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 [decorative delimiter] Class of 1880

Vol. III
p334
2850

(Born Wis.)

Hugh J. McGrath

(Ap'd Wis.)

24

Born Apr. 8, 1856, Fond du Lac, WI.​a

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, June 14, 1876, to June 12, 1880, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Second Lieut., 4th Cavalry, June 12, 1880.

Served: on frontier duty at Ft. Reno, and Scouting in Indian Territory, Sep. 30, 1880, to Oct. 7, 1881, — escorting Cheyenne Indians to Sidney, Neb., on the march to and at Ft. Bayard, N. M., and Scouting (sick leave of absence, Sep. 7 to Nov. 6, 1882) in Arizona and New Mexico, to Feb. 4, 1884, — Ft. Cummings, N. M., to May 6, 1884 (leave of absence, to July 13, 1884), — and Ft. Bowie, Ara., and Scouting, to Aug. 12, 1885; under instruction at the Infantry and Cavalry School of Application, Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., Sep. 1, 1885, to July 11, 1887; on frontier duty at

(First Lieut., 4th Cavalry, May 26, 1886)

Ft. Bowie, Ara., and on Scout, to Nov. 14, 1889; and on leave of absence, to –––––.

Vol. IV
p330
[Supplement, Vol. IV: 1890‑1900]

(Hugh Jocelyn McGrath)

Military History. — Served: At Fort Bowie, Ariz., Jan. 1, 1890 to June 10, 1890; at Fort Walla Walla, Wash., to Aug. 25, 1891; at Fort Sherman, Ida., to Sept. 10, 1891; at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., as Professor of Military Science and Tactics, Sept. 15, 1891 to Sept. 15, 1894 (during these three years pursued a course in law at the University, graduating in Class of 1893, with degree of LL. B. — Admitted to practice law in Supreme Court of Wisconsin, and U. S. District and U. S. Circuit Court, 1893.) — On duty at World's Columbian Exposition, July 15 to Sept. 1, 1893. — On duty with regiment at Fort Sherman, Ida., Sept. 20, 1894 to Aug. 10, 1895.

(Captain of Cavalry, 4th Cavalry, June 19, 1897)

— Fort Walla Walla, Wash., Aug. 18, 1895 to Sept. 5, 1897. — At Vancouver Barracks, Wash., Sept. 6, 1897 to June 4, 1898.

(Major and Engineer Officer, U. S. Volunteers, June 20, 1898)

— At Presidio of San Francisco to July 6, 1898. — At Jacksonville, Fla., as Chief Engineer, 2d Division, 7th Army Corps, July 14, 1898 to Sept. 20, 1899. — At Savannah, Ga., in same capacity, Sept. 20 to Nov. 13, — On detached service in Havana, Cuba, with Major-General Indicates a West Point graduate and gives his Class.F. V. Greene, U. S. Volunteers, Nov. 16 to Dec. 24, 1898. — Stationed at Havana, Cuba, as Chief Engineer and Acting Judge Advocate, 2d Division, 7th Army Corps, Dec. 24, 1898 to April 1, 1899. — At Manila, Morong, Pasay, Calamba, and San Felipe, Luzon, June 30, 1899 to –––––; (Commanding 2d Squadron, 4th Cavalry, July 4 to Aug. 13, 1899. — Commanding 3d Squadron, 4th Cavalry, Aug. 22, 1899 to –––––). — Commanding troops engaged in capture of Pililla, July 5, 1899. — In capture of Muntinlupa, July 9, 1899. — Commanding 2d Squadron, 4th Cavalry, at capture of Calamba, July 26, 1899,​b and in skirmish at Calamba, July 27, 1899.

(Honorably Discharged from Volunteer Service, May 12, 1899)

— Served with regiment at San Felipe, P. I., to –––––; seriously wounded in action at Noveleta, Luzon, Oct. 8, 1899.

Died Nov. 7, 1899, at Manila, P. I., of wounds received in action: Aged 44.

See Annual Association of Graduates, U. S. M. A., 1900, for an obituary notice, with a portrait.

Buried, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.


Thayer's Notes:

a Maj. McGrath's birth data are from his tombstone, q.v.

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b On Apr. 29, 1902, Maj. McGrath was posthumously awarded the Congressional

Medal of Honor

for his actions in that engagement. The citation reads in full, according to the page at Congressional Medal of Honor Society:

Swam the San Juan River in the face of the enemy's fire and drove him from his entrenchments.


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