not in world cat

First Regiment Infantr
R.I. VOLS>
WAR WITH SPAIN

Signed and stamped
Chas F Gilroy

"Charles Francis Gilroy was born on 10 February 1866 in Newport, RI, to Timothy Gilroy and Eliza Boyle, who were both Irish immigrants. He was one of twelve children. His mother died when he was 10, and his father died when he was 14. He lived with his older sister Kate, then with his sister Annie and her husband Morris Crane.
Charles enlisted on 11 Ma 1898 as a Private, and was promoted to the rank of Corporal in Company F, First Regiment of Rhode Island Volunteers, on 25 June 1898. He was 5'7'' of light complexion with blue eyes and light brown hair. He was Honorably discharged on 30 March 1899 in Rhode Island.
He never left the Continental US during his service, but he was injured. According to him: "The injury was caused by lifting boiler and other utensils of a like nature in the cook house of said camp." He "did not report his injury until some time later I attepted to put a barrel of slop into a wagon." He was abused and threatened by his Major. The surgeon gave him a truss, which the Major "took from me a few days later calling me a humbug." In 1899, an operation had been performed on a possible hernia on his left side. The VA rejected his claim in 1901, and he spent years appealing it. He was granted a pension in 1919 at a rate of 12 dollars, which was adjusted to 15 dollars in 1922. The file shows the rate was increased to 60 dollars in 1930.
Stomach trouble left him sick and incapacitated for manual labor. He worked as a gardener throughout his life. He belonged to temperance groups. Gilroy Street in Newport, RI, was named for him, and its first appearance was in the 1919 Newport Directory.
He moved from Newport, RI, to Myrtle Point, Coos, OR in 1908. He appears in the 1010, 1920, and 1930 US Censuses in Coos County, OR.
In his effort to get VA benefits, he enlisted the aid of the Honorable Willis C. Hawley, US Representative of the 1st district of Oregon. The letters between Represetative Hawley and the Commissioner of Pensions represent a level of bureaucratic feuding that is all too common. The Commissioner of Pensions planned to bill Mr. Hawley for copies of the supporting documentation, and had refused to provide him with report from the Board of Examining Surgeons. My Hawley reviewed the evidence, found merit to his case, and encouraged The Commissioner to review his case. He also enlisted the aid of US Senator Harry Lane of Oregon, ad George Peabody Wetmore of Rhode Island who had employed his father as a coachman.
According to family legend, Omar Bradley was the Head of the Veterans Administration, when Uncle Charlie was having problems with his pension for being disable veteran from the Spanish American-War. He stormed into Omar Bradley's office and called him a "God Damn Liar"
He was never married. His nieces and newphews held him in high esteem, fondly remembering his visits and the amazing stories he told. He wrote poetry throughout his life, sometimes sending poems as gifts.
The family story was the he had donated his book to the Library of Congress, but I have not found it listed in their catalog.
I contacted the Myrtle Point Herald and they kindly provided his obituary. I also contacted the Genealogical Club in Myrtle Point OR. The Genealogical Club sent me the funeral home record, and found a lady who remembered him. I spoke with this charming lady who was a child when he visited her paretns' house. He had presented her parents with a copy of the book.
My mother's oldest brother received their copy of the book My cousin lost the house and its contents in a divorce, which presumably included this book.
I sent for his Veteran's Records, which were not at the National Archives, but were instead held by Veteran's Affairs.
The Grandson of the Niece I mentioned before recently loaned me some papers to scan, and in them was his copy of the book, in stained condition, and some orignial drafts in Uncle Charlie's handwriting. Of course, the book had to be returned to him after the scanning project."

Laid in a copy of a poem "Oh Oregon which was included in this letter."