The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-23
MEDALS WON BY HEROES
Daring Deeds Performed iq Times Of
TumuIt by Officers Of Our Navy.

Daring Deeds Performed lg Times Of
TumuIt by Officers Of Our Navy.
There are men OF high rank now st
the front who years ago won advance
ment and medals OF honor BY deeds
hailed in their day with as much ac-'
claim as was the act OF Hobson and his
mates. Yet who today. outside OF a
few grizxled veterans. remembers any.
thing about what the specific act was
which won silver leaves and gold stars
for these old warriors who are still at
the front?
At Santiago General Joe Wheeler
climbed a tree to look at the enemy
General shafter. who weighs 800 pounds,
said to him, II wish / could do that"
Yet by climbing tree General shafter,
May 81. 1867. won medal OF honor. He
was badly wounded, and to avoid being
seen by a passing surgeon. who he
feared would order him 10 the rear, he
climbed tree Then he came down,
and With hardly leg to stand on he
fought all day. and Congress gave him
his medal
General Nelson A. Miles. May 8. 1863.
was In command of skirmishers as coll
unteers. They were holding a line OF
ahatis against horde OF the enemy.
Miles Is a big man and makes a fair
mark. Yet to encourage his men he
kept jumping up on an eminence and
exposing himself, inspiring his fol-
lowers by his voice. He fell, finally,
badly wounded. He wears a medal OF
honor.
Brigadier- General Guy ". Henry,
whom the soldiers love. led his brigade
in an awful charge at Cold Harbor.
One horse went down under him. He
mounted another and led on. The
enemy's breastworks were reached and
General Henry spurred his horse at the
obstruction. The steed was killed In
mid air and with it's rider fell In the
enemy's lines. The place was carried
Henry was promoted and voted
medal
General Lloyd Wheatons act at Fort
Blakely, Ala, April 8, 1866, was Officially
called distinguished gallantry." He
was leading the right wing of his regi-
ment across the open toward the fort
and artillery. Reaching the place, he
sprang through an embrasure from
which bullets We're raining. He was The
first man to enter the fort. He wears
his medal of honor modestly.
Gen. Arthur Macarthur received his
medal of honor when he was a subal-
tern i'm Wisconsin regiment. The
troops were charging up the bullet
swept slope of Missionary Ridge.
The color bearers were being picked off
one after another. At a critical mo-
ment the flag fell from the hands OF a
wounded sergeant. Macarthur grasped
the star and In a few moments planted
it with his own hand on the crest of the
ridge in the face Of the retreating
enemy.
General Henry c. Merriam at Fort
Blakely. Ala, was colonel of the colored
troops. With his men he was impa-
tiently waiting for the order to charge.
Finally he asked permission to charge
ahead of orders, and was told to go "if
he wanted to bad enough" He lead
his negroes on one of the most heroic
charges ever made. He was promoted
and given one of the medals which
every army officer covets a chance to
win t
General O. o. Howard's fighting days
are over. but he is at the 'front.' never
theless. leading religious services for
the soldiers. He wears a medal and
carries an empty sleeve. lie led
charge June !. 1862, across the whole
face Of the enemy's line. A bullet
struck his arm above the elbow. He
led on. Another struck the same arm
below the elbow. He led on. The charge
was successful. At its end Howard
walked to the hospital and had his arm
cut off.
General John r. Brooke. who. under
Miles. is commanding at Porto Rico,
never received medal of honor. There
are comparatively few officers who
have. General Brooke. however. was
three times advanced in rank for gall
liant conduct and specific acts OF per-
sonal courage. He won an eagle at
a star at Pottsylvania and
twin stars at Cold Harbor.
General Wesley Merritt, now at the
Philippines, has no medal but he re-
ceived more brevets for gallantry than
any other officer in the American army.
They run from captain to major-gen
eral, and were received for special acts
Of gallantry at Gettysburg and at the
different battles which took place up
to the time of the fall of Richmond
Chicago Times Herald.