Conference smurf::civil_war

134.0. "Found a wooden trunk with a name, Capt Philip Reade" by NPSS::CREEGAN () Fri Jun 16 1995 09:50

    I placed an entry in the history notesfile, but since I've found
    so much more interesting information of this fellow, Philip Reade,
    I thought I'd cross-post it here.  Seems his mother's sister was
    Ben Butler's wife, which gave him a jump start into military 
    service (good connections), but after that he was on his own and
    made quite a legacy for himself.  Reade on (pun):
    
The Lowell Courier 21-OCT-1919
Vol. LXXVI.  NEW SERIES, No. 249

Front Page

Brigadier General Philip Reade Dies in Boston Hospital
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Succumbs Before an Operation Could Be Performed.
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Was Veteran of Indian, Civil and Spanish-American Wars.
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Regarded as an Authority on Small Arms and Was Prominent in Patriotic 
Societies.
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Brig. Gen. Philip Reade of Lowell died yesterday at the Massachusetts 
General hospital, where he had been take from his Boston home to 
undergo an operation which it was hoped would bring relief from 
prolonged illness.  He was so weak that death came before the 
operation could be performed.  Lowell relatives were immediately 
notified and they went immediately to Boston to take charge of the 
burial arrangements.

Gen. Reade was a veteran of Indian, Civil and Spanish-American wars.  
He also served in the Philippines, immediately following the 
Spanish-American war, and performed effective service in hostilities 
of that period, also in the less strenuous though vitally important 
work of bringing well ordered government to the islands.  He remained 
in the army until about 10 years ago when he retired.  Subsequently he 
received the rank of brigadier general.

In 1878 Gen. Reade married Miss Jessie Eaton of Troy, N.Y.  She died 
several years ago.

Gen. Reade leaves nine first cousins: Mrs. Adelbert Ames, Mrs. Thomas 
Nesmith, Mrs. Rowena Palmer, Mrs. Lanier Dunn of Warm Springs, Va., 
Col. Percy Parker, Mrs. E.M. Tucke, Mrs. Joe V. Meigs., Hon. Fisher H. 
Pearson and Gen. Gardner W. Pearson., Mrs. Emilie T. Reade, widow of 
Gen. Read's brother, Capt. Harry Reade, lives in Washington.

For a number of years Gen. Reade had lived at the Hotel Wadsworth, 
Boston, but he came to Lowell frequently, and was always happy to 
renew friendships.  He was a man of genial character, and while his 
general bearing was that which might be expected of a man who followed 
the military 44 years, he readily accommodated himself and was always 
a welcome visitor.  He possessed a retentive memory, ready wit and 
knowledge by no means restricted to the technique of the military.


Gen. Reade was born in Lowell, Oct. 13, 1844.  His father was Henry 
Reade and his mother Rowena Hildreth was a sister of the wife of the 
late Benjamin F. Butler.  

From a boy Gen. Reade was an adventurous disposition and after leaving 
school at Worester, went to the South, where the army was operating 
and tried to enlist.  His age prevented this and on his own hook he 
performed signal service for the Union army which was soon reported to 
Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, resulting in the young man's receiving 
commissions which he performed to the satisfaction of the army 
officers and the War department.  His work in the South, as a boy, 
won for him the appointment as cadet at large to West Point, where he 
studied for a term and was finally appointed second lieutenant of the 
Third infantry, May 13, 1867.  Promotion was slow in the old days of 
the army, and it was not until Dec. 3, 1878 that he reach the grade of 
first lieutenant. 

Won Fame as an Indian Fighter.

During his long service he devoted much attention to the study of 
small arms, the work of the signal corps and he mastered the mysteries 
of a telegraph operator.  While in this position he made a name for 
himself as a fighter and leader of men, having constant battles with 
Indians.  In 1868 he received honorable mention for his work against 
the redskins.  In 1875 he was detailed to build a telegraph line from 
Santa Fe, N. M., to San Diego, Cal., a distance of 1500 miles.

He surveyed several routes, selected the best and built the line 
solely by the labor of troops 100 unskilled men being assigned him for 
the purpose.  He was engaged in this work for nearly three years.  
Without money or expert assistance, he felled trees and hauled them to 
the line, set them up and strung the wire.  He crossed rivers and 
mountains, deserts of sand and rocky canons.  He was menanced by 
hostile Indians and impeded by the prejudices of Mexicans.  Every 25 
or 30 miles he established a telegraph office or a relay stations.  In 
1878 he reported that the Pacific slope and the rest of the world had 
telegraphic communication.  He received for this remarkable 
achievement the thanks of the authorities of New Mexico, Arizona and 
California.  His work was characterized by Gen. Pope as "beyond 
praise."

