Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-12-10

| the road an hour, partially carrying
out Hawkins orders to enfilade the
enemy. His men were somewhat shell.
tered by a hedge aud roadside ditch,
but from their position could only OBJ
tain an oblique fire against the bill. In
order to get a more effective fire the
colonel decided to take his regiment
across the road into the high grass and
weeds beyond. A Cuban negro, who
proved to be one of the heroes Of San
Juan heights cut several openings IN
the fences with nachete. Through
these openings the regiment advanced,
and, lying down IN the tall grass, open
ed a steady fire on the enemy's works,
both by file and volley
"SuddonIy." says Colonel Egbert ''the
blocthouse apd trenches burst out with can
non and musl.ctry, and the whole FIRE Of the
hill was developed on my regiment at short
range. Here was to be seen the value Of dis
cipllne our line WAS torn with shot and
Fhcll men were falling everywhere. Captain
walker commanding the right center com
pany, and bis lieutenant, Gross, Captain Tor
rev, commanding the loft center company,
and his lieutenant, Purdy Lieutenant Iur'
man Of Company z and one quarter Of my
men were down IN ten minutes from the time
tho heavy fire Of the Spauiards commenced.
Yet no one blcnched, and al kept steadily fir
inc, without any thought Of stopping until the
order should come. This it now became nay
reluctant duty to give. / saw that the force
on the hill, in its iutrenchCd position, was en-
tircly too strong for mine and that II we re-
manned another ten minutes the regiment
would be destroyed. l therefore, with my adj
jutant, Lieutenant Bennett, walked along the
line and cautioned the company commanders
TO move by the flank quietly but rapidly 70
the road again, which was done in excellent
order carrying our dead and wounded along
with us. As soon as we had bestowed these
in safety under the oyerhanging bank OF the
river we resumed the FIRE from the road.
In this plain language soldier tells
the story of the first encounter with the
Spanards at San Juan blockhouse. The
range was less than 500 yards The Sixth
lost the highest percentage of any regi-
ment at Santiago, and the greater part
of it was incurred in this attempt to
reduce the Spanish fire by answer in
kind Colonel Egbert, and Captain w.
H. II. Crowell, commanding one bat
TALON, were war veterans, Egbert OF
the regular service and Crowell of the
First Ohio, light artillery.
With the Sixteenth as support the
Sixth held on. The Cuban negro drifted
over to the Sixteenth, thinking perhaps
that it was about to lead fresh attack.
Wikoff, with the Ninth, Thirteenth
and Twenty fourth regulars, was then
passing the San Juan at the trail ford
and proving that ''Hell's Crossing" de-
serves its CHASTITY name. The cavalry at
this hour, still back behind the fringe
of trees thought that the infantry had
been repulsed in an attack on the block
house Perhaps others took the same
view of it, for soon after that the sick
and pain racked leader on Ell Poso hill
sent urgent orders to Lawton to leave
Ell Caney and move to his position as
planned on Ell Caney road heights,
north of San Juan ridge. Twice Shafter
sent this order, proof that in spite of
bodily torture the brain had full grasp
of the situation at the front. Lawton,
striking on the flank of San Juan ridge
soon after midday, might have made
the battle a masterpiece.
Meanwhile the artillery had not been
idle in its efforts to help Kent and Sum-
ner reduce the San Juan stronghold.
Grimes battery had a perfect view of
the blookhouse at 2, 600 yards and struck
it at the third shot. say at 8 o'clock.
The Spaniards replied, and at the
fourth shot killed two gunners and
wounded four at one piece Shafter's
adjutant general, Colonel McClernand,
staid with the battery and directed its
firing. He had a telephone wire to
he adquarters. Grimes once caught sight
Of the flash of a Spanish gun and, wi.
that sole guidance, the Spanish using
smokeless powder, pounded away for
three hours with intervals, The black
powder of his own guns hung like a
cloud about them, making a perfect
target for the Spanish artillerists. Some
of their fire was from batteries in their
second line, near the city The balloon
trailed along his line Of fire and stopped
action for time Another rifle battery,
under Captain Parkhurst, got into posi-
tion near Grimes ready TO unite its fire
with his at the supreme moment.
Parker, whose troubles in landing the
Gatling outfit have been mentioned,
found his way to the front blocked by a
stationary volunteer regiment, which,
after opening ranks for the guns, cheer
ed wildly and drew a fresh shower Of
Mausers and shrapnel. At last he reach