Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-05-20

with the foremost charging troops. A
little later in the battle and before it
was decided whether the bold Ameri-
cans should stay ON the crest or beat a
retreat in the face of odds they adj
vanced to the skirmish line and took
position in Il with nothing in front but
armed Spaniards.
This method of handling machine
guns is a novelty in systematized war
fare. Aside from the fact, which seems
apparent, that the Calling fire hastened
the capture of the fort and the trenches
On July 1, Parker showed himself
throughout all quite as original, deter.
mined and physically brave as the gal.
liant Gushing when demonstrating the
awful power locked up in a torpedo
lance. Cuttings were no new to the
Spanish power in Cuba neither was
the torpedo, a new weapon when Cush-
ing downed the Goliathlike Albemarle
with n small enough to lie hidden
underneath his coat. 1t was the new,
bold way of doing things which scored
big results in each case. Nor was Par
ker's battery an ordinary %appendage OF
the army outfit, supplied in the routine
way like SO many other features, good
and bad, merely because it existed and
had a rating in the military returns as
ION hand for service. It's creation was
due to Parker's individual enthusiasm
and persistence aud its adoption to the
sound sense and unconventional meth
DDS of the commander Of the Santiago
expedition. Only six years oat of West
Point, the young lieutenant had chung
to his classroom theories and made a
study of rapid FIRE guns, urging upon
his elders and superiors their wider use
in warfare. In other words, he said
they might be SO handled as to force
the fighting as we'll as to stand off the
enemy's attack. Swarms Of savages had
gone down before them when stationed
in the line of defense, as was the case
at the slaughter Of the dervishes at Om-
durham; but Parker wanted to go a
step further. He would hunt the Span
iards out of their hidings by searching
the ground with a hail of bullets, then
slaughter them while on the run.
AS soon as war was declared Lieu
tenant Parker made application to or
ganize a Calling battery, setting forth
his theories as best be could. The paper
had to go through regular channels, and
when it reached the colonel of the regi-
ment, the Thirteenth infantry, the
writer was summoned and greeted with
a laugh. However, the colonel took it
good humOredly and sent the paper
along. To his surprise, it was returned
from the war department approved, and
the colonel laughed again at what he
called the credulity of the high officials.
But it ceased to be a laughing matter
when Parker got his orders to select a
corps OF men to carry out his plans.
The colonel Of the Thirteenth gave him
free choice Of noncommissioned officers
and soldiers and the same with other
commanders in the brigade.
-Four improved Krag-Jorgensen Cat
lings were assigned him, and the bat
terry became an independent command.
From the start General Shafter backed
up the young enthusiast and gave or
ders that the Gatling detachment be put
ashore with the first troops landed at
Cuba. In spite of Skaters orders there
was difficulty in getting the outfit
ashore, but it landed on the 25th Of
June and hurried to the front, taking
position in the defensive line formed by
Wheeler at Sevilla. Except for delay
In landing, the Gatlings you'd have
been heard from at Las Guasimas on
the 24th. BY Skaters special orders.
again, Parker went to the front ON FL
Poso bill the morning Of July / to
await the employment of the troops for
battle, when he was to advance to the
front line. His orders. and his W ex-
PLANTATION of the attempt to carry them
out literally. are very interesting at this
time. The instructions were: Find
the Seventy first New York and go on
with them if you can. If this is not
practical, find the best position You can
n use guns to best advantage"
Captain Parker says:
Pursuant to these instructions, | went for
ward and found the Seventy-first hating to
iearh what tneir instructions were. 1 could get
no clear idea OF what they were going to do,
but waited about Is minutes III their rear TO
md out. Meantime troops continually passed
us toward the front. l rode forward alone
along the road. a narrow defle through the
jungle, and found that about half a mile in
front was a creek, upon the crossing Of which
the spanish fire seemed TO be concentrated.
In front OF the crossing was q level plain for
40 TO e0 yards, beyond which was a ~seTsjcir
cuiar ridge, crowned with Spanish trenches.
from which the spanish fire seemed to come.
Men were being continually hit at the ford,
but 1t seemed to me a good place to work my
guns effectively.
l rode back, finding the Seventy first siili
lying beside the road without any apparent in
sention Of moving. determined to leave them
and go into action. Taking a gallop, l moved
the battery forward nearly to the ford. where
l met Colonel McDerby Of General Shafter !
staff, who info, med me that the troops were
not yet sufficiently deployed TO take advantage
Of my fire and ADVISED me to wait. The bull
were cUtti x through all around US, and
the enemy ; 4s pshooters were actually in
the woods nea ~, up tall trees. picking of
officers and me
As Lieutel mt Parker knew only part