The times., 1898-09-15


cum. Twenty-fourth Infantry. who. five
minutes later. also fell under the terrible
fire of the enemy. and the command of
the brigade then devolved upon Lieut.. Col.
Ewers. Ninth Infantry.
While the formation just described was
taking place. Gen. Kent took measures to
hurry forward his rear brigade The
Tenth and Second Infantry were ordered
to follow Wikoffs brigade, while the
Twentyfirst was sent on the right-hand
road to support the First Brigade, under
Gen. Hawkins. who had crossed the
stream and formed on the right of the
division. The Second and Tenth Infantry,
Col. e. p. Pearson, commanding moved
forward in good order on the left of the
division. passed over a green knoll. and
drove the enemy back toward his
trenches.
After completing their formation under
a destructive fire, and advancing a short
distance, both divisions found in their
front wide bottom, in which had been
placed a barbed-wire ENHANCEMENT. and
beyond which there was a high hill, along
| the crest of which the enemy was strong
| ly posted. Nothing daunted, these gall
| liant men pushed on to drive the enemy
| from his chosen position both divisions
| losing heavily. In this assault Col. Ham
| ilton. Lieuts Smith and Shipp were killed,
| and Col. Carroll, Lieuts. Thayer and My
| er. all In the cavalry. were wounded.
! Great credit Is due to Brig. Gen II. S.
Hawkins. who, placing himself between
| his regiments. urged them on by voice and
bugle calls to the attack so brilliantly ex-
| ecuted.
In this herce encounter words fail to do
! justice to the gallant regimental COM
| manders and their heroic men, for. while
the generals indicated the formations and
| the points of attack. it was. after all, the
1 intrepid bravery of the subordinate off
GERS and men that planted our colors on
! the crest of San Juan Hill and drove the
| enemy from his trenches and blockhouses
! thus gaining position which sealed the
| fate of Santiago
| In the action on this part of the field
| most efficient service was rendered by
| Lieut. John II. Parker. Thirteenth Infan-
try. and the Calling gun detachment un-
der his command. The fighting continued
at intervals until nightfaIl. but our men
! held resolutely 10 the positions gained at
the cost of so much blood and toll.
/ Praise for Wheeler.
/ am greatly indebted to Gen Wheeler,
who as previously stated, returned from
| the sick list to duty during the afternoon.
His cheerfulness and aggressiveness made
itself felt on this part of the battlefield,
and the information he furnished to me
| at various stages OF the battle proved to
| be most useful.
My own health was impaired by over
exertion in the sun and intense heat Of the
day before. which prevented me from par
ucipating as actively In the battle as | Ce-
slred' Dut from a high hill near my head
quarters had a+gencral view of the bat
| tieneid, extending from Ell Caney on the
| right to the left OF our lines on San Juan
| Hill My staff officers were stationed at
various points on the field. rendering fire.
quent reports, and through them by the
! means of orderlies and the telephone 7
was enabled to- transmit my orders. Dur
ing the afternoon l visited the position of
Grimess battery on the heights of Ell
| Pozo, and saw Sumner and Kent In firm
! possession OF San Juan HILL which I di-
| rooted should be intrenched during tba
night. My engineer omcer Lieut.. Col.
| Derby, collected and sent forward the
necessary tools. and during the night
trehches OF very considerable strength
| We're constructed
During the afternoon Major DiIlenback
by my order. brought forward the two re-
naming batteries of his battalion and
| put them IN position at El Pozo to the
left OF Grimes. Later in the afternoon ALI
three batteries were moved forward 10 no
sitons near the firing line. but the nature
OF the country and the intensity of the
enemy small arm fire was such that M
substantial results were gained by our ar
tiiiery in the new positions The batteries
Were intrenched during the night Gan
Duffieid with the Thirty-third Micbipan
attacked Aguadores. as ordered but was
unable 10 accomplish more than TO detaip
the Spaniards in that vicinity.
Aiter the brilliant and important victory
gained at Ell Caney, Lawton started his
srieu roc ps, who had been fighting all day
ana marching much of the night before
10 connect with The right of the cavalr,
DIVISION Night came on before ~,
movement cbuid be Accomplished 7, th-
darkness the enemy's pickets were an
countered, and the division cop,mapda,
oeihs uncertain OF the ground and as ;,
WHAT might be in his front halted HI,
command and reported the Situation :,
me This information was received 49,,
lz'"o a. m, and / directed Gen. I.awton +,
return by my headquarters and the +,
Fozo House as the only certain way q
gaining his new position
rms was done, and the division took M
sllon on the right of the cavalry earL
next morning Chaffee's brigade arrfyin,
hrst, about half-past I O'Clock. and tn
other brigades before noon.
ON the night of July / I ordered Gen
Daiheld. at Siboney, to send forward tn,
----t - ASti III AnItiIlSdn ana the Ninfl
l Massachusetts, both of which had ms
! ! arrived from the United States. Thes.
regiments reached the front the mex
, morning. The Thirty-fourth was placed
= IN rear of Kent, and the Ninth was as
signed to Bates who placed it on hi.
left
Soon after daylight on July 2 the enem,
= opened battle, but because of the in
: trenchments made during the night. tn,
M .lvptp a fxrf-;
: presence of Bates's brigade, which hat
f taken position during the night on Kent.
e left, little apprehension was felt as 10 oul
= ability to repel the Spaniards
1t is proper here to state that Gen
r Bates and his brigade had performed
] | most arduous and efficient service hay
D ing marched much of the night of June
5O-July |, and a good part of the latter
day, during which he also participated
), in the battle of FL Caney, after which h,
proceeded, by way of El Pozo. to the lef
of the line at San Juan, reaching his new
: position about midnight
: All day on the I'd the battle ragged will
: more or less fury, but such of our troop
Il as were in position at daylight held thei
r ground, and Lawton gained a strong ant
: commanding position on the right Abou
: 10 p. m. the enemy made a vigorous as
e sault to break through my lines. bu
e he was repulsed at all points. On tn
a morning of the Sd the battle was re
3 newed but the enemy seemed to have ex
: pended his energy in the assault of thu
e previous night. and the firing along tn
d lines was desultory until stopped by m,
e sending the following letter within tn
: Spanish lines:
Headquarters United States Forces.
n Near San Juan River
: July 8, 1855: 80 a. m.
: Sir: | shall he obliged, un ess you surrender
to shell Santiago de Cuba. Please inform tn