The evening times., 1898-08-18
ACCUSED OF CoWARDIcE.
Captain BiGdIe CbEI Eed With Order.
Ing His Ne N to Run.

New York Aug. 1S-The Herald's cor
respondent at Arroyo. Porto Rico. writes
under date ofsAugust u:
Captain Biddle, of Company c. Fourth
Ohio Volunteers. is still here under arrest
and awaiting court-martial for alleged
cowardice in the skirmish with the Span
iards a few miles out of Arroyo. The ca
Bile has carried the bare news to New
York that Capt Biddles company beat an
inglorious retreat while thyy were on the
skirmish line and We're attacked unex-
pectedly by Spanish sharpshooters. TIE
details of Capt. Biddles arrest though,
will be news in the United States.
Had the captain of Company not tried
10 throw the responsibility on a man who
was miles away from the scene of Com
pany C's route. and who was not even
connected directly with the service. he
would probably not be under arrest today.
although his position even then would not
be enviable
Company c. with other companies of
Col. Colts command, had been detailed
TO beat the foothills a few miles beyond
Arroyo In quest of a possible enemy iurk-
ing under the cover of thick woods. 1t
was thought the Spaniards had retired
miles beyond the point where the attack
lDoh DfdCt. Dul the reconnaissance hau
been decided upon as an extra measure
of precaution before Gen. Brooke's move
ment forward to form the junction with
Gen. Wilson really commenced.
The uneNpectedness of the attack prob
ably had much to do with Capt. Biddle's
loss of head and the panic into which he
threw his company As his men deployed
as skirmishers were advancing the men
called back and forth and chaffed one
another on what they called their "rab-
bit hunt" They were saying that the
Spaniards for whom they were looking
were probably shivering in San Juan
when there was a whz a swapping of
| leaves. splintering of bark and little
| eruptions of dirt at the boys feet.
Hello. the rabbit is no longer on the
rum exclaimed one of the soldiers Bid
dies men We're slipping behind the trees
and bushes and preparing TO make a
stand when some one gave the comamnd
| to retreat.
Run, boys: they're thousand to one,'
came the command as the men were pre-
| pairing to make brave resistance against
their as yet invisible foe.
1t is alleged that Capt Biddle gave that
command. Had this panicky alarm not
been given and had not the men seen
their commanding officer running with
his back to the fire they would have
stood their ground and fought just as
bravely as they did when they received
their baptism of fire at Guayama
Capt. Biddle. it is alleged, was found
hiding in a culvert under the roadway.
After Gen. Hams and members of the
staff heard of the attack they started for
the front to rally the demoralized skirm-
ishers. Gen. Hams and his staff officers
blocked the flight and shamed the flying
soldiers into turning toward the foe. But
as they turned they said:
1T is not our fault; We were ordered to
retreat"
Capt. Biddle when brought before Gen.
Hams and asked for an explanation said:
II did not order retreat: the flight was
all the fault of a newspaper correspond
ent whom the men mistook for an officer.
He shouted: Run boys; the Spanish are
attacking u.s."
Not only did Capt. Biddle say that a
correspondent had ordered the retreat,
but he named the correspondent. As 1t
happened the newspaper man whom Capt.
Biddle accused had been talking with Gen.
Hams in his headquarters at Arroyo when
the attack took place. Gen. Hams re-
membered this. The correspondent had
ridden out with Gen. Hams to help rally
the flying Ohioans. The accusation had
scarcely passed the lips of Capt. Biddle
when the order came:
place that man under arrest"
Cant. Biddle was taken back to Arroyo,
where he is still awaiting trial.