The Monte Vista journal., 1898-08-06
BATTLEOF SAN JUAN.
HOW IT WAS ro"o.r.
o.apA.e Dssssipt,ea Of Oas Of tAs Noted
Csohsss u The Wsr-Uadss Withsf
iag Hirs Our Bs1s Scaled tAs stssp Hll.

When the military statistician COM
pletes his work and military experts
analyxe the totals showing the num-
Der Of men engaged and those killed
and wounded 1t will be found that the
battle OF San Juan was one of the
bloodlest on record.
San Juan hill Is within the outskirts
Of Santiago in front OF Campo de
Marti. On 1t IL a block house and line
Of rine pits. the advanced line of
Spanish intrenchments. A triple line
OF barD-wire entanglements supple-
mented the natural and constructed
defenses which crested the hill. II
may be put down as n fact that the
charge which swept the Standards
from this hill and block house was
made. not against orders, but without
orders from any officer commanding n
division or brigade. 1t was the spon-
taneOus forward movement of two
brigades which could not be stopped
or checked until the troops halted.
breathless but victorious, on ton OF
San Juan hill.
IN order that the lnynan may un-
uerstand how n regiment goes into ac-
lion 1t will be necessary to start at
the beginning with an individual COM
mand and follow it through to the
end. On the afternoon Of June 3lst.
the day before the battle. the Ninth
infantry was In camp at Sevilla. three
and One-half miles from Siboney,
where II had been for several days. At
3a3O o'clock that afternoon the gen
erar' 'bugle call, the signal for break
Ing camp. was sounded. Camp was
struck at once and the men moved In
light marching order carrying shelter
tents. blankets. cantecns. 40 rounds
OF ammunition. one days rations in
haversack and the rife In the direc-
tiOn OF Santiago. No one In the reri.
ment knew ut the time what was up.
where they We're going or ANYTHING
else. except that the officers were told
they would have a short march that
night.
Az the regiment moved ahead II
found other troops moving also i'm the
same direction. aud from the general
nir OF activity and hustle the officers
and men realized something serious
was going to happen soon. That night
about IL o'clock the regiment bivou-
acketl In mn open space by the road
side. having marched about four miles.
The march WAS very slow because OF
the pass,ige Of artillery and wagon
trains with ammunition. The rain
flooded the road and turned part Of II
into swamp. Soon after midnight
the command was aroused to draw
three days rntiOns. This still further
confirmed the opinion that battle
wns imminent. A few hours after TT
vcillc ut daybrcak the booming OF
guns was heard In front. n messenger
gnlloI'ed up and the general was
sounded Immediately. In five minutes
the regiment again was pounding
the road" Frequent bnlts occurred,
and II was about q o'clock when wy.
kO6's brigade. composed Of the Ninth,
Thirteenth and Twenty fourth. formed
In line OF regiments. column Of fours.
In an open space on the banks Of San
Guiana creek.
At this time there was no sound of
firing. In few minutes the brigade
moved forward. the Thirteenth lead
Ing. then the Ninth and Twenty
fourth. In column OF fours UP the trail.
From this point on the story Of the
regiment II told by a lieutenant of
the Ninth infantry. who gives his
psesoual experience: