Melville PARTELLO (1893-1956)

1 Melville Cochran PARTELLO^1,2 (1893-1956) [12843]. Born 16 Mar 1893, Toledo, OH.¹ Marr Sabina CONLIN aft 1894.³ Marr Leonide M. L. SHEEHY btw 1913 and 1917.^2,3 Div. Died 13 Mar 1956, Washington, DC.⁴ Buried Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.⁴

From the Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis IN).

April 5, 1915 - "NAVAL ACADEMY FENCERS WIN INTERCOLLEGIATE TITLE.
NEW YORK, April 4. - Intercollegiate team fencing honors went to the representatives of the Unite States Naval Academy here last night. The team consisting of Phillip T. Glennon, Henry T. White and Melville C. Partello, won thirty bouts and lost fifteen.".

2 Joseph McDowell Trimble PARTELLO¹ (1854-1934) [12835]. Born 3 Mar 1854, Zanesville, OH.¹ Marr Annie Virginia NOONAN 10 Dec 1874.¹ Died 11 Aug 1934, San Francisco, CA.¹ Buried San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco, CA.¹

From the Hawk's Bay Herald (New Zealand), December 9, 1878

"J.M.T. Partello, of Washington, at the Columbia rifle range, recently made 15 consecutive bulls'-eyes at 800 yards; 14 bulls'-eyes and one centre at 900 yards; and 15 consecutive bulls'-eyes at 1000 yards; making a score of 224 out of a possible 225"

From the Fort Davis National Historic Site.

"PARTELLO, JOSEPH McDOWELL TRIMBLE: Born in Ohio, he enlisted as a private in the general service in August 1872 and mustered our in May 1878 as a sergeant. Appointed a second lieutenant in the 5th Infantry in September 1879, he was promoted to first lieutenant in 1885 and served at Fort Davis as the first lieutenant of Company I of the 5th infantry from June 1888 to August 1890. He was promoted to captain in 1898 and transferred to the 23rd Infantry in February 1903. Two months later, he was promoted to major in the 7th Infantry."

"Scobee wrote of Miss Love's discovery of records about the "first" fort (1854-1861), especially its physical dimensions and the daily life of its soldiers. He took visitors on walking tours of the grounds, eventually gathering stories like that of Mrs. George W. Stuart, whose father had been Lieutenant J.M.T. Partello of the 5th U.S. Infantry, stationed at Fort Davis in 1889. Even though she had been only five years old, Mrs. Stuart recalled hiking with her father to the top of Sleeping Lion Mountain and "shooing away a Panther that had followed us." She had also enjoyed walking into Hospital Canyon and shouting to hear the "double echo" it produced. Her father had reportedly been "the best rifle shot in the world," and Prince Alexis of Russia came to Fort Davis to visit him, on that account in part." Mrs. Stewart's comments to Barry Scobee upon her return after nearly 50 years were especially touching. "When I got to Fort Davis Tuesday, and into the old pitifully tumbled down post, I recalled and recalled, with a pain in my throat for the old, old days and my gallant father."

From Fort Keogh: Cutting edge of a Culture by Josef James Warhank, 1983.

"Rifle Range

When it came to weapons training at Fort Keogh, Lieutenant J. M. T. Partello played a major role both in its development and popularity. The Yellowstone Journal claimed that Partello was the champion long-range shot of the world; he made 224 bull's eyes out of a possible 225. Partello was also known to be a fine musician and did a great deal of entertaining at the Post, but his major joy was always marksmanship. In 1880 the Lieutenant laid our improvements at the Keogh rifle range with an eye for improving its efficiency and thus making better shots of the soldiers at Fort Keogh by allowing for more practice.

