The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-19
Ell CANEY AND SAN JUAN HILL
WHERE MANY BRAVE SOLDIERS
FELL DYING OR MANNED.
One Regiment That ObstinateIy Lay
Down in the Road, but Later Re-
deemed ItseIf-Much Enthusiasm.
Correspondence of the Associated rress--copy-


Correspondence Of the Associated Press-copy-
right.
Ell PASO. near Santiago dc Cuba July
Sit would not be easy to find in history
a campaign which has been replete with
more picturesque features thar this OF
Santiago de Cuba. In speaking of it as a
campaign include both naval and military
operations, which constitute as closely re-
lated whole as even the necessities OF the
dramatic art could exact. The doings of our
war ships along the southern Cuban coast
for the last five weeks have been con-
tinuous spectacle of the most stupendous
and sensational order Every Gay, every
hour the fleet has furnished an imposing
panorama of martial activity, offset against
a magnificent background of coast bristling
with Notifications and eliminating high up
towards the heavens in a horizon of won
derful holiness and of unique strangeness
and beauty.
When we read in our ThucydidAs of the
sea and land fights of ancient Greece we
retain in the ina gination thrilling pictures
in natural settings of simple grandeur, but
the modern battle has as a rule resrograded
as to poetic characteristic rather than adj
vanced. The business of killing for the
country's sake has grown to be more and
more of a business. Therefore the aspect
of this war up to the present times which
am trying to emphasize, furnishes ia sort OF
aesthetic relief. The debarkation or the
troops and their movements on LAND partake
in only a different degree of this element.
The swift movement of boats to the aban-
doned shores of Baiquiri and Sibo4ey laden
with lusty and eager sodiery. the rush of
the latter through the boiling surf to set
foot on the land they were to conquer, the
wild swimming of poor frightened beasts
through the chopping pillows, the unfreight-
ing of heavy guns and munitions at the foot
of frowning, honey-combed cliffs or betting
bluffs-in these Claude Lorraine or a Iuf-
ner would have found his most welcome in
spiration.
BEFORE THE BATTLE.
Then the quick, sharp fighting upon the
heights, the unfolding of the army into
long, serpentine, advancing length; the
passing over the slightly plateau OF Sevilla
down into the enhancing valley of the san
Juan, dimly unveiled at its feet, the camp
ing or rather bivouacking in mist -Shrouded
bottoms, amid shrubbery weighed low with
tropical dew, the lighting of the ten tnou-
sand camp fires, which burned fiickeringly
until the full yoluptuous moon came out 10
shame them; the sudden onward march on
the day before the beginning of the great
battle, lasting for many of the troops far
into the thick and murky night; tile drop
ping down to sleep for few shoTt, htfui
hours, without fire or sup, in thp dense
bramble and cactus brush, nearest to the
positions that they were to take. in the
early dawn for the coming combat; the
awakening on the dew saturated grounds;
the snatching of the brief cup OF coffee
furtively cooked behind the cottopy mist
rising from the valley. then the quick blaz-
ing out of the sun, the Swingingl OF the
artillery into position, the booming of the
signal guns of the fleet, telling that the
ships were there to do their cooperative
away to the northwestward announcing
that he had begun his onslaught upon
Caney, where the enemy had Threatened
brush and open space, exposed to a iwither-
ing fire from the trenches in front and the
sharpshooters in the rear the heroic storm
ing of the San Juan hill in our immediate
front to the music of both bullet and shell;
the long, grim struggle to make sure of
positions so CALAMITY won; the deep pail
ness fell and the frequent flashes of rifles
far into the small hours-no more word
picturing certainly can ever conveys an ex-
act sense Of what all this meant to the eye
and the ear and the soul of those present.
And during and after the more important
part of the conflict-the bestowal of the
wounded and Gead-truly battle is tie acme
of human tragedy
OF most great tights it is probably true
that the nearer you are to the extreme
front the less general conception you can
gain for the time of what is going ON. The
tie of San Juan took place peculiarly illus
trates this fact. The enemy, behind greenly-
masked breastworks on the eastern verge
of the plateau, could be located :by the
troops who were moving against hinl chief
ly by the sound of his volleys. l.vdn from
the summit of the hill at our left icenter
which (.rfTnQc'C ha xuc ncS. ord
which afforded fine general view of the
whole field, from the extreme left to the
stone fort dominating Caney. 1t was not
easy to discern clearly more than q small
portion of the Spanish line OF fire. Our
men, as they. advanced to the attack, were
completely shut in for half the distance
westward of the San Juan river by the tam
gled brush which, however. was peopled by
bushwhackers. whose fire was constant and
deadly.
AN OBSTINATE REGIMENT.
In some of the regiments the majority OF
the casualties took place here, before they
had emerged from what would ordinarily
be termed cover" And. singularly enough.
some Of the volunteers, IL is supposed,
showed the greatest reluctance to leave this
fancied shelter, which was really So dam
gerous to them. A certain regiment, which
I shall not name until the official reports
of the battle are accessible, lay down in the
road leading through the tinbered plain,
and all but one battalion refused to move
on when ordered. officers Of other regi-
ments were heard to upbraid these soldiers
and to ask them to act like men. II their
own officers had thus spoken to therh, ii is
not TO be doubted that they WOULD have
blocked by their inacton that for 4 little
while the advance was stopped. Then two
regiments of regulars pressed forward over
the PROSTATE forms of those ahead of them,
some of the soldiers never touching ground
for yards at a time 1t is but the tnerest
justice to say that the regiment which had
lain so obstinately in the road. afterwards,
helped TO carry the most difficult position in
its front. 1t is very probable that the con-
duct of two of its battalions, as described
to me, was due to misrepresentation OF or
ders the part of It's officers.
The order of General Shafter whichiled to
the battle of San Juan was tentative in its
nature. You will push out and capture the
salient position in your 'front.' 1t said to
Generals Wheeler and Kent, IL II dan be
done without bringing on a general en-
gagement." How, in the name of all that is
military, Generals Wheeler and Kent Or any
one else could determine beforehand
whether this attempt would bring on a
general engagement Is certainly beyond
human conjecture. And yet it seems
strange that a determined assault with the
full strength of our line on the best and
most prominent position OF the enemy, with
our right wing at the same time laundering
away at commanding stronghold on his
left flank. could be ordered without the ac-
conpanying supposition that general en-
gagement must follow.
One thing Is certain that the enthusiasm
OF the men and officers was such that once
started. their advance could not have been
checked, even by orders from the major