Private Harry M. Bodine

Company C, 16th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
Hometown: Simpson (Bradford, Bordell & Kinzua Railroad)
Died of Illness on 13 September 1898, Ponce, Puerto Rico.

When the hospital ship Relief sailed from Ponce, Private Bodine, age 22, intended coming to the United States as a passenger. He was in Ponce hospital, and the night before the Relief sailed, he informed Private James Crawford that he was to be one of the sick men to be brought home. Crawford was also picked out as a passenger. He went to the ship, expecting to find Bodine there, but the latter did not arrive and the Relief sailed without him. It seems that he was reported by the ship’s officers, as being on board, but never taken from Ponce hospital. He died of typhoid malaria. Private Bodine was in the thickest of the fighting at Coamo, Puerto Rico, and was one of the first soldiers to enter the city after victory had been won. He saw two Spanish flags flying over the barracks of the Spaniards and pulled them down. The trophies were subsequently turned over to Colonel Hulings and a short time afterwards were brought to Washington by Colonel Biddle and Captain Harry Alvan Hall and presented to the president. Colonel Hulings offered Private Bodine a furlough after the battle, but the patriotic young man refused it, saying that he preferred to stay with his company until the close of the war. A few days later he was siezed with typhoid fever.

Sergeant Edward S. Bailey

Company C, 16th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
Hometown: Bradford
Died of Illness on 30 September 1898, Third Brigade hospital, Coamo, Puerto Rico.

The first news of the death of Sgt. Bailey was brought to Bradford by the returning soldiers. When Charles Conneely and Will Myers landed from the Relief at Fortress Monroe, they told their comrades that Bailey had died. The news surprised and shocked the men at Fortress Monroe, as Sergeant Bailey had been one of the strongest men in the company. It is understood that he had been ill but only a week with “walking typhoid fever.” Sergeant Bailey had been a resident of Bradford for about five years and was the physical director of the Bradford Y.M.C.A., and later the director of Company C’s athletic club. Sergeant Bailey was raised in Danville, PA.

Private Ervin M. Kerns

Company C, 16th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
Hometown: Smethport
Died of Illness on 30 August 1898, Regimental Hospital, Coamo, Puerto Rico.

Private Kerns left Bradford with the first squad of recruits and was mustered into service at Mt. Gretna, PA. He was about 31 years of age and for several years he was prominent in politics, and had served one term as postmaster of Smethport and for six years employed by the county commissioners as a clerk.

Private Charles M. Ward

Company C, 16th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment
Hometown: Bradford
Died of Illness on 17 August 1898, aboard hospital ship USS Relief, and buried at sea.

Son of Bradford Mayor, the Honorable Thomas Loyal Ward, he was 19 years of age when he was taken ill at Juan Diaz, Puerto Rico. Transported to the regimental hospital in Ponce, Ward was soon dispatched on the next available ship returning to the U.S. All flags in Bradford were lowered to half mast to honor his death.