The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-08-06
CAPT. "CHARLIE" WILLIAMS.

fantry Cregulars) before and after the
battle Of Santiago are peculiarly In
teresting to the people of this city be-
cause Charlie" IS IN old Wheeling
boy. and from further fact that being
a truly loyal wheelinglto he married
a Wheeling lady, Che daughter OF Mr..
John Hall. Captain williams is the son
OF the late Prof r. 8. Williams, at one
time superintendent of the Wheeling
schools, and a brother OF Mrs. Henry
Harper, Of this city.
From letters written to his brother,
Mr.. Sylvester G. Williams, Denver. Coll
orado. the Times of that city makes the
following extracts:
Tie sub3olned extracts from private
letters from Captain Charles A. Will
iRms, Company A. Twenty-first In
fantry (reguiars) give a striking pic
ture Of the situation at Santiago. be-
fore and during the battle OF July /.
Captain williams Is brother Of Syl-
vesteF G. Williams, OF Denver
The day after the battle be was ap-
pointed brigade Qnartermaster on Cen
eral Pearson's stan. He is an expert
enced soldier and fighter OF the FIRST
rank. Graduatingat West Point in 1876.
he served during q period Of more than
ten years Of various frontier posts; saw
much active service In Indian cam
paigns, was twice wounded in the Nez
PerceS campaign and in other Indian
| warfare did valuable service both In
scout and picket duty, for which he re-
ceIved honorable mention By Congress.
The quality OF the captains courage
Is indicated in comment contained In
a private letter after the battle Of San
tlago, from the major OF the Twenty
first to friends at Piattsburgh, the
home OF the regiment In time OF peace
The major writes: II am glad Williams
was appointed quartermaster. II takes
him away from that dangerous picket
duty. He II the bravest man ever
saw" Captain Williams with his COM
pany, was in the thick Of the night. It
was the Twenty-first regiment that In
che lull Of the battle sang the "Stnr
SpanEled Banner" an Incident that
thrilled the nation and which will be
memorable for oil time.
In letter before the battle, Captain
Williams wrote:
"' wish you might have
seen the insurgent army pass US this
morning on their way to the front. Bat
TALON after battalion-three hundred
ench-armed and ratloned for many
days, moved by us, in rags, of course,
yet cheerful and active as could be. In
rags! Why, @ week more md we will
be no better, save In the finer quality of
QUE rags, Many Of our officers have not
a complete change Of underclothes at
their command. Last night tore the
1f1tnor afa -
and the company tailor put q seat In
my underclothes. II the rain leaves me
In condition to get at II, will hunt
some thread and needle, and put
piece over the right knee Of my trous-
ers, which have broken from one side
to the other, How are your socks, SER
Seant7 Do they ieak?' 4 amt got none
on 10 the conversation overheard be-
tween one OF my seFgeants and one Of
the men, the sergeant being out look
ing for an az.
Were you here by me, you would
hear from every direction click, click,
click, click, and for your life you could
not tell what It means. have finished
Issuing two days ratlons, and dozens OF
men are engaged IN crushing their cof-
fee, some crushing It between stones,
some pounding the bottom out OF their
cups. But they are learning, as are
we ALL Yesterdays experience was a
good one, and the scene Of this evening
will not be as striking as was that OF
last. Before the rain ceased tonight
had ordered details to be ready, and
within an hour had rectangular frame
work. about six by eighteen feet, with a
fire through It's entire length. Until
nearly o'clock the poles were filed
a. - ~.
men, half clad. stood watching them,
or squAtting along the wlndward side,
cooked their bacon and boiled their cof-
fee. We have no camp kettles or mess
pans, the tin cups and meat plates con-
stltutIng the cooking utensils as well as
the table ware. My mess Is fortunate In
having two or three tomato cans, and
was fortunate enough, while In the
surf at slboneV, to pick up half plate
(sOidier's meat ration CAM to which I
claim sole possession.
Three OF my forks were stolen on tha
ship, so took possession OF the fourth,
''"' Do you construe all this as q
complaint? 1t Is not so intended. truly.
Only q narrative which hope you will
read as you would newspaper article.
applying II to all equally with the one
In whom you feel the special concern"
This is an extract from letter writ
ten after the battle:
Broke camp Mt p. m. June 20, and
marched to the front, going out,on pick
ct with ms company at $50. guarding
east flank OF brigade. Bombnrdment
and musketry fire began at $50, July l,
about two miles northwest OF my out
post, from which pnffs Of the siege
guns were plainly visible, but foliage Is
Ntsa Faa hat llNtla In
the valley. Broke outpost at about In
the morning and iolued the regiment
and moved forward at about 9.but very
slowly except as the wood opened Up,
when double time was taken. Before
noon found ourselves under severe fire,
many wounded being tnRen to the rear.
Futile effort was made to deploy, and
we finally plunged into the creek and
formed the whole regiment In pocket.
Forming line, we moved by file across
the open, which had been cleared by
troops In our front, and assembled the
hill where worst fighting had been, and
from the biochhouse on top OF which
the enemy had been driven to earth
works In the rear. ClrollnR to the left
and front, we formed on right Into line,
throwing my company on the left and
bringing us directly In front OF the en-
emy's entertainment at from 400 to ZOO
yards away. Very soon my men began
to be struck. and we fell back behind
the crest. and orders were given Us TO
entrench. Welshelt was by this time
killed, and I had applied Arst aid 10
Barnards arm and to Jenson's two
thighs, a bullet having passed through
both. At 400 yards In front Of us was
fieldwork. and before we could get fair
" entrenched, Davis was Instantly kill.