The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-10-22

The fighting at Santiago OF the Twen-
ty-hrst Infantry. United States regu-
lars, On the assault on San Juan hill)
was marked by conspicuous bravery Of
both officers and men. but none, II we
may believe the warm words Of praise
from many sources. displayed more gal
lantry in action than Company A, Of the
Twenty-hrst. in command OF Captain
Charles A. Williams. ably seconded by
his lieutenant, W. H. Mullay.
No adequate account or description
has been published OF this charge and
assault upon San Juan hill, but from
correspondence Of various witnesses and
participants the following narrative has
been culled;
In the advance and charge on the
spanIards after their retiring from the
block house and their advanced position
near the crest OF San Juan hill, the Sec
ond brigade OF the First division bore
the bEunt Of the assault. The brigade
consisted of the Second, Tenth and
Twenty-hr regiments Of infantry,
Company A, OF the Twenty-nrst, being
farthest advanced when the orders were
given to halt and entrenSh.
Company A broke camp at p. M,
June 90, and marched to the front, go
ing on picket duty At $3.50, guarding the
right flank OF the brigade. Bombard-
naent and Misunderstanding began at $3.50
a, M, July ]. about two Hdles northwest
Of the company's outpost, from which
puffs OF the field guns we're plainly VS.
ihle. though the foliage was 80 dense
mat but little could be seen In the val
ley. Breaking outpost began at $500 q,
M, the company Joining the regiment,
which moved forward about 800 o'clock
through muddy roads and fordinS
streams, but slowly at first except as
the woods opened up. when double time
was taken, The road was in a bottom
through growth OF trees ana UNDER
brush, and only wide enough to allow q
column Of fours, with no chance TO de-
ploy or march In extended order.
. Crossing the first stream, the under
growth was so thick as to render the
formation Of a connected line impossi5
BE. and the company became detached
for q time. This was in that fatal
space so well commanded by the Span
iards on the hills in front. Troops
struggling back from the commands in
front made no endeavor to repress IN
formation OF the dangers ahead. TO
prevent his men from being anected by
This the captain ordered the advance by
platoon rushes. This soon brought the
company to high bank, above the San
Juan river. under the opposite bank OF
which the regiment was assembling FOR
q reformation. Plunglng through the
water, waist deep, Company A Joined
the assembling regiment. Sergeant
Moore and Private Dahlberg were
wounded during this advance.
While the Twenty-first was moving
forward, having been heretofore held in
reserve, fighting had progressed along
the line in front and on the hill during
the early part of the morning ;and, pre-
vlous to the arrival Of the Twenty-tirst
on that ground, the spaniards had with
drawn from the block-house in which
they had been at first located. This
bIock-house and entertainments on the
crest Of the high hill came into full
view from the river bottom, a thousand
yards away. at turn in the road, be-
fore the San Juan river was reached.
Here San Juan hill presents n precipi-
tous front, almost perpendicular to the
line Of approach, the block-house upon
the crest overlooking the river below.
AS a broken and rolling. plateau. the
hill extends from quarter to half a
mile beyond this crest, then drops on
into narrow valley. separating It from
the hill on which rests the city Of San
tiaRo. The plateau likewise drops away
to the right and front. and beyond, In
that direction. the Spaniards were also
strongly entrenched.
II was before the Twent-flrst crossed
the space over which the troops had 10
pass to reach the hill, that this front,
and the block-house overlooking 1t, had
been taken by the gallant charge and
frontal attack Of the advanced brigades,
Many of our men had fallen in that as
sault: the dad and wounded were being
rapidly brought to the rear. The ex-
hausted troops, with their dead and
wounded, lay thick under the crest OF
this slope. In the river Bottom lay many
Of those wounded In the conflict OF the
early morning anxiously watched their
coming, and wondering whether the
SpanIards would not next be rushing
upon them. when the Twenty-flrst In