Colonel Patrick Henry Ray was in charge of  organizing the 3rd U. S. Volunteers. These special regiments were authorized under what had been called the "immune" act. There was not a provision in the act that men enlisted under it shall be immune from "Yellow Fever" , but it was the idea of the army authorities that men as nearly acclimated as possible would be secured - thus the regiments were raised in the south.

The regiment mustered into service June 1898 in Camp Price, Macon, Ga. They left Macon August 6, 1898 and the regiment reached Savannah on Sunday morning, August 7th, and remained in Savannah several days waiting on the transport to take them to Cuba. They arrived at Santiago about August 18th. After being in camp several days the regiment was divided up and assigned to different stations and was never together again until taking the transport Sedgwick to Savannah (where they were quarantined about a week)  and Macon when they came home on April  9th. Colonel Ray's headquarters was at Guantanamo most of the time. The immunes received the surrender of every Spanish garrison in the province of Santiago except the city of Santiago. They had charge of all the Spanish prisoners and the arms. Never engaged in any regular battle, they experienced much sickness and suffering and there were quite a  number of deaths from disease.

When they came home to Macon on April 8, 1899 they marched to Ocmulgee Park and occupied the camp formerly used by the Third engineers, Camp Fornance. A number of "soldiers were sick with severe colds and pneumonia, contracted while disembarking in a blinding rain at the quarantine station in Savannah. Most of the immunes looked sick and jaded from their rough experience in Cuba. During their stay there all of the regiment, with the exception of three members, had the Cuban chills and fever, and thirty-three died. Since coming to Macon the health of the regiment has greatly improved and the soldiers are recovering their strength. In the parade today, however, many of them showed signs of their sickness and weakness."
The regiment was mustered out May 2, 1899.

FIELD AND STAFF OFFICERS AT TIME OF MUSTERING OUT
Colonel P. H. Ray
Lieut. Colonel T. S. Wyly
Major Marion Harris
Major Walter K. Wheatly
Major and surgeon Seaton Norman
Chaplain Daniel H. Parker
Adjutant Edward Haralson
Quartermaster Harry C. McCool
First Lieut. and assistant surgeon William H. Chapman
First Lieut and assistant surgeon J. C. L. Hardy
Sergeant Major A A Watkins
Quartermaster Sergeant Robert H. Shivers
Hospital steward Benjamin B. Hudson
Hospital steward Andrew R. Wall
Hospital steward C. F. Madox
Band - J. J. Saunders, P. B. Newcomer, E. A. Butcher, W. Fuller, W. H. Ritchie, C. Blount, Everata Delgoto, P. A. Fontain, R. W. Funk, W. M. Gillespie, E. O. Jackson, F. E. Curry, G. R. Moore, J.. H. Sweringer, Ignace Seats, T.N. Snell, R. E. Yoman, Levi Waters, W. F. Mims

COMPANY OFFICERS:

Company  A.
Captain Sidney R. Wiley
1st Lieut. Frank F. Crenshaw
2nd Lieut.  Harry A. Garden

Company  B
Captain Albert W. Gilchrist
1st Lieut. Martin L. Williams
2nd Lieut. Melville A. Wilson

Company C
Captain John A. Condon
1st Lieut. L. Brooks Clarke
2nd Lieut. Alton A. Clark

Company D
Captain Robert B. McBride
1st Lieut. E. R. Stevens
2nd Lieut. L. W. Brander

Company E
Captain W. Y. Carter
1st Lieut W. G. Young
2nd Lieut. A. M. Dunn

Company F
Captain Mack A. Laird
1st Lieut. Robert W. Collins
2nd Lieut. Willis A. Hawkins

Company G
Captain Algernon Sartoris
1st Lieut. James H. Blount, Jr.
2nd Lieut. Eugenius A. Nisbet

Company H
Captain John D. Twiggs, Jr.
1st Lieut. James E. Bunting
2nd Lieut. Hiram L. Middlebrooks

Company I
Captain  Wade H. Westmoreland
1st Lieut. James A. Thomas
2nd Lieut. Robert Whitfield

Company K
Captain Rex Van Den Corput
1st Lieut. Jefferson D. Rooney
2nd Lieut. Harris B. Lewis

Company L
Captain W. A. Jones
1st Lieut. William Neher
2nd Lieut. Joseph L. Sauls

Company M
Captain J. A. Sibley
1st Lieut. A. N. McCall
2nd Lieut. R. Ramspeck
 

Places in Cuba where the regiment was stationed when notifed to be mustered out.

