Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-05-11

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 floated over the
blockhouse at FL 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 il 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 flag. 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 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 30 per cent of its
officers and nearly % per cent of its
men in the charge, a 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
Wikofs brigade when 1t reached San
Juan river to charge the hill as ordered
/ by General Kent, the division COM
mander. Wikoff 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: 1.-The fire was SO terrible that it
might well have scared more seasoned
troops than the Seventy first. for it
could be likened to nothing else than a
slaughterhouse. The Thirteenth, how
ever, did not waver or finch severe as
the fire was, though men were 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 first, 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 a large field, where
we formed our line previous to charging
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, il
numbered only ~. 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 &
fiat grass field 700 yards to the foot OF
steep hill nearly so feet high, on the
top of which was the blockhouse .
Lieutenant Anderson said; ave los,
three fourths of our men as we crosset
the level field. | was ON the firing line
and told the men to advance rapidly
and we got 100 yards ahead. We wert
the only troops to cross that open field. ,
Captain Goe described the charge al
follows when the line was formed
!, the regiment charged over the plain t.
the base of San Juan hill. Every few
steps as the men went forward theil
progress was impeded by the dense un
dergrowth and barbed wire fences. w,
charged, though we could not rush OF
account of the obstacles. Notwithstand
~ e. IL. a 1 - l.