Osage County KS Archives Military Records.....Lavy, William J. Jr. Letters 1898 - 1902 Spanishwar - Letters Company C 23rd Regiment ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Debra Crosby http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00010.html#0002467 April 2, 2020, 8:01 am Lavy, William J. Jr. Letters The Osage County Chronicle Fri Dec 20, 1901 pg 3 FROM WILL LAVEY [written to brother Patrick C. Lavey] Fort Ethen Elan, Vermont. Dec. 10, 1901 Just received your letters to day and 43? Chronicles, some of them dated as far back as June. We arrived in New York the first day of this month after a trip of 69 days on the Tran- sport Bucford. We had some very rough weather coming through the Mediterranan Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. We are the only troups whowever circum navigated the globe. I will give you a list of names of the places I have stopped at from the time I left San Francisco, Honolulu, a sea port town in Hawain Islands it is now one of the U. S. Territories, the next was Kanagusaki, Japan, from there to Manilla. I did not stay long as my regiment had left there for the Southern Islands, I left Manilla and was landed on the island of Panay at a place named Iloiol and was attached to E. Company the 18th Infantry and was there when they captured the town of Jaro. Here is where I received my first baptism of lead. I stayed at Jaro three weeks doing duty with the 18th infantry, then I got transportation to the Island of Cebue, when I arrived there there was only one Batalion of the 23rd infantry. The head quarters and eight companies were at Jaro so I had to stay at Cebue 58 days before I got transportation to Jaro. There I was assigned to my company and I was glad of it. I did Garrison duty there for some time before I got a move, but finally themove came one morning. The gun boat Manila came in to the Harbor at 7 a.m.m and C. Company was on board of her at 10 a.m. bound for Zambo, at day break under the protection of the guns of the Manila, the Casteen and York town. Zamboauqa is the principal seaport town on the island of Mindinao, and is the second largest island of the group. We were the first Americans that landed en that island and have the honor of the capture and surrender of Zamboauqa. We were only there six weeks when the 31st Volunteers came and relieved us. Then we were ordered back to the island of Jora. There we did outpost duty for three months, then we came back to the city of Jolo and did Garrison Duty for four months mor, then we were moved to Bauqoa, where we did duty for over five months and it is the most out of the way place I was ever in, in my life, we had no trouble except with a few pirates and every time we went after them we generally cleaned, when we left there, there wasn't a pirate to be found. From there we went to Cissia an island just forty miles from Jolo, we stayed there three months, and was then ordered bak to relieve the 31th Volunteer Infantry on the island of Mondonia. The band and companies of the 23rd were sent to relieve the troops that were on the northern part of the island. A. and C. was sent to Cotta Barta, there we relieved A. B. C. D. of the 31st Volunteers. That is where we were when ordered home. Cotta Bota is situated six miles in the interior in the Southeast corner of Mindinao and is on the river of Cotta Boto. Bcats drawing ten feet of water can navigate this river, it is the most filthy river I ever saw. Alligators and crokidiles are in countless numbers. It was very dangerous to go out at night, I don't know that they would tackle a soldier, but they got several natives and you could not keep a dog around because they would get him if they had to come to the house after him. We were garrisoned at four different posts in and around Cotta Bota, We had 52 men at Prang Barng, fifteen men at Yaminutaki, 22 men a block house thirty miles up the river from Cotta Boto. I was stationed Cotto Bota with the rest of the Company that was left and I tell you I never did harder duty in my life. I was out on several expeditions while there, the last one I never will forget. I had six weeks of it. Two corporals, twenty privates and myself, I was put in charge of the detachment and was ordered to report at Tucourn a distance of 125 miles from Cotta Bota. We got on board the Launch Detroit which carried us to Tucourn, there I reported to detachment to Major McMachon. I found out we were going after some 500 insurgents and two deserters 4th volunteer Infantry, who were in charge of them. They were supposed to have $70,000 in Spanish coin. Next morning they were making for the lakes, a place where no American or any other white man is