Joseph P. Sullivan, Spanish-American War

A PIECE OF FAMILY HISTORY

by

J.C. Sullivan


Joseph P. Sullivan, born April 2, 1877 in Ashtabula, Ohio, was my great uncle, the brother of my grandfather, Daniel Sullivan. On the 15th of April he was baptized at St. Joseph's Church by Fr. E.J. Conway in the presence of his godparents, William Sweeney and Ellen Lynch. William was possibly the son of Michael and Julie (Sullivan) Sweeney. Julie was the aunt of our grandfather.

In 1898 Joe resided at 644 Lake St., Cleveland, with his widowed mother, Irish-born Elizabeth, who was 42 years old at the time. Joe's father, believed to be from County Cork, had died 7 years earlier, in 1891. He'd been a lineman and telegrapher for the Lake Shore & Southern Railroad. Joe was employed as a printer at the J.R. Sawyer Printing & Publishing Co. in Cleveland.

On June 23, 1898, at the age of 21, Joe went to the Recruiting Station of the U.S. Army at 37 Public Square, Cleveland, for his physical examination upon enlisting for the term of three years "to serve my country." The unit he joined was Columbus-based 14th Regiment of Infantry.

On the Descriptive and Assignment Card of Recruit is stated that he stood 5'5" tall and had a ruddy complexion. Both his eyes and hair were noted as black; his character, good. The date of his last vaccination was not known. He had a scar on his right arm, four inches below the elbow and on his right leg below the knee. He also had scars on the back of his left hand, breast and ankle.

On the 28th of June, 1898, Private Sullivan was assigned to Co. "F", 14th Regiment of Infantry, at Camp Merritt, San Francisco. Originally organized in 1877 as the Fourteenth Regiment, Ohio National Guard, the unit became the Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry (4th OVI) with 49 Officers and 1,319 enlisted men.

As part of the Fourth Expedition to the Philippine Islands, the 14th Infantry, or Fourth O.V.I., was the only Ohio unit to engage in combat during what became known as the War with Spain. U.S. Troops first landed near Ponce on July 25, 1898, where they met minor resistance. The war was short-lived. A trace was concluded and General Nelson miles’ men sustained seven kia and 26 wia in the 19-day Puerto Rican Campaign.

Although Joe only enlisted in June, 1898, I would normally find it unlikely one would be overseas within a month of enlisting. However, he was already in San Francisco on the 28th of June. His discharge papers state the unit saw its first action at Guayana, Puerto Rico, where they suffered 5 wounded. They next attacked at Cayey and Barrio de Las Palmas, near Guayana. A memorial tablet can be found at Guayana listing 26 names of the 4th OVI who died on the island, at sea in transit to there or in training stateside in 1898. It was dedicated in 1923 by VFW members.

Joe’s discharge papers note he fought 'Filipino Insurgents' on February 5-11, March 13, and on June 10, 12, 13 and 20, 1899. These actions occurred in the Philippine Islands where, along with the 1st Colorado, they waged war against Filipino guerrillas through the summer of 1899. The 1st Colorado’s veterans, led by Brigadier General Irwin Hale, 2nd Division, went on to organize one of the three groups that merged to form the VFW.

Joe's Examination Preliminary to Muster-Out of Service or Discharge was dated June 2, 1899, at Pasay, Manila, P.I., signed by 1st Lt. A.I. Lasseigne, commanding Co. F. He was discharged a Private on the 16th of August, 1899, at Manila by Special Order 218, Headquarters, Dept. of the Pacific & 8th Army Corps. He returned by ship to the U.S. via San Francisco. For his service he was awarded the Spanish War Campaign Medal and Spanish War Service Medal.

After his military service Joe moved to Chicago to engage in his civilian trade. It's probable he joined Army buddies there. However, like so many other war veterans, he'd lost his health while overseas, probably to malaria, yellow fever or another tropical-type ailment. He died in Chicago, young and unmarried, a casualty of war long after the fighting was over. We originally thought the family brought him home to Ashtabula to be buried with his parents and his red-headed brother, James. A printer by trade, James was accidentally killed by a streetcar in New York City while crossing the road. My grandfather Daniel was chosen to go to New York to bring Jim’s remains home because he could ride the railroad there without cost, or at a reduced cost. There were some bad feelings in the family because Dan couldn't afford to take the time off work - he wasn't paid for his time off. It was a financial hardship on the family despite his free, or near free, passage.

The Sullivan family rests in the cemetery’s ‘old section’, Lot 29, Row J, St. Joseph's Cemetery, Ashtabula, in the old section, the one closer to the main road. Elizabeth's stone reflects her Irish pride; she was born in Ballaghadareen, on the County Mayo side of the Shannon River, where it borders County Roscommon. Her stone says, "Elizabeth Sullivan. Born in County Mayo." Joe's marker simply states, Joseph P. Sullivan. At one time there was a bronze marker signifying Spanish American War Veteran but the last time we visited the cemetery it was no longer there.

In 1999 my brother Ed inquired at the Parish Rectory about the date of Joseph’s burial but they have no record of it. Perhaps he is buried in Chicago and there is only a stone marker in Ashtabula.

We hope you will visit the family plot one day and say a prayer for the repose of the souls of the Sullivan Family.