would swim back to the ship, or to sea - anywhere but to shore.

Consequently the ships boats had to be used to tow the horses ashore, or to the edge of the surf, and then drive them ashore, or keep them from swimming to sea. But two horses could be taken at a time, and this made many trips especially tiresome because of rough water, and because even then, when turned loose, some of the horses refused to go ashore and had to be caught up and again brought back.

The ships crew was but limited in number, and could not manage the boats all day. They assisted as best possible by detail of men from the batteries. But soldiers are not necessarily sailors, or as a general rule taught a sailors duty, even in rowing a boat; hence the men available for boat's crews were but few in number, greatly handicapping us in this work. We did the best we could, everyone working faithfully and zealously to get done with a long, tedious, and hard job.

As it is was my fortune to be one of the last to unload my horses, I could profit from observation. I therefore sent a trumpeter and a heavy detail of men ashore, some of who were fearless swimmers. By this means I got my horses ashore without much trouble. After they were turned loose from the boats the trumpeter would sound some familiar call and the men would rush in to catch up some horse about to turn back, frightened by the surf. The trumpet appeared to attract their attention and give them confidence, and, a bunch of horses being purposely kept in sight on the beach, the most of them would come through the surf to the trumpet to join those in sight.

Unfortunately, as I began unloading late in the afternoon, darkness prevented its full accomplishment that day, and it had to be finished the next morning; but the last horse was unloaded and all in camp at the picket line before 8 a.m.. After the horses were all on shore one-half of the battery was sent on shore under the orders received to care for them, the rest being held on board to be available for unloading the battery whenever this became possible.

On June 25 a boat came alongside to take the men to the Iroquois for this purpose. I went in charge of my men and unloading was begun at once.

Everything had to be loaded up through the hatches and lowered onto a barge alongside. This was accomp-lished by my battery in exactly one hour and three-quarters. On this barge was Battery A, Second Artillery, as well as my own, and everything belonging to the battery equipment, except the ammunition, was unloaded on June 25. There was no room for this ammunition after the two batteries were unloaded, and furthermore, a tug came along side to take the barge to the dock just as the loading of the harness was completed, and would not have waited for any further unloading; hence the ammu- nition was not touched. It was to be remarked that all of this unloading by my battery was with my own men, assisted by the first and second mates of the ship, and wholly unassisted by any stevedores.

By daylight on June 26 a detail was sent to the Iroquois to break out and begin loading the ammunition on the barge to sent ashore. This barge had been sent back to the Iroquois sometime during the night, after the batteries had been unloaded from it to the shore. It was long after dark before I finished unloading my battery to the shore, as I was prevented from working except when the track was clear from its then use in unloading small-arms ammunition from small boats. The officer in charge of this work permitted me to unload so long as such unloading did not stop his work, hence there were times when I had to wait and do nothing, waiting for the one track and only road to be clear to permit me to run a gun or a caisson on shore. This is only mentioned as a sample of the difficulties under which we worked.

On June 26, while one detail was at work unloading ammunition from the Iroquois, the rest of the men on the Berkshire were hard at work stowing away and arranging the property to be left back and packing up their own kits and rations preparatory to going ashore. While so engaged, a steam launch came alongside and General Shafter in person ordered everybody and everything on board said launch to go on shore.

It is not the place here to mention what transpired before we got on shore; that can be made the subject of a special report if necessary. Suffice it to say that finally the ammunition came on shore, and everyone went zealously to work to load up the battery with ammunition, draw rations, and forage, and get in shape to move to the front.

The battery was in shape and pulled out by 3 p.m. and marched to within a short distance of Siboney, and there bivouacked for the night.

On June 27 we were again on march shortly after daylight, passed by Siboney, and then on to the front, camping near General Wheeler's headquarters beyond Seville. June 28, 29, and 30 were passed in this camp.