ever known to have been. It is supposed to be the richest part of the island and there is supposed to be over 100,000 natives in and around the lakes. We started from Tucourn with 50 men of Company D and 15 scouts, Philippinoes from Zambounza, and my detachment, a total of 223 men and 3 officers with Major McMachon in command. We hiked over the roughest country I ever saw and the pack mules could not follow us the third day, wo we had to depend upon the natives carrying ouor rations. The fifth day we ran across the insurgent's trail and the eight day we met their rear guard. Our advance guard reported back to the column that the niggers with sighted, so the Major gave orders to halt. We sent out scouting parties all around to flad out what we were up against. It took three hours of our time and let the insurgents get three hours start on us. If you heard cursing it was then. After tramping our shoes off our feet and having our clothes torn off us by the brush and then let them get away from us so easy. Well we kept this work up every day after running into them and halting until we were dead sick of it, when Major played out, the Lieutenant, 27 of the men and the Philippinoes were strung along the trail from Tucourn to where we were camped. The Major and the sick men went back to Tucourn, that leaving Lieutenant Noyes in command. Well making a long story short we never captured the Insurgent's or deserters, only a few stragglers that were played out or got lost from the main column and four cripples. (Concluded in Monday's Chronicle The Osage County Chronicle Mon Dec 23, 1901 pg 3 FROM WILL LAVEY (continued from Fridays paper) One day out, one Corporal and eighteen privates and myself ran into a bunch of them and before we knew it, they fired on us, but the bush was so thick we could not tell how many there was, then I could hear the deserters giving orders to surround us but found out afterwards it was a fake to give them time to get away from us. We afterwards found their camp a few yards from where we ran on to them. We found four of them laying wounded and the rest had fled and had left a lot of their stores behind them as if they left in a hurry, well we went in to camp and rested up awhile until we got some rations and some shoes and clothes then we started after them again. But they disappeared completely, leaving no trail behind them, so we had to give it up and came back without accomplishing anything I got to Cotto Bolto all tattered and torn? and worn out. With a beard of six weeks growth and not enough clotheson to pad a crutch. I could write to you a week of things that happened but it takes to much time and paper, five day before we got on board the Transport, 79 of company C. were poisoned but we never found out what was the cause of it. One boy died and hour after he ate his supper, what ever it was, we ate it at supper time I nearly crooked myself I did not know anything for three days I tell you I never was aso sick in my life. The fifth day we were taken out of the hospital and put on the Transport. A few day out and I was all O. K. again but weak and down in flesh, I feel the effects of it yet. For the trip, I will be as brief as possible, for if I gave you the full details it would take a book to hold it. We left Cotta Bota on the evening of the 24th of September and got to Zoambaunzer next morning. There we found the rest of the regiment on the transport Lawton, which brought them from Ioila. They transferred their cargo on to the Buford and we pulled anchor at 9 p.m. September 30, for the United States. Our first stop from Zambo was Singapore, which is the largest port in the far East and supposed to be the fastest coaling station in the world. We passed in sight of the Island of Barneo. Singapore is an Island in the straaits settlements and is garrisoned by English troops. There are but few white people being mostly chinamen, malays and japanese. After staying four days, we sailed throughthe straits settlement into the Indian Ocean. Our next stop was Columbo, a seaport town on the island of Ceyton. Colombo is run by British government. We stayed there two days. Our next stop was Aiken, a seaport town in Arabia and the hottest place in the world. It also belongs to the English and I pity any soldier that has to stay there. It is nothing but a desert. From Aiken we sailed through the Red sea to Suez City. On the way to Suez we had the north coast of Africa on our left, and Arabia on our right. We passed in sith of the Holy Lands and we saw the rocks that they call the twelve apostles and also Mount Zion where Moses wrote the ten commandments. Suez City is at the entrance of the Suez canal. The town