1898 Marine Corps Philippine Campaign Medal #1194 attributed

[MMcollector]

This is a rare one, an attributed 1898 USMC Philippine Campaign Medal

 

 

Sergeant Harmon C. Skinner was born in 1865. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Dec. 11th 1896 at the Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, Washington DC. Skinner served throughout the Spanish American War in Co. C. 2nd Regiment & specifically fought in the battle of Matanzas, Cuba April 27th 1898 with the Marine detachment from the U.S.S. Cincinnati. Sgt. Skinner was honorable discharged Dec. 26th 1901. He was awarded a U.S.S. Cincinnati "Sampson" medal, Spanish Campaign Medal #731, Philippine Campaign Medal #1194, & China Relief Expedition Medal #514 on May 24th 1918. Skinner passed away Feb. 14th 1937 & he is buried at Maple Wood Cemetery, Marlboro Massachusetts.

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Cincinnati's first cruise, along the east coast, and then in the Caribbean, found her enforcing neutrality laws at Tampa and Key West during the Cuban Revolution from September 1895 January 1896. From September 1896-July 1897, she served in the eastern Mediterranean, returning to the South Atlantic Station in September 1897. In April 1898, opening month of the SpanishAmerican War, Cincinnati, commanded by Captain Colby Mitchell Chester joined the blockade off Havana, Cuba, and bombarded Matanzas. The next month, she scouted throughout the West Indies searching for the Spanish fleet known to be approaching Cuba.

At the close of May, Cincinnati came north for repairs, returning to the Caribbean for occupation duty in August. She convoyed troops from Guantanamo Bay to Puerto Rico, patrolled off San Juan, made a reconnaissance of Culebra Island, and escorted the captured Spanish flagship Infanta Maria Teresa until the prize of war sank en route to Norfolk from Cuba. On 89 August, Cincinnati provided illumination with her searchlights and naval gunfire to support bluejackets defending the Cape San Juan Light from a Spanish ground assault in the Battle of Fajardo. After joining in salvage operations at Santiago in November, she sailed north, and from 14 February 1899 2 December 1901 was out of commission at New York Navy Yard for extensive repairs.