On June 30, in the evening, orders were received to be ready to move at a moment's notice in the morning. At daylight, July 1, we were therefore harnessed up and ready to move. At about 7 a.m. orders were received to proceed to and report at General Shafter's headquarters at the front. This order was complied with, and my battery, in company with Battery K, First Artillery (Captain Best's), was parked just of the road near these headquarters, and were here held in reserve for some hours, the exact time not taken. Finally, about noon, orders were received to move to the front. We then proceeded and took a position upon the hill near El Pozo.

From this position we could see San Juan Hill, and we were given it as our objective. Captain Best's battery on my right, followed by my battery, opened upon the entrenchments and so called blockhouse upon the extremity of the hill, all clearly to be seen from our position.

At this time our line of infantry was clearly to be seen lying down near the foot of San Juan Hill, and the enemy's fire was plainly seen with field glasses coming from entrenchments and blockhouse.

My first shot was fired with a range of 2,450 yards, and was plainly seen to land in the enemy's entrench- ments; following this was another shot, at 2,475 yards, the shell again landed beyond the first but in the entrenchments; the next shot, at 2,500 yards range, hit the blockhouse, and my last shot, at the same range, also hit the blockhouse. This firing was slow and deliberate, to be sure of the right range, and every shot was carefully watched to see it land; hence the knowledge as to just what each shot did.

In the meantime Captain Best's battery also landed four shells in the entrenchments. I had obtained the range at which he intended to fire and purposely increased it so as to shoot and hit some place beyond. These eight shots were all that were know to have been fired, as Captain Grimes's battery, on the right of Captain Best's, was busy in refilling ammunition chests at the time, and was not firing.

After my fourth shot I received the order to cease firing, and running out of the smoke again to get a clear view, I saw with my glasses, and also with the unaided eye, that our infantry had rushed upon and captured the position, and were swarming about the blockhouse. As I had stepped back into the smoke to reload after the fourth shot, and was busy reloading, I did not see the enemy abandon the position, nor our infantry when they made the charge up the hill. But it was apparently done but in the few moments required for me to superintend the reloading for the second round, the signal "cease firing" being given with in a moment or two after my last shot.

Our infantry having captured the extremity of the hill and the blockhouse, there was no further firing possible at this objective.

Orders were at first received to prepare for camp in this position upon El Pazo Hill, and they were made accordingly. The guns were put in better position, the caissons parked under the protection of the hill, and a picket line was being prepared for the horses.

Before this was finished, however, orders were received to move up to the front and take position with Captain Best's battery, which had been previously moved to the front, and had gone into action from the top of San Juan Hill.

The battery was at once moved to the front, but before arriving there, word was received to take another road, leading us finally to a ridge in rear of San Juan Hill. Here Captain Best's battery was found upon this ridge, and my Battery went into position on his left.

The name of this ridge is unknown. It had evidently been the scene of an engagement earlier in the day, as dead bodies and spent shells were found upon it. Upon the crest to the right was a house, and near my position were two large cauldrons with a pipe leading thereto. Under the hill was another house, in which were some of our killed and wounded, and behind it a small clearing in the woods, within which our horses and caissons were located.

From this ridge it was impossible for our guns to be of any service. San Juan Hill was higher and but a short distance in our front, and completely hid the enemy. Consequently nothing could be done from this position.

The battery remained in this position until shortly after midnight, and then was moved forward to the crest of San Juan Hill at its right-hand end, and there took position in company with Battery A, Second Artillery, on my right, and Battery K, First Artillery, on my left. Infantry pits had been dug upon the crest of this ridge, and we ordered to dig gun pits and be ready to bombard Santiago by daylight. These gun pits were dug, and the guns were in position according to orders long before daylight.

As daylight opened and it was just about light enough to distinguish Santiago in the distance, the enemy opened fire upon us in our front, and the batteries replied with fire of canister as long as it lasted, and then in my battery with shrapnel cut to zero. It was perfectly evident that the enemy had advanced, during the night or early dawn, under cover of the undergrowth and jungle that covered the Santiago side of San Juan Hill, and from this cover was pouring in a tornado of lead.

