Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1899-02-16


ing the leading regiments abreast of the
Tenth and First cavalry, the rear Of
Wheeler's division. When General Kent
was asked at Montauk to tell Of the
storming of San Juan heights, he said,
"We were ordered to take the heights,
and we took Them" In so saying the
general plunged into the thick Of the
battle of words which has been stirred
up over this very point of orders. Yet
he paid high tribute to the line Off
GERS and men. He said that it was
soldiers fight. Regimental command
ers did nobly, but, owing to the ground,
could not see their full commands.
Company officers had to act, and did,
with good effect.
Kent's story il that at o'clock on
the morning of July he went to the
hill where Grimes battery was in posi-
tion before Grimes opened fire, and
there Colonel McClernand, representing
General Shafter, pointed out a green
hill in the distance as Kent's objective,
ON the left, he being instructed to keep
his right ON the main road leading to
Santiago. The green knoll is ON the
same ridge as the San Juan blockhouse,
some hundred yards south Of that point.
which is near the road, and therefore
the objective Of Kent's right flank.
Kent had already sent Hawkins bril-
gade forward, and shortly after Grimes
battery opened. which was before 8
o'clock, he rode on and came up with
Hawkins and his leading regiment, the
Sixth infantry. At that point he was
ordered to give the cavalry the right Of
way, which caused q delay Of his ad-
vance 40 minutes. During that delay
Hawkins and Kent went to the front
under the fire Of sharpshooters and
crossed the main ford Of San Juan riv-
er, already reached by the advance
guard of the cavalry division. the Ninth
regiment. They looked through the
fringe Of trees and saw the enemy's po-
sition. Hawkins thought he could turn
the enemy's night at San Juan, but
Kent did not agree with him and de-
cided to put two brigades into column
for direct attack. Going backward to
hurry his troops, he met them just as
they came under heavy fire not only
from the front, but from the dense
thicket on the banks and from sharp
shooters in trees in the rear Of the NOV
ing troops.
The balloon was abreast Of the head
Of his division, and shrapnel aimed at
It fell among his men. The observers in
the balloon pointed ont to Kent q trail
parallel with the road on its left. The
Sixth and Sixteenth regiments were al
ready in the road, past the forks Of the
trail, and Kent went back and directed
the Seventy first regiment into the trail.
to be followed by Wikoff's brigade, in
support of Hawkins. The Seventy first
became q stumbling block in the way OF
Wikoff's advance, and 1t was noon
when the head of Wikoff's brigade
reached the fording place.
When the Sixth regiment reached
the ford, Hawkins was there and said
to Colonel Egbert, its commander,
Somewhat beyond here you can get
an enfilade fire on those works, and
Lieutenant Ord will show you where
to go in." The works on San Juan
heights were within view. Marching to
the front the Sixth formed on the left
of the Sixth cavalry behind the fringe
of trees, directly opposite San Juan
hIockhouse. Colonel Egbert looked over
the ground in his front, and, finding
that the cavalry pickets were being fred
upon by Spaniards in the houses in
front, sent out four companies as skir-
mishers to re-enforce the troopers. These
companies drew heavy fire from tn.
Spanish front This halt was made be-
tween the Aguadores and San Juan.
Seeing a battalion of the Sixteenth
coming to his support, Colonel Egbert
ordered his regiment forward in line Of
battle. Traversing a grainfield, the Sixth
encountered heavy belt of trees and
underground lining the high banks Of
the San Juan river. Taking Company
E, Captain Kennon, with him, the
colonel plunged into the stream, which
was waist deep, crossed, and beyond the
high bank found road parallel to the
river and inclosed by barbed wire fences.
Ar a signal from the colonel the rest Of