The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-05-10
NEW YoRK's7Ist REGIMENT.
GOV. ReoscveIrs summary OF the Facts
ms to Their Conduct at the Battle %
san juan. 49,

In his review OF Tue nnuiugs " pne
court of inquiry. the governor comments;
In this case the facts are perfectly clear.
The fist, with two regular regiments,
composed Hawkins's brigade. which led
the advance Of .Kent's infantry division
In the San Juan fight of July /. The bril-
gads marched down the narrow jungle
road toward the San Juan river. Before
reaching 1t the 71st was ordered into
trail which struck the river to the left
Of the road. According to Col. Downs's
own testimony, Gen. Ksnts orders were
for him to take his brigade to the left
along this trail until his right reached
the ford of the river and then to deploy.
1t being uncertain whether he would
meet the Spaniards on the hither or the
further side Of the road. Instead OF obey.
ing these orders, Col. Downs marched the
regiment along until It's hsad--that ~,
the left-struck the ford, when IL re
coiled, and he then halted 1t and kept 1t
lying down, partly In and partly ON both
sides of the trail, In an irregula column
OF twos or column of files, 1t is uunec-
essary to alluds to the absurd pretshse
uuoU WIS NUWO8AooO iBOVotutub WAY -
deployment When the regiment halted,
Gen. Kent told one of the rearmost otr-
GERS, Capt. Austin, that he wanted the
regiment to go forward; that II 1t could
not 60 forward then he would lind other
regiments that wouid 60. Capt. Austin
took no steps to inform Col. Downs Of
what Gen. Kent had said. Soon after.
n.r a. NNl
Downs to move forward. These orders
were passed up along the regiment from
officer to officer until they reached Col.
Downs, who sent back word that thu
regiment could go no further. At this
time the two other regiments of the bril-
gade had crossed thessSan Juan river and
were engaged under she personal lead OF
Gen. Hawkins In desperate light ny.
Finding that he could not get the71st for.
ward, Gen. Kent then directed certain Of
the reglsr regiments of his two other
brigad es to march along the trail over
and through the FIST until they got to the
front, and one after another five regular
regiments passed up the trail, the Off
GERS and men jssring at the list and tel
ling them to como on. t'g1
Incredible to- Yelate, Col. Downs still
male no effoftFU get his regiment for
ward. and his lieutenant colonel and
senior major likewise did nothing. Most
of the other offioers and of the enlisted
men, however,, showed spirit and good
will all the more striking because of the
contrast with the conduct Of their superb
ors. Some of them Joined the regulars,
while others were led out by their own
officers, Col Downs and the lieutenant
colonel and senior major doing nothing
to advance and but little to hinder this
move. The larger part Of the list then
went up the hill, had men killed and
wounded on its summit. entered the
block-house, supported q piece Of artillery
which had gotten into trouble, and, in
short, showed that tn y were of splendid
stuff, and that save when paralyzed by
bad leadership, they were as able as they
were eager to do honor to the glorious ira
dit.ons Of the Am srican volunteer service.
But while the bulk OF the regiment
had thus gone forward, Col. Downs,
Lieut.. Col. Smith and the senior major,
Whittle, remained behind In the trail.
behind the river, with various stragalers
and with most of one company, which
the colonel had kept with him. Toward
nightfall Gen. Kent cent back word by
one of the officers Of the list to Col
Downs to come forward and bring up
evsry available man. This order was first
delivered to Major Whittle who had at the
moment ventured across the river. In
stead Of obeyinx 1t, he hurried back and
waited until after dark, on the preteuse
that he desired to see what his colonePs
orders were-this, be 1t remembered, when |
Major Whittle, according to his own
had just been informed that |
the division commander wished every !
man at the front Lieut.. Col. Smith |
had gone to the rear, where |
he was reported as sick, and did not turn |
up again Mt the front for q couple of |
days. There was no heavy lighting after |
the first. |
These are .othe facts. On no possible
theory can Coz )owns's conduct be justi |
fed If his men had behaved badly there
would have been poor excuse for 1t; but |
his men did not. And on behalf of Lieut.. |
Cob Smith, Nwas actually urged by his |
counsel that the men had behaved badly |
because they had gone forward to take
port In the fight on the hill CREST hen
repeated commands, which the men must |
ali have heard, passed up the line, from
or on behalf of Gen. Kent, had refused to |
lead them. Col Downs had failed to take |
his men through the trail and depioy |
them at the ford; he failed to take his |
regiment forward when ordered to do so |
by word of command passed up the trail |
from officer to officer; he failed to lead |
them forward when the regular infantry |
regiments marched over his own regi- |
ment and forward into the fight; he
failed even to accompany his men or to |
follow them, save at a distance, when |
they finally went forward in battalions |
and in companies by themselves He
has since resigned. |
Major Whittle's case Is almost as clear. |
He was the only major who did not ac-
company his battalion when 1t went for !
ward into the battle, but stayed behind |
In the trail; and when Informed of Gen. |
Kent's positive direction at once Nto come |
to the front, he retired to the rear and |
stayed there until after dark, when he |
came forward with Col. Downs. He also |
has now resigned. GY.
THE NASHVILLE NEAR ST. LOUIS. |