The Chief Ordnance officer praised Lieutenant Partello in May 1882 for the fine job he did on the installation of three Laidley revolving targets. The Fort's rifle range was located north of the garrison down along the river, and after Partello's improvements, could accommodate eleven companies firing in less than four hours. Results were soon seen in better scores of the troops, as Partello’s improvements and his well spent hours of personal attention to training paid off. When word reached higher headquarters, the Department Commander communicated to Colonel Whistler at Fort Keogh his pleasure over the job that Lieutenant Partello was doing.

Competition was one of Partello’s loves and he took the opportunities to enter all Army matches. In September 1882, he was at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, where he won the department contest before he went on to the division competition at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

The love that Partello had for marksmanship was even reflected in the friends that he had. Another man who loved marksmanship was W. Milton Farrow. He came to visit Partello in June 1894, and besides showing off the new Bullard repeating rifle that was safer and much more accurate, he managed to make twenty-four out of twenty-five shots at 500 yards.

Army marksmen at Keogh did not use repeating firearms -until Lieutenant Partello had left the Post but continued with the breech loading Springfields. Montana had long winters and to prevent the soldiers from getting rusty with the Springfield rifle, a gallery was set up. The shells were loaded by the company armorer with ten grains of powder, not the normal sixty or seventy. A round ball replaced the 405-grain bullet. Target anti soldier were placed fifty feet apart and the size of the target determined the outdoor range. Accidents were rare, as the shells so loaded would most likely cause only skin wounds. When indoor space was cut by more troops in garrison in 1884 and 1885, the local press commented that the "doe-boys" were pleased not to have gallery practice."

From the Billings Gazette (Billings, Montana). June 27, 1926.

"Col. J.M.T. Partello, who was here as an aide to General Godfrey, is in a class by himself. The statement is fact, the colonel declares, explaining that, because of his marksmanship, he was classed by the war department many years ago as a distinguished marksman and barred from further competition and medals. Up to that time he had won all the kinds that were offered -- 12 varieties -- including several which were the first ever issued. The Indians called him Hawkeye. He is 74 years old and went through many years of Indian campaigning. He was field adjutant for General Miles at the time of he capture of Chief Gall, the great Sioux leader."

From the Billings Gazette (Billings, Montana). March 16, 1929.

"Frontier Lieutenant Writes of Memories.
Col J.M.T. Partello, who was lieutenant of scouts with Custer's command and afterwards stationed for a number of years at Fort Keogh, is now with the ninth corps area headquarters at Presidio, San Francisco, according to a letter just received from him by W.P. Rixon of this city.
Mr. Rixon had sent Colonel Partello several clippings from the "45 Years Ago" items in the Billings Gazette which mentioned a visit of the daughters of J.D. Matheson with Edith Partello, the officers daughter, at Fort Keogh and of a dance given in their honor.
In his letter, Colonel Partello spoke of several incidents of early days and his acquaintanceship with members of the Matheson family and other Billings people. His daughter died about two years ago while he was in the Philippines, he stated. A son is also a colonel in the army.
Lieutenant Partello was widely famed in frontier days as the crack rifle shot of the entire army. Here was here in 1927, taking a prominent part in the fiftieth anniversary of the observance of the Custer disaster."

From the New York Times, August 15, 1934.

"COL J.M. PARTELLO, CRACK SHOT, DEAD. Score of 224 out of 225 With Rifle at 800, 900 and 1,000 Yards Has Stood 56 Years. WAS IN CUSTER CAMPAIGN. Retired Veteran, 83, Said Sitting Bull was Better Medicine Man than Warrior.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 14 - Colonel Joseph M.T. Partello, United States Army, retired, crack rifleman who set a marksmanship record that has stood since 1878, died today at his home there. He was 83 years old. A veteran of the Custer campaign, Colonel Partello was famous for his remark that Sitting Bull was a better medicine man than a warrior.
Surviving him are two sons, Colonel J.K. Partello of Fort Leads, Wash., and Commander M.C. Partello, U.S.N., stationed at Cavite, and a daughter, Mrs. George W. Stuart of Oklahoma City.
Colonel Partello returned to San Francisco several years ago to make his home, bringing many trunks full of service mementos, a great portion of which were medals for marksmanship.
The record he set was a score of 225 out of 225 at 800, 900 and 1,000 yards."

