Military Monday - Allen G W Coan

Military Monday – We all have ancestors who have served in the military. Military Monday is a place to post their images, stories and records of their service in various branches of the military. Military Monday is an ongoing series by Cindy at Everything’s Relative – Researching Your Family History.

 

Allen G W Coan enlisted in the United States Army on 15 April 1896 at Indianapolis, Indiana.  At age 21 he enlisted for three years and was assigned to the 4th Calvary regiment Company B.  Discharged 14 April 1899 as a Corporal, he re-enlisted at the Presidio in California.   He stayed with the 4th Cavalry and the 1900 census shows him to be in Luzon, the Philippines.  He was discharged,  at Fort Riley, Kansas, 14 April 1902 with the rank of Sargent.  After his discharge, he returned to Indiana where he worked for the railroad.

It is of note that his great-grandson served in the Army at the Presidio just before it closed almost 100 years later.

What follows is taken from a history of the 4th Calvary Regiment:

The History of the 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment

By
John G. Keliher

THE PHILIPPINE INSURRECTION

After the seizure of Manila during the War with Spain by Admiral Dewey the call was made for American ground forces to defend the Philippines. The first regiment to be sent was the 4th Cavalry. Six troops were initially sent in August 1898 to Manila were they were immediately deployed to defend Manila from dissident elements of the Philippine army that resented the American takeover of their islands. Fighting broke out when Filipino forces fired on U.S. Forces. The Americans drove the Filipinos from the city and began a campaign to capture the insurgent capitol of Malolos. Because of a mix-up the 4th Cavalry's horses had been unloaded in Hawaii. Troops E, I and K were mounted on Filipino ponies and participated in the Malolos campaign. The dismounted squadron consisting of Troops C, G and L participated in the capture of Santa Cruz led by Major General Lawton. (He had served in the 4th Cavalry as a 1st Lieutenant and Captain from 1871 to 1888 and had commanded Troop B during the capture of Geronimo.)

By August 1899 the rest of the Regiment had arrived in the Philippines. In the fall of 1899 the 4th Cavalry moved north under General Lawton to capture the insurgent President Aguinaldo. Severe fighting took place and in the small town of San Mateo and General Lawton was killed in action.

In January 1901 the Regiment was assigned pacification duties in the southern part of Luzon. On 31 September 1901 the tour of duty in the Philippines ended for the Regiment. The 4th Cavalry had participated in 119 skirmishes and battles. The Regiment's three squadrons were reassigned to Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley Kansas and Jefferson Barracks Missouri, the birthplace of the regiment. In 1905 the 4th returned once again to the Philippines and participated in the Jolo campaign on the island of Mindanao.