The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1899-04-11

to advance, and at the word the
boys jumped into the lagoon
waist deep in mud and water and
were soon on the opposite shore.
Then they raised the yell and
started for the firing line, which
was perhaps 100 yards further
on. When they reached that,
orders were given to drop down
and begin firing, and at it they
went, and that long deferred de-
sire for fight was granted at
last. The Idaho boys were on
the front line and in it.
Major Higgins was as cool and
collected as man could be, and
was directing his men as calmly
as an old commander. | mention
this because of the villianous let
ters that have been written back
accusing him of cowardice.
Throughout the battle no one
could have done better and the
boys that fought under him would
trust him anywhere.
How can | find words to des
cribe that magnificent charge of
more than a mile over q field that
was open save for these earthen
breastworks every so yards, be-
hind which lay the enemy that
with Mauser and Remington riff
es were sending the brass bullets
into our ranks to the best of their
ability.
When Corporal Berch of F
company fell by my side it did
not startle me but seemed to by
q perfectly natural proceeding.
l stopped and tied up his arm
and side where q Mauser had
gone through the ffeshy part of
his forearm and struck a rib al
most directly over his heart, but
instead of penetrating it glanced
on the rib and cut his side open
fully six inches. I got him out
to the hospital all right amid a
shower of bullets. l was about
in the condition, | suppose, as a
drunken man. | felt like swing
ing my hat and cheering. 1 sup
pose it was excitement, but l
never felt better in my life.
After we had swept the field to
the river and cleared it all out,
even to burning most of the
houses, there was the large
church of Santa Ana, which was
said to be full of insurgents. AT
ter the experience of the early
morning at the Pace church the
major decided to search it.
1t is a ticklish business and
must result in death to some. He
did not want to name the ones to
go, so he called on volunteers for
a dangerous mission. | give you
my word that every man of them
stepped out and offered his SER
vices. All clamored to go. He
finally toled off so many men from
the head of each company and
sent them and the rest had to be
satisfied. | tell you men of the
right kind will go any place and
do anything in battle and Idaho
did not develop a single coward,
thank God and our good noun
tain air.
Another incident of the fight /:
General King was personally di-
recting the troops and he would
give the order advance and
'halt and fire" and it went all
right for about twice, and then
the boys got the bits in their
teeth" and when he gave the
command "halt and fire" they
fired all right, but they didn't
halt" and he began to yell
halt y "halt p but it had no
effect. The boys just went on,
firing as they went and when he
saw that they were not going to
stop he yelled out, "Go it, then,
you Idaho savages," and he took
Oh hio A0b duQ ollOuttu mere
goes American soldiers, and hell
can't stop them. Go it boys, you
don't need me-" and the smile on
his face was beautiful to see.
! want to say for him that I
never saw a drawer man. He sat
on his horse and rode out into
the battle and back and forth un-
der thousands of guns. Cannon
balls whizzed past him, shells
exploded over him, he was in o
perfect rain of bullets, and he
paid no more attention to them
than man would to a fly. Why,
the bearing of that man would
make hero out of coward.
And after the battle he came
around to see us and the boys
sprang to their feet to salute
him. He said "sit down, boys /
want to congratulate you, for you
are as brave men as | ever saw.
Won baxa NOT C,,lxy hAnn~o1 x,~,.,.