The Springfield herald., 1898-08-05
BATTLE OF SAN JUAN.
HOW 1T WAS FOUGHT.
Graphic Description of One of the Noted
Combats of the war-Under Wither
Ing Fire Our Boys Scaled tho Steep Hill.

When the military statistician COM
pletes his work and military experts
analyZe the totals showing the num-
her of men engaged and those killed
and wounded it will be found that the
battle of San Juan was one of the
blOOdiest on record.
San Juan hill is within the outskirts
of Santiago in front of Campo de
Marti. On it is n block house and line
of rifle pits, the advanced line of
Spanish intrenchmcnts. A triple line
of barb-wire entanglemcnts supple
mented the natural and constructed
defenses which crested the hill. 1t
may be put down as II fact that the
charge which swept the Spaniards
from this hill and block house was
made. not against orders, but without
orders from any officer commanding n
division or brigade. 1t was the spon-
taneous forward movement of two
brigades which could not be stopped
or checked until the troops halted,
breathless hut victorious, on top of
San Juan hill.
In order that the laymnn may I'M
derstand how II regiment goes into ac-
tion it will be necessary to start ut
the beginning with an individual COM
mand and follow it through to the
end. On the afternoon of June 31st.
the day before the battle. the Ninth
infantry was in camp ut Scvilla. three
and One-hnlf miles from Siboncy.
where 1t had been for several days. At
$3.50 o'clock that afternoon the gen
ernl" (bugle caln, the signal for break
ing camp. was sounded. Camp 'was
struck at once and the men moved in
light marching order carrying shelter
tents. blankets, canteens. 100 rounds
of ammunition, one days rations in
haversack and the rifle in the direc-
tiOn of Santiago. No one in the regi-
ment knew at the time what was up,
where they We're going or anything
else, except that the officers We're told
they would have Il short march that
night.
AS the regiment moved ahead it
found other troops moving also in tine
same direction. and from the general
mir of activity and hustle the officers
and men realized something serious
was going to happen soon. That night
about II O'Clock the regiment bivOu-
acked in an open space by the road
side. having marched about four miles.
The march was very slow because of
the passage of artillery and wagon
trains with ammunition. The rain
into swamp. Soon after midnight
the command was aroused TO draw
three days rations. This still further
confirmed the opinion that II battle
was imminent A few hours after re
veillc at daybrcak the booming of
guns was heard in front, II messenger
galloped up and the general" was
sounded Immediately. In five minutes
the regiment again was pounding
the road Frequent halts occurred.
and it was about o o'clock when Wy
lsoff's brigade. composed of the Ninth
Thirteenth and Twenty-fourth, formed
in l;lc of regiments. column of fours
in an open space on the banks of San
Guama creek.
At this time there was no sound of
firing In II few minutes the brigade
moved forward, the Thirteenth lead
ing. then the Ninth and Twenty
fourth, in column of fourS up the trail
From this point on the story Of the
regiment is told by lieutenant of
the Ninth infantry, who gives his
personal experience: