Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1899-04-20

~ISkSt<lpu put in their best
~ - work there was
a continual pop
D.. ping of rifles on
sides, and
SO with concealed Mauser the effect
was about as sudden and as secret as
that Of an airgun. Many old soldiers
thought at first that stories of Spanish
sharpshooters remaining within the ene-
my's lines must be Munchausenish.
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 ritiemen hid in
a tree in Mcpherson 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
sharpshooters 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 un-
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
wounded were struck as they lay in
| their blood under the surgeons care.
| This terrified the poor fellows more
than the armed Spaniards they had faced
in battle. Shafter's headquarters guard
skirmished through the woods and shot
| some of the wretches. A very touching
| story has been going the rounds to the
| effect that captain told one Of his ser
geants to take a file Of men to the rear
and kill some of the sharpshooters 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 sharpshooter out 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 u 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 crack marks
man. On July 2 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 rifemen shot
General Linares, and, it is believed,
changed the 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-
noiter. A Spanish officer was seen hav-
ing following which showed that he
was a person Of high rank. Several Of
Pearson's men asked the privilege Of
trying their Krag- -Jorgensens upon the
| Spaniard, but General Kent told them
il would be waste Of ammunition, the
range was 30 great One Of those de-
tailed as sharpshooter persisted until
Kent granted him q trial He fired and
missed, and Kent said, 81 told you so. :"
"Let me try once more, general. said
the man, and with Kent's 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