The record-union., 1898-12-04

of the Tenth and First Cavalry, the rear
of Wheeler's division. When General
Kent was asked at Montauk to tell of
the storming of San Juan flights, he
said, 1--WE were ordered to take the
nights, and we took them" In so saying
the General plunged into the thick of
the battle of words wbch has been
stirred up over this very point of ord
ers. Yet he paid high tribute to the
line officers and men. He said that 1t
was a soldiers fight. Regimental COM
manders did nobly, but, owing to the
ground, could not see their full COM
mands. Company officers had to act,
and did, with good effect.
Kent's story is that at o'clock on
the morning of July 1st he went to the
hill where Grimes battery was in posi-
ton before Grimes opened fire, and
there Colonel McClernand, representing
General Shafter, pointed out a green
hill in the distance as Kents 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 as the San Juan blockhouse,
some hundred yards south of that point,
which is near the road, and therefore
the objective of Kent's light flank.
Kent had already sent Hawkins bri-
gade forward, and shortly after Grimes
battery opened, which was before
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 ad-
vance forty minutes During that de-
lay Hawkins and Kent went to the front
IL, md
crossed the main ford of San Juan Riv-
err already reached by the advance
guard of the cavalry division, the Ninth
Regiment They looked through the
fringe of trees and saw the enemy's po-
sition. 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 As
they came under a heavy fire not only
from the front. but from the dense
thicket on the banks and from sharp
shooters in trees in the rear of the NOV
ing troops.
The balloon was abreast of the head
of his division, and shrapnel aimed 1T
it 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 the
trail, and Kent went back and directed
the Seventy-first Regiment into the
trail, to be followed by Wikoff's bri-
gade, in support of Hawkins. The
Seventy first became stumbling block
in the way of Wikoff's advance, and it
was noon when the head of Wikoff's
brigade reached the fording place.
When the Sixth Regiment reached
the ford, Hawkins was there and said
to Colonel Egbert, it's commander:
Somewhat beyond here you can get
an enfilade fire on those works, and
Lieutenant Ord will show you where
to go in The works on San Juan
Hights were within view. Marching
to the front, the Sixth formed on the
left of the Sixth Cavalry behind the
fringe of trees, directly opposite San
Juan blockhouse. Colonel Egbert looked
over the ground ins his front, and, find
ing that the cavalry pickets were be-
ing fired upon by Spaniards in the
houses in front, sent out four compan-
les as skirmishers to reinforce the
troopers These companies drew
heavy fire from the Spanish front. This
halt was made between the Aguadores
and San Juan.
Seeing a battalion of the Sixteenth
coming to his support, Colonel Egbert
ordered his regiment forward in line |
of battle. Traversing a grainfield, the
Sixth encountered a heavy belt OF
trees and underground lining the high
banks of the San Juan River. Taking
Company f, Captain Kennon, with
him, the Colonel plunged into the
stream, which was waist-deep, crossed,
and beyond the high bank found
road parallel to the river and inclosed
by barbed wire fences. At signal
from the Colonel the rest of the regi-
ment leaped down the bank, waded
the stream and clambered uD the op- |
posite side through the underground, |
all coming to a halt at the Wire renee
Captain Whitall, with part of the Six
teenth Infantry, also crossed and lined
up at the fence with the Sixth Regl-
ment The line as it then stood was
a prolongation of the line on San Juan,
Kettle" Hill, which the cavalry after |
ward carried. as told in the last arti-
Gle. The rest of the Sixteenth Regi-
ment passed some distance beyond the |
Sixth, on its left and rear.
Colonel Egbert kept his regiment at |
the road an hour, partially carrying |
out Hawkins order to enfilade the |
enemy. His men were somewhat |
sheltered by a hedge and roadside
ditch, but from their position could |
only obtain an oblique fire against the |
HILL In order to get a more effective |
fire the Colonel decided to take his |
regiment across the road into the high |
grass and weeds beyond A Cuban
negro, who proved TO be one of the !.
heroes of San Juan Hights, cut several
openings in the fences with a machete. !