Within a short time after the opening of this fire I was twice wounded, and after the second wound, which broke my arm, was taken to a dressing station under the hill. After having my arm dressed, and being unable to go back to the battery, I remained at the dressing station until the firing was over.

From my position I could and did watch the burst of shrapnel from the enemy's guns. This shrapnel fire was all, or nearly all, too high, and with fuses cut too long, as it burst beyond the crest of the hill where the batteries were placed. The bursts were about on a line with the dressing station, hence the fragments all passed beyond, and no fragments were heard to strike anywhere near us. Their only effect was to make the road from the rear dangerous to those advancing.

After the firing was over I proceeded to the rear to the division hospital, had my arm dressed, and from there was sent to Siboney. At Siboney, finding the hospital crowded, I was sent on board the Iroquois with a party of officers and men able to travel, and proceeded to Key West, and from Key West to Port Tampa, and thence home upon leave of absence. Hence, I am unable to give anything further as to the operations of my battery.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. D. Parkhurst

Captain, Second Artillery, Light Battery F.

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An added note of some interest.

From, The Spanish War, by G.J.A. O'Toole, pg 299.

In the Rough Riders camp at El Pozo, Roosevelt (Col. Theodore Roosevelt) and Wood (Army Surgeon Leonard Wood), finished breakfast and went over to the hill to watch as teams of horses dragged the four light field guns of Captain Grime's battery up the hill. Frederic Remington made some quick sketches of the straining animals and swearing artillery men. Six horses pulled each gun, and on the left horse of each pair sat an infantryman wielding a whip. One of the teamsters was a Private Tom Mix, a young rodeo rider from Pennsylvania. A crowd of newspapermen and foreign attachés, gathered to watch as crews put the guns in place. Standing nearby was thirty-seven-year-old Lieutenant John J. Pershing of the Tenth Cavalry, which was camped near El Pozo. Pershing watched as the fieldpieces were lined up on the distant San Juan Heights, then he turned his gaze toward the target. (The Tenth Cavalry was one of the Army's Negro regiments. Like all such units, the Tenth was made up of black troops but led exclusively by white officers. Pershing's admiration for his men had earned him the nickname "Black Jack" among his white comrades.

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Editors note: There are very few books published on the Spanish-American War, 1898. In the half dozen or so books I did find, I did not find a single reference to Capt. Charles D. Parkhurst. The reason for this is probably because Capt. Parkhurst was on the battle field for only two days when he was wounded and sent to the rear. It is a mystery of who was picked to take Capt. Parkhurst's place, and continue the battle. If there is anyone out there who can shed some additional light on this event, we would like to hear from you.

Pictures: Horses, "The Spanish-American War, by Allan Keller, 1969, (pg 125). --- Artillery piece, "1898: The Spanish-American War, by Irving Werstein, 1966, (pg 84). --- Battle field and wounded, (The Spanish American War, by Donald Barr Chidsey, 1971, (pgs 125, 128).

Rubbing Elbows With Some Notable Spanish-American War Notables

Aside of a few generals and heroes who garnered headlines in the Spanish-American War, as in the case of all wars, most of the men who serve did so anonymously. Yet some of those faceless men went on to achieve prominence in later life.

Captain Trasker Bliss, military attaché in Madrid when the war broke out, served as a staff officer in Puerto Rico and Cuba, later helped implement the Root of the Army, served as chief-of-staff early in World War 1, and then as the American representative to the Allied Supreme War Council. The last American officer to hold a brevet in the rank of general, he retired as a permanent major general in 1920.

Edgar Rice Borroughs, a young journalist, was turned down by the Rough Riders because the rolls were full. He later went on to become the author of notable adventure tales, including Tarzan of the Apes.