was quarantined and we stayed only a few hours, until the health offiers came aboard and piloted us through the canal. The canal is about 100 miles long and is cut through a desert of Egypt. Port Said on the Mediter- ranean side and Sleuz City on the Red sea. The Canal is run by the English and it is a great thing. Port Said is the wickedest city in the world, it is some- thing horrible. From Port Said we sailed through the Mediterranean sea to Malta, here we are getting into civilization once more. Malta has the finest harbor I believe I ever saw for Military Facilities. The entrance to it is very narrow and natural fortifica- tions stand high on each side of the entrance. When we got in the inside there we saw England's Mediter- ranean fleet. England keeps a large standing army there. They Mobilize their troops there before sending them to India and Africa. Malta is well fortified and looks very strong. We stayed there four days and give a drill on shore and had a great time with the English soldiers and sailors. We left there for Gibralter the strongest natural fortification in the world and is called the key to the Mediterranean. Gibralter is a solid rock which is very high and almost straight up and down. It is owned by the English. It stands up in front of the Straits of Gibralter which divides Spain and Moriska or Africa which is the entrance to the Mediterranean from the Atlantic Ocean. England must have had a great foresight to have taken all those points and knowing their value in case of war with any nation. We left Gibralter bound on our last heat and home stretch for America, leaving Gibralter on the 14th of November at 2:00 p.m. and at 1:00 a.m. December 1st we dropped anchor in New York harbor and happy we were to be home once more. I tell you there is no country like America when one has been in an uncivilized country for two years and a half and plunges right into New York City it makes you feel like you have been dead and just come to life again. I don't believe in hollowing and yelling the way the majority of the soldiers do, but when I was sailing up New York harbor and passed the statue of liberty, I threw my hat in the air and yelled until I was hoarse. We were landed on the Jersey side. At Hobokin one battalion with head quarters got away on the third, the other on the fourth. The second battalion and the head quarters went to Plats Bury Barricks, New York and the first battalion was sent here to Fort Ethans Allen Vermont, we are sent here only temporarily. It is a cavalry post and there is some cavalry ordered here, when they arrive we go to Plats Burg. This is a fine post but it is very old, the streetcars run from Burlington Vermont to the post. The boys do not like it. I believe this is the second letter I have written since I have enlisted but as I look over those pages laying around me I am satisfied that I am making up for lost time. The Editor of the Chronicle wishes me to write to him and let him know what I am doing and how I like the Islands. I would have written the Chronicle several interesting letters regarding the natives and islands in general but I did not care to become a pen and ink hero, I have seen so many of the soldiers letter in the papers. That the people of this country must think there is nothing but fighting is going on continually and no place to sleep, for the soldier but trenches. Wel! P. C. I believe I have written enough for this time. You must write and give me all the news as I like to hear from the old town. I will renew my standing with the Chronicle in a few days as I get all the news that is going on in the town. I have only two months, twenty-eight days and a breakfast until I get my discharge. I may take on for three years more for I like to soldier. Well I will close this time, hoping to have an early reply. Your Affectionate Brother, SERGT. WM. LAVEY Co. C. 23rd Inft. Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont The Osage County Chronicle Wed May 31, 1899 A Letter From Honolulu A letter from Will Lavey to W. G. Beale of this city was received, last week. The letter was written from Honolulu, he being enroute to Manilla. Strange to say he went on the same boar which carried his brother Pat from Tampa, Florida to Santiago, Cuba. He writes: We left San Francisco on the Morgan City on the evening of April 25 and arrived here May 4 at 6:30 a. m. I enjoyed the trip very much as the sea was smooth. On our way over we sighted several volcanoes. The Morgan City is a very good boat, being about 3 feet long and thirty feet wide. It is not quite wide enough for the length, which makes it rock from side to side. Sometimes we thought it would turn clear over