United States. A Spanish-American War Group, to Private (later Corporal) Eugene Small Munden, United States Marine Corps

Marine Corps Spanish Campaign Medal (in bronze, number impressed "583" on the edge, measuring 33 mm in diameter, frayed original ribbon with brooch pinback); West Indies Naval Campaign Medal (AKA Sampson Medal), 2 Clasps - CIENFUEGOS, CASILDA (in bronze, hand engraved "EUGENE S. MUNDEN PVTE. U.S.M.C." on the edge, obverse illustrating the left-facing bust of Rear Admiral William T. Sampson, inscribed "U.S. NAVAL CAMPAIGN / WEST INDIES 1898" above, "WILLIAM T. SAMPSON" to the left and "COMMANDER IN CHIEF" to the right of the bust, engraver marked "B" (Charles E. Barber), reverse designed by George T. Morgan, illustrating a Navy officer, a Sailor and a Marine aboard ship, all three facing to the left, with water behind them and mountainous landscape in the distance, the figures standing upon a block identifying the action for which the medal was awarded, the block inscribed "SANTIAGO DE CUBA" with the date "JUNE 6" below, measuring 38.2 mm in diameter, original ribbon, suspended from a bar inscribed "U.S.S. YANKEE", the Cienfuegos clasp dated "JUNE 13." and the Casilda clasp dated "JUNE 20." on the reverse, the latter clasp converted to a hanger with pinback); two United Spanish War Veterans Medals (first medal in bronze, measuring 34.2 mm (w) x 63.7 mm (h) inclusive of its trophy of arms suspension, original red, white and blue embroidered American flag ribbon, suspended from a two-piece bronze eagle with shield and wreath pinback hanger, marked "B 2509" and maker marked "JOS. MAYER INC. MAKERS SEATTLE U.S.A." on the reverse of the hanger; second medal in bronze, measuring 34.3 mm (w) x 64 mm (h) inclusive of its trophy of arms suspension, missing its ribbon and hanger, with oxidation spot on the obverse); two United Spanish War Veterans Membership Badges (first badge in bronze, measuring 19 (w) x 19 mm (h), maker marked "WHITEHEAD & HOAG Co. NEWARK, N.J." on the buttonhole attachment; second badge in bronze, measuring 19.8 mm (w) x 19.8 mm (h), with horizontal pinback and dual prongs); two United Spanish War Veterans 32nd Encampment Visitor Medals (in bronze, obverse illustrating the Liberty Bell with the USWV insignia above, maker marked "THE ROBBINS CO ATTLEBORO AND PHILADELPHIA" on their reverses, measuring 31.7 mm (w) x 47.7 mm (h) inclusive of the integral suspension, original ribbons, each of the ribbons screen-printed in gold-colored ink with the inscription "VISITOR 32nd NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT U.S.W.V. PHILADELPHIA AUG. 17-20, 1930", suspended from a name tag hanger with pinback bearing the USWV insignia, one with a blank white paper name tag); and United States Army Veteran’s Souvenir Badge, c.1880s-1890s (spiked helmet in silvered brass, with a bronze eagle insignia on the front and a bronze spike and base, measuring 33 mm (w) x 44.7 mm (l) x 34 mm (h), suspended from an eagle lapel pin in silvered brass, measuring 39.3 mm (w) x 18 mm (h), horizontal pinback). Near extremely fine.

