New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-04
nA1L.nnN ArrRAcTED FIRE.

lett
BALLOON ATTRACTED FIRE
Hayine completed the observation with my stan
I proceeded join IN" head OF my aF'S.'". ~
coming under heavy nrc Approaching ~" MS ~.
rade directed them 20 NOV" alonFsd" m" '"N"H'
lvb.ch~vas haltcdl w were already sui'i!ns
losses caused boy tho balloon. re"fnN' "'""''''0
b "' oncn3ys Infantry dr. steadily increasing In
Intensity now came from AL dIrc,uons nT, e', og
from me front and tho dense iropcM 1905 oI
our hanks but from sharnShoot'rf NICK. p,.',u
IN IT, IN 9'' ,lo,n ana Derhy
Of General Sharer'~ ~tan. met IN" about ms I'M
hu "4iecclnyeroI rom the balloon 4 short distance
back Leading 70 tho left OF ford lower ''"" '''
stream
I ha..ened 70 tho forks made by This road. ana
soon after tic LIST Ncw-York Reement. Of Ha"-
kins's l."zadc. came up turned th"r' INTO ne %,
path indira. 81 by Lieutenant Coion'. "r"y. eau
Ing IN tho love- ford serdius word 70 Gen"'tl
Hawkins ~ INF. movement This would have speed
u, delivered them IN their proper pac" on the LETT
sdo ~ ihe!r brSale. hu' under tho calling ~" "'
tho enemy the leading battalion - thi' f"simrn'
was thrown into confusion and reroi'i ln hi-'r''r
on the troops IN tho rear. a tails critical In'm'h'
tho officers o, my staG practically 'orm"i c'fH'"
behind the panir-strcken men and urged them To-
again 20 forward / finally ordered them 10 "'
down IN the ihirkei and clear IN" way FOR DINERS
II their own regimen Who w"r" coming NJ n"n"'
This many Of them dii and tho - and 81 hatialons
came forward In better order and moved along ~"
road toward the ford.
NEW WORKERS BLOCKED THE WAY
ono q, my stan officers ran back waving HE hat
n hurry forward tho Third Brigade wh' upon ap-
proach!ng tho forks found ~" way hl'ckod hy men
OF the 7lst New York There We're other Non ~
,nis regiment crou-ning IN ~" bushes. many Of
whom were encouraged ~ ~" alvanc" ~ the ap-
| proaching column 20 rise and - forward
As already stated hnd received orders som"
time before 70 keep In rear ~ the cavalry division
| Their advance WIS much delayed. resulting IN ire
| ouent haIts presumably 20 drop th.lr blanket
| rolls and due 10 the natural delay IN fording
| a stream These delays under such not fire grew
! exceedingly irksome ard therefore pushed the
| head OF my division quickly AS could toward
| The river In column OF hles. or twos parall'l"d
| IN the narrow Way hy the cavalry. This quckcncd
| tho forward movement. and enabled no TO ct
| into position a. speedily possible TO- tn" At
| tack owing 10 the conecst'd coalition Of the
road the progress Of the nnrrow column Was.
| however. painfully slow.
| again sent a stan officer AZ "A gsllop 10 urge
| forward the troops IN the rear. The head Of
Wikofs brigade reached tho forks at 1920 p. m.
| aad hurried on the left. stepping over PROSTATE
forms Of men n tho list tbs heroic brigade ,con-
sisting Of the l3th 9th and 18th United States In
fantryj speedily crossed the stream. and were
quickly dcpoyed 70 the left Of the lower ford.
COLONEL wIKOFF KILLED
| While personally experimenting this movement
| Colonel Wikon was killed the command Of the
| brigade then devolvlng upon observation-disclosures
| Worth 18th Infantry. who Immediately fell So
| vercly wounded. and then upon LieutenantColon"l
| IIscum 2ih Infantry. who FIVE minutes later also
| fell under the whitening fire Of the enemy The
| command Of the brigade then dcvoved upon Lou
| tenant Colonel f.. +. Ewcrs. 9Th Infantry. Mean
| while I had again sent STAFF officer 70 hurry for
| ward the Second Brigade which was bringing up
| The rear. The 10th and "a Infantry. soon arriving
| at tho forks were detected to the left 10 follow
! the Third Brigade. while the Fist was directed
| along the main road to support Hawkins.
| Crossing the lower ford few minutes later the
10Th and % moved forward I'm column in good order
| toward the green knoll already referred To AS my
| objective point on the left. Approaching the knoll
| the regiments deployed passed over the knoll and
| assembled the high ridge beyond driving back the
| enemy in the direction OF his trenches observed
| this movement from the Fort San Juan hill Colo
mel E p. Pearson 10Th Infantry, commanding the
| Second Brigade. and the officers and troops under
his command deserve great credit for tho soldierly
manner in which this movement WAS executed.
| | earnestly recommend Colonel Pearson for pro-
motion. Prior this advance Of the Second Bri-
gade the Third. connecting with Hawkinss gallant
| troops on the right had moved toward Fort San
| Juan sweeping through zone Of most destructive
fire scaling a steep and difficult hill and assisting
| in capturing the enepys strong position. Fort
San Juan, at 20 r. m
| This crest was about one hundred and twenty
Eve feet above the general level. and was defended
| by deep trenches ana lOOp-npltu iINh ioi'' SUI
| rounded by berbed-wlre entanGiements. General
| Hawkins some time after reached the crest, re-
nor,ed that the 6th and 18th Infantry had captured
| the hill which I consider incorrect. ana credit
! "a almost equally due the 9Th. 9th. 18th, 18TH and
ol,h regiments Of infantry Owing 10 General
Hawkins's representations forwarded the report
sent 70 corps headquarters about p m that the
sch and 18th Infantry regiments had captured the
hill.
CAPTURED THE ENEMY's CoLoRs
Tho 13th Infantry captured the enemys colors
waving over the fort. but unfortunately DESTROYED
,hem distributing the fragments among the men,
because. as was asserted. 1T was bad omen TWO
o- three men having been shot while assisting Pri-
yo.e Arthur Agnew. Company H. 18th Infantry
tho captor All fragments which could be recoV-
orod are submitted with this report
The greatest credit is due to the officers OF my
command whether company battalion reshen.
ar brigade commanders. who so admirably directed