Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-11-30
The SOUTH IN The WAR.
Splendid Record of Southerners in the
Spanish War and in the Philippines.


Splendid Record of southerners in the
Spanish War and in the Philippines.
The long list Of officers killed and
wounded during the struggle of the
last Is months includes large share
of southern names. AS large share
of the names known to the southland
may be found in the list of the officers
OF the army and navy who during the
same time have distinguished them.
selves for heroism. Saffold, killed re-
Gently at the head of his men in
charge at Noveleta in the Philippines,
claimed the same Alabama home as
does Hobson of Merrimac fame. Worth
Bagley, the only naval officer killed
during the Spanish war, came from
North Carolina. A negro was killed
by fragment of the shell which struck
Bagley down. The dying ensign
asked that the negro receive the first
care. Victor Blue. southerner and
Annapolis graduate. dared the fate
that overlook Nathan Hale during
the revolution by traversing with
single companion the island of Porto
Rico, subsequently reporting to the
American authorities the disposition
of the islands defensive forces. Andrew
s. Rowan, Virginian and West Pointer,
dared death in q similar way by
piercing to the heart of Cuba before
any other American soldier had set
foot on its soil.
Twenty years ago there entered
West Point with the writer of this ar
kia1 ftyr
Shipp and William H. Smith. They
met each other for the first time as
they left the ferryboat to toll up the
steep hill leading to the hotel. Their
orders of appointments as cadets gave
them until the next day to report for
examination. The two young south
erners occupied the same room
at the hotel; they passed their
examinations together; they tented
together during the troublesome
months of pleb camp; they
roomed together during the four years
of their cadet course, and finally joined
the same regiment as second lieuten-
ants, the Tenth United States cavalry.
We used to speak of Shipp and Smith
as Damon and Pythias, and more than
once it was joe sely remarked that in
order to carry the comradeship to a
dramatic end they ought to die to-
gether Smith and Shipp were shot
and killel within five minutes while
they were leading their dismounted
black troopers up the slopes of San
Juan hill.
In the same West Point class was
John w. Heard of Mississippi. Heard
is now captain in the Third United
States cavalry. On the way to take
part in the battles before Santiago
the transport in which Heard and his
immediate command were assigned
ran close to point of land where a
large body of Spaniards were in am,
bush. The decks of the transport
were swept by Mauser bullets for hall
on hour. 1t was necessary to trans
NIT orders from forward to aft. This
could only be done by the appoint.
ment of a man to do the duty. Every
step of the messengers way was one
Of imminent danger, though this fact
at first was not realized. Two men
were ordered to the dangerous duty,
ana they were both shot in quick sue
cession. Captain Heard said: 'I'll
ask no more of my men to expose
themselves. Give me your orders.
For 20 minutes he carried messages
from one end of the vessel to the other
though Mauser bullets cut his blouse,
spattered the deck and splintered the
ratings about him. Every stride of
his way was marked by the leaden
volleys, yet he came through un-
s2athed. He now wears the medal of
honor given "For Valor."
In the blood of its sons in Cuba and
the Philippines the union of north and
south has been cemented. In the
wiping out of sectional lines the ma
tion finds full compensation for the
cost of the war.-Chicago Times Her.
aid.