The Portland daily press., 1898-09-15

was slow and the long range rifles of the
enemy's infantry killed and wounded q
number of our men while marching
along this road and before there was
any opportunity to return this fire. At
this time Generals Kent and Sumner
were ordered to push forward with all
possible haste and place their troops in
position to engage the enemy. Gen.
Kent, with this end in view, forced the
head of his column alongside of the cav
airy column as far as the narrow trail
permitted and this hurried his arrival at
the San Juan ana the formation beyond
that stream. A few hundrediyards be.
forks. fact that was discovered by
Lieut.. Col. Derby of my staff, who had
approached well to the front in war
balloon. This information he furnished
to the troops, resulting in Sumner NOV
ing on the right hand road while Kent
was enabled to utilize the road to the
left.
"Gen. Wheeler, the permanent com
mander of the cavalry division. who had
been ill, came forward during the morn
ing and later returned to duty and rem
dered most gallant and efficient service
during the remainder of the day.
AFTER crossing the stream the cavalry
moved to the right with a view of con-
Meeting with Lawton's left when he
could come up and with their left rest
ing near the Santiago road.
In the meantime. Kent's division,
with the exception Of two regiments Of
Hawkins brigade being thus uncovered,
moved rapidly to the front from the forks
previously mentioned in the road, utiliz-
ing both trails. but more especially the
one to the left and crossing the creek,
formed for attack in the front of San
Juan hill. During this formation, the
second brigade suffered severely. While
personally experimenting this move
ment its commander, Col. Wikoff, was
killed. The command of the brigade
thsn devolyed upon Lieut.. COLI Worth,
18th infantry. who was soon severely
wounded, and next upon Lieut.. Col.
Liscum, Oath infantry who, seven min
utes later, also fell under the terrible IRE
Of the enemy and the command then
devolved on Lieut.. Col. Ewers, 9Th In
fantry.
s'While the formation just described
was taking place, Con. Kent took meas
ures to hurry forward his rear brigade.
The tenth and second infantry were Or
dered to forward brigade while the 2lst
was sent on the right hand road TO sup
port the first brigade under Gen.
Hawkins, who had crossed the stream
and formed the right OF the division.
The second, infantry, Col. Il. p. Pearson,
moved forward in good or
der on the left of the division, passed over
a green knoll, and drove the enemy
back toward his trenches:
s.After completing the formation under
a destructive fire and advancing short
distance, both divisions found In their
front a wide bottom, in which had been
placed a barbed wire entanglement,
and beyond this there was high hill,
along the crest of which the enemy was
strongly posted. Nothing daunted. these
gallant men pushed on to drive the enc
my from his chosen position, both d1vls-
ions losing heavily. In this assault, Col
Hamilton, Lieuts. Smith and Shipp were
killed and Col Carroll, Lifts. Thayer and
Myers, all In the cavalry, were wounded.
e "GTeat credit is due to Brigadler
General Il. S. Hawkins, who, placing
himself between his regiments. urged
them on by voice and bugle calls to the
attack SO brilliantly executed.
elm this fierce encounter words Iai 20
do Justice to the gallant regimentai com
mantiers and their heroic men, for while
the generals indicated the formations and
the points Of attack it was, after all, une
intrepid bravery of the su 5ordinate officers
and men that planted our colors on the
crest of San Juan hill and drove the
enemy from his trenches and block
house, thus gaining position Wh1oh
sealed the fate Of Santiago.
''In this action on this part OF the field.
most efficient service was rendered by
Lieut.. John H. Parker, 18th infantry.
and the Gatling gun detachment under
his command. The lighting continued at
intervals until night fall, but our men
held resoiutely to the positions gained at
the cost of so much blood and toll.
81 am greatly indebted to General
Wheeler who, as previously stated, re-
turned from the sick list to duty during
the afternoon. His cheerfulness and
aggressiveness made itself felt on this
tion he furnished to me at various stages
of the battle proved to be most useful.
s'My own health was impaired by over
exertion in the sun, and intense heat OF
the day before, which prevented me from
participating as actively in the battle as
desired, but from a high hill near my
Headquarters ] had general view OF the
battlefield, extending from Ell Caney on
the:sright to the left OF our lines on san
Juan hill. r--s
. General Shafter follows in detail the
movements of the troops and the IN
trenching done during the night. lie
says:
General Dutfield, with the 35rd
Michigan, attacked Aguadores as ordered,
but was unable to accomplish more thah
to detain the Spaniards in chat vicinity,
"On the night of July l, l oFQerea
General Duffield, at Siboney to send for
ward the Gath Michigan and the ninth
Massachusetts, both of which mad Jus5
arrived from the United States. 6oth OF
these regiments reached the front the
next morning.
"All day on the second the battle ragged
with more or less fury, but such OF our
troops as were in position at dayilgn5
held their ground and Lawton gained q
strong and commanding position on the
right. .a. on
GA bout ten p. M, the enemy maoe an
assault to throw my lines, but he was
repulsed at all points.
son the morning OF the third, tne
battle was renewed, but the enemy seems
to have expended his energy in the as
sault of the previous night and the hrlng
along the lines was desultory unIil
stopped by my sending the 10 lloW'ns
letter within the Spanish lines"
(Shafter then gives the despatcnesm Il pass
ing between himself and General Ioral'
already published He proceeds: c.on
'sI was of the opinion that the span
iards would surrender if given little
time and / thought this result would ne
hastened if the men of their army couiu
he made to understand that they would
be well treated as prisoners of war. Act,
inp upon this presumption, / determined
S e. H., ,,aturu q II the wounded Spanish