Footnote: Eugene Small Munden was born on November 21, 1874. He enlisted with the United States Marine Corps on January 22, 1895 and was stationed at the Naval Disciplinary Barracks at Port Royal, South Carolina until October 1896, when he was transferred to the Marine Barracks at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he was employed as an Assistant Cook. In June 1897, he was a Cabin Orderly in the Marine detachment aboard the barkentine–rigged screw sloop-of-war USS Monongahela, as part of a summer training cruise for the Naval Academy midshipmen, so the Marines likely played servant to them. He returned to Annapolis in September 1897 and was assigned as an Orderly at Cadet Hall (dining hall). Seven months later, Private Munden was transferred to the Brooklyn (New York) Naval Yard in April 1898 and assigned to the auxiliary cruiser USS Yankee. The ship was originally called the El Norte, a steamer built in 1892 at Newport News, Virginia, by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company for the Southern Pacific Railroad's Morgan Line. It was acquired by the United States Navy from the Southern Pacific Company on April 6, 1898, re-named and commissioned at New York on April 14, 1898, with Commander Willard H. Brownson in command.After fitting out as an auxiliary cruiser, the ship joined in the Spanish-American War and patrolled the coastal waters between Block Island and Cape Henlopen until May 27th. That day, USS Yankee stopped at Tompkinsville, New York for coal fueling. On May 29th, she returned to sea and shaped a southerly course to join the fleet off Cuba. En route, she touched briefly at St. Nicholas Mole, Haiti, on the evening of June 2nd and then continued on towards Cuba.

Early the following morning, USS Yankee joined the blockade off Santiago de Cuba and conducted patrols there for the next five days. On the morning of the June 6th, USS Yankee dueled shore batteries briefly and, near Santiago and on June 7th, joined the Montgomery-class cruiser USS Marblehead (C-11) and the troop transport USS St. Louis for a cable cutting incursion into Guantanamo Bay. While USS St. Louis dragged for and cut the three cables, USS Yankee and USS Marblehead covered her activities by engaging the Spanish gunboats Alvarado and Sandoval. After putting the Spanish gunboats to flight, the two American warships turned their attention toward the fort at Caimanera, which had been making a nuisance of itself with its single large-caliber gun: a venerable, smooth-bore muzzleloader. As USS Yankee and USS Marblehead silenced their last adversary, USS St. Louis completed her cable-cutting mission, then the three ships exited the bay. USS Yankee then briefly resumed blockade duty off Santiago, but on the June 8th, got underway for St. Nicholas Mole with dispatches. On June 9th, just before she arrived at her destination, the auxiliary cruiser stopped two merchantmen and inspected them. They turned out to be the Norwegian SS Norse and the British SS Ely, so USS Yankee allowed them to proceed on their way. She completed her mission at Haiti and returned to Santiago early the following morning. At about noon on June 10th, USS Yankee set a course for Port Antonio, Jamaica, to deliver dispatches and to search for the suspected blockade runner SS Purissima Concepcion. After delivering the dispatches at Port Antonio on June 10th and visiting Montego Bay in search of Purissima Concepcion, the warship returned to the Santiago area on June 12th. However, that same day, she received orders to move again, this time to Cienfuegos, about halfway up the southern coast of Cuba from Santiago, to stand guard there against Purissima Concepcion's expected run. USS Yankee arrived off Cienfuegos on June 13th and began patrolling the approaches to the harbor. At about 13:15 that afternoon, she spied a steamer standing out of the port toward her. Identifying the stranger as the Spanish gunboat Diego Velázquez, USS Yankee cleared for action and closed the enemy. At about 1,500 yards (1,400 m) range, the American ship put her helm over, unmasked her port battery, and opened fire. The Spanish gunboat, markedly inferior to USS Yankee in armament, opted for a running fight in which she presented the smallest possible target and in which USS Yankee could bring only one or two of her guns to bear without turning away from her target's course. Consequently, Diego Velázquez came about and headed back toward Cienfuegos, firing as she went. USS Yankee followed, shooting her port forecastle gun constantly and periodically turning to starboard to unmask her entire port battery. Ultimately, Diego Velázquez reached safety under the protection of Sabanilla Battery, and the gunboat Lince came out to join her in the fray. USS Yankee continued to fire her port battery as she passed the two gunboats and shore battery abeam at about 4,000 yards (3,700 m) range. She completed one pass and then put the helm to port and came about for another pass, this time bringing her starboard battery into action for the first time. During USS Yankee's second pass, Diego Velázquez and Lince abandoned the fight and sought refuge in Cienfuegos harbor. USS Yankee continued firing on Sabanilla Battery until 15:00 and then withdrew to her blockade station off the harbor, remaining off Cienfuegos for two days. On June 14th, there was a brief moment of anxiety when a large man-of-war started out of the harbor. USS Yankee cleared for action and stood in toward the warship, but all hands breathed a sigh of relief when the newcomer was identified as the neutral German SMS Geier.