GUANTANAMO
Company B,  Captain A. W.Gilchrist
Company C, Captain John A. Condon
Company L, 1st Lieut. William Neher

JAMAICA
Company E,Captain W. Y. Carter
Outposts of E company
Lose Canos, 1 sergeant, 1 corporal & 4 men
Santa Cecilla, 1 sergeant, 1 corporal & 4 men
San Carlos, 1 corporal & 4 men
Romila, 1 company officer & 4 men
La Luisa, 1 non-commissioned officer & 4 men

PALMA
Company F, Mack E. Laird
Outposts
Fellcidad, 1 non-commissioned officer & 5 men
Sorpresa, 1 non-commissioned officer & 4 men

SOLEDAD
K company, R.V.D. Corputt,
Outposts:
Santa Fe, 2 non-commissioned officers & 8 men
San Jose, 2 non-commissioned officers  & 9 men

SANTA ROSA
H company, Captain J. D. Twiggs, Outposts
Confluente, 1 non-commissioned officer & 6 men
Colonia Santa Maria, 1 non-commissoined officer & 6 men
Santa Maria, 1 non-commissioned officer & 6 men
Colonta Confluente, 1 non-commissioned officer & 4 men.

ESPERANZA
D company, Captain R. D. McBride
Outposts:
San Miquel, 2 non-commissioned officers & 6 men
San Vicente, 1 non-commissioned officer & 6 men
Santa Yetinel, 1 non-commissioned officer & 4 men

GUASO
Guard posted and recived from time to time

BARACOA
Lieut. Col. T. S. Wylle, commanding
I company, Capt. W. H. Westmoreland
A company Captain S. R. Wiley
M company Captain W. A. Jones

SAQUA DE TANAMO
G company, Captain W. R. Wheatley

GUANTANAMO
Tiquabos, 5 civil guards
San Antenjo, 5 civil guards
Soledad, 5 civil guards
Guantanmo, 15 civil guards
Jamaica, 2 civil guards
Ysabel, 2 civil guards
 

ROLL OF THE DEAD

Immunes who died in Cuba or since the regiment left Macon in August 1898.

Savannah
Private Tom O. Pye, Company E.

Santiago
Privates:
L.V. B. McCormick, Co. K
Elisha Crosby Co. L
Richard McSheban, Co. E
James F. Pugh, Co. B.
J. W. Morgan, Co. H.
G. R. Clemmons, Co. K

Guantanamo
Captain D. L. M. Peixottas
Sergeant Major Hugh G. Blount
Sergeant Lawrence W. Rivers, Co. D
Sergeant Joshua W. Johnson, Co. E
Corporal James R. Falkner, Co. B
Artificer George Green, Co. D.
Privates:
Lewis Reese, Co. H.
Robert L. Curson, Co. L
Walter Gray, Co. H.
Frank Edwards, Co. F
James Cooney, Co. F.
Thomas H. Ennis. Co. L.
Benton F. Demery, Co. B
William McAlpin, Co. D
Frederick Buchler, Co. E
William J. Pugh, Co. B.
Ralph J. Young, Co. F
Robert Williams, Co. H
Stready R. Hamilton, Co. F
John P. McDaniel, Co. D.
W. J. Canniff, Co. F
William L. Irving, Co. D
John M. Hall, Co. B
Brownlow Whiteaer, Co. K

Santa Rosa
Private Robert Tankely, Co. H

Manzanillo
Private Ed. R. Burdett, Co. L

Baracoa
Corporal John W. Miller, Co. M
Private Charles A. Stibbins, Co. I

Fort Monroe, Va.
Private J. Frank Carroll

Macon, Ga
Private Walter Hawkins, Co. M. Death caused by pneumonia contracted before coming home from Cuba
 
 

Source:  Atlanta Consitution, May 5, 1899 ; April 22, 1899
 

Eileen Babb McAdams copyright 2005