The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-26
THEY FOUGHT AT SANTIAGO.
SECOND INFANTRY ONE OF THE
REGIMENTS IN THE BATTLE.

Was Organized in 1893, and Has
Seen Great SerVice-Its History
Embraces Some of the Greatest
Battles This Country Has Fought.
Percentage of KILLED and wound
ed at santiago Was Large-Drum
Majors Baton q Relic Of One of the
Battles of the s3exican Wharf.-The
Second Has Its "Privnte Mulva-
ney." Who Has Had as Many Ups
and Downs as NipIing's Hero.
Heroes Of Santiago are among the troops
encamped at Savannah The Second In
fantry was in the fighting, and the thick
est of it was where the regiment could be
found The whistle Of Mauser bullets has
been heard by the men and their sting was
felt by many. There are some poor fellows
under the sod of Cuba who did not feel
them. The bullets did their work too quick
ly for that It was the dead and the
wounded that ran up the percentage OF the
Second and made IL as large as any other
commands The regiment had % per cent
OF its officers hit, and y or "A per cent. OF
the enlisted men were found out by the
aim of the Spaniards.
The Second Infantry is one Of the crack
regiments Of the regular service, and IL
has a history in which some of the warm
est fights this country has ever fought are
mentioned, The command was organized
in 1885, and il has been engaged in more
battles Of importance than any other regi-
ment. IL was in the army Of Gen. ST. Clair
who was defeated by the Indians in Ohio,
In the war of 1872 il was right in 1t with
the best of the American troops.
Capt. James Miller of fame in the second
war with England, was in the Second He
IL was, who. at the battle of Lundy's Lane,
made his famous reply, I'm try, sir,
when asked by Gen. Brown II he could
storm and take position. And all along
the regiment has been inspired with the
pluck and determination that took the po-
silion when Capt. Miller led his charge
Cherabusco, Chepaultepec, Resaca de la
Palma, Monterey. Conteras. Cerro Gordo1
and the taking of the City of Mexico all
saw the aid of the Second. A memento
of the taking of Chepaultepec is still with
the regiment II is the drum majors baton,
made of the Flagstaff that flew above the
Mexican redoubt and tipped with big
ball Of silver. The silver came from plate
gathered up by The men. IL was melted
bandleader flashes on parades.
The regiment was in the Army OF the
Potomac II was I'm most of the battles
in which the army met the Confederates
on the siubbornly contested soil in Viz
ginia. I'VE just missed running with the
rest al Bull Run" said an officer yester-
dav. I'VE reached Washington two days
after the battle Had we arrived few
days sooner we would have been In the
fight
After the civil war the regiment was In
the campaigns against the Indians in the
West. 1t went all through the Yellow
stone fights 1t was In service in the
West just before it was ordered to Chick
amagua at the outbreak of the Spanish
war The regiment had been stationed at
Fort Keogh, in Montana, which marks
the place where Miles Keogh of Clusters
staff fell.
The regiment remained about two weeks
at Chickamauga, and then set out for
Tampa From Port Tampa it sailed VITA
Skaters expedition, in Gen. Kent's divis-
ion of the Fifth Army Corps. Great BRAY
cry was shown by officers and men during
the fighting about Santiago, and the regl-
ment ate embalmed beef and army beans
with as great fortitude as any command
displayed.
From Guantanamo the Second sailed on
the St. Paul, commanded by Capt. Sigs- |
bee, for New York. Two companies of |
the Seventy-irst New York Regiment
were on board. There was not the best
feeling between the men of the two regi-
ments. the Second remembering the story
of the Seventy-first having lain down al
Santiago and letting the colored cavalry
men charge over them against the Span,
iards.
A story is told of the Private Mulvaney
of the regiment, Corpl. John O'Connor of
Company X. The corporal was a SER
geant while the regiment was on its re-
turn trip, as he has been at numerous
other times, and was sergeant OF the
guard. A shot was heard from below
= One of the men had fired through a port
hole. The officer of the guard called to
Sergt. o'Connor to go below and find
the man who fred the shot and put him
under arrest Sergt. OConnor went 10
the companionway and shouted: What
deryer name by firin' a gun down there
Do yer want to make the Sivinty-foorst
jump overheard" There was nearly a
riot then. This is only one of Mulvaney's
doings and sayings. Out West on one
occasion-but that is another story, as
Rudyard Kipling says.
The colonel of the Second Infantry is
major general of volunteers. He is
now in Cuba, in command of the depart
ment of Santa Clara. He is Gen. John
c. Bates. Two battallons of the regiment
are here, and the third Is at Augusta.
Mai. Charles A. Dempsey Is in command
of the regiment, In the absence of the
lieutenant colonel, who is sick. In the
regiment there are many officers from the
South, among them Capt. Frank B. Nc
Coy Of Company # of Georgia.