The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-07-21
MEMESroEs OF sEviLLA BATTLE
Capron's soiied Hat and bloody Epauiets
sent to His widow.


epaulets and a pocketbook went out
from here in the United States mail
today" said a correspondent of the
Associated Press at Port Antonio, Ja'
maica, recently. "It was one of the
first sad mementoes of the battlefield
near Sevilla. The package was ad-
dressed TO Mrs. A. X. Capro0, Fors Sill,
o. r., U. S. A, and wheu it reaches
the little garrison home on the plains
fortnight hence, it will tell to a
broken-hearted woman the cruel story
of soldiers death. The articles were
those worn by brave Captain Allyn X.
Capron, who commanded Troop l. of
! the rough riders in their heroic assault
upon the Spanish outposts.
mo message accompanied the parcel.
The soiled gray hat and the blood
! stained epaulettes will tell the story
of death, and the pages of American
history will tell the sorrowing widow
the story of her soldier husbands he
roism. The articles in the parcel were
taken from Captain Capron's body after
his DEATH and sent to United States
Consul Snyder by one of the dispatch
] boats. When they reached the Consul
they were wrapped in such fragments
of paper and cloth as could be picked
up about the field hospital and tied
with wire. With the care and ten
derness of brother, Mr.. Snyder put
them in a secure package, carefully
folding the hat about the epaulets and
pocket books, and sent them forward
| nf m
sulate.
| Captain Capron died as he had lived
"a fearless, noble American soldier
Even when Spanish bullet had
pierced his body, aud the death palloI
was creeping over his features, he
smiled at his comrades about him, tell
ing them calmly to leave him where
he lay and go on with the fighting.
None but those who passed through it
will ever know the hardships, the pam
and the final fury and triumph of that
morning march before the fight. All
was new to the Americans But few
hours before they had left the quiet of
the great transports, had hurriedly
been crowded into small boats and
landed through the foaming surf. One
nights sleep on the heated beach, and
then, with daybreak, came the order
to march into the mountains and drive
back the Spanish outpost, which the
Cubaus had reported to be in thet hici-
cts few miles back from the coast.
There was no delay, no questioning,
no faltering. Every man was ready.
On they marched up the mountain. 1t
was perilous and slow. They had only
a trail to follow, and that at times led
over rocks that bruised their feet and
legs, and through thickets which left
blood stains ana swollen places upon
their faces and hands. The sun poured
down upon them. Canteens were soon
drained, and blankets and outer cloth
ing were cast off. Lips parched with
thirst asked cheerfully for just one
swallow from comrades cauteen.
With each step forward the heat grew
more intense. All along the trail
there were cool, shadowy spots where
the great palms grew thick, but the
men did not stop there. Now and
again sturdy fellow staggered for a
moment and sank down under the ter
rlble exposure. Hurriedly he was car
ried to IA shady place and left to recov
er, while the column moved brisk y
onward.
"Then like sudden dash of rair
; from tropical sky came the storm o.
Spanish bullets. Flashes in the greer
thcker, like the glow of firefes a
night, was all our men could see. TC
! | ha - ha Of nd in n
: them, Mauser rifles cracked and th,
, thicket was aglow with death flashes
1t was then that Capron, with hi
brave little band from Troop l., dashed
forward into the very hiding places o
the Spaniards. 1t was an awful hour
: Burning with thirst and sun heat
pressing on through a swarm of hiss
ing bullets, they fought like mad men
, "Only once during the battle wa
! there the slightest sign of waverinE o
. even hesitation, and that was the mo
. ment when Captain Capron sank to th
ground, mortally wounded. With
, revolver in his right hand, firing ant
loading, he had been pressing i'll al
vance of his men, talking to them con
stsntly and urging them to move rap
IDLY. There had been brief lull il
4 the firing from the thicket, and Capt
l Capron was calling to his men to pusI
= forward He was standing erect AM
7 was in the act of leveling his revolve
a to fire when a fierce volley crashe
D from the thichet and the pistol droppe,
S from his hand He sank upon tn
: ground with his left hand pressed I
t his side, but with his right hand still
pointing 10 the spot where the SPANS
rifles were flashing. Several comrade
knelt over him but he motioned ther
. away.
"'Dont mind me boys he said, g
on into the thicket.'
! stricken with death, the brave ma
: heard his little band rushing on 10 tn
fight, and with eyes from which lif
a was fast fading, he saw the enemy re
treating down the hillside to Santiago
when the fight was over, Captai
Capron was carried ten6erlv by hi
u comrades to the little hospital by tn
seashore, but before the sun wen
down, tue calm of a soldiers deaf
;, was upon his features. With his dea
i comrades he is buried upon the battl,
field"
THE little parcel which left her
will indeed carry a sad message to tn
L -