Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-08

III 1vs MA, ffNalsI YEA short march
Ip'if iSSsNSkE had to give the
NJwE E& SSl39A cavalry the right
Fr7,Ss,S,S MN Of way. This re.
- ~ az - suited in bring
ing the leading regiments abreast of the
Tenth and First cavalry, the rear of
Wheeler's division. When General Kent
was asked at Montauk to tell of tho
s,orming Of San Juan heights he said,
1--WE We're ordered to take the heights,
and we took them" In so saying the
general plunged into the thick of tho
battle of words which has been stirred
mp over this very point of orders. Yet
he paid high tribute to the line Off
soldiers fight Regimental command
ers did nobly, but, owing to the ground,
could not sec their full commands
Company officers had to act, and did,
with good eject.
kent's story is that at Z O'Clock on
the morning Of July he went to the
hill where Grimes battery was in posi-
tion before Grimes opened fire, and
there Colonel McClernand, representing
General Shafter, pointed out green
hill in the distance as Kent's objective,
on the left, he being instructed to keep
his right on the main road leading to
Santiago. The green knoll is ON the
same ridge rs the San Juan blockhouse,
some hundred yards south of that point.
which is near the road, and therefore
the objective Of Kent's right flank.
Kent had already sent Hawkins bri.
gade forward, and shortly after Grimes
battery opened, which was before s
o'clock, he rode ON and came up with
Hawkins and his leading regiment, the
Sixth infantry. At that point he was
ordered to give the cavalry the right Of
way, which caused a delay of his adj
vance 40 minutes, During that delay
Hawkins and Kent went to the front
under the fire of sharpshooters and
crossed the main ford of San Juan riv-
er, already reached by the advance
guard of the cavalry division, the Ninth
regiment. They locked through tho
fringe of trees and saw the enemy's po-
siiion, Hawkins thought he could turn
the enemy's right at San Juan, but
Kent did not agree with him and de-
cided to put two brigades into column
for direct attack. Going backward to
hurry his troops, he met them just us
they came under heavy fire not only
from the front, but from the dense
thicket on the banks and from sharp
shooters III trees in the rear of the NOV.
ing troops.
The balloon was abreast Of the head
Of his division, and shrapnel aimed al
il fell among his men. The observers in
the balloon pointed out TO Kent a trail
parallel with the road ON its left. The
Sixth and Sixteenth regiments were al
ready in the road, past the forks of tbs
trail, and Kent went back and directed
the Seventy first regiment into the trail,
70 h. followed by Wikof's brigade, il
support Of Hawkins. The Seventy -first
bccame a stumbling block in the way Of
Wikoif's advance, and it was noon
when the head Of Wikoff's brigad,
reached the fording place.
When the Sixth regiment reached
the ford, Hawkins was there and sale
- Colonel Ecbert, its commander
Somewhat beyond here you can gel
an cniilade fire on those works, aut
Lieutenant Ord will show you where
u go in" The works ON San Juar
heights We're within view. Marching t,
the front the Sixth formed on the lief
of the Sixth cavalry behind the firing,
of trees, directly opposite san Jual
blockhouse. Colonel ERbert looked ovel
the ground in his front, and, finding
that the cavalry pickets We're being free
upon by Spaniards in the houses il
front, sent out four companies as Skin
mishers TO re-enforce the troopers. Thes
companies drew n heavy fire from tn
Spanish front This halt was made be
tween the Aeuadores and San Juan.
Seeing a battalion of the sixteenth
coming to his support, Colonel Egber
ordered his regiment forward in line o
battle, Traversing grainiield, the Sixth
encountered a heavy belt of trees an,
underground lining the high banks o
the San Juan river. Taking Compan,
E. Captain kennon, with him, tn
colonel plunged into the stream, whicl
was waist deep, crossed, and beyond tn
high bank found road parallel TO tn
river and inclosod by barbed wire fences
At signal from the colonel the rest o
the regiment leaped down the bank
waded the stream and clambered up tn
opposite side through the underground
all coming To halt at the wire fence
Captain Whitall, with part of the six
teenth infantry also crossed and line,
up at the fence with the Sixth regi
ment The line Us il then stood was
prolongation Of the line ON San Juan, O
Kettle" hill, which the cavalry after
ward carried, as told in the last article
The rest of the Sixteenth regiment pass
ed some distance beyond the Sixth. Of
its left aud rear.
, Colonel ksbert kept his regiment a
the rcad an noLr, partially carrying
out Hawkins orders to enfilade tn
enemy. His men were somewhat she |
tered by hedge and roadside ditch
but from their position could only oh
! tain AN obliQue fire against the hill. II
E order to get more effective fire tn
! colonel decided 10 take his regimen
across the road into the high grass am
,, weeds beyond. A Cuban negro, VIII
) proved to be one of the heroes OF Sa
, Juan heights, cut several openings u
5 the fences with machete. Throug