Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-08-25


those Astounding in fiction.
1t was long matter of wonder as to
lust who was tho leader of the gallant
fight at La Quasima, where the rough
riders took their baptism of fire. Gen
eral 5. b. NJ. Young was the man. AL
though in command of the brigade and
entitled by virtue of his command to
remain in the rear of the column, he
was always in front and being giant
in stature he was good target for Span
ish bullets. General Wheeler advised
him to go to the rear, but he refused,
and escaped the bullets only to be pros.
trated with fever.
At La Quasima General Young opened
the battle by leading four squadrons of
troorers and detachment of Hotchkiss
guns against the intrenched hill. In
charging up the hill tho officers of the
leading squadron were all shot down,
causing the men to waver, but General
Young went among them and told them
to fight ahead on their own hook, which
they did gallantly.
One of the Hotchiiss guns in the de-
tachment was handled by colored sol.
dicrs. At the first attempt to get the
range on the Spanish works the man at
the piece received bullet through the
hand. He did not finch, but kept on
adjusting the sight with his wounded
hand. A comrade then stepped up inn
patiently and said: "Get away from
here. You can't do anything with that
hand" The new man tried to adjust
the range, but was soon shot through
the arm. General Young then fixed the
range and turned the gun over to the
care of the colorcd soldiers.
General Young says that his line was
not ambushed that day at La Quasima.
/ The smolicless powder used by tho
Spaniards made it impossible to locate
their line exactly, but their general po-
sition was understood.
Regimental records are the last to
| come to light before the public. In them
are TO be found the byplay of war.
Here is n scrap from the story of tho
! Thirteenth L. :. infantry, the old regi-
ment which was first commanded by
/ General W. I. Sherman and had Sheri-
| dan among its captains. Tho Thirteenth
charged up San Juan hill in General
! Hawkins column. 1t was in the front
! line, and as it climbed the steep incline
! four of its commanders We're shot down.
! The colonel who led the Thirteenth
when it started up the hill was William
5. Worth, son of General William j.
Worth of Mexican war fame. Colonel
VI Al.
war.
A very painful wound in the shout
der and breast Frustrated the colonel i'll
the first advance of the line, and his
place was Immediately filled by Major
=. II. Ellis, another veteran of the civil
war whose record on the field earned
for him commission III the regular ar
my. The major advanced the line of
the Thirteenth up the hill toward the
San Juan redoubt and was cut down by
bullet in the knee.
When Major Ellis was carried from
tho field, Captain j. b. Guthrie took
command until a bullet through the leg
tripped him and he fell, leaving Cap
tain III. G.. Cavanagh senior in COM
Cavanagh also. By q dashing fourth
advance Cavanagh carried the line into
the redoubt, and while raising the flag
Of the Thirteenth was shot in the side.
Tho last of the bunch Of five gallant
leaders, Captain James Torrance, was
not war veteran. He entered the army
as cadet III 1871. After he had estab
lished the Thirteenth in the redoubt
the Spaniards charged to recover it, and
Torrance was mortally wounded. But
the Thirteenth chung to the works sc
nobly won and its flag waved there un
til the surrender of Santiago.
AS the dazzling light thrown upor
the chief naval exploits fades the minol
incidents in the background challeng,
attention. The fight of the battleshiI
Oregon with Cervera' S fleet is an actor
which will live in history. The Oregon
has had wonderful career. Her voyage
from the Pacific was a marvel, and sht
was the only ship in the navy ever il
serious danger at the hands of Cervera
t First to sight the escaping fleet, shC
l was the leader in the chase and heavy
D weight in delivering the blows which
settled Cervera' S squadron.
Tho Ornuon fira1 tho SIGNAL c,,,p m,