The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-04
GENERAL KENT
At SANTIAGO
His Official Report Of the Bat
tie Authorized
BY GENERAL SKATER
STORMlNG OF THE HEIGHTS OF
SAN JUAN.
THROUGH A ZONE OF WITHERlNG FIRE
Desperate VaIor Of Rents Third Brigade.
.AdoIfe Carlos Munoz, One Cuban Among
Many Americans, Praised for his
Valuable Assistance.
Valuable Assistance.

Copyright 1898 by Associated Press.
Headquarters of the First Division of
the Fifth Army Corps, near Santiago
de Cuba, July Correspondence
ter having authorized the publication
of the official report of the Brigadier
General, j. Ford Kent. of the battle of
July LIST. a certified copy of
the report is now furnished to the AS
ISOLATED Press by Major a. {. Sharpe,
Assistant Adjutant General First Di-
vision, Fifth Army Corps.
The opening portions of the report deal
with orders given and the first move
ment toward San Juan hill on the morn
ing of July LIST. He details his inspec-
ton of the enemy's position made at
the front and the opening of the fire by
Grimes Battery. He then continues:
Having completed the observation with
my staff, | proceeded to join the head
of my division just coming under heavy
fire. We were already suffering losses
caused by the balloon near by attracting
fire and disclosing our position.
creasing in intensity. now came from
all directions. not only from the front
and the dense tropical thickets on our
TANKS, but from sharpshooters thickly
posted in trees in our rear, and from
shrapnel apparently aimed ut the bal
loon. Lieutenant Colonel Derby, of
Shafter's staff. met me about this time
and informed me that Il trail or narrow
IL ho ha1-
loon a short distance back leading to the
left of ford lower down the stream.
] FASTENED to the forks made by this
road and soon after the Seventy-first
New York Regiment of Hawkins brigade
came UP. / turned them into the by-path
Indicated by Lieutenant Colonel Derby
leading to the lower ford. sending word
to General Hawkins of this movement.
This would have speedily delivered them
i'll their proper place on the left of the
brigade, but under the CALLING fire of the
enemy, the leading battalion of this regi
ment was thrown into confusion and re-
coiled in disorder on the troops in the
rear. AT this critical moment the Off
GERS of my staff practically formed
Gordon behind the panic-stricken men
and urged them to again go forward. |
finally ordered them to lie down in the
thicket and clear the way for others Of
their own regiment. who were coming
up behind. This many of them did, and
the second and third battalions came
forward in better order and moved along
the road towards the ford. One of my
staff officers ran back waving his hat
to hurry forward the third brigade, who
upon reaching the ford found the way
blocked by men of the Seyenty-hrst New
York. There were other men of this
regiment crouching in the bushes, many
of whom We're encouraged by the adj
vance of the approaching column to arise
and 20 forward. l pushed the head of
my division as quickly as / could to-
ward the head of the river in column or
files of twos paralleed In the narrow
way by the cavalry. Owing to the con-
gested condition of the road, the progress
of the narrow column was, however,
painfully slow. | again sent staff Off
Ger at gallop to urge forward the
brigade reached the forks at 1920 p.
IN. and hurried ON the left, stepping
over PROSTATE forms of men of the
Seventy-frst. This heroic brigade (con-
sisting of the Thirteenth, Ninth and
Twenty fourth United States Infantry
speedily crossed the stream and was
quickly deployed to the left of the lower
ford. While personally experimenting
this movement Colonel Wiffoff was kill
ed, the command of the brigade then
devolving upon Lieutenant Colonel
Worth, Thirteenth Infantry. who inn
mediatcly fell severely wounded, and
then upon Lieutenant Colonel Liscum.
Twenty fourth Infantry, who five min
utes later also fell under the whitening
fire of the enemy. The command of the
brigade then devolved upon Lieutenant
Colonel Il. J.. Ewcrs, Ninth Infantry.
Crossing the lower fork five minutes
later, the Tenth and Second assembled
the high ridge beyond. driving back the
enemy in the direction OF his trenches.
Colonel Il. i. Pearson. Tenth Infantry,
commanding the Second Brigade. and
the officers and troops under his com
man1 deserve great credit for the sol
dierly manner in which this movement
was executed. / earnestly recommend
Colonel Pearson for promotion. Prior
to this advance of the Second Brigade.
the Third connecting with Hawkins
gallant troops on the right, had moved
toward San Juan, sweeping through a
zone of most destructive fire, scaling a
steep and difficult hill and assisting in
capturing the enemy's strong position,
Fort San Juan. at 1:30 p. m. This crest
was about one hundred and twenty-five
feet above the general level and was
defended by deep trenches and Il loop
holed brick fort, surrounded by barbed
wire entertainments.
Credit is almost equally due to the
Sixth. Ninth. Thirteenth, Sixteenth and
Twenty-fourth Regiments Of infantry.
The Thirteenth Regiment captured -
enemy's colors, waving over the fort,
but unfortunately destroyed them, dis
tributing the fragments among the men.
The greatest credit is due to the officers
of my command. whether company, bat
talon. regimental or brigade command
ers. who so admirably directed the for
nation of their troops. unavoidably in
termixed in the dense thicket. and made
the desperate rush for the distant and
strongly defended crest. ! have already
mentioned the circumstances of my
Third Brigade's advance across the