Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-09-24
San Juan Hill. This fire was effective

tillery. They had evidently the range
ofthis hill and their frat shells killed
and wounded several men. AS the
Spaniards used smokeless powder it
was very difficult to locate the posi-
ton Of their pieces, while on the con-
trary, the smoke caused by n black
powder plainly indicated the position
of our battery.
"At this time the cavalry division
under General Sumner, which was ly-
ing concealed in the general vicinity
of the FL Pozo house, was ordered for
ward with directions to cross the San
Juan river and deploy to the right OF
the Santiago side, while Kent's divi-
sion was to follow closely in its rear
and depIoy to the left. These troops
moved forward, but the road was SO
narrow as TO render it impracticable
to retain the column of fours forma-
ton at all points, while the under
! growth on either side was so dense as
to preclue the possibility of d~eploying
skirmiSheTs. 1t naturally resulted
that the progress made was so slow
and 90 long range rifles of the en-
envy, infantry killed and wounded n
NUMBER of our men while marching
along this road, and before there was
any opportunity to return this fire. At
this time Generals Kent and Sumner
were expected TO push forward with
all possible haste and place their
! troops on the position TO engage the
enemy. General Kent, with this end
i'm view, forced the head of his col
umns alongside the cavalry column as
far as the narrow trail permitted,
and thus hurried his arrival at the
San Juan and the formation beyond
that stream. \ few hundred yards
before reaching the San Juan the road
forks, n fact that was discovered by
Lieutenant Colonel Derby, OF my staff,
who had approached well to the front
in Il war balloon. This information he
furnished To the troops, resulting in
Sumner moving on the right hand
road while Kent was enabled to utilize
the road TO the left.
General Wheeler, who had been i'll,
returned TO duty and rendered most
gallant and efficient service during
the remainder of the day.
After crossing the stream the cav
airy moved to the right with a view of
connecting with Lawton's left, when
he could come up, and with their left
rceting near the Santiago road.
SIN the meantime, Kent's division,
with the exception of two regiments
Of Hawkins brigade, being thus un-
covered, moved rapidly TO the front
from the forks previously mentioned
in the road, utilizing both trails. Dur
ing this formation the Second brigade
suffered severely. Colonel Wikoff was
Killed, Lieutenant Colonel Worth,
Thirteenth infantry, and Lieutenant
Colonel Liscum, Twcnty-fourth in
f%antry, also fell under the terrible fire
Of the enemy.
Storming Of n Juan Heights.
"While the formation just described
was taking place Kent took measures
To hurry forward his rear brigade.
The Twenty-iirst infantry was sent to
support General Hawkins brigade on
the right hand. The Second and Tenth
infantry, Colonel T.. T.. Pearson com
handing, moved forward in good or
der on the left Of the division, passed
over q green knoll and drove the en-
envy back toward his trenches. After
completing the formation under a de-
structivc fire and advancing a short
distance both divisions found in their
front u wide bottom in which had been
placed a barbed wire entanglcmcnt,
and beyond which there was "A slight
hill, on the crest of which the enemy
were strongly stationed. Notwith-
standing this the gallant men pushed
on To drive the enemy from his strong
position. both divisions losing heavily.
In this assault Colonel Hamilton,
Licuts. Smith and Shipp were killed
and Colonel Carroll, Licutcnants Ar
thur and Myer were wounded.
Great credit is due to Brigadicr
Gcnrcal II. S. Hawkins, who, placing
himself between his regiments, urged
them on by voice and bugle calls to
the attack, brilliantly executed.
SIN this fierce encounter words fail
10 do justice to the gallant rcgimental
commanders and the heroic men, for
while the generals indicated the for
nations and the points Of attack, it
was, after all, the intrepid bravery of
the officers and men that planted our
colors ON the crest of San Juan hill
anu ilONf lht Nil'lHN VI Il =
and blockhouscs, thus gaining Il posi-
ton which sealed the fate of Santiago.
'In this action in this part of the
field most efficient service was rcn
dercd by Lieutenant John ii. Parker,
Thirteenth infantry, and the gatling
gun detachment under his command.
The fighting continued at intervals
until nightfall, but our men held res
o~lutely TO the positions gained ut the
cost of so much blood and toll.
General WhccIcr's Good work.
81 am greatly indebted to General
Wheeler, who returned from the sick
fist to duty during the afternoon. His
cheerfulneSs and aggressiveness made
itself felt on this part Of the battle
field and the information he furnished
to me at various stages of the battle
proved to be most useful.
my own health was impaired by
over eXertion in the sun and intense
heat of the day before, which prevent
cd me from participating as actively
in the battle as | desired, but from a
high hill near my headquarters | had
Il general view of the battlefield"
General Shafter follows in detail the
movements of the troops and the in
trcnching done during the night. He
says:
General Duffield, with the Thirty
third Michigan attacked Aguadores,
as ordered, but was unable to accom-
plish more than TO defeat the Span
iards in that vicinity.
ION the night of July l ] ordered
General Dufield, at Siboney, TO send
forward the Thirty-fourth Michigan
and the Ninth Massachusetts. These
regiments reached the front the next
morning, y 81 =
"All day on the 2d the battle ragged
with more or less fury, but such of our
troops as were in position ut daylight
held their ground and Lawton gained
a strong and commanding position on