Interesting Spanish American War Medal

[gap]

Comments are welcome! 

[CAC1901]

Nice one. Guy was in the regular army too. Probably a 3 year enlistment. In 1901 2/D was redesignated as 15th Company Coast Artillery at Fort Barancas, Florida. Reguar army badges of this sort are a lot scarcer than those of state units. 

[BEAST]

Very nice badge! If you look on FOLD3, you will find some information on his enlistment.  He was originally from Sheffield , England and enlisted in Harrisburg, PA.

 

[gap]

So he served for only 7 months?  How long was training? 
 

Perhaps he was WIA? The document from Fold3 looks like a disability claim (“invalid”) ? 
 

Also, is this type of “medal” common? Looks private purchase to me. 

[BEAST]

8 hours ago, gap said:

So he served for only 7 months?  How long was training? 
 

Perhaps he was WIA? The document from Fold3 looks like a disability claim (“invalid”) ? 
 

Also, is this type of “medal” common? Looks private purchase to me. 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11260322/hilton-bennett

[BEAST]

8 hours ago, gap said:

So he served for only 7 months?  How long was training? 
 

Perhaps he was WIA? The document from Fold3 looks like a disability claim (“invalid”) ? 
 

Also, is this type of “medal” common? Looks private purchase to me. 

You are correct, The medal is a private purchase souvenir medal. 
 

if I recall correctly, he was discharged at the end of term of service. Just took a quick look and several soldiers who enlisted on the same date were discharged on the same date. 

[CAC1901]

Battery D of the 2nd Art. was assigned to Cuba from Jan. 21, 1899 through Oct. 18, 1899. If this soldier went there with his unit its possible he could have contracted malaria as so many did. That could account for why he, along with other soldiers, were discharged after only 7 months. Normally regulars signed on for the standard 3 year enlistment at the time but there may have been a temporary war time enlistment period - I just cannot recall off hand without checking.  His card file would give more details on his service.  Looks like he lived a good long life though. A family I met while acquiring a Cuban vets group told me their dad got malaria in Cuba (confirmed in his records) but after he recovered, was 'never sick a day in his life' and lived into his 80's.