“TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF WORCESTER
GREETING: Whereas, there existed in the West Indies, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, certain remnants of the vast original Colonial possessions of the Spanish Government which once claimed the entire Western Hemsiphere as its own under the ancient right of discovery,
And Whereas, these vast territorial possessions had diminished by revolt and otherwise from the yoke of tyranny and oppression forced upon them by the avaricious representatives of the Spanish regime until the inhabitants of the Islands of Cuba and Porto Rico were the only remaining subjects of Spain left in the New World,
And Whereas, these poor Colonists were little or no better in their condition of living than mere slaves without voice in their own Government and deprived of reasonable advantages of social life and education and religious opportunities,
And Whereas, they had made ineffectual attempts from time to time to achieve political independence from Spain only to have the bonds of serfdom fastened more cruelly upon them after each failure,
And Whereas, this manner of treatment was not in accord with the ideas and practices of the great Republic of the United States whose people sympathized most deeply with the Spanish Colonists,
And Whereas, certain events occurred during the year eighteen hundred and ninety-seven which called forth a protest from the Government of the United States directed to the Government of Spain on behalf of the Cuban inhabitants,
And Whereas, the Spanish Government saw fit to not only ignore these protests of the United States but increased their cruelties toward their unfortunate island subjects and insolently and maliciously persecuted all citizens of the United States who dwelt within the borders of the Spanish Colonies,
And Whereas, this degrading condition of affairs became no longer tolerable to the people of the United States, whose Government had been grossly insulted and the lives and property of fellow citizens ruthlessly destroyed and the United States Battleship “Maine” blown up with terrible loss of American lives on February 15, 1898, in the harbor of Havana, Cuba,
Now, Therefore, the people of the United States of America through their Congress and President did on the twenty-first day of April, 1898, declare that a state of war existed between the Government of Spain and the Government of the United States, and the President, William McKinley, did on the same day call for volunteers to defend the honor of the nation and free our Cuban neighbors from an intolerable bondage, then did the following named youth of our fair City of Worcester respond to that unselfish appeal and did serve their country in the manner hereinafter set forth and the first list is the Roll of Honor, being those who died in service:..
The following list are the names of those who served their country and returned:
Priv. John C. Ware………….Company H………….2nd Regiment
In consequence of this service, many of these young men having sacrificed their health, their business opportunities, and even their very lives in this altruistic cause, and whose generous deeds seemed destined to sink into oblivion because of no appropriate memorial,
And Whereas, Colonel P. L. Rider, perceiving the need of some suitable form of recognition of the “Boys of “98,” did call together the following named citizens of Worcester, who constituted themselves into a body known as the Citizens Committee, which organized July 16, 1911, at the State Armory on Grove Street:
CITIZENS COMMITTEE
Chairman, Col. P. L. Rider Secretary, Capt. H. C. Young, Treasurer, Chaplain Walter S. Danker
Col. E. R. Shumway, Capt. E. G. Barrett
Capt. H. H. Warren, Lieut. A. F. Murray
P. C. Albert F. Whitman, Camp 28 P. C. Michael J. Hogan, Camp 28
P. C. John J. Corliss, Camp 28 P. C. Benjamin Cooper, Jr., Camp 28
P. C. Roland Johnson, Camp 28 Hon. James A. Logan
Rev. Austin S. Garver, Prof. Ira M. Hollis
Col. Samuel E. Winslow
And Whereas, this Committee did collect subscriptions from the people of Worcester to defray the expense of erecting a monument to commemorate the deeds of those Worcester boys who died that others might have greater opportunities,
And Whereas, a beautiful monument was duly designed and made by Andrew O’Connor, of Paxton, under the direction of this Committee and on this nineteenth day of April, nineteen hundred and seventeen,\,through Hon. James Logan, its spokesman, was presented to Col. E. R. Shumway Camp No. 28, U. S. W. V., as the proper recipient of such a testimonial of the esteem and honor in which they were held by the community,
And Whereas, Com. John E. Fitzpatrick of Camp No. 28 did, upon suitably acknowledging the receipt of the statue, present it in turn to the City of Worcester, through its Mayor, Pehr G. Holmes, being duly authorized so to do by Col. E. R. Shumway Camp No. 28, United Spanish War Veterans,
Now Therefore, may all know to whom these presents come that full and complete charge and custody of the statue thus erected is hereby conveyed and confirmed unto the City of Worcester, to be perpetually kept and cared for by the City of Worcester, where it now stands and to be maintained alone in the curbed triangle bounded by Salisbury Street, Grove Street and Armory Square, as a permanent testimony to the unselfish bravery of its hero dead who made the supreme sacrifice that less fortunate peoples might live better, happier and more useful lives.
And that these heroes’ memory, for whom this statue is erected, may ever be held in due reverence and respect it is expressly requested that no decorations be ever used on this statue or the triangle upon which it rests, except in connection with events and memorials relative to the Veterans of the Spanish War; and the sole privilege of such use, it is requested, be reserved to the duly authorized representatives and successors of the United Spanish War Veterans.
Given under our hands and seal this nineteenth day of April in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and seventeen.
Col. E. R. Shumway Camp No. 28,
United Spanish War Veterans,
Department of Massachusetts.
JOHN E. FITZPATRICK, Commander. RALPH C. GREEN, Senior Vice-Commander.
CHAS. D. PIKE, Junior Vice-Commander. E. C. L. MORSE, Adjutant.
BENJAMIN COOPER, Quartermaster. (Seal) A Copy, Attest:
W. HENRY TOWNE, City Clerk.”
Reference Data:
City Documents, by Worcester (Mass.), 1918, pages 930-1 and 937
