The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-02-10
TOLD AT SANTIAGO.


trees back of the line of tents used by the
staff officers. On the trunks of the trees,
held by nails, safety pins and whitfield sticks,
were small cracked mirrors, comb cases and
other toilet articles. Capt. Brice had no use
for the pocket mirror except to note the
progress of a luxuriant growth of brilliant
reddish beard until the morning when Gen.
Miles was expected. Then he rose early and
nut in most of the morning clipping, scrap
ing and shaving his beard. 1t was this
sacrifice which gave us the hint that some
thing unusual was to happen, and then we
noticed that Gen. Shafter and his military
family were stropping razors and bravely
enduring the fortunes imposed by imple-
ments rusted by the ever-present dampness
of the air.
It is hardly probable that Gen. Miles can
know what transformation his visit made
in the camp of the American army about
Santiago and especially among the officers.
Many well-planned surprise for mother,
wife or sweetheart was crushed beneath the
necessity to look at the best and so sacrifice
the luxuriant growth of beard. And Capt.
Brice was one of those who sacrificed his in
tended surprise that he might appear at his
hest before the commander of the American
army.
But Capt. Brice came prominently to the
front when he, DR.. Goodfellow and DIR.
Sem were sent into Santiago, some days be-
fore the surrender, with wounded Spanish
prisoners. The Spanish officers met the hit
tie party of Americans at the white flag and
escorted them into the besieged city. There
they placed before them the best they had
to eat, drink and smoke, and for time the
war was forgotten. But at length the Span
| ish officers began asking the reason for this
order, the motive for that maneuver, and
generally manifested strong desire to learn
| all that was possible of the American tao
\ tics. Dr. Goodfellow acted as interpreter,
i but most of the questions were fired at Capt.
| Brice.
ssYou Americans have a strange way of
fighting" said one Spanish officer. You
shoot, and then you come forward on the
run. But, tell me, what is the strange order
| eJohnson's breeches?' What does it mean?
Your officers shout 'Johnson's breeches,'
and then the line of soldiers run forward.
What does sJohnson's breeches' mean?"
This was poser. The Americans con-
ferred, but "Johnson's breeches" was term
not to be found in tactics or in the school of
the soldier. Suddenly it occurred to Brice
that the Spaniards had heard the order:
s'Advance by rushes," and this proved to be
the fact. The dons had had that particular
order impressed on them deeply, for when
an American officer shouted advance by
rushes" the American soldiers advanced
every time. When we all went into Santiago
the story of "Johnson's breeches" came out,
for Brice never tired of telling it.
Capt. Brice is big man physically, and
one of the best-hearted fellows in the world.
Military discipline sat easily on him, for he
never permitted military discipline to come
between himself and his friends, and once
or twice he came within an ace of reminder
from the commanding general. When he
called on Gen. Shafter, the day he left San
tiaeo for Havana, he said:
Gen. Shafter, perhaps have not been
all you expected of me, but think have
done my full duty. Lam going away now,
and have come to thank you for all you
have done for me, and to tell you, sir, that
your entire course here has met my full APP
wait. When others, who had not your fore
sight and your mastery grasp of the situa.
ton, insisted that you should needlessly sac
rfce precious lives by attempting the un.
necessary grand-stand play of carrying the
, city by storm, you, sir had the courage tt
wait, and now YOU have the city, 5, 900 square
miles of captured territory and $4,000 pris
oners, $1,000 of whom never have seen an
American soldier"
: 1t afterward was reported that Gen. Shat
{ ter was immensely tickled by Capt. Brice'.
e little speech.
; Capt. Brice was strong upholder of the
volunteer. He carried on long discussions
!, with the regular army officers and declared
the mainstay of the army was the volunteers
One night, just before the Seventy first New
York volunteers had been brought to tn,
front, and while they were encamped on tn,
Rc;o md Nv Gond
q fellow rode back to Siboney from Gen. Shat
s ter's headquarters. On the way Capt. Brio
\ held forth at great length on the American
volunteers and particularly on the Seventy
: first New York While in the heat of tn
!. talk challenge "Halt! Who goes there?
came out of the darkness. 1t came a
n a surprise, for the enemy was miles in tn
west, and between them and the plac
: whence the challenge came were two d
visions of the American army. But Coco
fellow and Brice drew rein Immediately, fo
it is not safe to be Sassy" on dark nigh
with an inquisitive sentinel.
Friends and officers" cried Brice.
advance, officer, and be identified"
/. Brice slipped off his horse and stumble
forward and over the rough trail to wher
a picket of the Seventy-first New York stoo
with the business end of his Springfield lool
iilR DTlCeI III Lue eye. TIC iututiACoGaOll VIC
Brice mounted and resumed:
"Now there's an example Of what sale
There stood young volunteer. He wa
taking no chances; he knew almost Who'll
army was between him and the Spaniard
but he knew his duty and he did it. Woul
regular"
"Halt, who comes there!"
IN Friends and officers" replied Brice.
"Advance, one of you, and be identified
So the doctor slid off his horse and grope
). forward.
A Nine times did the twain, in turn, di
= mount. prove their identity and mount agai
r before they passed the lines of the Sevent
10 first New York. The regiment had gor
K into camp along the road and pickets we
>. posted every few hundred feet and eae
|, picket challenged the two officers.
"This 'do-your-duty-or-d policy is alt
gether too unanimous" said Brice aft
e reaching Siboney. and thereafter he had lie
II to say about the volunteers.
n The last thing Capt. Brice did in Sa