Chadwick was born in Middletown, Delaware and enlisted in the United States. Navy in Philadelphia on October 26, 1895, serving aboard the United States Ship Richmond, Vermont, Constellation, Alliance, Puritan, Brooklyn, Texas and Marblehead. He received his medal on July 7, 1899.Leonard McKuiry Chadwick was born at Middletown, Delaware, United States of America, on November 24, 1878.
He joined the United States Navy and served as an Apprentice, First Class. During the Spanish/American War on May 11,1898, he was with a boat Party attempting to cut a chain in Santiago Harbour under a heavy fire. Citation: On board the United States Ship Marblehead during the operation of cutting the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898.
Leonard Chadwick apparently brought mules to South Africa, then decided to join up.
A 1902 magazine refers to "a brave American trooper of Roberts Horse who galloped out to save wounded men at Koorn Spruit under heavy fire, and who was later prominent, still under fire, in helping to save the guns." As reported in "Black and White Budget" (page 750): "Lord Roberts has confirmed the award of the Queen"s Scarf to Trooper Chadwick, of Roberts" Horse, whom his fellow troopers chose as the most distinguished of his corps for bravery. Trooper Chadwick proves to be an American, who was one of the boat"s crew who cut the cable across Santiago Harbour during the Spanish American War.
South Africa"s scarf has, therefore, gone to America." In the Société Anonyme Field Force Casualty List, Number 2.479 Private L Chadwick is shown as having been taken prisoner by the Boers, together with Privates West Benson and G Redpath. They were captured at Rhenoster on July 28, 1900, and released shortly afterwards.
General De Wet was at Rhenosterpoort, near Schoeman"s Drift on the Vaal River.
He created a diversion by sending Captain Danie Theron to Rhenoster Kop, 12 miles to the south. On July 28 Theron attacked America Siding unsuccessfully. Presumably he succeeded in taking three unwanted prisoners! Lord Roberts recommendations for meritorious service of April 2,1901, refers to J McKuiry Chadwick, while the Distinguished Conduct Medal award is to J McKinry Chadwick.
lieutenant is assumed that Chadwick died before 1940 After his discharge, Chadwick moved to Boston, Massachusetts where he sold insurance and worked in the Morocco leather industry.
A 1923 accident left him with a dislocated elbow and knee and he was declared totally disabled in 1937. Chadwick died at his home of asphyxiation and alcoholism on May 18, 1940, and was interred in Mount Hope Cemetery, West Roxbury, Massachusetts.
Chadwick was one of fifty-two men to receive the Medal of Honor for an operation involving locating and cutting oceanic cables to block communication from a cable house off the shore of Cientuegos, Cuba. His courage earned him the Congressional Medal of Honour, the United States equivalent of the Venture capital. Trooper Chadwick proved to be the most decorated of all the Queen"s Scarf awardees, for he held the American Congressional Medal of Honour and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for the Anglo-Boer War.