and we witnessed some very amusing incidents on deck. There are 700 of us on board and when we are all on deck eating our meals there is not very much room for a man to move around. The third day out I was sitting on deck eating my dinner when along came a big, clumsy soldier carrying a plate of "slum" or soup and a cup of boiling hot coffee. As he came in front of me the boat gave a sudden pitch, the greaser took a header into me and slum and coffee went in all directions. I jumped up rather angry but by the time I got the stuff out of my eyes I found that the other fellow was even worse off than I was. Honoulu is a very beautiful place, in fact it is the most beautiful city I ever saw. Cocoanut, orange and banana trees grow here, in fact all tropical fruits and foliage is found in abundance. I went to see Queen Lil's palace and it is elegant. The natives are very large, are dark complected, the men all big strong fellows, the women nearly all very handsome. The seem a very intelligent race of people and are up to the latest fads of to-day. The city has about 25,000 inhabitants and none of them are very far behind the times. You don't know how surprised I was to come on shore and see everything as civilized and progressive as America. I thought I would see a lot of savages and and old city several centuries old. The climate here is cooler than in Kansas and the nights are fine. A many with any kind of a trade can make four dollars a day and upward. Day laborers are not wanted here as the natives do all that kind of work. Will close now and write again when I reach my regiment. WM. LAVEY The Osage County Chronicle Thu Jun 9, 1898 A Letter From Wm. Lavey Chicamauga Park, May 29. DEAR PARENTS:-- I now take the pleasure of answering your most welcome letter which I received just a few moments ago and as I have the time to answer it just now I will endeavor to take the time to write now, for tomorrow is Decoration day and we will have to march all day and the rest of the time we have to spark when we are not drilling we are out hunting water. They are going to start Monday to drill us just as hard as we are able to stand up to till we are able to go to the front. We are al soft yet and the most of the boys don't know much about drilling. Well, this is the hottest day we have had yet. I just got in from a four mile walk when I received your letter. We don't have anything to do on Sunday, and I was out to where Ruel Murch camps. He told me that brother Pat is in Lakeland, Florida. Tom McFarl- and is all right just at present, he had the ear ache two days ago but is all right now. For awhile he was afraid he would have to go home. He went to the doctor and he told him that the drum of his ear was scalded and that he would have to be discharged, but the doctor told him that just to scare him. Tom has never missed a meal since he has been here. This is not an unhealthy country and there is not much sickness. Measles have broken out in our regi- ment and the rest of the sickness is bowel complaint. I have had very good health so far. I can not tell you anything about where we will go from here; we may have to stay here till we are discharged, and again we may have orders to break camp at any moment. A soldier don't know what he is going to do until he gets the orders to do it. Almost every day a regiment comes in from all over the U. S., but otherwise things are quiet. Where we are camped we see very few visitors, we are off from any of the main roads and the visitors are not allowed inside the guard lines. There is not a well or spring around here but what has a guard watching it, and they have orders to shoot everybody that won't hald when they are told. There have been three Spanish spies found here having a large amount poison about their clothes, but the authorities got hold of them before they got to use any of it. The spies were taken out and shot. Well, we have received our uniforms. We got two pair of blankets, one pair of shoes, a hat, two suits of underwear, one shirt, one pair of leggings, two pair of socks, two pair of gloves and a gun. We are going to get one more suit next week. We have to have a fatigue suit and a dress suit; it is a light brown color. I am allowed $51 for the firs six months and $10 for the second six months for clothes, that makes $61 for the year. I don't know what wages I get a month, for we have not received any thing that looks like money yet. I see by the papers that nearly all the states but Kansas have paid all of their men. That is for the time they were in camp before being mustered into the service. Well, I will close for this time. Hoping for early reply I remain your son. WILL