The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-21
HOW II. Ship DIED
He Was Leading a Charge
on San Juan.
s~~-~-~-~-~-a
HE WAVED HIS SWORD
WHEN THE DEADLY BULLET EN-
TERED HIS BODY.
DYING AS He URGED HIS MEN ONWARD
His Last Message Written on the Battlefield
Just Before he Fell. Tribute to
His CALAMITY from His Brother
Officers,
(LincOlnton Journal

AZ I'SI tilC II lIiIbS anu lONCtl OllNS -
the lamcnted Lieutenant William Il.
| Ship who was killed in the battle of
| San Juan, near Santiago, July /, are
| getting the particulars of his death,
| through brother officers who were III
| the battle with him and from the troop
crs of the Tenth Cavalry who are re-
| turning home on furougn, and these
details show that glorious as those
who knew him knew his death must
| have been, it was such death as only
heroes die, and the history of the
| American army furnishes no higher
| type of soldier than this young man
who died at the head of his men on the
| threshold of victory.
The various stories of Lieut.. Ships
last day on earth are mole or less con
| hicting in minor details, because i'll the
heat and confusion of battle men are
apt to get circumstances confused. The
best authenticated reports show that
Lieut.. Ship had, as an aide on the
staff of the commander of the brigade
been extremely busy all the morning i'll
carrying orders from one part Of the
field to another, exposed to deadly fire
of not only the Spaniards i'll the
trenches, but of the sharpsho0tcrs in
the trees. He had been sent toI
straightcn the firing line, and went
down the hill to bring up to the 'front.'
several troops that had fallen behind
because the dense underground shut
off their view Of the line. He was lead
ing these troops up the hill towards
the Spanish entertainments in tie face
of whitening fire. The Spanish trench
cs on the crest of the hill, following
the conformation of the hilltop, we're
crescent shaped, and into the open part
Of this line. between the horns. ana in
to the open field, it was necessary to
bring the men. He calamity led them
on. The hill was almost won, and the
Spanish position was almost ours when
Lieutenant Ship and the men he led
emerged from the thcket into the open
field. The fire of the whole Spanish
line seemed to be concentrated upon
that spot The men lay down for Il
moment, to avoid the storm of bullets.
but Lieutenant Ship stood erect and
walked along the line, doubtless en-
couraging and stcadying the men.
Again he started forward, followed by
the brave troopers. At this moment
Il Spanish bullet pierced his heart. AS
he sank down upon the field. true to
his soldierly character and his devotion
to duty, he raised his sabre and waved
his men on in the charge upon the hill.
1t was his last effort. His sabre fell
across his breast and one of the BRAY
est, noblest. truest gentlcst hearts man
ever knew was stillcd forever.
The wave of battle rolled on up the
bloody hill to victory, and few min
utes later the Spanish position was
carried 1t was here where the dcad
lay thickcst where the Cuban soil
drank up the bravcst blood that ever
courscd through soldiers veins. that
his friend and comrade, Lieut. Barnum,
the adjutant Of his regiment, found
him, as he passed down the hill to
bring up the artillery, lying as if
asleep. his head pillowcd upon his left
arm, his sword across his body. smile
upon his handsome face. Not far away,
with Il Spanish bullet through his
brain. lay his bosom friend Lieut. w.
III. Smith, quite dead.
That night ut 8 o'clock, with four
troopers who had served under these
two brave officers and loved them,
Lieutenant Barnum went to the field to
bury them. Lieutenant Smiths body
had been removed, and so Mr.. Barnums
intention TO lay them side by side in
the same grave was frustrated. lie dug
grave near where he fell. and in it
placed the body of Lieutenant Ship
breathcd Il prayer over the remains of
his friend and cOmrade and the friend
ly hands of his troopers filled the
grave.
The sabre which Lieutenant Ship
carried and priced most highly, was Il
very fine weapon of German make IL
present from his friend, Lieutenant
powhatan Clarke, of the Tenth Cav
airy. who bought it while he was at
tached regularly to the German army
at Dusseldorf. the only United States
officer so honored.
Lieutenant Clarke, of LouiSiana
Lieutenant Whitley, of South Carolina;
Lieutenant Smith, of Missouri (son of Il
| Confederate officer, and Lieutenant
| Ship were all officers of the Tenth
Cavalry and the most intimate friends.
Lieutenant Clarke was the first to go.
| lie was drowned in the Little Big
| Horn Lieutenant Finley died from an
accident and then the other two of the
quartettc fell together in battle in Gu
| ba. Not one was over So years of age.
Lieutenant Ship carried with him al
| ways Il fountain pen. Durin" Il lull in
| the last battle just before he was killed,
he sat down and wrote postal card I
| his beloved wife. How characteristic of
| the mani Thoughtful always of his
loved ones. Sitting there surrounded by
| the havoc of battle, with the horrible
| din of the Spanish shot and shell ringing
| in his ears. he thought of her who far
away with their little ones, he knew to
be longing for news from him. Doubt
| less he had Il prcmOnitiOn that his end
was near and wanting to leave Il last
loving message. he wrote the card. it
was found IN the haversack taken from
| his body rs he lay dead upon the field
and was forwarded to Mrs Ship by
Bears the +~ ----------