Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-28
AN EPISODE OF THE WAR.
Showing SeIf-Relinnce and Faithful
ness of the American Soldier.

| Lieut.. Col. Edgar r. Kellogg of the 10th
| Regular Infantry, who commanded his
regiment during the terrific fighting at
Santiago July l, i'll which the 10th suffer
| ed severe loss IS at the Arlington and re-
| lates an incident Of the famous battle
| that is worthy a place in history, IL
| Illustrating one characteristic of the Amer
| lean soldier that distinguishes MINI from
the soldier of any other country.
The incident related by the colonel is
as follows:
| During the hottest of the fight, when
| Spanish bullets were flying thickest and
! MEL were falling killed or wounded, d
private of the 9th Infantry, who had been
| accidentally separated from his command
| and " hose name the colonel couli not re-
cali, asked permission of an office: of the
10th to fight in his company, saying that
he wanted to do his duty and could not
fina his own regiment. Permission was
granted MIN. and all day the soldier ole
his part toward winning the battle with
as much skill and vigor as though he be-
longed to the 10th. When night came TIE
private accosted Co! Kellogg and asked
Tor a certificate showing that he had per-
formed soldiers duty all through the
battle.
For" said he, my captain might think
had been skulking all day unless l can
show that l WIS lost and that l fought
with your regiment
COL hellogS questioned the man Sharply
and sent his ad1utant TO the captain under
whom the man said he had fought to see
if his story was true. He found that it
was true and that .:la soldier had per
formed valorous service all day in his
strange position. quickly writing the
proper certificate. the colonel dismissed
the man. who started at once to hunt up
his own regiment.
Late in the evening, as Col Kellogg was
walking the lines of bis regiment TO cheer
his and that all we'll
with them. he made a CHASTITY discovery,
stumbling over the dead body of q soldier
who had fallen, pierced by Spanish bull
let. A hasty examination in the ftful
moonlight showed that the dead hero was
the faithful and conscientious soldier of
the 9th who had fought all day with the
10th. In his pocket was the certificate SO
recently given him by Col. Kellogg. He
to his own regiment when he was struck
down by a stray Spanish bullet.
Thus Is illustrated in the strongest light
as the colonel remarked. the self-reliant
and independent character of the Ameri-
can soldier. If enarated from mis- COM
mand he is not lost and helpless sitting
down to await an order from some officer,
but on the contrary, he hunts up another
place to fight and gives a good account of
himself wherever he may be.
The sad and pathetic ending of the
story serves to emphasize the splendid
sodierly qualities of the modest hero who
gave up his life for his country On that
battle-swept hill overlooking Santiago
The story was attentively listened to by
both the President and Mrs. Mckinley,
both of whom We're vlsibly affected by it.
Col. Kellogg was obliged to reliaquish
command of his regiment July 49, On ac-
count of a severe attack of malarial fever
and camp dysentery, and was sent north
to recuperate on the steamer Relief, which
reached New York Sunday, July "a He
Is rapidly recovering, and when he returns
to Santiago 1t will be to command the 9th
Regular Infantry, of which regiment he IS
to be colonel, vice Col Cochrane, who was
retired June 30
Senator Hanna and other personal friends
OF Col. Kellogg are urging him for ap-
polntment as brigadier general, with fair
prospects of success.