LAVEY. Additional Comments: U.S., Burial Registers, Military Posts and National Cemeteries, 1862-1960 Name: William Lavey Death Date: 19 Sep 1931 Burial Place: Leavenworth, Kansas Cemetery: Leavenworth National Cemetery Grave Site: 30-15-8022 Web: Missouri, Death Certificates, 1910-1962 Name: William Lavey Death Date: 19 Sep 1931 Death Place: Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, USA Certificate Number: 31383 U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963 Name: William Lavey Death Date: 16 Sep 1931 Cemetery: Veterans Administration Home Cemetery Location: Veterans, Kansas 1930 Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, William M Harrison 39 Mary Harrison 51 William Lavey 56 brother in law 1915 U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938 Name: William Lavey Birth Year: abt 1871 Keyed Birth Location: Scotland Birth Country: Scotland Admitted Year: 1915 Age at Admission: 44 State: Kansas County: Leavenworth City: Leavenworth Branch: Western Branch Died: Sep 19, 1931 at Kansas City, MO from pneumonia 1915 Kansas State Census Kansas City, Wyandotte, KS C E Hoffman 36 MO MO R.R Mary Hoffman 34 Scot Scot wife Wm Lovey 70 Scot Scot old age Susan Lovey 67 Scot Scot H wife Wm Lovey 43 Scot Scot cripple Jennie Lovey 21 KS KS phone 1910 Osage Ward 1, Osage, Kansas William Lavey 70 Ire Ire Ire Susan Lavey 65 Scot Scot Scot William Lavey 38 Scot Ire Scot Jennie Lavey 18 KS Ire Scot The Burlingame Enterprise Thu Jun 30, 1910 pg 5 Will Lavey, Spanish-American war soldier, has been granted a pension of $17.00 per month. Wm. Hayson was his attorney. The Burlingame Enterprise Thu Aug 13, 1908 pg 2 Will Lavey will go to Hot Springs, Arkansas this week to take treatment for rheumatism. The Osage County Chronicle Thu Jul 23, 1908 pg 5 Will Lavey who has been confined to the bed for the last six months, with rheumatism, is able to be out at the present writing. We hope that he will soon be well again. The Burlingame Enterprise Thu Apr 4, 1907 pg 5 Will Lavey left for Fort Worth, Texas, and Harry Lavey left for Iola, Kansas, this week. 1902 U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 Name: William Lavey Residence Year: 1902 Street address: 628 9th Ave Residence Place: Leavenworth, Kansas, USA Occupation: Miner Publication Title: Leavenworth, Kansas, City Directory, 1902 Also: at same address of 628 9th Ave is a Mary Lavey (sister The Osage County Chronicle Wed Mar 19, 1902 pg 3 SAW THE SULTAN OF SULU Will Lavey Returns to Burlingame, Afer Spending Nearly Three Years in the Island of Sulu Will Lavey got back to Burlingame Sunday, after an absence of three years, the most of the time of which was spent in the United States troops in the Philippines. Will was first sergeant in Company C. 23rd infantry. He enlisted in Kansas City, three years ago the eighth of March and was mustered out at the Plattsburg Barracks New York, three years from the day he enlisted. He went from Kansas to San Franciso and then to the island of Jelo in the Sulu archipeligo. He was stationed near the sultan's headquarters most of the time. The people on the Sulu islands are of the Moro race, which, Mr. Lavey says, is much inferior to the Filipinoes found up about Manila. They are divided into clans, the leaders being either sultans or dattos. The sultan is considered the higher rank of the two, yet thee are dattos who have larger followings and greater wealth than the sultan. The sultan's title is hereditary and springs originally from the Mohammedan relig- eon, while the authority of the datto is from the people, due to courage or feats of war or some- times from wealth and the possession of slaves. The followers of the Sultan of Sulu are estimated by Mr. Lavey at about 8,000, there is one datto who has a following of 30,000. Others have less, varying in number. Many of the inhabitants of the island go from one datto to another for various reasons, some on account of the superior ability of the datto to govern, others become indebted to dattos and are held as slaves. There is no central authority, each following of a datto or sultan is a government unto itselfs, and the clans are con- tinually at war with each other. One particularly strong datto is Peyang with a following of twenty or thirty thousand. He is built on the brigand plan and adds to his strength by shrewdness, force, massacre or whatever plan suits his purpose best. Mr. Lavey told of his borrowing some guns of one leader with which to fight a third, after finishing up the third, he marched onto the headquarters of the first, who had loaned him the guns, captured the town, massacred the women and children, had the leader beheaded, stole the cattle and