The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-04-07

fN6zGAssZx~ Ek.S@lwlth the kindred
Ns1NsSzsss-e,zas affair at San
Juan that makes this last story the one
to hold first place in the popular mind.
Creelman claimed that he got the
Spanish flag which had foated over the
blockhouse at Ell Caney and sent it to
his newspaper. On the other hand the
soldiers who captured the fort and the
flag stated to the writer that they tore
the rag into bits and kept them as
souvenirs. San Juan's flag story is to
the effect that the little advance guard
of the assault, consisting of Lieutenant
Thomas NJ. Anderson and dozen men
of the Thirteenth infantry, surrounded
the blockhouse, and Private Agnew of
the party climbed to the roof and
brought down the fig. Agnew's COM
rades soon gathered around him to in
spect the trophy, and some of the Sixth
cavalry, who had rushed to the point,
Joined the group. While this was going
on two of the Thirteenth men were hit
by Spanish bullets while they had hold
of the staff, or fly. Taking this as an
evil omen, the men slashed the silk into
small pieces and carried them away,
thus completely destroying the banner
which, intact. would have been an
American war trophy without rival.
This account of the San Juan flag
was given me at Camp Wikoff by the
participants in the affair, among them
Lieutenant Anderson. 1t lends halo
of romance to the career of a gallant
regiment in the Spanish war, but is by
no means the sole claim of the Thir-
teenth and its officers and men to
place among crack fighting troops at
San Juan hill. Neither is the fact that
the Thirteenth lost 80 per cent of its
officers and nearly "a per cent of its
men in the charge, principal claim
to distinction. The regiment fought
where scars were passing around and
got more of them than any regiment in
Shafter's corps, with single exception.
and it fought to be the first where the
hated Spanish flag was flying, and the
proof that it deserved the trophy is
found in the story of its fighting.
The Thirteenth was in the lead Of
Wikoff's brigade when it reached San
Juan river to charge the hill as ordered
by General Kent. the division COM
mander. Wikof and Worth were shot
in the bed of the stream just after they
had placed the regiment in position to
storm the hill in front of the blockhouse.
Again and again has the tale been re-
hearsed about the crowded roadway to
San Juan ford, but every regiment had
its own experience, and here is the ac-
count of Captain j. B. Goe of the Thir-
teenth Speaking of the march to the
ford before lining up for the charge, he
| said: s'The fire was SO terrible that it
might well have scared more seasoned
troops than the Seventy-6rst for it
could be likened to nothing else than
slaughterhouse. The Thirteenth, how
ever. did not waver or finch, severe as
the fire was though men We're dropping
On all sides. On, on we went, inditfer
ent to the bullets which were whirling
death to our quarter. wondered as we
passed over the PROSTATE forms of the
Seventy-hrst Would we ever come to the
end of the obstruction? 1t seemed half
a mile, but we did, and gained the low
er ford and made large field, where
L
the hill. The accuracy of the Spanish
fire and the dangers we had to, face can
be illustrated by just one fact When
we reached the ford, my company was
SO strong, but when the crest was
reached, just half an hour afterward, it
numbered only 81. Such the defamation
wrought by Mauser bullets
Before proceeding with the narrative
of the charge it is well to have clearly
in mind the ground over which the reg
iment moved. Lieutenant Ferguson
said: "Our regiment charged across a
flat grass field 700 yards to the foot of
steep hill nearly 150 feet high, on the
top of which was the blockhouse -
Lieutenant Anderson said: ''We lost
three fourths of our men as we crossed
the level field. l was on the firing line
and told the men to advance rapidly,
and we got 100 yards ahead. We We're
the only troops to cross that open field. .
Captain Goe described the charge as
follows: when the line WIS formed,
the regiment charged Owe, lain to
the Ease of San Juan hi!l - few
steps as the men went FORWARD their
progress was imreded by the dense I'M
dergrowth and barbed wire fences. We
charged, though we could not rush on
account of the Obstacles Notwithstand-
ing the fact that we cleared the way by
shooting sharpshooters in the trees, still
ourimen dropped as we pressed forward.
''To particularize. the first companies
to gain the eminence We're G. a and HI.
The Spanish flag was captured by Pri-
vate Agnew of Company H. am utter
. ly unable to give an idea of the enthu-
siasm Of the troops when the mer
reached the summit and victory had
crowned the American arms. The mer
broke into wild cheers, danced and flung
up their hands, and when the American
flag was given to the breeze howled
themselves hoarse.
The intrepidity of Spanish sharp