The first and second articles about the brothers told of the US birth and a move with parents to the Belleville Ontario area in their youth where their father was in great demand for his minning expertise. A sister was born while the family was in Ontario. In recent days it has been learned that there were in fact 5 brothers, possibly all US born, and of which two of course were the medal recipients. Also just learned and being investigated is that there was a 2nd sister ...possibly also Canadian born. The second blog told a little about Antoine (Tony's) entering the military, having soon being charged with and later acquitted for the murder of a Private in his regiment. He then served during the Philippine Insurrection where his bravery resulted in his being nominated for commissioning and also for the receiving of the Medal of Honor. An award that would take about a dozen years to be approved and awarded.
The two blogs left off with the story of service resulting in the medal in the Philippines during the Battle of Payne, aka the Battle of San Mateo, in December of 1899. Anthony would also be at the front during fighting in the islands at Montalban, Angono de Bay, San Iisdro and at Palanan.
Sick and wounded reports for his unit, the 27th Infantry, would later show that Tony suffered from malaria fever for days in May, Aug, Sept and October of 1900. That same year began with the mid January nomination for the Medal of Honor. But four months later things went bad for Tony.
While detail seems quite scarce so far, information briefly reveals that in May of 1900 Tony was, for a second time, charged with murder and court marshalled under the terms of Section 62 of the Articles of War. This was the same section he originally faced at trial and received a later acquittal for, some 18 months earlier. It seems that this time there was some eliment of guilt determined, yet the punishment was only limited to loss of one month's pay.
And a few weeks later he was actually promoted to Sergeant!
In February of 1901 Tony's services came to an end and he was released as no longer needed at the Islands. The rest of his unit were also released from further duty three months later. The trail of Tony seems elusive for the next decade. It is believed that he was summoned to the White House, possibly in February 1911 for a formal ceremony in which President Taft probably pinned the Medal of Honor on his chest.
The two blogs left off with the story of service resulting in the medal in the Philippines during the Battle of Payne, aka the Battle of San Mateo, in December of 1899. Anthony would also be at the front during fighting in the islands at Montalban, Angono de Bay, San Iisdro and at Palanan.
Sick and wounded reports for his unit, the 27th Infantry, would later show that Tony suffered from malaria fever for days in May, Aug, Sept and October of 1900. That same year began with the mid January nomination for the Medal of Honor. But four months later things went bad for Tony.
While detail seems quite scarce so far, information briefly reveals that in May of 1900 Tony was, for a second time, charged with murder and court marshalled under the terms of Section 62 of the Articles of War. This was the same section he originally faced at trial and received a later acquittal for, some 18 months earlier. It seems that this time there was some eliment of guilt determined, yet the punishment was only limited to loss of one month's pay.
And a few weeks later he was actually promoted to Sergeant!
In February of 1901 Tony's services came to an end and he was released as no longer needed at the Islands. The rest of his unit were also released from further duty three months later. The trail of Tony seems elusive for the next decade. It is believed that he was summoned to the White House, possibly in February 1911 for a formal ceremony in which President Taft probably pinned the Medal of Honor on his chest.
The next we here from Tony, he is fighting on US soil as a civilian. It was in Kanawha County of West Virginia in a 15 month battle, literally, and known as the "Paint Creek and Cabin Creek War."
It all started in the days leading up to April of 1912 when the major state wide occupation of coal mining pitted (pardon the pun) the owners against the miners in many of the 96 mines employing over 7,500 miners.
Paint and Cabin Creek form two of the 3 sides of a triangle and are located about 30 miles south of Charleston W Va., and some 670 miles to the south west of Washington DC. (Shown on the maps to the left.)
Here, non unionized workers went on strike for higher wages. Union men in the same state and profession were getting 2.5 cents more per ton of coal brought to the surface. The equalization of wages would have meant a cost to the mine owners of about 15 cents per worker per day.
But money almost seems to have been the least of the miners' concerns! Demands for better working conditions resulted in many of the louder voices being silenced by being blacklisted from future mine working. The men were not allowed to congregate to discuss their issues. Even in the towns..really owned by the politics and money of the mine operators, and thus the policing etc poorly disguised, resulted in ordanances disallowing men to gather in groups of three or more, and thus stiffening their rights of free speech, and lots more caused disenchantment with working conditions. Men were bullied, forced to buy their tools and supplies from company stores at the mines and in the towns, and even for some time the mines created their own form of money for wages, exchangeable of course only at their stores. Stores with supplies overpriced to boot. Those failing to buy at the stores were fired. The companies even brought in scab workers and beatings or muggings were daily events.
