The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-08-09
TEDDY KILLED A man.
The Only Instance in the War
That Revolver Was Used.

New York, Aug. "a Santiago cor
respondent of the Tribune says:
Colonel Theodore Roosevelt killed a
Spanfard with his revolver in the
charge near San Juan hill on July l.
This is apparently the only case in
which that weapon was used with ef-
feet by either side in the whole cam
paign. Nearly all the officers in both
armies or rather three armies, TO IN
clude the Cubans, carried swords or
machetes, yet there does not seem TO
have been a single wound inH1cted with
one of these. Thirdly, all the infantry
carried bayonets, but it is believed that
not a hurt made with one of these was
dressed in any hospital, American or
Spanish
thousand; they cost a great deal OF
money; with the ammunition OF the re-
volver they involved the transpOrta-
ton of tens of thousands of pounds OF
weight and nowadays, especially in a
tropical region, the great object is to
burden the soldier with as little bag
gage as possible. The question asks
itself, why are they borne? Certainly,
the primary object of all three is to
wound and to kill If in an entire cam
paign, in which several thousand men
were injured more or less severely the
revolver, sword and bayOnet did viz
tually no execution whatever, ought
they to continue part of the military
equipment in actual warfare?
AS IOT the I6NO1NGIg C4AGLC eAC AOb
lacking officers who think that, on the
whole it is almost as much of an en-
cumbrance as use. 1t IS We'll enough
in a military post and carries certain
weight of authority. just as the sword
does. No man, except OF high rank,
would want to go into the enemy's
country entirely unarmed. He might
be sent on some duty at night or en-
counter a stray soldier of the side in
the daytime. The emergency would
probably never arise, but the feeling of
security given by good, big pistol
would be worth all the trouble of carry
In the fighting around Santiago officers
charges. But, as one Of them expressed
it. if a commissioned soldier had time to
fire a weapon, he was neglecting his duty
of observing and commanding his men.
The charge in which Colonel Roosevelt
took part was an exception in the way the
men Of the different regiments were mixed
up and the neaIness of few Spaniard
Anything like the hand to hand conflict
is extremely unlikely in battle in which
both sides use modern rifles. Their range
down their accuracy in the hands of skill
ed marksmen is frightful. They can he
aimed and fired six or eight times a min
ute. The zone of fire is so large that the
victory is virtually decided before a re-
vOlVer could be used with accuracy.
In the charges at Ell CaneY and San
Juan. the fighting continued until the two
Spaniards hal managed to escape. In
the thrilling charge up the hill on the rife
my's fire except from the hills behind.
slackened when the final dash was begun.
The execution of the American We2 pOns
was so awful that The Spaniards feared
to show even enough of their bodies to
fire at. When the stOrming party reach
ed the fort end the trenches the enemy
surrendered. For some minutes it had
been evident that further resistance was
useless.
An officer. therefore. found his revolver
of little service, even. if the difficult task
of keeping his men together did not re-
quire al his attention. His functions are
well defined and well understood. Mill
tary tacdcians have figured the need of
a certain part of the army to direct the
rest. They are more useful in this ca
pacity than they would be in handling
guns. They can serve their cause best
by doing the work especially assigned 10
them. Any mixing up of their duties
with those of the privates would be likely
to result in neglecting the more import
ant set. Therefore, it is reasoned out, n
officer can be more effectively employed
than in trying with his own hand to kill
the enemy. Some exceptions are to be
noted, such as when troops are stationary
and officers borrow a rife for a fancy
shot. These instances occurred around
Santiago, but were, of course, mere di-
versions.