Benjamin O. Davis, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 8th Volunteer infantry, an "immune" regiment in July 1898. Mustered out in March 1899, he enlisted in the 9th Cavalry, served in the Philippines, won a commission, and began rising through the army. After retiring in 1941 as a colonel, he was promptly recalled to duty as a brigadier general and retired in this grade in 1947. He was the first black general in the U.S. Army, and the only black officer in the Regular Army from 1916 to 1936, when his son graduated from West Point.

Walter Kreuger left high school to enlisted as a private in the 2nd Volunteer Infantry, an "immune" regiment, rising to sergeant major before being mustered out early in 1899. He promptly reenlisted, won a commission, and during World War II commanded the Sixth Army under Douglas MacArthur in the Pacific, retiring as a full general in 1946.

Frank Knox, a lawyer, joined the Rough Riders, and saw action in Cuba. After the war he returned to law, became prominent in Republican party circles, and was named Secretary of the Navy by President Franklin Roosevelt, in which post he served until his death shortly before the end of World War II.

Fiorello LaGuardia, a 16-year old newspaper correspondent at Tampa during the concentration of V Corps, saw his hopes of going with the troops to Cuba when his father, a regular army bandmaster, became gravely ill. He later became mayor of New York, generally regarded as the most successful in the cities history.

Damon Runyon, the author, served in the 1st Colorado Volunteers, seeing action in the Philippines.

John J. Pershing, a lieutenant in the 10th Cavalry, went on to command the American Expeditionary force during World War I.

William "Billy" Mitchell entered the service as a volunteer private in the 1st Wisconsin in April, and was shortly made a second lieutenant in the Volunteer Signal Corps. Remaining in the service, he eventually became a brigadier general and an advocate of air power, destroying his career when his enthusiasm turned to fanaticism.

Carl Sandburg, the poet and biographer, served in Puerto Rico with the 6th Illinois. After the war he attempted to secure an appointment to West Point, was rejected, and turned to literature. His most famous biography was that of Abraham Lincoln, another young man from Illinois who had once gone to war and seen no action and seen no action, but came away profoundly influenced by his experience.

Charles Young, a black West Point graduate, spent the Spanish-American War as commander of the black 9th Ohio Battalion. After the war he reverted to his regular army rank, first lieutenant in the 9th Cavalry, held a variety of posts, commanded an advisory group in Liberia, and in 1916 was forcibly retired from the army as a full colonel, ostensibly for high blood pressure and age, but possibly because the brass were reluctant to promote a black man to brigadier general.

John A. McIlheny, of Louisiana, served as a second lieutenant in E Troop of the Rough Riders, survived a serious bout of fever, and returned to his native parish to go into the tabasco business. Another Rough Rider who went back to the family business was William Tiffany, who had served as a sergeant.

Smedley Butler, a 16 year old high school student, was rejected by the Army as too young, lied about his age and joined the Marines, who commissioned him a second lieutenant. He served at Guantanamo, and later aboard the armored cruiser New York. Discharged after the war, he reentered the Corps as a first lieutenant in April 1899. An effective if controversial officer, he served in numerous "Banana Wars" before retiring as a major general in 1931, having been three times nominated for, and twice awarded, the Medal of Honor, not to mention garnering a nomination for a Victoria Cross.

Charles Dick, an Ohio politician who served in Cuba as lieutenant-colonel of the 8th Ohio, later entered Congress and was the author of the Dick Act of 1903, which established a federally regulated National Guard.

William S. Graves, a second lieutenant in the 7th Infantry, spent the war as a staff officer in the U.S. He afterwards saw combat in the Philippines as a captain in the black 24th Infantry, and rose to command the U.S. expeditionary force in Siberia during the Russian Civil War, 1919-1921. (The Spanish-American War, 1898, by Albert A. Nofi, 1996).

Editor's note: This book is full of statistics of the participants in the war, on both sides. There is a lot of interesting reading about this little war, especially the personal accounts.

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