The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-07-07

lvW&AY& SyA the cloud under
1SH &0xM which it was
SII>lENN Y. placed by the
wv yaELSI |quarrels Of its
3VN officers soon aft
- MYsES&Ier the return
from Cuba. Time
viii right the wrong for the men who
We're wronged, and the plaudits show
cred upon the marching ranks on Mem
orial day were not extravagant and not
undeserved. While General Shafter was
in command Of the department of the
east after his return from Cuba, mus
tered out Seventy first man approached
his old commander one day in public
place and qnite timidly asked the priv
lege Of shaking his hand. The matter
was put to Shafter in this form, "Gen-
eral, here is a Seventy first man who
wishes to know if you'll shake hands
with member of that regiment?''
"With pleasure, said Shafter, TAX
ing the blushing boys hand and laying
hold of his arm in fatherly way. 81
am always ready to greet soldier of
the Seventy first Yours is a good regi-
ment. and don't you ever be ashamed
OF it. The only trouble in it all was
that the officers fell toquarreling when
they got home. The regiment was all
right in the field, and did no worse than
hundreds of regiments have done in the
first campaign. Had the war lasted
few months longer the Seventy first
would have been as good as the best
Snap judgments on the Seventy first
at San Juan are unfair and unjust to
say the least. Notwithstanding all the
heroes the Spanish war produced, not
one can be spared. The Seventy first
has heroes on its rolls. At one time it
seemed as though they had to be
brought out with searchlight. Now
its the towards and failures who are to
be picked out singly Said veteran
regular officer at Camp Wikof, "Give
the Seventy first Krag- Jorgensens and
smokeless powder in place of their
Spring6elds and they are regulars
There have been many good things
said Of this volunteer militia regiment
by their regular comrades. In COMPARE
son with the showing Of the New York
Seventh in the Spanish war crisis the
Seventy first should be entitled to an
ovation if it hadn't smelled powder at
all. But it did smell powder. 1t lost Is
men killed outright or died of wounds
and 76 deaths by disease contracted in
the trenches in Cuba. This was over 10
per cent of its strength.
Aside from these honorable scars. the
regiment made good record in the
field and in the trenches. There is one
thing that every soldier knows which
counts in the favor of these militia
boys. towards cannot be drawn into
battle by chains, and if by any means
they are tricked into getting within
bullet range they may always find an
excuse to crawl out of the dilemma.
The mass of the rank and file of the
Seventy first acted all right at the San
Juan ford and on the hill. They didn't
show cowardice. and to man would
have displayed heroism had they been
older hands or had proper leadership.
1t is to be noted that not an officer
of the Seventy-frst was killed or strick-
en- mortally by fever. The two officers
who came out unmistakable heroes
We're Frustrated with fever as soon as
they reached the north. These were
Major Keck and Captain Rafferty,. For
time there were conflicting stories
about Major Keck, but I discovered
at Camp Wikof that the men in the
ranks classed Keck and Rafferty, togeth-
er as the heroes of the day, shutting
out all other officers.
When the regiment came home Keck
didn't pose as hero, but he talked like
one. When asked for his story, he said:
My story is simply the story of the.
Seventy-irst regiment. l never saw
skirmishers deploy as we'll as the Sew
enty-irst men deployed on the field of
battle. The intervals were perfect. The
men were as calm as though they had
been drilling at state camp"
"But, major" said the interviewer
the boys said that you led them. wav-
ing red bandanna handkerchief.
''Nonsense The Seventy first regi-
ment in that fight led itself"
"But you were out ahead. were you
pot3''
''Well. followed in front. an
swered the major. with smile "But
we We're all right there. Rafferty, was
!. right with us, and SO was his command,
Company F. I tell You Rafferty, and his
men were all right.
Major Keck's Third battalion com
prised Companies b. L. K and E.
Like the true hero, the major would
not talk Of his own deeds and experi-
ences-only the regiment. the regiment
Rafferty, was also reluctant to talk of
himself, but at length did respond for
the credit of his company. His story I
also obtained from the lips Of q regular
officer who. as aid to General Kent,
directed Rafferty, in action. The first
Official praise of these two officers came
in the report of Major Phil Reade. in
spector general of Kent's division and
a fine specimen of veteran soldier. Aft
er telling of the conduct of the First
battalion and its imitation By the Sec,