The following afternoon, the auxiliary cruiser gave up her vigil for Purissima Concepcion off Cienfuegos and set a course back to the eastern end of Cuba. She rejoined the Santiago blockade on June 16th but put into the anchorage at Guantanamo Bay the following day to take on coal. Late on the June 19th, the ship returned to sea bound once more for blockade duty off Cienfuegos. On the June 19th, during the passage from Guantanamo Bay to Cienfuegos, USS Yankee stopped and inspected two sailing vessels, a British schooner and a Norwegian bark, along with a steamer, the British SS Adula. All three had their papers in order, and the auxiliary cruiser allowed them to proceed unmolested. That evening, she arrived off Cienfuegos and began cruising on blockade station between that port and Casilda. At about 08:30 on the morning of June 20th, USS Yankee sighted a steamer lying in Casilda harbor closely fitting the description of Purissima Concepcion. The American ship stood in as close to the shoals as she dared and then fired a shot across the steamer's bow in an unsuccessful effort to make her show her colors. Instead, the merchantman began preparations for getting underway. USS Yankee responded by opening a steady fire at extreme range. As the supposed Spanish steamer moved farther into shoal water and disappeared behind some islets, USS Yankee shifted fire to an enemy gunboat and a floating battery, both of which had opened an ineffective fire upon her. The extreme range, in excess of 5,000 yards (4,600 m), made the gunfire from both sides so ineffective that USS Yankee broke off the engagement and resumed her patrols between Casilda and Cienfuegos. The auxiliary cruiser continued her blockade of that stretch of the Cuban coast until June 24th, when her dwindling supply of coal forced her to head for Key West. En route to that base, she visited the Isle of Pines where she captured and destroyed five Spanish fishing vessels on the June 25th. USS Yankee arrived in Key West, Florida on June 27th and began taking on coal. She completed her refueling operation and departed Key West on July 3rd, bound for New York, where she arrived two days later. She remained at New York until the July 12th, taking on ammunition for transportation to the Eastern Squadron on the Cuban blockade. On July 13th, she reached Norfolk, where she spent another four days taking on additional ammunition for the ships of the blockading squadron. Yankee left Hampton Roads on July 17th and arrived in Guantanamo Bay four days later. There, she began the tedious but dangerous job of transferring her cargo of ammunition to the various warships in the anchorage. The ship remained at Guantanamo Bay until August 11th, when she resumed blockade duty, patrolling initially in search of the armed merchant ship Montserrat. Three days later, while she cruised the northern coast of Cuba, USS Yankee received word of the cessation of hostilities in response to Spain's suit for peace. She re-entered Guantanamo Bay on the afternoon of August 15th and remained there until the August 24th, when she headed home. Private Munden returned to the Brooklyn Naval Yard in October 1898. He is documented as having been "absent without leave" for a period (which likely happened if he got back to the base two hours after his liberty ended). Later that month, he was assigned to the protected cruiser USS Newark (C-1) and may have seen more action aboard this ship in November 1898, before he was transferred back to the Brooklyn Navy Yard in January 1899, remaining there until his term of enlistment expired. He re-enlisted and was promoted to Corporal in February 1900, and was subsequently stationed at the Marine Barracks in Norfolk, Virginia. He was aboard ship once again as of April 1900 (the name of the ship obscured in the Muster Rolls). Corporal Munden was hospitalized in July 1900 aboard the USRS Franklin at the Norfolk Navy Yard and was discharged in August 1900 from the United States Marine Corps for medical reasons, his character noted as "Very Good". After his discharge, he continued to live in Norfolk, becoming a Machinist at the Navy Yard. He was married to Deanie Jones Munden, the couple having two daughters, Julia and Blanche. Eugene Small Munden died on December 9, 1943, at the age of 69 and is buried in Old Hollywood Cemetery in Elizabeth City, Pasquotank County, North Carolina, Plot: Section 2 North.