While violence was not the rule of the day in the earlist days of the strike it soon escalated to the point that both sides became armed... and heavily, not only with pistols and rifles capeable of being used by snipers but even with Colt machine guns brought in by the owners. This of course by way of over 300 armed guards hired by the well known strikebreaking men hired and trained as goons under the name of the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency. One that braged that it had illiminated unionization in many parts of the state and others, were men soon became too afraid to organize.
The mines' private armies, aka the detective agency, hired former military men who were well versed on stopping insurgents..no matter the cost. These men would actually operate mini forts around some of the mines complete with high towers topped with big search lights to detect anyone approaching. Apparenetly nine Colt machine guns, capeable of firing off over 300 rounds per minute, were brought in by the detectives and regularly used to sweep the grounds outside of the mines. Whenever armed workers were suspected hiding in the brush waiting to let off a few rounds, the Colts would open up on them.
And into all of this we find Tony Gaujot. He was employed by Baldwin-Felts and in fact was one of the three ring leaders and known to have repeatedly operated one on the Colts. Some details can be found on the net about him and the strikle including the cute comment that he"had wounded more than one milk cow with his MG. "
It all started in the days leading up to April of 1912 when the major state wide occupation of coal mining pitted (pardon the pun) the owners against the miners in many of the 96 mines employing over 7,500 miners.
Paint and Cabin Creek form two of the 3 sides of a triangle and are located about 30 miles south of Charleston W Va., and some 670 miles to the south west of Washington DC. (Shown on the maps to the left.)
Here, non unionized workers went on strike for higher wages. Union men in the same state and profession were getting 2.5 cents more per ton of coal brought to the surface. The equalization of wages would have meant a cost to the mine owners of about 15 cents per worker per day.
But money almost seems to have been the least of the miners' concerns! Demands for better working conditions resulted in many of the louder voices being silenced by being blacklisted from future mine working. The men were not allowed to congregate to discuss their issues. Even in the towns..really owned by the politics and money of the mine operators, and thus the policing etc poorly disguised, resulted in ordanances disallowing men to gather in groups of three or more, and thus stiffening their rights of free speech, and lots more caused disenchantment with working conditions. Men were bullied, forced to buy their tools and supplies from company stores at the mines and in the towns, and even for some time the mines created their own form of money for wages, exchangeable of course only at their stores. Stores with supplies overpriced to boot. Those failing to buy at the stores were fired. The companies even brought in scab workers and beatings or muggings were daily events.
While violence was not the rule of the day in the earlist days of the strike it soon escalated to the point that both sides became armed... and heavily, not only with pistols and rifles capeable of being used by snipers but even with Colt machine guns brought in by the owners. This of course by way of over 300 armed guards hired by the well known strikebreaking men hired and trained as goons under the name of the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency. One that braged that it had illiminated unionization in many parts of the state and others, were men soon became too afraid to organize.
The mines' private armies, aka the detective agency, hired former military men who were well versed on stopping insurgents..no matter the cost. These men would actually operate mini forts around some of the mines complete with high towers topped with big search lights to detect anyone approaching. Apparenetly nine Colt machine guns, capeable of firing off over 300 rounds per minute, were brought in by the detectives and regularly used to sweep the grounds outside of the mines. Whenever armed workers were suspected hiding in the brush waiting to let off a few rounds, the Colts would open up on them.
And into all of this we find Tony Gaujot. He was employed by Baldwin-Felts and in fact was one of the three ring leaders and known to have repeatedly operated one on the Colts. Some details can be found on the net about him and the strikle including the cute comment that he"had wounded more than one milk cow with his MG. "
The private armies even operated a "train," probably several vehicles hitched togehter.. that would drive through the small tent cities set up to house workers. During the strike another way of abusing them was to force them to abandon the tents, their temporary homes, homes owned by the mine operators. Men would fire their rifles and machine guns into the tents from vehicles like this, known as the "Bull Moose Special."
This and other violence caused the Governor of the State to declare marshall law, then cancel it twice. Ultimately he had to send in about 1,200 state troopers to halt things after almost a year and a half of violence... and about 50 deaths..from both sides. In the process thousands of weapons from both sides were also seized. After well over a year of violence both sides settled on more fair treatment all around.
We next here from Tony after he again rejoins the army during the Great War, but more on that next week.
Bart
This and other violence caused the Governor of the State to declare marshall law, then cancel it twice. Ultimately he had to send in about 1,200 state troopers to halt things after almost a year and a half of violence... and about 50 deaths..from both sides. In the process thousands of weapons from both sides were also seized. After well over a year of violence both sides settled on more fair treatment all around.
We next here from Tony after he again rejoins the army during the Great War, but more on that next week.
Bart
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