Roy Brownlee, A Victim of the Philippine Insurrection

American Infantry Soldiers in Philippines

UNK SMULL > HENRY SMULL > ABIGAIL SMULL m Lorenzo Brownlee > HARRISON BROWNLEE m Carrie Morton > ROY A BROWNLEE

Daughter of Henry Smull and first wife Elizabeth Royer, Abigail Smull, married her husband, Lorenzo Brownlee, while living in her native Centre County, Pennsylvania. They resided in Clinton County at the 1850 Census and sometime around 1851, they came to Stephenson County, where many of Abbie's father's brother Peter's relatives had come years before.

The Brownlee's took the long overland journey by covered wagon and upon their arrival, Lorenzo set up business as a shoemaker, which he followed for many years.

The couple had six children: Mary Jane, Sarah Elizabeth, Harrison, Mattie, and William.

Harrison was born 18 Oct 1848 in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania. He married Carrie Morton and they had four children; three sons and a daughter. Carrie was born 12 Sep 1856 in Clinton County, Pennsylvania.

Their oldest son Roy Arthur was born 10 Aug 1876 in Stephenson County. He joined the Army and served in the Coastal Artillery in Washington state and then was shipped to the Philippines during the Philippine Insurrection which had started in 1899, in 1900 as part of Co C, 34th Illinois Infantry Regiment. Not long after his arrival, his family received word that he had died, but this report turned out to be false. In fact, he had not been shot at all, but was gravely ill. This report was partially credited to gossip as bits of information were known and passed along with more, incorrect information.

After spending months in the hospital there, he was medically discharged. Doctors could not figure out what was causing the painful problem with...his ear. On his return to the US, he stopped at an Army hospital in California in hopes the doctors there could figure out what was causing the painful discharge that seemed to have started during a period of severe fever while in the tropical environs of the Philippines.

His situation did not improve and he spent most of the remainder of his life in and out of Disabled Volunteer Soldier homes in Milwaukee and Ohio. Somewhere in there, he married, but to whom is not known. It's not believed he had any children. The 1940 census had him still alive, married, but living alone as a boarder in Freeport, Stephenson County, Illinois and that is the last trace of him.