The record-union., 1898-11-20


ally intenoea. some such order was
sent. The story goes on to say that
Lawton told the aid he must fetch it in
writing; that he went to army head
quarters, got it in writing and returned
with it to Lawton. At that hour Chat
fees men were charging forward. and
I.awton pointed to them, saying to the
aid, ITS too late The aid insisted,
saying, But I must deliver it, All
right said Lawton. You will have
to deliver it on the firing line" AS
that was impossible, the charge went
through.
General Chaffee, when pressed for his
views about Lawton in the FL Caney
business, simply said, "Lawton is a
lion.''
Lawton started from Ell Caney for
the position on the Ell Caney road
nights about dark on the evening of
July 1st. At that hour the divisions of
Wheeler and Kent were busily digging
trenches on the captured crest of San
Juan Ridge. The story Of Lawton's fur
ther adventures in getting into the posi-
ton assigned him will be taken up after
q description Of the battle of Wheeler
and Kent on the American left. The
whole illustrates the adae !, universally
applicable in war, abor the best laid
plans going aft agley." In point Of
fact, Ell Caney fell about a day behind
time, and that threw the battle of the
San Juan Ridge day ahead Of time as
planned.
AS the cavalry division was the next
in order after Lawton, from right to
left, when the army faced Santiago,
and was the first to score a success on
the San Juan nights, its story should
next be told.
In the march down from Ell Poso to
the crossing of the San Juan, the bri-
gade of General Sumner, then COM
manded by Lieutenant Colonel Henry
Carroll of the Sixth Cavalry had the
lead. At that time Sumner was in tenn
porary command Of the division. The
strength of Carroll's brigade that day
in the fighting line was about 900. The
Ninth Cavalry, colored, under Lieu
tenant Colonel j. M. Hamilton, on the
right of the brigade, had but one squad
ron in the fight. 1t was commanded by
Major A. D. Dimmick. The Third Cav
airy was led by Major General H. w.
Vessels, son of Major General Wes-
sells, distinguished in the civil war. The
first squadron was commanded by
Major Henry Jackson and the second
by Charles Morton. The Sixth Cavalry,
Summers own regiment, was led by
Major T. G. Lebo.
With the exception of Vessels, all
squadron and regimental officers, like
the division and brigade leaders, were
war tried veterans. Hamilton had
served in the Thirty-third New York,
Dimmick in the Fifth New York Cav
airy, Jackson in the regular cavalry and
Morton in the Twenty fifth Missouri as
a boy, afterward polishing off at West
Point. Lebo served through the war in
the First Pennsylvania Cavalry All
these officers are born soldiers, not car
pet knights.
The brigade lost many men while
lying along the road before the advance
began, Grimes battery having opened
on the Spanish works about 80 in the
morning, drawing fire of shell and
shrapnel, some of which fell short of
the target on Ell Paso Hill and dropped
among the troops lining the road to the
front At the very beginning there was
delay at the crossings of the creeks
and river. The cavalry was on the right
of the road, and the men say that they
crossed the Aguadores several times,
and that, including the San Juan, they
waded streams six times before they
were lined up in the charge. In some
places the San Juan was up to the
waist, and at other points so strong
that some of the men had to be assist
ed TO save drowning.
The Third Cavalry, which was on the
right of Kent's Infantry, lost heavily
in what is sometimes called 1.-The
Bloody Angle" between the Guiana and
the San Juan, north of the junction of
these streams. This place will also go
down in the memory Of Santiago sur
vivors as "Helrs Crossing" The first
man | met at Camp Montauk in the
Third Cavalry, Captain G.. A. Dodd of
Troop f, made famous by the Coseack
drill, carries a long scar down his fore
head, which was given him at the an
gle by piece of shrapnel A Spanish
shot fired at Grimes battery knocked
over three men of Troop I of this reg
iment. When the brigade came to cross
ing the stream, it was halted, and the
regiments took position according to
The lay OF tHe ground. The men un-
shipped their packs and left them in
the bed of the river. The bank in
front offered cover from the Spanish
fire, and beyond that was a dense un-
dergrowth.
The first order heard in this brigade
came from Major Vessels to his own
regiment. 1t was,s THE Third is or
dered to go through this brush!" I'm
mediately Major Jackson's squadron
deployed as skirmishers and attempted
to advance. Morton's squadron de-
ployed 2GO yards in the rear as sup
port. Major Vessels observed, II
don't see how we can do it, but we
will If we can." Plunging into the
brush, the men found that it was only
a hedge on the border of an open field.