Troop C
New York Volunteer Cavalry
Spanish-American War

History

Troop C was one of two cavalry troops provided by the New York State National Guard for federal service in the Spanish-American War. Troop C was organized on December 16th, 1895. The Troop was largely inexperienced when it was mustered into federal service as Troop C, New York Volunteer Cavalry on May 20th, 1898 at Camp Black, NY. They would gain a baptism by fire before the war was over.

Troop C departed Camp Black on the 22nd of May en route to Camp Alger in Virginia. The troop was attached to the headquarters of the Second Army Corp. upon arrival at camp and on the 24th of May was placed in a squadron with Troop A, New York Volunteer Cavalry. On July 24th Troop C broke camp and departed for Newport News, VA. On July 28th Troop C departed for Puerto Rico along with troop A, arriving at the harbor of Ponce on August 2nd and disembarking on August 4th. Troop C was assigned to the First Division of the First Army Corp. and its squadron formation with Troop A was dissolved. On August 9th, 1898 the troop was involved in battle on the highway to Coamo. The troop was ordered to flank the Spanish position and cut off their retreat by seizing the baths at Coamo, but the Spanish had already fled and Troop C entered the town, joining up with the first crop infantry. Troop C pursued the retreating Spanish closely, fighting both on horseback and dismounted. That evening the troop encountered a line of trenches in support of a two gun Spanish battery positioned on a hill outside of the town of Aibonito. Troop C dismounted and formed a line of battle, sending the horses to rear and deploying sharpshooters and flankers to pick off any Spanish soldiers that showed themselves while developing the flanks of the enemy line. The next day the Spanish attempted to cut off a small section of Troop C that was reconnoitering the Spanish flank and a lively skirmish ensued. Troop C advanced, supported by Company F of the 3rd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and the Spanish were driven back to their trenches. On the 11th the troop was withdrawn to Coamo in order to rest up for the next advance, leaving a small detail to observe the Spanish outpost.

On the 12th of August, a detail of men from Troop C left Coamo in an attempt to take a masked Spanish battery that had been sited three miles away. The detachment reached the battery but was unable to capture it because of the presence of seventy-five entrenched Spanish infantrymen acting as battery supports. The men were withdrawn and Troop C was pulled back to Ponce on August 23rd in preparation for its return to the states. Troop C arrived in New York on September 10th and was mustered out on November 25th, 1898.

Further reading

Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of New York for the Year of 1899. Albany: James B. Lyon, State Printer, 1900.

New York in the Spanish-American War 1898: Part of the Report of the Adjutant General of the State for 1900. Vols. 1-3. Albany: James B. Lyon, State Printer, 1900.

New York and the War with Spain: History of the Empire State Regiments. Albany: Argus Company Printers, 1903.

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