The news & observer., 1898-09-04
LEADS ALL NORTH GAR0lA DAllES lN NEWS AMID CIRCULATION.

NHTu II, tue jump NuS htaLlH SiA INNA'
Mr.. Mckinley took it. VicePresident
Hobart, who is a bulky man, hesitated.
Il baIk here. Can't go over this hur-
de he said. Neither would Secretary
Alger. who had taken all the jumps until
then. But General Wheeler sprang
lightly down. Today was hot. Mr.. Nc
Kinley wore black frock coat with 4
waistcoat. The perspiration streamed
from his face. A glass of appolinarIs
was offered to him, but he declined to
drink, saying that he was too warm. He
proceeded to the infantry plain, as it IS
called. The men of the Ninth Massachu
sets, the First Illinois, the Eighth Ohio.
the Thirteenth, Twenty First, Twenty
Second and Tenth regular infantry were
assembled without arms. About ,5,OUJ
men stood in close order. General
Wheeler said:
1.-THE President of our great country
has come here to greet the soldiers that
marched so gallantly up San Juan hill on
July 1st. He comes here to express the
nations thanks to these brave men.
wish to tell you that when the President
sent me here two weeks ago to COM
mand this camp he enjoined me in the
most emphatic language that l should
without regard to expense, exercise any
and every authority necessary to make
comfortable this body of brave men who
by their courage have raised this republic
to the highest position among the great
nations of the earth. j have the honor
ana pleasure of introducing to you, the
President of the United States"
President Mckinley said:
General Wheeler, soldiers of Camp
Wikoff, soldiers of the Fifth Army corps.
| trust that you will put your hats on--I
am glad to meet you. / am honOred to
stand before you to-day. | bring you the
gratitude of the nation to whose history
you have added by your vaor, new
and glorious page, you have come home
after two months of severe campaigning
which has embraced assault siege and
battle. so brilliant in achievement, so far
reaching in results as to command the
unstinted praise of all your countrymen.
You had the brunt of the battle on
land. You bore yourselves with supreme
courage, and your personal bravery,
never before eXcelled anywhere, has won
the admiration of your fellow citizens
and the genuine respect OF all mankind,
while your endurance under peculiar
trial and suffering has given added mean
ing to your heroism. Your exertions
under the resistless army conman led By |
Major General Miles and behind YOU to
proceed ut Il moments summons were !
more than 100000 of your comrades |
ready to support You. disappointed that
the opportunity which YOU had did not /
come to them, yet filled with pride a.
your well-earned fame AMI rejoicing |
upon your signal victories.
You were ON the line of battle. they |
no less than you were III the Inc OF |
duty. All have served their country in |
its need, all will serve it so long as they
may be required, and ali will forever
have the thanks and regard of a CRATE
full people.
I'VE cannot bid you welcome here to-
day without our hearts going out to the
heroes of Manila on sea and on land
whose services and sacrifices, whose
courage and constancy in that far distant
field Of operations have, never been sur
passed by any soldiers or sailors the
world over. To the army and the navy,
to the marines, to the regulars, to the
volunteers, and to that providence which
has watched over them all the nation to-
day is full of thanksgiving and praise.
The grave officers and mel. who fell in
battle and those who have died from
exposure and sickness will live in i'm
mortal story and their meores will be
perpetuated in the hearts and the his
tories of a generous people and those
who are dependent upon them will not
be neglected by the Government for
which they so freely sacrificed their
lives"
The soldiers cheered many times. The
part of the field where the Eighth Ohio
stood. the regiment which IS sometimes
called "the Presidents own" was parti-
cularly noisy. The party then went to
the detention hospital. The graveyard
in which sixty or sevnty plain new
wooden crosses stood was near the road
on the left. The President solemnly
raised his hat.
Mr.. Mckinley went through all the
wards of the detention hospital in the
same careful way in which he had
gone through those of the general hospi-
tall When he came to the last ward,
Major II. T. Ebert said:
''rhis is a dangerous ward" and turn
ing to Secretary of War Alger inquired:
''Do you think the President had bet
ter go in hereW
Mr. Mckinley without waiting to hear
what General Ayers reply would be,
started into the ward. General Algrr and
the others of the party remained out
side. The Presidential party then drove
through lines of cavalry drawn up on
either side of the road. Among them
were the Rough Riders, the Second,
Sixth. Tenth and First regular cavalry.
| The Third regulars were still acting as
the Presidents escort. Mr.. Mckinley
| then drove to General Wheeler's head
quarters and sat under the shade of a
| tent flag for n while. Secretary Alger
and General Wheeler were with him.
| The President and those with him took
lunch with General Wheeler and his
| staff. After lunch the President, Mr..
Alger. General Wheeler and Colonel
| Hard, of the Eigth Ohio were photo
graphed in a group.
The President issued an order directing
| that the regular troops at Camp Wikoff
| whose posts are east of the Mi<Gissippi
should return with the least possible de-
| lay to their posts.
The Presidential party then went down
| to the station and left on n special train
at 80. On the train Mr.. Mckinley made
I4i1 s,+o