The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-17
BADLY WOUNDED HERO
GEN. w. s. WORTH STRUCK TWICE
BY MAUsER BULLETS.
Capture of San Juan Hill Described
by His Orderly-Eight Barbed-
Wire Fences In the Way.

NEW YORK, July 16.-Brigadier General
formerly Lieutenant Colonel William S.
Worth, of the Thirteenth Infantry who
was wounded in the charge of the Ameri-
cans up the hill at San Juan, has arrived
at his home on Governors island. Before
the outbreak of the war, General Worth
was stationed at the headquarters of the
Department of the East, at Governors ISL
and. He was one of the most popular Off
GERS on the island and there was not a sin
gle person, from the prisoners confined
there, UP, who did not accord to him a
hearty welcome yesterday. Before he left
his post for the front he was splendid
specimen Of physical health and vigor and
his appearance yesterday. weakened by loss
of blood and severe injuries was deplored
by all his friends and acquaintance. 1t
is marvellous that he was not killed out
right. A bullet, which must have been a
particularly spent one. hit him in the left
breast in a slanting direction, tearing an
ugly wound through the flesh and glancing
off on to his right arm. where it caused
double fracture above the elbow. Another
bullet hit him in the breast. The wounds
In the breast although being painful and
up to the present time not healed, are not
considered dangerous by the surgeons. The
generals right arm is perfectly helpless and
Is likely to remain so for some time. Gener-
al Worth's arm was set at Siboney, after an
eight-mile ride, which was extremely pain
full to him. He was carried from Santiago
by the City of Washington to Old Point
Comfort, where he took the train for New
York. He was accompanied on his journey
by his orderly, John Keller. of Company B.
Thirteenth Infantry. Keller was also
wounded in the charge at San Juan.
Orderly Keller said that General Worth
too TOOK leading part in the st0rming Of the
fell the general, then lieutenant colonel, was
the next in command. and after stopping
for minute to receive the dying words of
Colonel Wickoff, he ran on and led the
charge. When General Worth was wounded
he did not fall or stop, but kept right on
courage the men. dropped from his helpless
right hand. He just stopped to pick it up
and waved 1t in his left hand. In a little
while, however, the loss of blood compelled
General Worth 10 retire, and he was car
ried to the rear. He did not lose conscious
ness at all, bat the journey of eight miles
to the coast caused him to suffer terribly.
Keller had some interesting things 10 say
with reference to the charge in general. He
declared that the commanding officer de-
sired the Cubans to go to the front and do
the work of cutting the barbed wire fences.
Americans were obliged TO do it them
selves. There We're eight fences altogether
to be cut down before the men reached the
top of the HILL and they were artfully
placed at points where they would be least
expected. They were not made of ordinary
barbed wire. but were deliberately put to-
gether In some places they were twisted
together like ropes, which were so thick
that one could not put a finger between
them. The wire cutters with which the
Americans were supplied were not made for
anything more than ordinary wire, and in
consequence great deal of time was spent
in the cutting. All the time the Spaniards
were raining down their Mauser bullets on
the Americans.
Have you ever tried to dodge the hail
stones in a Storm" asked Keller. IF so,
you will know just what the Spanish fire
was like. And il is mistake to suppose
that tho SpaniardS cannot shoot. However,
the Spanish fire did not stop u.s. and at last
we reached the top of the hill. / guess we
showed them what rapid-hring really was.
We fired and advanced, and then fired and
advanced again as regularly as clock work.
Had the Spaniards had any heart at all we
could not have taken the place. They fired
from behind breastworks two and a half
feet thick. They used explosive bullets, too.
besides two other kinds of bullets. ] saw
one man with his face shot clean away.
General Worths wounds were caused by
brass bullets. think that the Thirteenth
bore the brunt of the battle. After the bat
tie the Spanish prisoners said they had
never known anything like the American
fire"