Wallace Abel Downs (November 12, 1855 – February 12, 1908) was an American colonel who participated in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

. He commanded the

71st New York Infantry Regiment The 71st New York Infantry Regiment is an organization of the New York State Guard. Formerly, the 71st Infantry was a regiment of the New York State Militia and then the Army National Guard from 1850 to 1993. The regiment was not renumbered dur ...

throughout the war as its colonel. He was also a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, notably serving as the Master of Crescent Lodge No. 402 from 1883 to 1885.

Military career

Wallace was born on November 12, 1855, at

Seneca, New York Seneca is a town in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 2,658 at the 2020 census. The town is named after a group of local natives. The Town of Seneca is on the southern border of the county and is southwest of the C ...

as the son of Major Abel Downs and Ann Downs. Downs enrolled in the Mt. Pleasant Military Academy and after graduation, he moved to New York City to become a contractor and where he would found the Hutchinson Manufacturing Company and became its secretary and treasurer. Downs later helped found the Continental Match Company as its secretary and treasurer while William M. Mixer became president of the company. In December 1874, Downs became a part of the 16th Battalion and on 1876, he was promoted to Major of the battalion, occasionally serving as its adjutant until resigning from the Battalion in 1880 due to his lack of personal interest in military affairs. Despite this, Downs re-enlisted to the

as an Adjutant in September 1886. In April 1887, he was promoted to Major and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel by 1893. Around this time, Downs was described as being a strict disciplinarian, but enjoyed the confidence of his men.

Freemasonry

Downs also engaged in

Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

as he was passed and raised at Crescent Lodge No. 402, eventually becoming its master in 1883 and holding that office for 2 years. Downs was then exalted at Crescent Lodge No. 220 before finally settling at Amity Chapter No. 160. He received his council degrees at Adelphie Council No. 7 and was knighted at the Palestine Commandery on 1888. Downs was also known for have raised fifty Masons at the East, making it one of the most successful lodges at New York City. He was also a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, but didn't tend to be strict about his political beliefs and tended to vote based on who he personally thought would be the better candidate.

Spanish–American War

On May 2, 1898, due to the outbreak of the

, Downs took up arms as the Lieutenant Colonel of the 71st New York again. He was initially stationed at Camp Black, Hempstead before being transferred to

Ybor City Ybor City ( ) is a historic neighborhood just northeast of downtown Tampa, downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It was founded in the 1880s by Vicente Martinez-Ybor and other cigar manufacturers and populated by thousands of immigrants, mainly ...

and shipped out to Cuba where the regiment would see active combat against the Spanish Army. On May 31, 1898, Downs was promoted to Colonel and given command of the regiment and would subsequently see active combat at the

Battle of San Juan Hill The Battle of San Juan Hill, also known as the Battle for the San Juan Heights, was a major battle of the Spanish–American War fought between an American force under the command of William Rufus Shafter and Joseph Wheeler against a Spanish fo ...

and the

Siege of Santiago The siege of Santiago, also known as the siege of Santiago de Cuba, was the last major operation of the Spanish–American War on the island of Cuba. Santiago campaign The primary objective of the American Fifth Army Corps' invasion of Cuba ...

. Downs was mustered out on November 15, 1898, but by this point, Downs was in declining health and would die at the

Roosevelt Hospital Mount Sinai West, opened in 1871 as Roosevelt Hospital, is affiliated with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Health System. The 514-bed facility is located in the Midtown West neighborhood of New York City. The fac ...

on February 12, 1908, from

Appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a rup ...

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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Downs, Wallace Abel 1855 births 1908 deaths People from Seneca, New York Military personnel from New York City American military personnel of the Spanish–American War United States Army colonels Deaths from appendicitis American Freemasons New York (state) Republicans