Was Instructor of Small Arms.

He also received from Gen. Myer a remarkable reward.  He was 
subsequently sent to the Atlantic coast to study the life-saving 
service and situation.  In 1880 he went to the assistance of Gen. Cook 
in building signal corps in Wyoming.  After this his regiment was 
stationed in Montana until 1885.  For six years he was instructor of 
small arms practice under Gens. Terry and Crook, still as a 
lieutenant.  About this time the militia of several of the Western 
states gave much attention to rifle practice and Lieut. Reade was 
their mentor and so popular was he that camps were named after him.  
In 1889 he was commissioned captain.

During all his service Gen. Reade was one of the best rifle shots in 
the United States army.  He was a wonderful long-distance shot and for 
six successive years he qualified as a sharp-shooter, which was the 
highest mark possible at that time.

In the winter of 1890 and 1891 he, with his company, made a long march 
through the snows after "Big Foot" and his Sioux band, and for this 
service he again received honorable mention.  After this came four 
years of recruiting service.  As a captain he took up the fight against 
advertising on the American flag and against the enlisting of recruits 
who could not read and write and his efforts were rewarded in both 
cases.  When the war with Spain broke out he was commissioned major 
and inspector general of volunteers and served with Gen. Kent.  He was 
in the battle at San Juan Hill, near Santiago and was twice mentioned 
for brevet promotion for bravery there.

Sanitary Officer in Havana.

Gen. Reade was appointed lieutenant colonel and inspector general of 
volunteers Dec. 21, 1898, and assigned to inspection duty at Montauk 
Point.  Later he was made the military sanitary officer at Havana 
when the country was aghast at the yellow fever outbreak.  He served 
there until 1901, when he was sent to Cavite Province, near Manilia, in 
the Philippines, and he commanded a battalion of infantry there in the 
hottest province in the Philippines at the time.  This province was 
the home of Emilio Aguinaldo.  He was promoted lieutenant colonel, 
24th infantry, March 12, 1902; was transferred to the 24th infantry, 
April 6, 1903, and on Aug. 13, 1903, he was promoted colonel.  Later 
the 23rd was sent to Gen. Leonard Wood in the Moro country surrounding 
Lake Lanao, in the middle of the great island of Mindanao, and its 
history there is a matter of common knowledge.  When the regiment 
returned from the Philippine service it was stationed in New York 
state along the shores of Lake Ontario.  It was while the regiment was 
at camp in Mount Gretna, Pa, that Gen. F.D. Grant placed his approval 
on the request of Gen. Corbin for the promotion of Col. Reade.  Col. 
Reade and the 23rd left again for Philippine service in February, 
1908.

Member of Many Organizations.

Gen. Reade belonged to many organizations.  He was a member of the 
Order of Indian Wars of Washington, D.C.; Army of Santiago de Cuba, of 
which he was register general; Military Order of the Caraboa, Military 
Order of the Moro Campaign, Benjamin F. Butler Post 42, G. A. R., of 
Lowell, Killwinning Lodge of Mason of Lowell, a life member of the 
Society of Colonial Wars of Massachusetts, Illinois and Wisconsin, 
corresponding member of the Sons of the American Revolution of 
Minnesota, historian of the Army and Navy Club of West Point, New York 
Athletic Club, Army and Navy Club of New York City, Yorick Club of 
Lowell, Bunker Hill Monument Association, president of the Reade 
Historical and Genealogical Association, Hildreth Family Association, 
Historical Society of Lowell, Optimist Club of America, Boston City 
Club, Essex, Boston and Old Middlesex Chapters, S. A. R.; Hooker 
Association of Massachusetts, of which he was a past president; Paul 
Revere Memorial Association; John Rilson Club of Louisville, Ky., of 
which he was an honorary member, Ancient and Honorable Artillery 
Company, Fusileer Veteran Association, the Salem Patria, Boston 
Patria, Regular Army Officers Club of Boston, Order of Founders and 
Patriots of America.


    

    	I betcha the Reade family never wanted for good silverware to put
    out on the table with old Spoons Butler, aka Butler the Beast, as an
    uncle!
    	It's always fun to read dated articles. References to "redskins"
    and "the prejudices of Mexicans" really shows off the WASP mindset
    of the era.  BillM