other property. He is strong and has a rough, vicious following, who under his diretion intimidate the others. They seem inclined to let the American soldiers alone unless they can catch one off by himself, when they do not hesitate to kill him for his gun or any other little valuables that he may have about him. Mr. Lavey thinks that it is almost impossible to bring the people to civilization; that as soon as the United States government begins to inter- fere with their religion and customs, there will be bitter war to a finish and it will require ten thousand troops in the Sulu archipeligo to keep things in check; there were but about a thousand there when Mr. Lavey was there. Both polygamy and slavery are practiced. Each datto and the Sultan has his harem, and each follower can have as many wives as he wants so long as he can buy them; the market price being from twenty to thirty dollars. The heads of fami- lies sell wives and daughters, and their is a price on every female child in the house. The Sultan of Sulu has a good many in his harem, variously estimated up to a hundred, any one of them for sale as a prie with the possible exception of the Sultana, who is his favorite of them all. He has a good many men slaves and women slaves, too, out side the harem. What is true of the Sultan is practically true of every one of the dattos. This is the kind of problem that the United States has to solve there and the solution means war in two minutes from the time that the natives realize that there is to be an interference with their customs. It is Will's intention to remain here about a week longer, when he will return to Leavenworth. He has not fully decided whether he will go into service again or not. His father and sister, Miss Mary are here with him. 1900 Bongas, Philippine Islands, Military and Naval Forces William Lavey 28 Scotland Corporal home:Burlingame KS birth: May 1872 1899 U.S. Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914 Name: William Lavey Birthyear: abt 1871 Birthplace: Scotland Enlistment Age: 27 10/12 The Burlingame Enterprise Thu Jul 22, 1897 pg 3 Last Friday Fred Maxwell and Will Lavey, managers of the Burlingame O. M. B., were arrested on six counts for violating the prohibitory law and also for keeping and maintaining a public nuisance. The trial commenced Monday in Justice Chambers' court and continued for three days. Last evening about nine o'clock the case was given to the jury and they returned a verdict this morning of guilty on four counts. The prisoners will be sentenced Monday. The conviction of Maxwell and Lavey will probably end the O. M. B. business at this place. J. T. Pringle was the attorney for the state and J. P. McLaughlin and T. R. Hayson for the defense. 1895 Kansas State Census Peterton Osage, KS Wm Lavey 50 Ireland Ireland arrived here from scotland Susan Lavey 45 Scotland Thos Lavey 26 Scotland d. 1901 Wm J Lavey 24 Scotland d. 1931 Patrick Lavey 22 Scotland d. 1923 Mary Lavey 17 Scotland m. Huffman m. Harrison d. 1965 Susan Lavey 15 Scotland m. Harvey L. Skinner d. 1961 Sarah Lavey 13 Scotland [B. 1882 Fauldhouse] Harry Lavey 12 Scotland d. 1967 Alex Lavey 10 Scotland m. Mary Graham d. 1934 Jane Lavey 3 Scotland m. Joseph Donegan d. 1981 1885, August 4 - Pennsylvania, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1800-1962 Will Lavey 45 Ireland Susan Lavey 40 Scotland Thos Lavey 12 Scotland [B. 1869 Whitburn] Will Lavey 10 Scotland [B. 1871 West Calder] Helen 8 Scotland [B. 1873 West Calder] Pat Lavey 5 Scotland [B. 1876 Fauldhouse] Mary Lavey 4 Scotland [B. 1878 Fauldhouse] Susan Lavey 3 Scotland [B. 1880 Fauldhouse] Henry Lavey 6mo Scotland [B. 1884 Fauldhouse] 1881 Whitburn, West Lothian, Scotland William Leavery 35 Susan Leavery 31 Thomas Leavery 12 William Leavery 9 Helen Leavery 7 Patrick Leavery 4 Whitburn, Linlithgowshire Mary Ann Leavery 3 m. C. E. Huffman d. Susan Leavery 9 Mos John McCartney 19 William McCartney 15 1871 West Calder, Midlothian Muldron Row Name Age Born occupation William Lairy 26 Ireland Ironstone miner Susan Laivy 21 Airdrie, Lanarkshire Thomas Laivy 2 Whitburn, Linlithgowshire National Records of Scotland scotlandspeople.gov Name: William Levey Date of Birth: May 26,1871 Address: Muldron Row West Calder Sex: Male Father William Levey Ironstone miner Mother: Susan Levey M.S. Connar married August 1868 Carluke Informant: William Levey (his X mark) Father Witness: Thomas Thomson Registrar Registered: Jun 12, 1871 at West Calder Registrar: Thomas Thomson File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/osage/military/spanishwar/letters/ucompanyc5nmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ksfiles/ File size: 28.9 Kb