Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-07-27


Nothing Of that kind occurred in the
civil war although in those days sharp
shooting was carried to the point where
both sides called it unquestionable
murder
Sharpshooters Of both the Federal and
Confederate armies often hid in the
foliage Of tall trees to ply their rifles
while the troops were closing in for
battle Reynolds was shot at Gettys-
burg by Confederate riflemen hid in
a tree in Mcpherson q woods, and with
in few moments after the gallant
leader fell HIS men charged forward
and the tree was inside the lines. But
if the Johnny" was caught up the tree
he kept quiet, for his smoking Enfield
would have brought volley of Federal
bullets about his head. Many deeds Of
heroism were performed to bring down
sharpehooters who had perched them
selves in tall trees and made victims Of
conspicuous foemen all unconscious of
peril
put the question boldly to many vet
eran officers careful Of their words as to
the Spanish sharpshooters hiding in the
American lines and continuing their
deadly work The answers were I'M
qualified alternatives. Sharpshooters
were traced to their eyries and dispatch
ed. Adjutant Barnum of the Tenth
cavalry, said that when he lay in the
corps hospital on July 3, miles in rear
of San Juan and the fighting lines. the
% CIV hov To-
their blood under the surgeon 8 care.
This terrified the poor fellows more
than the armed Spaniards they had faced
in battle Shnfter headquarters guard
skirmished through the woods and shot
some of the wretches. A very touching
story has been going the rounds 70 the
effect that captain told one of his ser
geants to take file of men to the rear
and kill some Of the shsrpshooters who
were firing into the American lines on
San Juan ridge Get dozen of them
at least, before you come back, said
he During the night the sergeant drag
ged himself into the bivouac minus an
ear and five men of the squad He said
that he got the half dozen all right, but
the last of the lot came within an ear Of
doing for him.
True or not, this might have been
true, for there were Americans as des-
perate and more brave than the Span
iards. Rough Rider Perry of Capron S
company shot "A sharpshooter ont of a
tree while at the creek crossing waiting
] for his wound to be dressed. He located
the Spaniard by the CLEAN of his Mau-
ser barrel in the sun and dropped him
in a lump at the first shot.
During the day of battle at Ell Caney
the Spaniards in the church belfry and
in loopholed houses of the village made
some good shots at the Americans, and
if they were not sharpshooters then the
average Spanish soldier is a crack marks
man. On July , and 3 the Americans
on San Juan hill in front of the town
suffered so much from good long range
shots that it became necessary to take
picked rifemen from the trenches and
post them where they could answer this
deadly fire. Pearson's brigade of Kent s
division was especially exposed to this
fire.
One of Pearson's crack riflemen shot
General Linares, and, it is believed,
changed tho fortunes of the day by so
doing Late in the day, on the I'd, there
was great activity noticed in the Span
ish lines in front of Pearson, and Gen
eral Kent, with Hawkins and others,
went to the front trenches to recon-
hotter. a Spanish officer was seen hav-
ing following which showed that he
was person Of high rank. Several Of
Pearson $ men asked the privilege of
trying their Krag -Jorgensens upon the
Spaniard, but General Kent told them
it would he a waste of ammunition, the
range was SO great One of those de-
tailed as u sharpshooter persisted until
Kent granted him trial. He fired and
missed, and Kent said, ~ told you so. "
"Let me try once more, general, said
the man, and with Kents permission
he shot and brought down the Spaniard.
1t was learned afterward that Linares,
the Spanish general in chief, was
wounded on that spot and at that time,
and in consequence the sortie which
had been planned to take place that
night fell short Of success. Linares could
not lead and the charge was not carried
home.
At first the camp stories about Span
sh sharpshooters inside the American
lines impressed me like those of masked
batteries and the Black Horse cavalry
after Bull Run. 1t seemed convenient
! battlefield bugaboo But soon found
; that the evidence was too strong, the
D explanation too clear for doubt A staff
p officer of the brigade told me that both
Wikoff and Worth were hit in his pres
ence by sharpshooters Then officers
halted at the creek said the wounded
there were hit in the same way Con.
: spicuous officers were cut down while
ascending the slope of the hill, and a
companion of Major Forse, First cav.
airy said that his friend was killed by
sharpshooter while accommodating
between kettle Hill" and San Juar
blockhouse at a time when there was nc
trench fire over that ground There wa,
. q lapse of about three hours between
v the arrival Of some commands at the
;, creek and the final charge to the crest
: Meanwhile there were lulls in the Span
= ish volleying, but still popping Of Mau
: sers in the air and victims falling.
1t was SO evident that fatal shot