From New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957. This shows J. M. T. Partello, his wife and four of his children on the passenger ship, Friesland, from Antwerp, Belgium to New York, arrival date July 28, 1891. J. M. T.'s wife Annie is mistakenly identified as Julie.

4 William Philip Utley PARTELLO^5,6,7 (1815-1877) [12447]. Born 12 Jun 1815, DeRuyter, NY.⁵ Marr Charlotte Virginia SEXTON 2 May 1838, New Orleans, LA.⁵ Died 25 May 1877, Washington, DC.⁵

8 Asahel S. PARTELLO^7,8,9,10,11 (1767-1825) [11999]. Born 31 May 1767, North Stonington, New London, CT.^7,8 Marr Mary E. KENNEDY 15 Mar 1787, CT.¹² Marr Mary ROSE 20 Sep 1798.¹¹ Marr Phebe Hall PENDLETON 8 Apr 1806, Canterbury, CT.⁵ Died 12 Aug 1825, Cazenovia, Madison County, New York, USA.^7,13 Buried Union Cemetery, Madison County, NY.^7,13

9 Phebe Hall PENDLETON^5,7 (1788-1833) [12398]. Born 13 Mar 1788, Westerly, Rhode Island.⁵ Died 20 Sep 1833, Spafford, NY.^5,13 Buried Union Cemetery, Madison County, NY.⁵

5 Charlotte Virginia SEXTON^5,6,14 (1821-1902) [12448]. Born 1821.¹⁴ Died 13 Apr 1902, Brooklyn, NY.¹⁴

3 Annie Virginia NOONAN^1,15,16 (1860-1937) [12836]. Born Mar 1860, MD.¹⁵ Died 14 Nov 1937.¹⁶ Buried San Francisco National Cemetery.¹⁶

From the Newark Advocate (Newark, OH), October 10, 1904

"Kansas City, Oct 10. -- The Omaha and St. Joseph express on the Missouri Pacific railway ran into an open switch as it was leaving the yards and collided with a freight train. Fourteen persons were injured, two seriously. Mrs, J.M. Partello, wife of Major Partello, commanding officer at Fort Reno, Okla., sustained an injury to her back, her wrist was broken and she was badly cut about the face, while her daughter Florence was bruised and suffered from a nervous shock. Mrs. Partello's condition is said to be critical. The injuries of the others were slight, and they continued on their journey. Among them was Major Partello, who escaped with a sprained leg."

The train accident described above resulted in a lawsuit in which Annie was awarded $5,500. Her health, reportedly, was seriously compromised for the rest of her life.

Sources

1	"From Later New England Pendletons.".

2	"1930 MD, Anne Arundel, Annapolis census".

3	"Estimated based on related dates and information".

4	"Obituary of Melvin C. Paretello in the Washington Post and Times Herald (Washington D.C.), March 15, 1956".

5	"Later New England Pendletons compiled by Everett Hall Pendleton, 1966".

6	"1860 Washington, DC census".

7	"Find A Grave Memorial Record of Dr. Asahel S. Partello, May 1871".

8	"World Family Tree of the Hoff - Orgill Family".

9	"WikiTree record reporting Asahel Partello, Jr. was the son of Asahel S.. Partello and Mary Rose".

10	"International Genealogical Index reporting Asahel Partello, Jr. was the son of Asahel S.. Partello and Mary Rose.".

11	"Early Connecticut Marriages list Asa Partelo married Mary Rose".

12	"Connecticut Town Marriages Records".

13	"Union Cemetery, Town of Cazenovia, Madison County, NY".

14	"District of Columbia Deaths and Burials, 1840-1964".

15	"1900 IL, Lake, Fort Sheridan census".

16	"San Francisco National Cemetery records".