Hiram Herbert LuckettHiram Herbert Luckett was born in 1866 in the city of Boggess, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. He was the eldest of six children born to John M. Luckett and Sarah Catherine Wickliffe. He was raised on the family farm in Boggess.
In 1910, Hiram was living in his mother’s household in Boggess. Like many others at that time, his occupation was that of a coal miner. Hiram moved to the family farm in Graham, Muhlenberg County, during the Great Depression to help his widowed sister, Belle Southard, with farm work. He had her put the farm in the children's names to keep creditors from taking it.
In the 1930 census, Hiram was listed as a veteran of the Spanish American War, which took place from April to August 1898. He most likely served in the 1st Kentucky Volunteer Infantry. The following is a brief history of the infantry:
The History of the 1st Kentucky Volunteer Infantry
By Patrick McSherry
General:
The First Kentucky Volunteer Infantry saw service as part of the U.S. occupation forces serving in Puerto Rico.
The History:
The First Kentucky Volunteer Infantry was mustered into service between June 1 and June 10, 1898 at Lexington, Kentucky. The unit originally consisted of 48 officers and 1,251 enlisted men.
While portions of the regiment were still being mustered in, the First Kentucky was ordered to report to Camp Thomas, located on the old Civil War battlefield at Chickamauga, Georgia. Initially it was assigned to the First Brigade, First Division of the First Army Corps but, on July 5, was reassigned to the Third Brigade of the same division.
Conditions at Camp Thomas quickly worsened as it grew to a city of 30,000 men without adequate supplies or sanitation. At the peak of this crisis, the regiment was order to Newport News, Virginia to travel to Puerto Rico. Companies F, H, I, K, L and M left for Mayaguez, Puerto Rico on August 3 aboard the Transport HUDSON. They were followed by Companies A, B, C, D, E and G on August 9, with these companies bound for Ponce. The two forces arrived at their destinations on August 10th and August 17th respectively. The fighting ended on August 12 when Spain and the U.S. agreed to an armistice, too soon for the unit to find itself in action.
The unit remained in Puerto Rico as part of the island's occupation forces until December 5, 1898, when it embarked on the Transport BERLIN to return to the U.S. arriving at Newport News a week later. While the regiment was enroute back to the United States, the Treaty of Paris was signed officially ending the war on December 10. The First Kentucky Volunteer Infantry immediately set out for Louisville Kentucky. The regiment remained in service until February 24, 1899, when it was mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky. At the time of mustering out, the regiment consisted of forty-seven officers and 1,222 enlisted men.
During its term of service, it lost 27 men to disease, one man suffered an accidental death and three men deserted. In addition, one man was discharged on disability.
Hiram Herbert Luckett died on December 5, 1935 in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, at the age of 69 years. He is buried at Oak Grove Baptist Cemetery.
Notes for Hiram Herbert Luckett
Birth, Residence, and Military Experience in 1930: Year: 1930; Census Place: Graham, Muhlenberg, Kentucky; Roll: 772; Page: 29B; Enumeration District: 21; Image: 62.0.
Residence and Occupation in 1910: Year: 1910; Census Place: N Boggess, Muhlenberg, Kentucky; Series: T624; Roll: 496; Page: 242A; Enumeration District: 88; Part: 2; Line: 1.
Information about the 1st Kentucky Volunteer Infantry: The Spanish-American War Centennial Website; http://www.spanamwar.com/1stKentucky.htm. Accessed on 7 August 2007.
Death: Commonwealth of Kentucky, Health Data Branch, Division of Epidemiology and Health Planning. Kentucky Death Index, 1911-present. Frankfort, KY, USA: Kentucky Department of Information Systems.
No comments:
Post a Comment